The suffering of women in the time of Moses, peace be upon him | Episode (9) | The suffering of Musa's sister

0:00 The Story of Women's Suffering in the Time of Moses (peace be upon him)

0:06 The Suffering of Moses's Sister

0:13 When Allah strengthened the heart of Moses's mother so that she would remain steadfast in believing His promise,

0:20 He inspired her with how to act upon the loss of her infant.

0:24 "So she said to his sister, 'Follow him.'"

0:27 At this moment, the process of sound, composed thinking began

0:31 to resolve the ordeal that had befallen her—

0:34 namely, the loss of her infant, Moses.

0:36 Although the heart was in the state described by Allah Almighty,

0:40 “And the heart of the mother of Moses became void, and she would have betrayed him if We had not fortified her heart, that she might be of the believers.” (28:10)

0:46 excessive grief, weeping, and dwelling continuously within the problem without taking action do not lead to a solution.

0:56 Thus, it was a blessing from Allah upon the mother of Moses

0:59 that He bound her heart, enabling her to think clearly and manage the crisis properly.

1:04 "So she said to his sister, 'Follow him.'"

1:07 This holds an immense lesson for you, noble sister,

1:11 in learning how to conduct yourself when faced with afflictions in life,

1:16 ensuring that sorrow does not overcome your heart.

1:20 Begin immediately by turning to Allah,

1:23 that He may strengthen your heart

1:25 and grant you guidance to handle your trial properly.

1:29 Doing so requires five things from you:

1:33 First, it requires praying two units of prayer (rak'ahs),

1:37 turning sincerely through them to Allah in earnest supplication,

1:41 asking Him to lift the calamity that has descended upon you.

1:45 This was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

1:49 Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

1:53 "Whenever a distressing matter befell the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would resort to prayer."

1:59 Narrated by Abu Dawud.

2:01 Muhammad ibn 'Izz al-Din (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

2:05 "Meaning, whenever a grave matter or distress befell him,

2:09 he prayed so that the matter would be eased through the blessings of prayer."

2:14 Al-'Ayni (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

2:17 "It is derived from this

2:19 that when a person is confronted by a distressing matter,

2:22 it is recommended for him to pray."

2:25 Second,

2:28 it requires abundant seeking of forgiveness (istighfar),

2:31 because the afflictions and tribulations that strike us

2:34 fall under the verse where Allah Almighty says:

2:37 ﴿Why, when a disaster struck you,

2:40 although you had struck [your enemies] with twice as much,

2:42 did you say, 'Where did this come from?'

2:45 “And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said: How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourselves. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.” (3:165)

2:48 Indeed, Allah has power over all things.﴾

2:52 Through istighfar, Allah wipes away sins

2:55 and their lingering effects on the heart,

2:57 transforming the life of the one who seeks forgiveness

3:00 and altering their circumstances for the better,

3:02 just as Hud said to his people:

3:04 “And, O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn unto Him repentant; He will cause the sky to rain abundance on you and will add unto you strength to your strength. Turn not away, guilty!” (11:52)

3:08 ﴿He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers

3:12 “And, O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn unto Him repentant; He will cause the sky to rain abundance on you and will add unto you strength to your strength. Turn not away, guilty!” (11:52)

3:15 and do not turn away as evildoers.﴾

3:18 Third,

3:20 it requires remaining mindful of Allah (taqwa)

3:22 to resolve all your problems,

3:24 particularly when dealing with the parties involved in the dispute.

3:28 Do not fall into backbiting, committing injustice against them,

3:31 or making false accusations,

3:33 especially if the conflict is between you and your husband.

3:38 If you adhere to this,

3:40 then rejoice in the glad tidings of relief,

3:42 for it is an unfailing promise from Allah.

3:45 Allah Almighty says:

3:47 “Then, when they have reached their term, take them back in kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness two just men among you, and keep your testimony upright for Allah. Whoso believeth in Allah and the Last Day is exhorted to act thus. And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him,” (65:2)

3:51 “And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whosoever putteth his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Lo! Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah hath set a measure for all things.” (65:3)

3:55 Fourth,

3:57 it requires composure and deliberation,

3:59 avoiding haste in making any decision;

4:03 for hasty decision-making comes from Satan,

4:07 seeking to blind your heart to the consequences of making

4:10 such rash choices,

4:13 thereby causing you to stumble into error.

4:15 This is the root cause of many problems in people's lives,

4:19 particularly regarding divorce

4:22 and the severing of ties between loved ones.

4:25 On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him),

4:28 the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

4:32 "Deliberation is from Allah,

4:34 while haste is from Satan."

4:37 Narrated by Abu Ya'la.

