Part of Stories of the Prophets (series completed)
· Lesson 8 of 20
Stories of the Prophets | Episode (23) | The story of Moses, peace be upon him (4)
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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Stories of the Prophets... Stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.
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The story of Moses, peace be upon him.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation.
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May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon all his family and Companions.
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To proceed:
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Our discussion in the story of the Prophet of Allah, Moses, peace be upon him, had brought us
0:50
to Pharaoh's execution of the magicians,
0:53
his threat to the Children of Israel to slaughter their sons and let their women live,
0:58
and the Children of Israel's distress over this affliction.
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But the question that immediately comes to mind is:
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Why did Pharaoh not kill Moses along with the magicians?
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And why did he keep saying to his chiefs:
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"Let me kill Moses,
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and let him call upon his Lord!"?
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“And Pharaoh said: Suffer me to kill Moses, and let him cry unto his Lord. Lo! I fear that he will alter your religion or that he will cause confusion in the land.” (40:26)
1:22
Even though he was the Pharaoh of Egypt,
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holding all absolute power in his hands,
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and was fully capable of killing Moses without consulting anyone!
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There is no doubt that it was fear gripping Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of his entourage.
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For executing Moses would not resolve the dilemma;
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rather, it might inspire the Children of Israel and the Copts to revere him and regard him as a martyr,
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fueling greater zeal in their hearts for him and for the religion he brought,
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especially after he had publicly defeated the magicians,
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and the magicians had fallen down prostrate in faith.
1:59
Abu al-Su'ud said in his Tafsir:
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"Whenever he intended to kill Moses, peace be upon him, his chiefs
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would dissuade him, saying:
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'He is not someone you should fear;
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he is far more insignificant and weaker than that,
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and is merely an ordinary magician.'
2:17
And they would also say:
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'If you execute him,
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you will cast doubt into the minds of the people,
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and they will believe that you were incapable of refuting him with proof,
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and had to resort instead to the sword.'
2:30
Yet what is evident from the cunning and malevolence of the accursed tyrant
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is that he had become completely certain that Moses was a true prophet,
2:37
that what he brought were dazzling signs,
2:40
and that it was not magic at all.
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But he feared that if he dared to kill him,
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he would be struck with swift destruction.
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Thus, his statement was merely a deception played upon his people,
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creating the illusion that they were the ones holding him back from killing him,
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and that were it not for them, he would have slain him,
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whereas nothing truly restrained him except the overwhelming dread within his own soul."
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End of his words.
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Pharaoh and his entourage launched a propaganda campaign,
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the purpose of which was to turn people away from Moses, peace be upon him,
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tarnish his image before everyone,
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cast doubt upon his message,
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and claim that Moses's goal was to drive the people out of Egypt,
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alter the religion of its inhabitants,
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or spread corruption throughout the land.
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Pharaoh treated Moses with utter contempt
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and fabricated outright lies against him.
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And although this campaign defied reason
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and was rejected by sound minds,
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it nevertheless deceived the gullible among the people.
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Allah Almighty said:
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"And Pharaoh called out among his people,
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“And Pharaoh caused a proclamation to be made among his people saying: O my people! Is not mine the sovereignty of Egypt and these rivers flowing under me? Can ye not then discern?” (43:51)
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'Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me...
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“And Pharaoh caused a proclamation to be made among his people saying: O my people! Is not mine the sovereignty of Egypt and these rivers flowing under me? Can ye not then discern?” (43:51)
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“And Pharaoh caused a proclamation to be made among his people saying: O my people! Is not mine the sovereignty of Egypt and these rivers flowing under me? Can ye not then discern?” (43:51)
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Do you not then see?
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“I am surely better than this fellow, who is despicable and can hardly make (his meaning) plain!” (43:52)
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...this one who is despicable
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and can scarcely express himself clearly?
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Why then have there not been placed upon him
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bracelets of gold...?'"
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“Why, then, have armlets of gold not been set upon him, or angels sent along with him?” (43:53)
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"So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him.
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Indeed, they were a defiantly disobedient people."
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Part of Pharaoh's propaganda campaign
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to cast doubt on Moses, peace be upon him,
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was his command to his minister Haman:
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"O Haman, build for me a towering monument,
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that I may reach the pathways of the heavens
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and whatever means may lead me there,
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so that I may look upon the God of Moses myself;
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though I certainly think Moses is a liar in his claim
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that he has a Lord,
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and that He is above the heavens!"
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This was yet another ploy by Pharaoh
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to delude the people into believing that he was in the right,
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while Moses was promoting falsehood in his call.
