Today we will talk about one of the greatest conversations in the history of humanity, when God spoke directly to Moses, peace be upon him, in the mountain! We will focus on one of the passages in the Quran even though it is mentioned in other passages. We will pick Surah Taha (Chapter 20) to be our topic of discussion!
"Has the story of Moses come to you? He saw a fire and said to his family, ‘Stay here—I can see a fire. Maybe I can bring you a light from it or find some guidance there.’ When he came to the fire, he was summoned, ‘Moses! I am your Lord. Take off your shoes: you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. I have chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed. I am God; there is no god but Me. So worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you remember Me. The Hour is coming—though I choose to keep it hidden—for each soul to be rewarded for its labor. Do not let anyone who does not believe in it and follows his own desires distract you from it, and so bring you to ruin.’" (Quran 20:9-16)
Moses was with his family and travelling in the desert when he suddenly saw a fire in the distance. He asked his family to wait so that he may get some light from the fire or get some guidance from the people there.
Lesson One: God gives us signs
Just like Moses was given the sign of the burning fire, God gives all of us signs in this life. Sometimes it is a verse of the Quran that may touch our heart, or a heart penetrating reminder. Sometimes it is just a person we meet who teaches us a lot, or just life circumstances. When God shows us signs, it is up to us to take them.
Lesson Two: God’s words are a light and guidance
Ironically Moses said that he would go and see if he could get a light or some guidance. God through this conversation will give him the ultimate light of His words and ultimate guidance being the guidance from God! God has given us a light and guidance through the Quran, how much of it have we kept?
Lesson Three: God chooses whom He wills
God tells Moses that he was chosen to be God’s Prophet, and chosen among the thousands of babies killed to be saved. God chooses whoever He wills. He chose that you would be reading this article at this moment, while most people are not. He chose that you would have a computer with an internet connection. He chose that I would be a Muslim while many are not. It is all from the blessings of God. The question is, how do you and I utilize the blessings?
Lesson Four: Prayer, prayer, prayer!
Remember the time you met someone you honored, admired, or someone who was a celebrity. Would you ever forget that? Hardly doubt so! Yet, God reminds Moses to establish the prayer so that he may remember God. And yet, Moses has just heard God speak. Would he ever have forgotten? How important then is our prayers and turning to God?
Lesson Five: Even the best of people require sincere counsel
God went on to remind Moses that if he was to turn away, then he might be punished as well. The best of people also need to be reminded of the judgement and of hellfire. The best of people also need to be reminded that other people might turn them away from God, so do not let that happen! If Moses can be reminded about Judgement Day, who are we to act arrogant whenever we are reminded of retribution? Who are we to think we are safe by our petty deeds when this mighty Messenger of God listens silently to the warning?
Lesson Six: This is Islam summarized
God first mentions that none is worthy of worship except Him alone. He then made it clear to Moses to establish the prayer for God’s remembrance and then made mention of the Day of Judgement. This is what we need to enter Paradise! Worship God alone, establish the prayers, remember God and be mindful of the hereafter, and Paradise will be ours insha’Allah (God willing).
"‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’ ‘It is my staff,’ he said, ‘I lean on it; restrain my sheep with it; I also have other uses for it.’ God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’ He threw it down and—lo and behold!—it became a fast-moving snake. He said, ‘Pick it up without fear: We shall turn it back into its former state. Now place your hand under your armpit and it will come out white, though unharmed: that is another sign. We do this to show you some of Our greatest signs." (Quran 20:17-23)
After mentioning the main message of Islam to the Prophet Moses, God now moves on to give him an important training.
Lesson Seven: Talk to God as much as you can
Once God gives an opportunity to Moses to talk, he takes it with both hands! He keeps going on and on about his staff! How much do we talk to God when given the opportunity? Do we like to "finish off the prayer" or are actually trying to make time to talk to God?
Lesson Eight: Everything in life can be a double-edged sword
Moses mentioned all the blessings of his staff. Then God asked him to throw it down, and it became a snake—something very harmful! Everything in this world can be such. The proverbial example of the knife which can cut vegetables versus the same knife which can kill people is one to ponder upon. All the blessings in life are blessings which can be for us or against us, depending on how we use it!
Lesson Nine: Trust in God
Another place in the Quran, it is mentioned that Moses ran when he saw the snake! And yet God asks him to pick it up. An order from God, and just like his mother many many years ago, Moses listens to the order of God and the snake turns back to a staff! God just taught Moses and by extension all of us to trust in the command of God. Whatever He commands is good for us, even if we may not know it, and if we truly trust Him, miracles will happen!
