All about The Prophet Musa
The stubbornness of the Israelites
The Israelites were like spoilt, stubborn children who, when they are told to do something, make fun of it
and do the opposite. It is as if they think it is clever to change whatever they are told. So when they are told, ‘Stand up/ they sit down; when they are told, ‘Sit down,’ they stand up. When they are told, ‘Be quiet,’ they speak; when they are told, ‘Speak,’ they are silent.
They had wanted to be settled in a village and eat tasty food made of vegetables and green herbs. But when they were told: ‘Enter this township and eat freely from it wherever you like and enter the gate in prostration and say, “Repentance.” We will forgive you your errors and increase the good-doers.’ (2: 58), they were angry at this command from Allah. They entered the village reluctantly.
‘Those who did wrong substituted words other than those which had been said to them.’ (2: 59) So Allah sent down affliction on them and spread a plague among them so that they died like rats.
When they were given a command, they asked many questions and disputed it, so avoiding doing what they were asked to do.
A murder took place among the Israelites and they were worried about it. They could not find the killer. They went to Musa and said: ‘Prophet of Allah, help us in this case and ask Allah to make it clear to us who the killer is.’
Musa called on his Lord who revealed to him that he should command them to make a sacrifice of a cow. For the Israelites, this was as if some misfortune had befallen them, so they began to question and mock.
When Musa said to his people: ‘Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow,’ they said, ‘Are you mocking usd He said, 7 seek refuge in Allah lest I be one of the ignorant.’ (2: 67)
Now they asked Musa many questions. They said: ‘Ask your Lord for us to make dear to us what she may be.’
He said: ‘He says that she is a cow neither old nor virgin, but between the two. Do as you are commanded.’ (2: 68)
But they did not stop with that question. They began to ask about the cow’s colour. They said: ‘Ask your Lord for us to make clear to us what her colour is.’
He said: ‘He says that she is a golden cow, bright in colourdelighting those who see.’ (2: 69)
Then, when they could not think of a definite question, they came up with a vague, general question. They said: ‘Ask your Lord for us to make clear to us what she may be. All cows are much the same to us. If Allah wills, we will be guided.’
He said: ‘He says that she is a cow not trained to plough the earth nor irrigate the crops, sound, no flaw in her.’ (2: 70)
They accepted this time because they said, ‘If Allah wills, we will be guided,’ so they were guided.
But their questions had made things difficult for them. If they had sacrificed any cow, that would have been enough. But they looked for difficulties for themselves, so Allah provided for them.
They searched for a medium-sized golden cow, radiant in colour, which had not tilled the earth nor irrigated a field, sound, without flaw. This sort of cow was very rare. The cows were either old or virgin. Or they were medium-sized, but not golden. Or they were medium-sized and golden, but their colour was not radiant. Or they were medium-sized, golden cows of radiant colour, but trained to till the earth. Or they were medium-sized and golden, of radiant colour and did not till the earth, but they irrigated the fields.
They searched and searched and realized the evil of their bickering. ‘What should she be like? What should her colour be? Where is she?’ They grew weary.
Allah desired good for an orphan child and so they found this cow which Allah had described, and they had to pay him a very high price for it. ‘They sacrificed it, but they almost did not do it.’ (2: 71)
Allah then commanded that the murdered man be struck with a piece of the cow. Then he came back to life and told them the name of his killer. That is indeed how it was.
The Shari’a
The Israelites left a life of beasts of burden for a life of men. They went to live in the desert as free and noble men. They needed a divine law to provide judgement between them and to illuminate a path for them. Mankind cannot live as human beings unless they have a divine law and a light from their Lord.
