Prophet Musa and Fir’awn

Prophet Musa and his brother Harun had been called upon by Allah to
deliver a message to the leader of the Egyptians, Fir'awn (Pharaoh),
who considered himself a god and insisted that his subjects worship
him.
Prophet Musa told Fir'awn that he, Musa, was a messenger of the Lord
of the Worlds and that he had clear proof of it. Therefore, Fir'awn
should let the people of Israel go with him. Prophet Musa showed
Fir'awn the staff that turned into a serpent and the hand which turned
shining white when placed under his arm. Fir'awn consulted with all
his chiefs and theydecided that perhaps Musawas just a very good
magician. They called together all their best magicians to compete
with Prophet Musa. The magicians were promised a reward if they won.
The magicians went first inthe contest and they were good, really
good. They made their ropes and sticks appear to run in front of their
audience. Prophet Musa was afraid that he couldn't surpass their
skills, but Allah told him not to be afraid. WhenProphet Musa threw
downhis staff, it ate up all that the magicians had made. When the
magicians saw this, they bowed down and proclaimed their beliefin the
Lord of Prophet Musa and Harun.
Fir'awn was not very happy about this turn of events. He threatened to
cut off the hands and feet of the magicians and to crucify them. But
the magicians would not change their opinion. Theywere convinced by
the clear proofs which ProphetMusa had shown to them and they told
Fir'awn that he could only end for them their life in this world. For
those who believe there would be another life after death , ingardens
beneath which rivers flow.
Following this there begananother period of persecution against the
followers of Allah. Fir'awn had all of their sons killed. Prophet Musa
had to encourage the children of Israel to continue strong intheir
belief in Allah and to pray to Allah faithfully.
Whenever good fortune befell the Egyptians, they took credit for it.
When misfortune came, they blamed Prophet Musa and his people. They
failed to see that everything, both good and bad, comes fromAllah.
Allah sent all kinds of hardships against the Egyptians- famine, loss
of fruits, floods, locusts, pests,frogs, and blood- as signs to them.
They would promise to free the peopleof Israel if Musa would pray to
his God for deliverance from the pestilence. But as soon as the
hardship had been removed, they would go back on their promise.
Finally Prophet Musa was instructed by Allah to lead the followers of
Allah away by night. When they came to the sea, the waters parted so
that theycould pass to the other side without getting wet. However,
when Fir'awn and his armies pursued them, the waters of the sea closed
in on them and they were all drowned. In this way did Allah punish
Fir'awn for leading his people away from Allah.
Insha Allah in the next issue we shall relate the conclusion of the
story of Musa , when we tell what befell the children of Israelafter
they left Egypt. You can read about Musa and Fir'awn in al-Quran
7:103-137; 20:49-79; 26:16-67; and 43:46-56.

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Prophet Musa – 2

The story continues, some time after Prophet Musa had completed his
contractwith his father-in-law. He was traveling somewhere with his
family when he saw a fire in the distance. He went to explore in the
hope that he might get information or be able to bring back a
firebrand for his family to use.
When Prophet Musa approached the bush that was burning, he heard a
voice coming from it. The voice commanded ProphetMusa to remove his
shoes because he was in a sacredvalley. The voice identified itself as
Allah , and reminded Prophet Musa toserve Him and to keep up his
prayers. The voice told Prophet Musa that Allah had made him one of
the chosen ones.
Allah then ordered Prophet Musa to throw down his staff, which he used
as a walking stick and to beat down branches for his flocks. When the
staff was flung down, it turned into a serpent. Allah instructed
Prophet Musa to pick the serpent up, and it again turned into a stick.
The voice commanded ProphetMusa to thrust his hand under his armpit,
and when he removed it the hand was glowing white, yet it did not hurt
Prophet Musa . Allah informed Prophet Musa that these two signs, the
staff and the hand, would be signs for the Pharoah, to show that
Prophet Musa had truly been sent from Allah. Allah wanted Prophet Musa
to go to the Pharoah because the Pharoah and his people had strayed
far from the acceptable ways of Allah. He also wanted Prophet Musa to
lead the children of Israel away from the Pharoah's influence.
Prophet Musa pointed out that he had killed an Egyptian and that he
himself would be killed if he returned to Egypt. He was also unsure of
his ability to communicate with the Pharoah. He was not a good speaker
and asked for the help of his brother, Harun , who was much more
eloquent. Allahreassured Prophet Musa onboth counts. He promised that
Prophet Musa would come to no harm at the hands of the Egyptians. And
He agreed both to aid Prophet Musa in addressing the Pharoah and to
send along Harun to help out.
In this manner Prophet Musa was called to prophethood, and set out to
free the people of Israel from their bondage under the people of
Egypt. Insha Allah in the next issue we shall tell of his meetings
with the Pharoah.
You can read about this part of the story of Musa in the Quran
20:9-36, 42-48; 26:10-17; and 28:29-35.