This article will look at the story of the mother of Moses, peace be upon him, as she strove to save her child from almost imminent death and derive lessons from that. We will only focus on the verses in Surah Al-Qasas (Chapter 28) in the Quran, even though the story is mentioned in other places in the Quran as well.
"We inspired Moses’ mother, saying, ‘Suckle him, and then, when you fear for his safety, put him in the river: do not be afraid, and do not grieve, for We shall return him to you and make him a messenger.’ Pharaoh’s household picked him up––later to become an enemy and a source of grief for them: Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies were wrongdoers––and Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘Here is a joy to behold for me and for you! Do not kill him: he may be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ They did not realize what they were doing. Soon after, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart––if We had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she would have revealed everything about him––and she said to his sister, ‘Follow him.’ So she watched him from a distance, without them knowing. We had ordained that he would refuse to feed from wet nurses. His sister approached them and said, ‘Shall I tell you about a household which could bring him up for you and take good care of him?’ We restored him to his mother in this way, so that she might be comforted, not grieve, and know that God’s promise is true, though most of them do not know." (Quran 28:7-13)
Pharaoh saw a dream wherein he saw that a child from the slave class—the Children of Israel—would rise up and overthrow him. And after that, he started to murder every male child that was born to the Children of Israel. It was at a time like this that Moses was born. And in the midst of all of it, God chose this boy over all others to be miraculously saved. Thus, God sent His divine instructions to the mother of Moses.
Lesson One: Obey God, put your heart at ease, and trust in His promise
God gives two commands—breastfeed him and throw him into a basket and into the river, two pieces of counsel for the heart—do not be afraid and do not be sad, and two promises—that he will be returned and that he will be a messenger. God gave two commands, one which made sense (breastfeeding), and one which apparently made no sense (throwing a child into the river!!?). The mother of Moses didn’t pick and choose. She obeyed her Lord regardless, and she was feeling apprehensive, which was normal, and thus God gave her two pieces of counsel, and two promises. The lesson we learn here is that despite what it might look like, in the hardest of times obeying God even if it looks and sounds "weird" is the way forward. Take the right decision based on what God says, and know that if you obey God there is nothing to be fearful about and nothing to be sad about, and that the promise of God is true, even if you do not see it at the moment. Did the mother of Moses have any idea that her son would even survive? Let alone becoming a messenger and being returned to her?
Lesson Two: From the depths of darkness God can bring out light
Thousands of mothers would have cried because of the actions of Pharaoh. They must have made dua (supplication) that God destroy this tyrant (they were believers of that time). And yet, God placed the boy who would wipe out the tyrant in the house of the tyrant itself. From the deepest darkest pits of kufr (disbelief), the palace of Pharaoh, God brought out the light—Moses. The man who killed thousands of babies, couldn’t kill the one baby that was supposed to destroy him. When God protects someone, none can harm him, even if the world may try. In fact, God made it in such a way, that the wife of Pharaoh, Asiyah was the one who fell in love with the child and adopted him as a son. God answered the supplication of thousands of mothers, of millions of Israelites trapped in slavery through this. His plans are unique, His plans are beyond our comprehension, but He is the best of planners. When in the depths of darkness, remember that God can bring out light even from there, and that He has a plan.
Lesson Three: When doubt creeps in, keep a plan B but still trust in God
The heart of the mother of Moses had gone cold, as the heart of any mother would. She was about to reveal everything just so that she might be able to see her child once more. This is an example of illogical feelings. Yes she may be able to see her child but that would mean death for sure! So, she chooses the next possible plan, which was logical and yet would soothe her heart. She sends her daughter to look after her brother—to follow the basket through the river. The sister of Moses, Myriam, watched almost in horror as the basket was taken downstream and right into the lion’s den, to the palace of Pharaoh! She went near to find out what the situation was like, and found out that Moses was crying his life out as he was hungry but refused all of the wet nurses. She went in and offered the services of her mother. Trusting in God, and with the plan B, the mother of Moses made sure that her child would remain safe.
Lesson Four: God not only keeps His Promise, but gives more
God promised the mother of Moses that she would be reunited with her son. She was given two commands and she fulfilled them. And then, God out of His Mercy and Benevolence, reunited the mother with her child. Instead of a life trying to keep her son from being killed, now she was protected by the same people who were supposed to kill her. Moreover, she was now an employee in the Royal Palace and was being paid to do what she would have done anyway—take care of her son! God promised her the return of her child, but God not only fulfilled His promise but gave her even more. As God says in the Quran, "Whoever is conscious of God, He will make a way for him from every difficulty, and provide for Him from sources He could never have imagined. Whoever puts their trust in God, then He is sufficient for them." (Quran 65:2-3)
