All about The Prophet Musa
When Pharaoh had shot that bolt, Musa wanted to hit him with Allah’s bolt. He said, ‘What, even if I bring you something clear?’ (26: 30)
Pharaoh said: ‘Bring it then if you are one of the truthful.’ (26: 31)
So Musa threw down his staff and it was a manifest shake. He drew forth his hand and it was white to the viewers. (26: 32-3)
Pharaoh found something to say only to his companions. He said to the Council around him: ‘This man is a cunning sorcerer.’ (26: 34)
The people of the Council agreed. They said: ‘This is a manifest sorcerer.’
Musa said: ‘What, do you say this to the truth, when it has come to you, “Is this sorcery?” Sorcerers do not prosper.’ (10: 77)
Then Pharaoh’s people shot another bolt at Musa. They said: ‘Have you come to us to turn us from what we found our fathers doing? Does domination in the land belong to you two? We do not believe you.’ (10: 78)
Then, Pharaoh tried to alarm the Council about Musa. He said: ‘He wants to drive you out of your land by sorcery. What do you command?’ (26: 25)
The Council then suggested to the King that he should assemble the best sorcerers in his kingdom and that they should use their magic against Musa. The King agreed. A proclamation was made throughout the kingdom: ‘Whoever knows magic should come to the King.’
Sorcerers gathered from every corner of the kingdom. Feast Day was set as the date for the contest.
The people were asked: ‘Will you gather?’
Perhaps we will follow the sorcerers if they are the winners/(26: 40)
The people left their houses in the morning and walked to the square in throngs. Children, young and old people, men and women, all were going to the square. Only the sick and the very old were left at home.
All the talk was of sorcery and the names of sorcerers.
‘Has the Great Wizard of Aswan[1] come as well?’
‘Yes, and the Wizard of Luxor* and the famous sorcerer of Giza*.’
‘Brother, who do you think will win?’
‘Egypt is putting forward her very best! Do you think anyone can beat them?’
‘How can Musa and his brother beat them? Where did they learn magic?’
‘He grew up in the King’s palace and he left Egypt in fear for his life and then he spent some years in Midian.’
‘So where did he learn magic?’
‘In Egypt? Never!’
‘In Midian? We have not heard that they possess that science there.’
The Israelites came, torn between hope and despair, perhaps more in a state of despair, saying, ‘May Allah show mercy to ‘Imran’s son! May Allah help the Israelites!’
The sorcerers came forward in all their pride and arrogance, clothed in colourful garments, carrying their staffs and ropes. They were laughing and joking for this was the day of their science: today the King would see their art! Today the people would see their excellence!
When the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh: ‘Shall we have a wage if we are the victors?’
He said: ‘Yes, and you shall be among those near-stationed.’ (26: 41—2)
Such are the rewards and gifts offered by kings! That is how good men are deceived and trapped. But the sorcerers were happy with Pharaoh’s promises.
When the sorcerers were ready, Musa told them: ‘Throw down what you will throw.’
They threw their ropes and staffs and said: ‘By the might of Pharaoh we will win.’ (43: 44)
Then the people saw a marvellous sight: there were snakes slithering in the square. Startled, they drew back with shouts of ‘Snakes! Snakes!’ Some women and children screamed in alarm. The cry of ‘Snakes! Snakes!’ filled the square.
Musa saw the same thing that the people saw and was amazed. It seemed to him through their sorcery that their ropes and staffs were sliding. (20: 66)
Fear crept into Musa’s heart. This was the day of the contest. In a contest a man is either honoured or dishonoured! If the sorcerers were to win, may Allah not decree that! If Musa were to be defeated, may Allah not allow that! What would he do then? We seek refuge with Allah!
The defeat of Musa would not only mean the defeat of one man, but the defeat of a Religion at the hands of a king, the defeat of the truth by falsehood.
Allah would never decree that! Allah would never permit that! Allah gave Musa courage and said: ‘Do not be afraid. You certainly have the upper hand. Throw down what is in your right hand. It will swallow up what they have fashioned. They have only fashioned the guile of a sorcerer. The sorcerer does not prosper wherever he goes.’ (20: 68-9)
Musa said: ‘What you have brought is sorcery. Allah will bring it to nothing. Allah does not uphold the deeds of those who do corruption. Allah verifies the truth by His words, even though the wrong-doers are averse.’ (10: 81-2)
Musa threw down his staff and it swallowed up their lying invention. (26: 45) The truth came to pass and what they were doing was proved false. (7: 118)
The sorcerers could hardly believe what they saw: ‘What is this? We know sorcery and what it is based on. We know magic in all its forms. We are the masters, the leaders, of the art! But this does not come from sorcery!
‘If it had been sorcery, we would have beaten it with sorcery, confronting science with science. But our sorcery fades away in the face of this. It melts away as dew melts before the sun. Where is this from? This must be from Allah!’
The sorcerers were satisfied that Musa was a Prophet and that Allah had given him a miracle. They cried out aloud: ‘We believe in the Lord of Harun and Musa.’ The sorcerers fell down in prostration. They said: ‘We believe in the Lord of all the worlds, the Lord of Musa and Harun.’ (26: 48)
Pharaoh became wild with rage. He leapt to his feet and sat down again, helpless with anger. The very thing he feared had happened! He had brought the best sorcerers to defeat Musa but the sorcerers had become Musa’s followers! Also the people were now the first to believe in Musa! His arrows were turned back against him.