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Prophet Musa

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏
The Early Years of Prophet Musa
The ruler of Egypt, the pharoah, discriminated against the people of
Israel. He oppressed them and killed all their sons. When Musa
(alayhis Salam)was born, his mother feared that he too would be
killed. Allah sent a message to her to nurse him as long as she could,
until she feared for his safety. Then she was to throw him into the
river. Allah promised that He would bring Musa (alayhis Salam) back to
her and that Musa would become a messenger of Allah.
It was the family of the pharoah who found Musa (alayhis Salam) in the
river.The pharoah's wife wanted to keep him and ordered that he not be
killed. She thought he might be useful to them orthat they might adopt
him.
Meanwhile, Musa's mother had sent his sister to keep watch over him
from a distance. When the pharoah's wife was looking for a nurse to
feed and care for him until he grew older, the sister approached and
offered the services of her mother,without, of course, revealing her
mother's realconnection to the child. In this way he was restored to
his mother, as Allah hadpromised. And when Musa (alayhis Salam) grew
up, he was given wisdom and knowledge by Allah.
One day, when Musa (alayhis Salam) had grown up, he went into the city
and found two men fighting, one of whom wasan Egyptian, and the other
an Israelite. The Israelite asked Musa (alayhis Salam)for help and
Musa (alayhis Salam) struck the other man with his fist, thus killing
him. Musa (alayhis Salam) was horrified that he had killed a man, and
asked Allah for forgiveness, which Allah granted.
The following day Musa (alayhis Salam) again was in the city, when he
saw the same man as on the day before, involved in a fight with an
Egyptian. Musa (alayhis Salam) was angry at the hotheadedness of this
man, but was once again ready to take his side against the Egyptian,
who was the enemy of them both. But the Egyptian cried out to Musa
(alayhis Salam) that murder was not the way to settle and reform
matters. At that moment another man brought news that the authorities
were searchingfor Musa (alayhis Salam) in connection with the murder
of the previous day. And so Musa (alayhis Salam) was forced to flee.
Musa (alayhis Salam) escaped to the land of Madyan. There he came to a
watering hole where a whole tribe of men were watering their flocks.
There were two women there also whose father was too old to care for
his flocks himself. But the women were holding theirsheep back and
could not get close to the water untilthe men had finished. Musa
watered their flocks for them, then settled down in the shade, praying
that Allah would send him assistance.
One of the two women whom Musa (alayhis Salam) had helped approached
him shyly, for her father had sent for Musa (alayhis Salam) to reward
him for helping hisdaughters. When Musa (alayhis Salam) had told the
old man his story, the old man sympathized withhim. The old man
offered to marry Musa (alayhis Salam) to one of his daughters if Musa
would work for him a minimum of eight years. An agreement was reached
and Musa (alayhis Salam) stayed in the land of Madyan for the
agreed-upon time.
This part of the story of Musa can be found in al-Qur'an 28:1-28./

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al-Burda The al-Burda, also called Qasida (hymn) Burda, is an Arabic poem honouring the Prophet Muhammad . The name means 'poem of the mantle' or 'of the cloak'. It was written in the 11th century by Imam al-Busiri and forms part of a vast body of li

The famous Mamluke minister Ibn Hinna, who served under the
legendrysultan Barbys, took Imam al-Busiri under his patronage and
freed him to write his poems in material security.
However, art often sufferswhen the artist is freed from suffering, and
comesto life when calamities call. His greatest poem would result from
a powerful tribulation: he woke up to find he was paralysed; half his
body without movement. Suddenly, this man, whose erudition and art had
elevated him to the status of prince of poets of his time, was reduced
to an invalid unable to rise from his bed. This state of affliction
stirred him to write the Burda.
...I began to contemplate writing a poem in the qasida form, and soon
after, I did so as a way of interceding by it with the Messenger of
God to God, the Exalted, hoping that he might heal me.
I was repeating it often, singing it, calling upon God through it, and
seeking intercession with it. During that time, while sleeping, I saw
the Prophet, upon him and his family be prayers and peace. He wiped
over my face with his blessed handand thrust upon me his cloak. I
immediately got up and left my house. I had told no one of my poem nor
of anything I had been doing prior to that.
On the road, I met a fellow spiritual wayfarer, who said to me, "I
want you to give me a copy of the poem you wrote in praise of the
Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace."
I responded, "which one?"
He said, "The one you wrote during your illness."
He then recited its opening lines saying, "By God, I heard it in a
vision last night recited in the presence of God's messenger, upon him
andhis family blessing and peace. It greatly pleased the prophet, and
I saw him thrust his cloak on the one who wrote it!"
I provided him with a copy, and he began tellingothers of his vision.
Thus its news spread far and wide.
Imam al-Busiri
Imam al-Busiri died in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 1295 CE. His
grave is well known and is connected to a large mosque. His poem
embellishes its walls.
The Burda was also engraved on the Prophet's mosque in Madina. There
it adorned its walls and reminded believers for centuries before being
erased by people who could not comprehend it. There is still one line
left that has not been removed:
He is the beloved whose intercession is hoped for
As arms against a host of relentless calamities.
al-Burda

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