Stories of the Prophets | Episode (22) | The story of Moses, peace be upon him (3)

0:00 Stories of the Prophets... Stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.

0:25 The Story of Moses, peace be upon him.

0:29 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:34 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation.

0:37 May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

0:40 and upon his family and all his Companions.

0:43 To proceed:

0:45 In the previous session, we listened to

0:48 how the Qur'an described to us with precise detail

0:51 the arrival of Moses, peace be upon him, at the sacred valley,

0:55 the nature of the tree and the fire within it,

0:59 and other such precise descriptions,

1:01 some of which the People of the Book knew, while of others they were ignorant.

1:07 The Jews used to hear the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) presentation

1:11 of these events

1:13 that happened to Moses (peace be upon him) in Egypt, Midian,

1:17 and in the sacred valley,

1:19 and they would find it confirming what they possessed in the Torah.

1:23 So they would say,

1:25 "How did Muhammad know this when he is unlettered?"

1:29 In this, without a doubt, lies

1:30 proof that the Qur'an is from Allah Almighty,

1:34 just as Allah said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

1:39 “And thou (Muhammad) wast not on the western side (of the Mount) when We expounded unto Moses the commandment, and thou wast not among those present;” (28:44)

1:43 “And thou (Muhammad) wast not on the western side (of the Mount) when We expounded unto Moses the commandment, and thou wast not among those present;” (28:44)

1:46 “And thou (Muhammad) wast not on the western side (of the Mount) when We expounded unto Moses the commandment, and thou wast not among those present;” (28:44)

1:50 "But We brought forth generations,

1:55 and life was prolonged for them...

1:57 “But We brought forth generations, and their lives dragged on for them. And thou wast not a dweller in Midian, reciting unto them Our revelations, but We kept sending (messengers to men).” (28:45)

2:02 reciting to them Our verses,

2:06 but We were sending messengers...

2:10 “And thou was not beside the Mount when We did call; but (the knowledge of it is) a mercy from thy Lord that thou mayst warn a folk unto whom no warner came before thee, that haply they may give heed.” (28:46)

2:13 “And thou was not beside the Mount when We did call; but (the knowledge of it is) a mercy from thy Lord that thou mayst warn a folk unto whom no warner came before thee, that haply they may give heed.” (28:46)

2:18 so that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come...

2:22 that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you,

2:31 so that they may take heed."

2:34 We return once again to the story of Moses, peace be upon him,

2:39 as he went to his brother Aaron in Egypt,

2:43 giving him the glad tidings that Allah had chosen him as a prophet alongside him,

2:47 that He had sent them both to Pharaoh,

2:50 supported them with miraculous signs,

2:53 instructed them to maintain constant remembrance of Him, the Glorified,

2:57 and never to slacken in doing so,

3:00 for it is their true provision and real strength.

3:03 He also commanded them to speak gently to Pharaoh,

3:08 that he might perhaps remember or fear.

3:11 Moses and Aaron (peace be upon them) said:

3:14 "O our Lord,

3:16 we truly fear that Pharaoh

3:19 may hasten to kill us before we can convey Your message to him."

3:24 So Allah said to them:

3:26 "Be reassured and do not fear;

3:29 I am with you both, hearing and seeing everything.

3:33 Go to him, call him to worship Me,

3:37 demand of him to cease tormenting the Children of Israel,

3:41 and to let them go with you,

3:43 and inform him that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away."

3:48 Allah Almighty said:

3:50 “Go, thou and thy brother, with My tokens, and be not faint in remembrance of Me.” (20:42)

3:57 "Go to Pharaoh; indeed, he has transgressed."

4:01 “And speak unto him a gentle word, that peradventure he may heed or fear.” (20:44)

4:08 “They said: Our Lord! Lo! we fear that he may be beforehand with us or that he may play the tyrant.” (20:45)

4:16 "He said, 'Fear not...'"

4:18 “He said: Fear not. Lo! I am with you twain, Hearing and Seeing.” (20:46)

4:23 “So go ye unto him and say: Lo! we are two messengers of thy Lord. So let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not. We bring thee a token from thy Lord. And peace will be for him who followeth right guidance.” (20:47)

4:28 “So go ye unto him and say: Lo! we are two messengers of thy Lord. So let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not. We bring thee a token from thy Lord. And peace will be for him who followeth right guidance.” (20:47)

4:35 "...and do not torment them."