The entire world is darkness upon darkness except when someone has a shining light from his Lord; and that light is the light of the Prophets which gives people the guidance they need. Whoever is not guided by this light is astray and acts haphazardly. Without this light, beliefs are only fancies and superstitions for children to laugh at. They only follow supposition and supposition does not help at all against the truth. (53: 28) Have you not heard about the beliefs of polytheists, and other non-Muslims? Their knowledge is in fact ignorance, conjecture, superstition and hearsay. They follow but a guess and to! a guess can never take the place of the Truth. (53: 28)
Their ‘Morality’ consists of nothing but excess and negligence, laxity and prodigality. Do you not see how those who do not follow the Prophets violate people’s rights, exceed the proper limits and follow their whims? Their government and politics are nothing but injustice, despotism and attacks on people’s property, rights and lives.
Do you not see how the people in power who have no fear of Allah and do not follow the Shari’a break their trusts, abuse the property of Allah, and violate people’s rights and lives? Do you not see how they enslave people and split them up into sects by slaughtering their men and letting their women live?
All the world is darkness within darkness within darkness except for the one who has a shining light from his Lord: Shadows of darkness piled one upon another. When he puts forth his hand, he almost cannot see it. Whoever does not have a light assigned to him by Allah has no light. (24: 40)
The Prophet teaches people how to worship Allah. He also teaches them how to behave with each other. The Prophet teaches people what is correct in life and what is correct in religion. He teaches them how to eat, how to drink, how to sleep, how to sit, how to behave in every situation.
The Prophet teaches people how to live as a kind father teaches his beloved children. People need the teaching of the Prophets as much, or even more than they needed the teaching of their parents when they were children.
Those who do not receive this prophetic teaching and do not learn manners from the Prophets are like wild trees. They grow up untended, so in them you see crookedness, thorniness and rottenness.
Allah did not want the Israelites to perish as other nations, who had neither book nor guidance from Allah, had perished. He did not want them to act haphazardly as other nations had acted.
Allah commanded Musa to purify himself and to fast for thirty days. Then he was to go to Mount Sinai so that his Lord could speak to him and give him a book which would guide the Israelites. Musa picked out seventy men from his people to be witnesses to that because the Israelites were a contentious people.
Because the community must have a leader, he said to his brother Harun: ‘Be my successor among my people. Put things right. Do not follow the way of those who work corruption’ (7: 142)
Musa went to keep the appointment with his Lord, but his yearning drew him towards his Lord and he rushed ahead and arrived first at the Mount. Allah said, ‘What has sped you ahead of your people, Musa?’
He said, ‘They are on my tracks. I have hastened to You, my Lord, only to please You.’ (20: 83-4)
Allah commanded him to fulfil the appointment with his Lord by remaining forty days in all.
Musa went to Mount Sinai and his Lord spoke to him intimately and brought him near. This increased his yearning and he said: ‘О my Lord, let me look at You!’ (7: 143)
Allah knew that this was not possible for Musa because ‘the eyes do not perceive Him, but He does perceive the eyes. He is the Subtle, the Aware.’ (6: 103)
Even the mountains are unable to bear His words, let alone see Him: ‘If We had sent down this Qur’an on
a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, split asunder out of fear of Allah.’ (59: 21)
He said: ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain. If it stays fast in its place, then you will see Me.’ When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble to dust and Musa fell down in a swoon.
When he woke, he said: ‘Glory be to Allah! I turn to You in repentance and / am the first of the believers.’
He said: ‘Musa, I have chosen you over all the people for My message and My words. Take what I have given you and be one of the thankful. ‘(7:144)
Musa took the Tablets which contained all the admonition that the Israelites needed and the details of everything. Allah commanded him to take hold of it forcefully and command his people to do their best according to it.
When Musa came to the seventy men of his people and told them what Allah had given him, they said insolently: ‘We will not believe until we see Allah openly.’ (2: 55) Allah was angry at this impudence, so a thunderbolt struck them while they were looking. They realized that they could not even endure this thunderbolt which Allah had created. So how would they possibly be able to endure the light of Allah!
Musa called on his Lord and said: ‘My Lord, if You had wished, You could have destroyed them before as well as me. Will You destroy us for what the foolish among us did?’ (7: 155)
Allah answered Musa’s prayer and restored them to life so that they might show their gratitude.
