The Truth Message – Part – 2.5:

Stories of the past Major prophets from Bible & Qur’an – Part 4 

Bible: Prophet Moses (pbuh) / Qur’an-e-Majeed: Hadrath Musa (as)

Book: Taurat / Torah [the first 5 books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) of the Hebrew Bible]
Religion: Judaism
Area: Egypt
Timeline: 3400 years ago approximately

Moses is most famous – Needs no introduction, does he? Peace be upon him.

To summarize: Moses (pbuh) was the founder of Judaism, who delivered the Israelites from the tyranny of Pharoah, was the greatest Israelite Prophet. According to Biblical data he lived about 500 years after Abraham (as) and about 1400 years before Jesus. He was a Law-giving Prophet; the other Israelite Prophets that came after him were only the followers of his system.

Now allow me to detail:

We (Allah) rehearse unto thee a portion of the story of Moses and Pharaoh with truth, for the benefit of a people who would believe. (Al Quran 28:04)

The Torah bears witness that in meekness and gentleness and in moral qualities, Moses (as) stood higher than all the Prophets in Israel and no other Prophet in Israel, approached the lofty station of His. Moses (pbuh) was higher than all the Prophets in Israel as presented in the third verse of the twelfth chapter of Numbers, which says:

Now the man Moses (as) was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

About the religion of Moses, the Holy Book Quran says [42:14] He has prescribed for you the religion which He enjoined on Noah, and which We have now revealed to thee, and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying, ‘Establish obedience to God (Allah) in the earth, and be not divided therein. Hard upon the idolaters is that to which thou callest them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He pleases, and guides to Himself him who turns to Him.’

The Holy Qur’an says about Torah: “Surely We sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light. (Ch.5: V.45)

Moses was born among the Israelites when they were living in bondage in Egypt. The King had subjected them to very hard and difficult conditions. To perpetuate their control over Israelites, one of the measures taken against them was that the male children of Israelites be slain (Exodus 1:16).

“… he gave order to his people, saying, “Every son that is born ye shall cast into river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” (Exodus 1:22)

Similarly, we have in The Holy Quran,

Verily, Pharaoh behaved arrogantly in the earth, and divided the people thereof into sections; he sought to weaken one section of them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women… ” (28:5)

Records are so similar, amazing!

Such was the scene of Egypt when Moses (pbuh) was born there in the house of Imran during the despotic reign of Ramses II. God decided to help the weak Israelites and bring about a complete change in their position. They were to be delivered from the bondage of Pharaoh and were to become leaders and inheritors of favors and bounties of God.

God’s ways are mysterious and human beings cannot perceive them. The case of the freedom of Israelites is a marvelous one. It establishes beyond doubt that Allah’s decision always comes to pass and no power can be a hindrance in the way of their fulfillment. Let us see how the events had unfolded for the liberation of the Israelites.

The Holy Quran says that at the birth of Moses (pbuh), God revealed to his mother saying:

“… You suckle him; and when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve; for we shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of the messengers.” (28:8)

The mother of Moses was a very sincere believer and had a living relationship with God. After the birth of Moses (pbuh) she suckled him as God had directed her and when she felt otherwise then without any hesitation she placed the infant Moses in the ark (28:8, 20:40) and floated it in the river and directed her daughter to follow it. The daughter kept the watch over the ark in such a way that no one could perceive it. The ark was picked up by a member of the family of Pharaoh who happened to be bathing in the river. The ark was brought to the palace of Pharaoh, where his wife saw the beautiful Israelite baby. She was attracted towards the infant and pleaded with the husband saying, 

“… He will be a joy for my eyes and for thee, slay him not, hopefully he may prove to be useful for us or we may adopt him as a son….” (28:10)

This statement from the Qur’an in essence is very close to what we have in the Holy Bible as an accurate account of Moses (pbuh).

The Old Testament, although it has under gone many changes, yet contains the following statement: 

“And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bul-rushes and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him; and said, this is one of the Hebrews children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and became her son. And she called his name Moses; and she said, because I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:3)

How practically this same story suits to the Indian Prophet Krishna Kanhaiyya (pbuh) up to great extent… being sailed off in waters to be saved: We’ll talk more about him later.

And so Moses (as) was adopted as a son, then as he advanced toward maturity his observation of daily life of the people of Egypt became intense. He was able to see very clearly the cruel treatment meted out to the Israelites. Moses (pbuh) had great aversion against oppression and was very much helpful to the weak.