4:39 “So go ye unto him and say: Lo! we are two messengers of thy Lord. So let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not. We bring thee a token from thy Lord. And peace will be for him who followeth right guidance.” (20:47)

4:43 “So go ye unto him and say: Lo! we are two messengers of thy Lord. So let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not. We bring thee a token from thy Lord. And peace will be for him who followeth right guidance.” (20:47)

4:47 “Lo! it hath been revealed unto us that the doom will be for him who denieth and turneth away.” (20:48)

4:56 Moses, peace be upon him, went to confront the tyrant Pharaoh,

5:02 composed in heart and resolute in determination,

5:05 fully confident in Allah's victory and support,

5:08 accompanied by his brother Aaron, peace be upon him.

5:12 When they entered upon Pharaoh,

5:14 they said to him, "We are indeed messengers from your Lord to you."

5:19 Pharaoh asked them, "And who is your Lord, O Moses?"

5:24 The vile Pharaoh claimed not to know his Lord,

5:28 feigning inquiry about Him,

5:31 directing the question specifically to Moses because he was the principal messenger,

5:36 while Aaron was his aide and deputy.

5:39 Moses, peace be upon him, answered him:

5:41 "Our Lord is the One Who gave each thing its fitting form,

5:47 then guided every creature to benefit from what Allah created for it."

5:52 Pharaoh said, "What then was the state of the former generations that passed away,

5:57 when they used to worship idols and deny the Resurrection?"

6:01 Moses replied, "The knowledge of their deeds is preserved with Allah in the Preserved Tablet,

6:08 and He will recompense them for them,

6:09 rewarding the doer of good and punishing the disbeliever.

6:13 For He, the Glorified, misses nothing,

6:17 nor does anything escape Him."

6:19 Pharaoh neither believed nor softened;

6:23 rather, he began to oppose Moses,

6:26 shifting from dialogue to reminding Moses of past favors to humiliate him.

6:30 He said to him, "Did we not favor you and raise you among us since you were an infant in the cradle,

6:36 and you remained in our care for years of your life?

6:40 Yet you committed a crime by killing a man from my people when you struck and pushed him,

6:46 and you are ungrateful for my favors, denying my lordship!"

6:51 Moses, peace be upon him, replied:

6:54 "I did what you mentioned before Allah granted me revelation and sent me as a messenger.

7:00 So I fled from your midst to Midian

7:03 when I feared you would kill me for what I had done unintentionally.

7:08 Then my Lord graciously granted me prophethood and knowledge,

7:13 and made me one of the messengers.

7:16 Furthermore, what favor are you holding over me?

7:19 That which you boast of as a favor over me is in reality a curse;

7:23 for what favor can you claim over me when you have enslaved my people,

7:28 and I am one of them?"

7:30 With this reproving answer,

7:34 Moses, peace be upon him, silenced Pharaoh,

7:37 causing him to deflect the conversation away from this issue

7:41 concerning his upbringing of Moses and boasting of favors,

7:45 and move on to something else.

7:48 So Pharaoh said, "And what is the Lord of the worlds whom you and your brother have come to convey His message to me?"

7:56 This question illustrates Pharaoh's tyranny

8:00 and his transgression of every bound in wickedness,

8:02 for this question implicitly carried a disdainful denial that there could be any god besides himself.

8:09 Then came the response from Moses, peace be upon him,

8:13 just as Allah Almighty mentioned in His Noble Book:

8:17 “Pharaoh said: And what is the Lord of the Worlds?” (26:23)

8:22 “(Moses) said: Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if ye had but sure belief.” (26:24)

8:27 "...if you should be certain."

8:34 “(Pharaoh) said unto those around him: Hear ye not?” (26:25)

8:39 “He said: Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers.” (26:26)

8:46 “(Pharaoh) said: Lo! your messenger who hath been sent unto you is indeed a madman!” (26:27)

8:52 “He said: Lord of the East and the West and all that is between them, if ye did but understand.” (26:28)

9:03 “(Pharaoh) said: If thou choosest a god other than me, I assuredly shall place thee among the prisoners.” (26:29)

9:12 Pharaoh felt that Moses's argument had completely stunned and silenced him,

9:17 so he shifted from the method of debate to threats and intimidation.