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Pharaoh also enlisted the aid of Korah (Qarun),
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who was a cousin of Moses, peace be upon him,
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from the Children of Israel.
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He was an immensely wealthy man,
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whom Allah had bestowed with tremendous riches,
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to the extent that the very keys to his treasure vaults
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were a burden even for a band of strong men to carry.
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If such was the case with the keys alone,
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then what must the treasures themselves have been like?
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Because of the vast wealth he possessed,
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Pharaoh made him part of his inner circle, his confidants,
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and one of his closest companions,
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asking him to use his influence over the Children of Israel
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through his wealth and status among them
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so that they would abandon Moses,
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as part of his propaganda campaign.
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So Korah tyrannized the Children of Israel,
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using his wealth to sway them
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and bar them from following Moses, peace be upon him.
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The wise and discerning among his people advised him
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to practice moderation and temperance regarding this wealth,
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and warned him against exultant arrogance,
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which leads a person to forget
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the grace of the Bestower who granted this wealth.
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They counseled him to seek, through what he was given,
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the Home of the Hereafter,
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without forgetting his lawful share of the world.
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But Korah's reply was a single statement
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carrying every expression of arrogance and corruption.
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He said:
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“He said: I have been given it only on account of knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins.” (28:78)
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One day, Korah came out before his people in his full finery,
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and the hearts of some of the people were captivated,
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wishing they had been given the like of what Korah had received,
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feeling that he was in immense bliss.
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But those endowed with knowledge and faith who heard them responded:
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"Woe to you, O deluded ones!
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Beware of this trial,
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fear Allah,
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and know that the reward with Allah
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is far better than this worldly adornment."
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Moses, peace be upon him, would counsel Korah whenever he met him,
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calling him to Allah Almighty
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and to abandon the worship of Pharaoh,
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yet he met with nothing from him but rejection and obstinacy.
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When Korah grew weary of Moses,
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he devised a plot to turn the people away from him:
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he gave money to a prostitute
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so that she would accuse Moses, peace be upon him,
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in the presence of a gathering of people, saying:
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"You did such and such with me."
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The woman made that accusation against him in front of the people,
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so Moses, peace be upon him, supplicated his Lord,
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then turned to her and adjured her by oath:
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"Who prompted you to say this,
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and who drove you to do it?"
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The woman began to tremble,
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and confessed that Korah was the one who had induced her to do so,
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giving her money in order to publicly disgrace him.
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Thereupon, Moses, peace be upon him, prayed against Korah,
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and Allah revealed to him:
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"I have commanded the earth to obey you concerning him."
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Moses commanded the earth to swallow him and his dwelling,
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and his dwelling was a magnificent mansion,
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the likes of which people had never seen.
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Korah had come out before the people in his full pomp and splendor,
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and Allah caused the earth to swallow him whole.
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Just like that, in the blink of an eye,
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the earth swallowed him and swallowed his home,
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and he perished, helpless and utterly powerless,
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with no one to aid him,
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nor could he save himself through status or wealth.
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Allah Almighty said:
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“Now Korah was of Moses' folk, but he oppressed them; and We gave him so much treasure that the stores thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men. When his own folk said unto him: Exult not; lo! Allah loveth not the exultant;” (28:76)
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"So he oppressed them..."
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“Now Korah was of Moses' folk, but he oppressed them; and We gave him so much treasure that the stores thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men. When his own folk said unto him: Exult not; lo! Allah loveth not the exultant;” (28:76)
9:20
“Now Korah was of Moses' folk, but he oppressed them; and We gave him so much treasure that the stores thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men. When his own folk said unto him: Exult not; lo! Allah loveth not the exultant;” (28:76)
9:26
“Now Korah was of Moses' folk, but he oppressed them; and We gave him so much treasure that the stores thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men. When his own folk said unto him: Exult not; lo! Allah loveth not the exultant;” (28:76)
9:29
“Now Korah was of Moses' folk, but he oppressed them; and We gave him so much treasure that the stores thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men. When his own folk said unto him: Exult not; lo! Allah loveth not the exultant;” (28:76)
9:33
“But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters,” (28:77)
9:39
“But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters,” (28:77)
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“But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters,” (28:77)
9:49
“But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters,” (28:77)
9:57
“He said: I have been given it only on account of knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins.” (28:78)
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“He said: I have been given it only on account of knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins.” (28:78)
10:15
“He said: I have been given it only on account of knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins.” (28:78)
10:20
“He said: I have been given it only on account of knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins.” (28:78)
10:26
“Then went he forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world said: Ah, would that we had the like of what hath been given unto Korah! Lo! he is lord of rare good fortune.” (28:79)
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“Then went he forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world said: Ah, would that we had the like of what hath been given unto Korah! Lo! he is lord of rare good fortune.” (28:79)
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"And those who were given knowledge said, 'Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for whoever believes and does righteousness.'"
