3. THE PROPHET MOSES

3. THE PROPHET MOSES
(MUSA)
“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.’ [Allah] said, ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain. If it should remain in place, then you will see Me.’
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But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, it was rendered dust, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, ‘Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.’” (Qur’an 7:143)
The Prophet Moses has been mentioned in the Qur’an over 130 times, making him the most mentioned prophet in the Qur’an. God provided him with nine miracles. The first was when his staff was transformed into a serpent, by the will of Allah. The second miracle was when his hand shone forth with a beautiful, radiant light. These signs were granted to Moses so that he could convince Pharaoh of the fallacies of his ways and so that he would accept Islam.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And Moses said, ‘O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. Obligated not to say about Allah except the truth.
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I have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord, so send with me the Children of Israel.’ [Pharaoh] said, ‘If you have come with a sign, then bring it forth, if you be of the truthful.’ So Moses threw down his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent, manifest.
And he drew out his hand; it was white [with radiance] for all to see.” (Qur’an  7:104-108)
Allah sent him to the Pharaoh of Egypt and his people to call them to the belief in the Oneness of Allah and to cast aside all of their falsely worshipped gods.
God, the Exalted, says:
“And Pharaoh said, ‘O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Haman, [a fire] upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses.
And indeed, I do think he is among the liars.’” (Qur’an 28:38)
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Prophet Moses called the Pharaoh with wisdom and beautiful words to believe in the Oneness of Allah. But the Pharaoh opposed him and gathered together all of the sorcerers of that time to defeat Moses. Moses, however, was victorious, as his staff transformed, by the will of Allah, into a snake and swallowed the deceptions cast by the sorcerers.
Allah mentions this story to us:
“Said the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, ‘Indeed, this is a learned magician Who wants to expel you from your land [through magic], so what do you instruct?’ They said, ‘Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send to the cities gatherers who will bring you every learned magician.’ And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, ‘Certainly there is for us a reward if we are the predominant?’ He said, “Yes, and moreover you will be among those made near [to me].’
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They said, ‘O Moses, either you throw [your staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first].’ He said, ‘Throw,’ and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they presented a great [feat of] magic.
And We inspired to Moses, ‘Throw your staff,’ and at once it devoured what they were falsifying. So the truth was established, and abolished was what they were doing.
And Pharaoh and his people were overcome there and became debased. And the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allah].” (Qur’an 7:109-120)
The Pharaoh and his people disbelieved in the Message of God, so God punished them with a number of trials. He sent upon them floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood as signs. Still, they refused and persisted in disbelief. Each punishment was lifted by the blessing of the supplication of Prophet Moses.
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Shortly after each event, they returned and persisted in their disbelief.
Allah says about this:
“And they said, ‘No matter what sign you bring us with which to bewitch us, we will not be believers in you.’ So We sent upon them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people. And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, ‘O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you.
If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel.’ But when We removed the punishment from them until a term which they were to reach, then at once they broke their word.” (Qur’an 7:132-1355)
After all of this, Allah ordered the Prophet Moses to take his people, under the cover of night, and leave Egypt, so that they could practice their faith freely.
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Once the Pharaoh realized that they had left, he chased after them with his troops. Moses and his people reached the shores of the Red Sea, at which the Children of Israel exclaimed, “The Pharaoh will capture us!” Moses, who had complete trust in God, struck his staff on the water and the sea parted into pathways through which his people entered, by the will of Allah. Allah then saved Moses and his people and destroyed Pharaoh in the sea.
God, the Exalted, says:
“And when the two parties saw one another, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed, we are to be overtaken!’ [Moses] said, ‘No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’ Then We inspired to Moses, ‘Strike with your staff the sea,’ and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain. And We advanced thereto the pursuers.
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And We saved Moses and those with him, all together. Then We drowned the others.” (Qur’an 26:61-66)
God, the Exalted, then says:
“And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, when drowning overtook him, he said, ‘I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the Muslims.’
Now? And you had disobeyed [Him] before and were of the corrupters? So today We will save your body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless.” (Qur’an 10:90-92)
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