9:21 This is the nature of tyrants in every era

9:25 whenever they are incapable of refuting an argument with an argument.

9:29 He said in a surge of rage and fury:

9:32 "If you take a god other than me, O Moses,

9:35 I will surely make you one of the prisoners in my dungeon!

9:40 And this is my way with anyone who defies my obedience."

9:44 It was Pharaoh's custom, whenever he wished to imprison someone,

9:48 to cast him into a deep, subterranean pit in the earth

9:54 wherein he could neither see nor hear,

9:57 which was worse than death itself.

10:00 Moses said, "Would you make me one of the prisoners

10:05 even if I brought you a decisive, clear proof that demonstrates my truthfulness?"

10:10 Moses only said this

10:13 because it is human nature

10:15 to submit to the truth once clear proof is presented.

10:17 Pharaoh had no choice but to say to Moses,

10:22 "He said: 'If you have brought a sign, then produce it, if you are of the truthful.'"

10:35 "So he threw his staff, and thereupon it was a serpent manifest,

10:42 and he drew out his hand, and thereupon it was white for the onlookers."

10:50 Pharaoh and his courtiers were astonished by the miracles of Moses, peace be upon him, which they saw;

10:56 yet instead of submitting and yielding to the truth,

11:00 they rejected them out of injustice and arrogance.

11:03 They said, "This is a learned sorcerer!

11:07 “Who would drive you out of your land by his magic. Now what counsel ye?” (26:35)

11:09 What then do you advise?"

11:12 The prominent chiefs among Pharaoh's people said—

11:15 and they were his retinue and evil entourage:

11:18 "Delay Moses and his brother until an appointed time,

11:22 and send forth into all regions and parts of Egypt

11:25 to bring you every skilled sorcerer."

11:29 Pharaoh agreed to this proposal

11:33 and said to Moses,

11:35 “He said: Hast come to drive us out from our land by thy magic, O Moses?” (20:57)

11:38 "We will surely bring you magic like it, and even greater;

11:43 so set between us an appointed time that neither of us will fail to keep,

11:48 so we may see which of us possesses the greater magic."

11:51 Moses, peace be upon him, said:

11:54 "Your appointed time shall be the day of your festival, the Day of Adornment,

11:58 at mid-morning."

12:00 Moses, peace be upon him, chose this appointed time

12:04 so that it would be more conducive to drawing a large gathering of people,

12:06 thereby establishing the proof decisively against Pharaoh and his people.

12:10 Pharaoh agreed to the appointed time,

12:13 and the master sorcerers were summoned from all corners of Egypt.

12:18 When they arrived at the appointed time—

12:21 and they were seventy sorcerers—

12:23 Moses, peace be upon him, turned to them

12:26 and said to them privately:

12:29 "Woe to you! Do not fabricate a lie against Allah,

12:32 lest He annihilate you with a punishment from Him."

12:36 “Moses said unto them: Woe unto you! Invent not a lie against Allah, lest He extirpate you by some punishment. He who lieth faileth miserably.” (20:61)

12:39 The sorcerers debated the matter among themselves in secret

12:42 and said:

12:44 "These two are nothing but sorcerers

12:47 who wish to overcome you and drive you out of your land with their magic;

12:52 so resolve upon your plan and unite your plot,

12:56 then come forward in line to confront Moses and his brother,

12:59 for he who triumphs today will surely succeed."

13:03 Allah Almighty said:

13:06 “And We verily did show him all Our tokens, but he denied them and refused.” (20:56)

13:12 “He said: Hast come to drive us out from our land by thy magic, O Moses?” (20:57)

13:18 "We will surely bring you magic like it..."

13:22 "...so make between us and you an appointment..."

13:26 “But we surely can produce for thee magic the like thereof; so appoint a tryst between us and you, which neither we nor thou shall fail to keep, at a place convenient (to us both).” (20:58)

13:36 “(Moses) said: Your tryst shall be the day of the feast, and let the people assemble when the sun hath risen high.” (20:59)

13:44 "So Pharaoh went away, put together his plot, and then came."