The Israelites had lived with the idol-worshippers in Egypt for many generations. The Copts used to worship many things in Egypt. The Israelites had seen that with their own eyes. Dislike of idol-worship had slipped away from them and love of it had seeped into them, as water seeps into an old, unused house. Whenever they had the chance, they began to worship idols. Their hearts swerved and their tastes became corrupted. Whenever they saw the path of right guidance, they did not take it. Whenever they saw the path of error, they took it.
They crossed the sea and came upon a people holding to idols they had. They said: ‘Musa, make a god for us as they have gods.’
Musa became angry and said, ‘You are an ignorant people! (7: 138-9)
‘What unbelievable wickedness! Allah has blessed you and preferred you and given you what He has not given anyone else in the entire world! Should I seek a god for you other than Allah who has preferred you over all beings?’ (7: 140)
When Musa went to the Mount and was absent from them for some days, they became playthings for Satan and fell prey to associating things with Allah. One of their men called ‘the Samiri’ got up and produced a calf for them, a mere body that lowed. They said: ‘This is your god and the god of Musa whom he has forgotten. Ҷ20:88)
The Israelites were seduced by this calf and bowed to it, their hearts were so deaf and blind to truth. What? Did they not see that that thing did not return any word to them nor possess power to harm or benefit them? (20: 89) Did they not see that it did not speak to them nor guide them upon a path? (7: 148)
Harun forbade them to do this and tried hard to dissuade them, saying: ‘О my people; you have been tempted by the thing. Your Lord is the All-Merciful. Follow me and obey what I command.’ (20: 90)
But the Israelites were seduced by the magic of the Samiri and love of the calf was made to sink into their hearts. They said: ‘We will not cease to be its votaries until Musa returns to us.’ (20: 91)
When Allah told Musa that the Samiri had misled the Israelites, he went back to his people in sorrow and anger. He was angry with his people and angry for Allah’s sake with his brother Harun. He said: ‘Harun, what kept you back, when you saw them going astray; that you did not follow me? Did you disobey my command?’
Harun apologized and said: 7 was afraid that you would say; “You have divided the Children of Israel and have not observed my word.” (20: 92-4) The people have abased me and nearly killed me.’ (7: 150)
He said: ‘О my Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us to Your mercy. You are the Most Merciful of the Merciful.’ (7: 151)
Then Musa turned to the Samiri and said: ‘What was your business, О Samiri?’
The Samiri admitted his crime and said: ‘That is how my self prompted me.’ (20: 96)
He said: ‘Go! In this life it is for you to say, “Touch me not!”‘ (20: 97)
Musa punished him by isolating him. He had to walk alone and live alone like a wild creature without any friends. What punishment could be worse? The one who pollutes thousands of people with idol-worship should be considered unclean and shunned. The one who comes between Allah and His slaves should be separated from mankind. The one who calls people to idol-worship in the land of Allah is a great sinner, the entire earth should be his prison.
Then Musa commanded that the cursed calf should be burned. When that was done, he threw it into the sea. The Israelites saw the fate of the calf they had worshipped and saw that it was weak and powerless.
Musa turned to the Israelites and said: ‘My people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the Calf. So turn to the Creator and kill yourselves. That would be better for you in your Creator’s sight.’ (2: 54)
That is what they did. Those who had not worshipped the calf killed those who had worshipped it. So Allah turned to them.
Allah the Exalted said: ‘Those who took the Calf will be overtaken by wrath from their Lord and abasement in the life of this world. That is how We repay forgers.’ (7: 152)
That is how calf-worshippers will be treated until the Day of Judgement! That is how all idol-worshippers and those who associate others with Allah will be treated until the Day of Judgement!
The cowardice of the Israelites
The Israelites had grown up in Egypt in slavery, humiliation and abasement. The children and the young men had only known this way of life. The blood had frozen in their veins. This was shown in their lack of courage, self-respect and enthusiasm. They were not used to leading themselves, to struggling and fighting; they had never even talked about such matters.