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“But those who had been given knowledge said: Woe unto you! The reward of Allah for him who believeth and doeth right is better, and only the steadfast will obtain it.” (28:80)
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“So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling-place. Then he had no host to help him against Allah, nor was he of those who can save themselves.” (28:81)
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“And morning found those who had coveted his place but yesterday crying: Ah, welladay! Allah enlargeth the provision for whom He will of His slaves and straiteneth it (for whom He will). If Allah had not been gracious unto us He would have caused it to swallow us (also). Ah, welladay! the disbelievers never prosper.” (28:82)
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“And morning found those who had coveted his place but yesterday crying: Ah, welladay! Allah enlargeth the provision for whom He will of His slaves and straiteneth it (for whom He will). If Allah had not been gracious unto us He would have caused it to swallow us (also). Ah, welladay! the disbelievers never prosper.” (28:82)
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"'Had Allah not conferred His favor upon us, He would have caused the earth to swallow us. Ah, indeed the disbelievers never succeed!'"
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None of the propaganda campaigns succeeded in deterring Moses, peace be upon him, from his mission or making the people abandon him;
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his followers increased day by day, and Pharaoh's image deteriorated before the masses, threatening his throne and dominion.
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At that point, Pharaoh announced to those around him his resolve to kill Moses.
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Then a believing man from the family of Pharaoh,
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who is said to have been his cousin and had been concealing his faith, spoke up.
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He spoke out, denouncing Pharaoh and his people:
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"How can you deem it lawful to kill a man for no offense against you other than saying, 'My Lord is Allah,'
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when he has already brought you clear proofs from his Lord confirming the truth of what he says?
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If Moses is a liar, the burden of his lie will fall upon him alone;
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but if he is truthful, some of what he warns you of will surely strike you!
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“O my people! Yours is the kingdom to-day, ye being uppermost in the land. But who would save us from the wrath of Allah should it reach us? Pharaoh said: I do but show you what I think, and I do but guide you to wise policy.” (40:29)
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Who then will protect us from the punishment of Allah if it comes upon us because of killing Moses?"
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Pharaoh was taken aback by the man's words and said to those around him:
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"The decision is mine, and the judgment is mine alone;
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I have resolved to kill Moses to avert evil and corruption,
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and I only guide you to what is right and sound."
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The believer of Pharaoh's family continued to advise his people, warning and cautioning them,
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explaining to them that he was only calling them to the path of salvation,
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while they were calling him to the path of the Fire.
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When they refused to listen to his words and resolved to kill him,
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he said to them:
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“And ye will remember what I say unto you. I confide my cause unto Allah. Lo! Allah is Seer of (His) slaves.” (40:44)
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“And ye will remember what I say unto you. I confide my cause unto Allah. Lo! Allah is Seer of (His) slaves.” (40:44)
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“So Allah warded off from him the evils which they plotted, while a dreadful doom encompassed Pharaoh's folk,” (40:45)
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“So Allah warded off from him the evils which they plotted, while a dreadful doom encompassed Pharaoh's folk,” (40:45)
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He then fled from among them,
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seeking refuge in the mountain.
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They pursued him but could not find him,
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and Allah saved him alongside Moses, peace be upon him, and the Children of Israel.
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The call of Moses, peace be upon him, bore fruit,
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as the Children of Israel believed in him,
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along with a group from among the people of Pharaoh,
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though they were in constant fear that Pharaoh and their chiefs would persecute them and force them from their religion.
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So Moses, peace be upon him, said to them:
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“And Moses said: O my people! If ye have believed in Allah then put trust in Him, if ye have indeed surrendered (unto Him)!” (10:84)
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“They said: In Allah we put trust. Our Lord! Oh, make us not a lure for the wrongdoing folk;” (10:85)
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“They said: In Allah we put trust. Our Lord! Oh, make us not a lure for the wrongdoing folk;” (10:85)
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“And, of Thy mercy, save us from the folk that disbelieve.” (10:86)
14:52
Among those who submitted to Islam and followed Moses, peace be upon him,
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was Pharaoh's wife, Asiyah bint Muzahim,
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who had once said of Moses: "Do not kill him; perhaps he will be of benefit to us,"
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and Allah indeed benefited her through him.
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She had also said: "He is a comfort of the eye for me,"
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and Allah delighted her eyes with him after she saw him as a noble prophet and messenger.