4:39 Fifth,

4:41 resolving any problem in your life requires seeking counsel (mushawarah)

4:46 and benefiting from the intellect of others,

4:49 especially scholars, specialists,

4:52 and those who possess greater age and experience than you.

4:55 "He who seeks counsel shall never regret."

4:58 These are five principles to adorn your life with

5:02 when dealing with life's various hardships.

5:06 When Allah bound the heart of Moses's mother,

5:11 she made a sound decision in coping with the loss of her infant.

5:16 "So she said to his sister, 'Follow him.'"

5:19 Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

5:24 "Meaning, follow his track and trace his path."

5:28 Here begins a new chapter of suffering for a woman during the era of Pharaoh,

5:33 and a new figure enters this ordeal:

5:37 the sister of Moses.

5:39 The first stage of this ordeal was

5:42 tracing the path of Moses.

5:44 Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

5:47 "'Follow him'

5:48 means: trace his footsteps, seek news of him,

5:51 and look for information regarding his whereabouts across the city."

5:55 This tracking could be done alongside the chest's course in the river,

6:01 but how could she track his path once he was inside the palace?

6:07 How could she walk along the riverbank watching the chest tossed by the waves

6:14 without anyone noticing her

6:17 or suspecting her intentions?

6:19 Al-Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

6:22 "And Moses's mother said to his sister, 'Follow him,'

6:27 meaning: go and trace your brother's steps and search for him

6:31 without anyone perceiving you or discerning your objective."

6:37 It was a harrowing ordeal for a young woman in the time of Pharaoh—

6:42 constant fear and anxiety that she might be exposed,

6:45 revealing the infant's identity and his family,

6:48 which would bring punishment upon them all.

6:51 The task of tracking his path was arduous, not easy.

6:56 It was not merely walking while keeping an eye on the chest;

7:00 rather, it was fraught with fear, anxiety,

7:02 and extreme caution against any misstep

7:06 that could lead to the infant's death and harm to his family.

7:10 An eldest sister

7:12 often acts as a mother in caring for her younger siblings;

7:17 her heart mirrors the heart of a mother.

7:20 Thus, if Moses's mother was distressed,

7:23 his sister felt that very same distress.

7:26 Moses's sister answered her mother's call

7:29 and carried out her command.

7:31 She set out tracking her brother Moses's path,

7:34 listening for news of him from afar

7:37 so that no one would notice her.

7:40 She succeeded in this initial task:

7:43 "So she watched him from a distance,

7:46 while they did not perceive."

7:49 Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

7:52 "Allah, exalted be His mention, says:

7:54 Moses's sister traced his steps,

7:57 'so she watched him from a distance.'

8:00 He means she observed Moses from afar,

8:03 without approaching or coming near him,

8:06 so that no one would realize she had any relation to him."

8:09 Al-Shanqiti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

8:12 "Meaning: she watched him from a distance

8:14 as though she were indifferent to him,

8:16 looking toward him as if she had no interest in him,

8:19 'while they did not perceive' that she was his sister

8:22 who had come to find out what became of him."

8:24 This demonstrates the care of Moses's sister,

8:29 her extreme caution,

8:31 and her intelligence in dealing

8:33 with the greatest tyrant ever to walk the earth:

8:36 Pharaoh.

8:38 If Pharaoh—

8:40 the tyrannical claimant to divinity,

8:43 whom Allah described by saying:

8:46 ﴿Indeed, he has transgressed all bounds﴾—

8:48 could be outmaneuvered by a young girl

8:51 without him detecting her presence or her objective,

8:54 and without him even realizing it,

8:56 then against all the tyrants of the earth after him,

8:59 the people of truth can spread

9:01 the truth they adhere to and champion it

9:04 without these tyrants perceiving them

9:07 or discovering their affairs.

9:09 For Allah aids the people of truth

9:12 when they support His truth,

9:14 while He deprives the people of falsehood of success

9:16 in their war against the truth.

9:18 Allah Almighty says:

9:21 ﴿And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.﴾

9:25 And He says:

9:27 ﴿And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.﴾

9:30 And He says:

9:32 ﴿And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.﴾

9:36 Divine guidance and success are withheld from the disbelievers,

9:39 the wrongdoers, and the transgressors.

9:42 So remain a true believer in Allah,

9:44 follow the example of Moses's sister and mother,

9:47 and support the people of truth

9:49 and defend them,

9:51 without drawing unwanted attention to yourself.

9:54 We shall continue in our next gathering, Allah willing.

9:59 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

10:02 The Story of Women's Suffering in the Time of Moses (peace be upon him)

The suffering of women in the time of Moses, peace be upon him | Episode (9) | The suffering of Musa's sister

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