Guided by revelation from Allah, Musa wanted them to enter the Holy Land. There they could live free and secure. But Musa recognized the cowardice and weakness in the character of the Israelites. He wanted to inspire them and to make things easy for them, for the Holy Land was controlled by a strong, arrogant people.
The Israelites refused to enter the Holy Land until those arrogant people had been driven from it. Musa mentioned Allah’s blessing to them, how Allah had preferred them over all people, so that they would be eager to strive in the way of Allah and would despise the humiliating and undignified life they were leading.
When Musa said to his people, ‘О my people, remember Allah’s blessing to you, how He placed among you Prophets and made you kings and gave you what He did not give any of the people.’ (5: 20)
Then he said to them: The Holy Land is before you. All you have to do is get up and take it from your enemies. When Allah wants and decrees something for someone, He makes it easy for him to have it. There is no averting the decree of Allah. О my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you.’ He was afraid that their cowardice would get the better of them and added: ‘Do not turn back on your backs for you will turn back as losers.’ (5: 21)
What Musa had been afraid of happened. Their answer, in spite of all that he had said, was: ‘Musa, there are arrogant people in it. We will not enter it until they leave it. If they leave it, then we will enter.’ (5: 22)
Two men from among those who feared Allah, whom Allah had blessed, said: ‘Enter the gate against them.
When you enter it, you will be the victors. Put your trust in Allah if you are believers.’ (5: 23)
But that had no effect on them. They said: ‘If it must be entered, then you enter it by means of a miracle. If we hear that you have entered it, then we will also come and enter in safety.’
They said: ‘Musa, we will never enter it as long as they are in it. Go, you and your Lord and fight. We will remain sitting here.’ (5: 24)
Then Musa became angry and despaired of those men. He said: ‘О my Lord, I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the ungodly people.’
Allah said: ‘It will be forbidden to them for forty years while they wander in the land bewildered. Do not grieve for the ungodly people.’ (5: 25)
During this period, the generation who had grown up in Egypt in servitude and abasement died. Another generation grew up who had been raised in this wandering, in hardship. That was the nation of the future. This has been the fate of the Jews in all times that they are a wandering nation leading a life of humiliation and slavery.
The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Musa stood up to speak among the Israelites and was asked, “Who has the most knowledge?” He replied, “I have.'”
Allah rebuked him for not having attributed all knowledge to Allah.
Allah revealed to him: ‘One of My slaves who can be found at the place where the two seas meet knows more than you.’
He asked: ‘О Lord, how can I find him?’
He was told: ‘Carry a fish in a basket. When you lose it, he will be there.’
He set off with his servant, Yusha’ ibn Nun. They carried a fish in a basket. They reached a rock, where they lay down and slept. The fish slipped out of the basket and made its way to the sea by burrowing. Musa and his servant witnessed this extraordinary happening.
They went on for the rest of the day and the following night. The next morning, Musa said to his servant: ‘Bring us our breakfast. We have encountered weariness in this journey of ours.’ Musa had not felt weary until he passed the place he had been commanded to reach.
His servant said: ‘What do you think? When we took refuge in the rock, I forgot the fish.’
Musa said: ‘That is what we were seeking.’ So they turned back and retraced their steps.
When they reached the rock, they found a man wrapped in a cloak. Musa greeted him. The man, whose name was Al-Khadir, said, surprised: ‘Is there such a greeting in your land?’
He said: ‘I am Musa.’
He asked: ‘Musa of the Israelites?’
Musa replied: ‘Yes.’ Then he asked: Shall I follow yov so that you can teach me right guidance from what you have been taught?’
He said, ‘You will not be able to bear with me patiently. (18: 66—7) Musa, I have some knowledge which Allah has taught me which He has not taught you. You have knowledge which Allah has taught you which I do not know.’