13:49 “Moses said unto them: Woe unto you! Invent not a lie against Allah, lest He extirpate you by some punishment. He who lieth faileth miserably.” (20:61)

13:59 “Moses said unto them: Woe unto you! Invent not a lie against Allah, lest He extirpate you by some punishment. He who lieth faileth miserably.” (20:61)

14:02 "And they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed private conversation."

14:08 “They said: Lo! these are two wizards who would drive you out from your country by their magic, and destroy your best traditions;” (20:63)

14:27 “So arrange your plan, and come in battle line. Whoso is uppermost this day will be indeed successful.” (20:64)

14:33 "And he has succeeded today who overcomes."

14:39 The sorcerers turned to Pharaoh and said to him, "Will we have a reward if we overcome Moses today?"

14:47 Pharaoh said, "Yes, you will have a great reward, and in addition, I will make you among those brought near to me."

14:57 The sorcerers rejoiced at that, and then they said to Moses,

15:01 "Either you cast your magic first, O Moses, or we will be the ones who cast."

15:08 Moses said to them:

15:10 "Rather, you cast your magic first."

15:14 So all the sorcerers threw their ropes and staffs all at once,

15:20 and bewitched the eyes of the people,

15:23 so that they appeared as snakes and serpents moving before them in an imposing sight and a magnificent display of magic.

15:32 “Then they threw down their cords and their staves and said: By Pharaoh's might, lo! we verily are the winners.” (26:44)

15:38 Thereupon, Moses, peace be upon him, felt a sense of fear within himself.

15:42 Moses (peace be upon him) did not doubt Allah's victory for him,

15:45 but he feared that the people might be swayed by these sorcerers due to their great numbers,

15:52 or that they would not wait to see the miracles that Moses possessed.

15:58 So Allah revealed to Moses: "Do not fear, and cast your staff;

16:03 it will swallow up what they have crafted and nullify their magic."

16:07 At that point, Moses said to the sorcerers:

16:11 "What you have brought is nothing more than sorcery,

16:14 and Allah, my Lord, will surely invalidate it."

16:17 “And when they had cast, Moses said: That which ye have brought is magic. Lo! Allah will make it vain. Lo! Allah upholdeth not the work of mischief-makers.” (10:81)

16:21 Then Moses cast his staff,

16:24 and the staff transformed into a real serpent

16:28 that began devouring the magic and falsehood they had cast,

16:32 by which they had deceived the eyes of the people

16:35 when it had no real substance.

16:38 Moses's staff swallowed all the ropes and staffs of the people

16:42 in plain view of Pharaoh, the sorcerers, and all the people.

16:47 Thus the truth was established, and all that they were doing was nullified.

16:52 Pharaoh and those with him were overcome,

16:55 and they turned back, utterly humiliated and debased.

16:58 As for the greatest surprise,

17:01 it came from the sorcerers,

17:03 For they knew that this was not magic,

17:06 and that it surpassed the craft of all magicians combined.

17:10 So they fell down prostrating to Allah,

17:13 and all declared together,

17:15 "We believe in Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,

17:18 the Lord of Moses and Aaron."

17:22 Pharaoh flew into a furious rage at the magicians

17:25 and said to them:

17:27 "Have you believed in him before I gave you permission?

17:32 Indeed, he must be your chief who taught you magic!

17:37 “(Pharaoh) said: Ye put faith in him before I give you leave. Lo! he is your chief who taught you magic. Now surely I shall cut off your hands and your feet alternately, and I shall crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and ye shall know for certain which of us hath sterner and more lasting punishment.” (20:71)

17:44 “(Pharaoh) said: Ye put faith in him before I give you leave. Lo! he is your chief who taught you magic. Now surely I shall cut off your hands and your feet alternately, and I shall crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and ye shall know for certain which of us hath sterner and more lasting punishment.” (20:71)

17:53 And you will surely come to know which of us is more severe in punishment and more enduring."