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At the time of the contest between Moses and the magicians,
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she kept asking who had triumphed,
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and when she was told:
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"Moses and Aaron have triumphed,"
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she declared:
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"I believe in the Lord of Moses and Aaron."
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When Pharaoh learned of her conversion to Islam,
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he came out to his nobles and said to them,
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"What do you know of Asiyah bint Muzahim?"
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They praised her highly.
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So he said to them,
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"She worships a lord other than me."
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They said to him,
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"Kill her."
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So he drove four pegs into the ground for her,
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and bound her hands and feet to the stakes.
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She was tortured under the blazing sun,
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but whenever they walked away from her,
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the angels would shade her.
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And she would supplicate, saying:
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“And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build for me a home with thee in the Garden, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from evil-doing folk;” (66:11)
16:15
The scholars said:
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Out of the brilliance of her intellect,
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she chose the Neighbor before the house.
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Allah Almighty said:
16:23
“And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build for me a home with thee in the Garden, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from evil-doing folk;” (66:11)
16:27
"...the wife of Pharaoh,
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when she said,
16:31
“And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build for me a home with thee in the Garden, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from evil-doing folk;” (66:11)
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'...a home near You in Paradise,
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and save me...
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“And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build for me a home with thee in the Garden, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from evil-doing folk;” (66:11)
16:44
and save me
16:46
from the wrongdoing people.'"
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Pharaoh sent men to her,
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and said,
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"Look for the largest boulder you can find;
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if she persists in following Moses,
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crush her with it.
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But if she recants her words,
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unbind her and bring her to me."
17:10
When they approached her,
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she raised her gaze to the heavens,
17:15
and saw her home in Paradise.
17:18
Thus she stood firm in faith and in following Moses, peace be upon him.
17:23
Then Allah took her soul,
17:25
so they cast the boulder onto a body devoid of life.
17:31
The two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim) narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
17:36
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
17:40
"Many men attained perfection,
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but none among women attained perfection
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except Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh,
17:47
and Mary the daughter of 'Imran.
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And the superiority of 'A'ishah over other women
17:53
is like the superiority of Tharid over all other food."
17:56
It has also been related in another wording:
17:59
"Many men attained perfection,
18:01
but none among women attained perfection except four:
18:05
Asiyah bint Muzahim,
18:07
the wife of Pharaoh;
18:09
Mary the daughter of 'Imran;
18:11
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid;
18:14
and Fatimah bint Muhammad."
18:18
The hairdresser of Pharaoh's daughter also accepted Islam
18:21
and followed Moses, peace be upon him.
18:24
Regarding her story, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
18:30
"On the night I was taken on the Night Journey,
18:34
a pleasant fragrance came upon me.
18:37
I said, 'O Gabriel,
18:40
what is this delightful fragrance?'
18:43
He replied,
18:44
'This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh's daughter and her children.'
18:49
He said:
18:51
I asked, 'And what is her story?'
18:53
He said:
18:55
'While she was combing the hair of Pharaoh's daughter one day,
18:58
the comb suddenly fell from her hands—
19:01
meaning the hair-comb—
19:03
so she said, "In the name of Allah."
19:06
Pharaoh's daughter asked her,
19:08
"My father?"
19:10
She replied, "No,
19:11
rather, my Lord and your father's Lord is Allah."
19:14
She said,
19:16
"Shall I inform him of that?"
19:18
She replied, "Yes."
19:20
So she informed him,
19:22
and he summoned her and said,
19:24
"O so-and-so,
19:26
do you have a lord other than me?"
19:28
She said, "Yes,
19:30
my Lord and your Lord is Allah."
19:32
So he ordered a copper cow—
19:35
that is, a cauldron so large it could hold an entire cow—
19:39
to be heated,
19:41
so that she and her children would be thrown into it.
19:44
She said to him,
19:46
"I have a request of you."
19:48
He asked,
19:50
"And what is your request?"
19:53
She said,
19:55
"I would like you to gather my bones and the bones of my children in a single cloth and bury us."
20:00
He said,
20:02
"That is an obligation upon us for you."
20:05
He said:
20:07
Then he ordered that her children
20:09
be thrown in before her eyes, one by one,
20:12
until only an infant nursing at her breast remained.
20:16
She seemed to hesitate on his account,
20:19
so he spoke and said,
20:21
"O my mother,
20:23
jump in,
20:25
for the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter."
20:28
So she jumped in.'"
20:30
Narrated by Ahmad.
20:34
The rest of the hadith will follow, Allah willing.
20:37
And Allah knows best.
20:39
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
20:40
May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
20:44
and upon all his family and Companions.
20:48
You were listening to Stories of the Prophets.