Musa said: ‘If Allah wills, you will find me patient and I will not disobey you in anything. ‘(18: 69)
They walked together beside the sea. They did not have a boat. Then a boat passed by and the people in it offered to carry them. Then the people recognized Al- Khadir and they carried them without charge.
A sparrow landed on the edge of the boat and pecked once or twice at the sea. Al-Khadir said: ‘Musa, all that is lacking from my knowledge and your knowledge from Allah is like the pecking of this sparrow in the sea.’
Al-Khadir then stove in one of the panels of the boat. Musa said. ‘These people have carried us for free and then you go and deliberately make a hole in their boat so that its people will drown!’
Al-Khadir said: ‘Did / not say that you would not be able to bear with me patiently.’
Musa said: ‘Do not take me to task for forgetting and be not hard on me for my fault.’ (18: 73)
The first excuse given by Musa was that he had forgotten.
They went on until they came upon a boy playing with some other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of the top of the boy’s head and jerked his head back with his hand. Musa said: ‘What, have you killed an innocent soul who has slain no man?’
He said: ‘Did I not say to you that you would not be able to bear with me patiently?’ (18: 74-5)
They went on again until they came to a city. They asked the people there for food, but they refused to give them any. They found a wall in the city which was about to fall down. Al-Khadir set it upright with his own hand.
Musa said: ‘If you had wished, you could have taken a wage for it.’
He said: ‘This is the parting between you and me.’ (18:77-8)
The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘May Allah have mercy on Musa. We wish that he had been more patient so that we could have heard more about the two of them.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Then al-Khadir informed Musa: ‘As for the boat, it belonged to some poor people who worked upon the sea. I wanted to damage it since there was a king behind them who was seizing every [sound] boat by force. (18: 79)
‘As for the boy, his parents were believers and we feared that he would grieve them with insolence and disbelief on them. We wanted for their Lord to give them a better one in purity and closer in affection. (18: 80-1) ‘As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city. There was a treasure under it which belonged to them. Their father was a righteous man so your Lord wanted for them to come of age and then bring forth their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. (18: 81)
7 did not do it of my own bidding. That is the interpretation of what you could not bear patiently. ‘(18:82) Then Musa realized that no-one could encompass all of Allah’s knowledge and that some people have some of His knowledge while other people have another part of it. Over everyone endowed with knowledge there is one more knowing. (12: 76)
Musa died while the Israelites were still wandering in the land as a punishment from Allah and as a repayment for what they had done.
Allah afflicted them with abasement and poverty and they deserved His anger. They had angered Allah, the One who had appointed Prophets from among them and made them kings and had given them what He had not given any other people in their time.
Allah, the One Who had rescued them from the people of Pharaoh who were subjecting them to an evil punishment, slaughtering their sons and letting their daughters live.
Allah, the One Who had divided the sea for them and had rescued them and drowned the people of Pharaoh before their eyes.
Allah, the One Who had made the clouds shade them and had sent down manna and salwa for them.
Allah, the One Who had made the earth gush forth springs for them and had given them ample food and drink.
They repaid all that by rejecting the signs of Allah, rebelling and transgressing.
They angered their Prophet Musa, the kindest of Allah’s creatures to them, the one who was kinder to them than their own fathers and mothers. He was as tender to them as a wet-nurse is to the baby she feeds, as a tender mother is towards her child.
The one they cursed, prayed for them. Whenever they laughed at him, he wept. Whenever they were harsh to him, he had pity on them.
He was the one who had rescued them from the tyrant Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt to a land of freedom and honour, from a life of wretched slavery to a life of noble freedom.
They angered him, injured him, doggedly opposed him, mocked him, and considered him to be the humblest man among them while he was the most noble in the eyes of Allah. Did they not deserve their punishment, wretchedness and constant wandering, and that they will never prosper? Yes, they indeed deserve all this and even worse because of their evil deeds: ‘Allah did not wrong them. But they wronged themselves.’ (16: 33)
[1]Names of towns in ancient Egypt.