17:59 “They said: We choose thee not above the clear proofs that have come unto us, and above Him Who created us. So decree what thou wilt decree. Thou wilt end for us only this life of the world.” (20:72)

18:09 "So decree whatever you will decree!

18:13 “They said: We choose thee not above the clear proofs that have come unto us, and above Him Who created us. So decree what thou wilt decree. Thou wilt end for us only this life of the world.” (20:72)

18:19 Indeed, we have believed in our Lord so that He may forgive us our sins,

18:26 so that He may forgive us our sins,

18:29 “Lo! we believe in our Lord, that He may forgive us our sins and the magic unto which thou didst force us. Allah is better and more lasting.” (20:73)

18:33 and Allah is better and more enduring."

18:37 “Lo! whoso cometh guilty unto his Lord, verily for him is hell. There he will neither die nor live.” (20:74)

18:42 “Lo! whoso cometh guilty unto his Lord, verily for him is hell. There he will neither die nor live.” (20:74)

18:53 “But whoso cometh unto Him a believer, having done good works, for such are the high stations;” (20:75)

19:04 Gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein eternally.

19:13 And that is the reward of whoever purifies himself.

19:18 Pharaoh also leveled another accusation against them,

19:21 “Pharaoh said: Ye believe in Him before I give you leave! Lo! this is the plot that ye have plotted in the city that ye may drive its people hence. But ye shall come to know!” (7:123)

19:29 threatening them with execution and crucifixion.

19:32 But they said, with faith having deeply entered their hearts:

19:36 "There is no harm to us if you kill us or carry out your threat against us."

19:41 “And lo! unto our Lord we surely are returning.” (43:14)

19:44 “Lo! we ardently hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we are the first of the believers.” (26:51)

19:53 So the tyrannical Pharaoh issued his orders, and they were all put to death.

19:58 Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said:

20:02 "They were magicians at the beginning of the day, and righteous martyrs by its end."

20:08 The notables and chieftains of Pharaoh's people saw

20:12 large numbers of the Children of Israel believing in Moses and following him.

20:19 So they said to Pharaoh, inciting and provoking him:

20:23 "Will you leave Moses and his people among the Children of Israel to corrupt the people in the land of Egypt,

20:29 altering their religion by worshiping Allah and abandoning your worship and the worship of your gods?"

20:35 Pharaoh said, "We will slaughter the sons of the Children of Israel,

20:39 and keep their women alive for servitude,

20:43 for indeed we have complete dominion and power over them."

20:48 When this threat and menace from Pharaoh and his chiefs reached Moses and his people,

20:54 Moses, peace be upon him, paid them no heed.

20:58 Rather, he exhorted his people to be patient, promised them victory,

21:03 and gave them hope that Allah would make them inherit the land of Egypt.

21:07 The Children of Israel said to Moses, peace be upon him,

21:12 in reply to his counsel to them:

21:15 "We suffered harm from Pharaoh before you brought us the message, O Moses;

21:21 that tyrant slaughtered many of our sons,

21:26 and inflicted various forms of injustice and oppression upon us;

21:30 and we have continued to suffer harm even after you brought us the message,

21:34 as you can see from our dire circumstances

21:37 and degrading, humiliating labor."

21:40 Moses said to them:

21:44 "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy, Pharaoh and his people,

21:48 and make you successors in their land after their destruction,

21:52 so that He may see how you act,

21:55 whether you will be grateful or ungrateful."

21:58 And Allah Almighty revealed to Moses and his brother Aaron,

22:02 after Pharaoh persisted obstinately in his tyranny

22:05 and in inflicting torment upon the believers,

22:08 that they should designate specific houses for their believing people in Egypt,

22:14 wherein they could reside and settle,

22:17 keeping apart from Pharaoh and his soldiers

22:20 until Allah brings about a matter already decreed.

22:24 "And make these houses in which you reside

22:29 places for your prayer and worship,

22:32 now that Pharaoh and his soldiers have prevented you from performing worship

22:36 in the designated places."

22:41 To be continued, if Allah wills.

22:44 And Allah knows best.

22:46 Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

22:49 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

22:52 and upon all his family and Companions.

22:58 You have been listening to Stories of the Prophets.

Stories of the Prophets | Episode (22) | The story of Moses, peace be upon him (3)

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