Pharaoh had believed that he controlled minds just as he controlled bodies, that he had power over hearts just as he had power over tongues. No-one in Egypt was allowed to believe or accept anything without his permission. He spoke with pride and arrogance: ‘You have believed in Him before I gave you leave?’ (26: 49)
Pharaoh then shot another arrow, saying, ‘He is your chief, the same one who taught you sorcery!’ (26:49) Then he struck at them again, accusing them of a plot: ‘This is a trick you have devised in the city in order to expel its people from it. Now you shall know!’ (7:123)
Then he struck at them with a third poisoned arrow, the final arrow in the quiver of an earthly ruler. He said: 7 shall cut off your hands and feet alternately and I will crucify all of you.’ (26: 50-1)
These believers met all the arrows with the shield of belief and patience. They said: ‘No matter! Indeed we are turning to our Lord. We ardently hope for our Lord to forgive us our sins and we are the first of the believers.’ (26: 50-1)
They spoke with firm belief: ‘We believe in our Lord that He might forgive us our sins and the sorcery you forced us to practise. Allah is better and endures forever. Whoever comes to his Lord as a sinner will have Jahannam (Hell). There he will neither die nor live. Whoever comes to Him as a believer, having performed righteous actions, those will have the highest degrees, the gardens of Eden with rivers flowing underneath them. That is the reward of those who purify themselves.’ (20: 74-6)
Pharaoh was deeply worried by Musa. He spent sleepless nights, unable even to enjoy his food or drink. Other people also provoked him and he became even angrier. They said: ‘Will you leave Musa and his people to work corruption in the land and leave your gods?’
He said: ‘We shall slaughter their sons and let their women live. We are in power over them!’ (7: 127)
Anxious to stop the Israelites and the Egyptians believing in Musa, Pharaoh proclaimed among his people: ‘O people! Do I not possess the kingdom of Egypt and these rivers flowing under me? What, do you not see? Am I better or this man, who is contemptible and scarcely makes things clear?’ (43: 51 -2)
Pharaoh then said, with a great show of composure: ‘O Council! I do not know that you have any other god than me!’ (28: 38)
It was as if he had reflected deeply on the matter and was offering good advice to his people. He said: ‘Haman, kindle me a fire upon the day and build me a tower that I may climb up to Musa’s God, for I think that he is one of the liars.’ (28: 38)
Haman kindled a fire on the clay. He built a tower, but up to where? Haman grew weary and the workers grew weary. Pharaoh could not build high enough to reach the clouds, let alone the moon, not the moon let alone the sun, not the sun let alone the stars, not the stars let alone the sky.
Pharaoh was disappointed and ashamed. He was powerless to do his will. He did not know that Allah created the earth and the highest heavens. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whatever is between them and what is under the earth. (20: 4-6) ‘
He is the One who is God in the heavens and God in the earth. (43: 84)
Pharaoh decided that the only way to beat Musa was to kill him. Pharaoh said: ‘Let me kill Musa and let him call to his Lord. I fear that he may change your religion or he may cause corruption to appear in the land. “(40: 26)
A believer from Pharaoh’s people
While Pharaoh was plotting how to kill Musa, a certain man, a believer from among Pharaoh’s people, who had kept his belief hidden, said: ‘Are you going to kill a man just because he says, “My Lord is Allah”, when he has brought you the clear proofs from your Lord?’ (40: 28)
This man then said: ‘Why do you oppose Musa and seek to harm him? If you do not believe him, then leave him alone and let him go his way: If he is a liar, then his lie is on his own head . . . (40: 28) If you harm him and attack him and he turns out truly to be a Prophet, then woe will befall you. If he is telling the truth, some of what he warns (you of) will befall you.’ (40: 28)
‘My brothers, do not be dazzled by your kingdom. Do not be dazzled by your strength and armies!’
‘О my people, you have the kingdom today, being masters in the land. But who will help us against Allah’s punishment if it comes upon us?’ (40: 29)
Pharaoh’s answer was: 7 only let you see what I myself see and I only guide you on the path of guidance.’ (40: 29)
The believer wanted to warn his people about a terrible punishment and the fate of those who are unjust. He said: ‘О my people, I fear for you the like of the day of the Parties, the like of what happened to the people of Nuh, ‘Ad and Thamud and those alter them. Allah does not desire injustice for His servants.’ (40: 31)
This sensible man tried to make them fear the Day of Judgement. And how awesome is that Day!
A day when a man shall flee from his brother, his mother and his father, and his wife and his sons. Every man on that day will have concern enough for himself to make him heedless (of others). (80: 34-7)
Friends on that day will be enemies to one another, except for the God-fearing. (43: 67)
There will be no kinship between them and they will not question one another. (23: 101)
On the day when the All-Powerful King calls out: ‘Whose is the Kingdom today?’ ‘Allah’s, the One, the All-Mighty.’ (40: 16)
The day when people are alarmed and shout and call to one another, the day when they turn around in retreat, they will have no protector against Allah.
The sensible man then said: ‘О my people, I fear for you the Day of Invocation, the day when you turn about in retreat, having no protector against Allah. Whoever Allah misguides has no guide for him.’ (40: 33)
He continued: ‘Allah gave you a blessing, but you did not recognize its excellence, nor did you value it as it should have been valued, until it had gone. Then you regretted it. That was the Prophet Yusuf, may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him, whom you did not recognize and whose worth you did not esteem.
‘But when he died, you said, “Glory be to Allah! There will never be a Prophet like Yusuf! There will never be a king like Yusuf! There will never be a man like Yusuf! Who will we have for a Prophet after him? Who will we ever have like him? No-one! There will never be anyone like him!”
‘Yusuf brought you the clear signs before, but you continued in doubt concerning what he had brought you until you said, “Allah will never send a messenger after him.” {40: 34)
‘That is how you will behave after this Prophet as well, and again you will regret it!’