As every Prophet migrates, Moses (pbuh) departed from his home to Midian and later married there.

God manifested himself to Moses on Mount Sinai:

“…he [Moses] was called by a voice from the right side of the Valley, in the blessed spot, out of the tree:

‘O Moses, verily, I am, Allah, the Lord of the worlds; 

And it also said, Throw down thy rod.

And when he [Moses] saw it move as though it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not look back.

‘O Moses, said the voice, come forward and fear not; surely thou art of those who are safe. Insert thy hand into thy bosom; it will come forth white without evil effect, (and draw back thy arm toward thyself in order to still thy fear)

So these shall be two proofs from thy Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs. Surely, they are a rebellious people. ” (28:31-33)

With these words Moses (pbuh) was commissioned to return to Pharaoh and his people for their guidance and reformation.

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Moses (pbuh) had lived among them and was aware of their arrogance, cruelty and inhumane behavior. The responsibility of guiding them seemed to him very heavy and the task extremely difficult. No doubt the responsibilities of prophet-hood are indeed very heavy, and Moses (pbuh) requested God to join Aaron (pbuh) in his mission.

Allah, the Wise, granting the request of Moses (pbuh), said,

“We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and We will give power to you both so that they shall not reach you. So go with our signs. You two and those who follow you will be the victors. (28:36).”

Allah said again,

“So go to Pharaoh and say, “We are the messengers of the Lord of the worlds, To tell thee to send the children of Israel with us.” (26:17-18)

Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh), with a mighty message and full assurance of victory from God, reached Cairo. On arrival first they contacted Israelites and gave them the glad tiding of achieving freedom from the bondage of Pharaoh and persuaded them to prepare for the impending departure. Then they went to Pharaoh. Moses (pbuh) conveyed him the message of God in a very plain and polite manner saying,

“… O Pharaoh! Truly, I am a messenger from the Lord of worlds. It is not right that I should say anything of God except the truth. I have come to you with a clear sign from your Lord; therefore, let the children of Israel go with me.” (7:105-106)

“… And torment them not. We have, indeed, brought thee a great sign from thy Lord; and peace shall be on him who follows the guidance. It has, indeed, been revealed to us that punishment shall come upon him who rejects the message of God and turns away.” (20:48-49)

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Miracles of Moses (pbuh)

Pharaoh then demanded some miracle saying, ‘If thou hast indeed come with sign, then produce it, if thou art truthful.’ So he (Moses) flung down his rod and behold! It was a serpent plainly visible. And he drew forth his hand, and lo! it appeared white to beholders.” (7:107-109)

Moses (pbuh) did establish the truth but Pharaoh and his people did not pay heed to it. Thereafter pharaoh and his chiefs intensified in their brutal treatment of Israelites while Moses (pbuh) intensified his exhortation to the Israelites for becoming more steadfast in their faith and seeking help from God. He encouraged them to bear it with patience saying,

“Your Lord is about to destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land, that He may see how you act.’ (7:130).

God Almighty afflicted the people of Pharaoh with drought, scarcity of fruits and by sending upon them storms, locusts, lice, frogs and blood as clear signs (7:131, 134). But they behaved proudly and were a sinful people.

And we did show Pharaoh Our signs, all of them; but he rejected them and refused to believe. (20:50-57)

Nine miracles were shown to Pharaoh and his people through Moses (pbuh) but they did not benefit from them. Due to the fear of persecution by Pharaoh and the chiefs, only a few youths from among them believed in Moses (pbuh) (10:84).

God later gave them final orders for departure from Egypt saying:

“… Take away My servants by night, and strike for them a dry path through the sea. Fear not to be overtaken, nor having any other fear.” (20:78)

In order to fully understand the nature and significance of this incident which indeed constituted a great divine sign, it is necessary to read this verse along with other relevant verses found in different chapters in the Quran-e-Kareem such as 2:51, 26:62-64 and 44:25.

“And leave thou the sea behind at a time when it is motionless, crossing over the dunes. Surely, they are a host which is doomed to be drowned.” (44:25) 

“And when the two hosts came in sight of each other the companions of Moses said, ‘We are surely caught’. Then we revealed to Moses: ‘Strike the sea with thy rod.’ Thereupon it parted and every part was like a huge sand-hill.” (26:62-64) 

‘… We divided the Sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh’s people, while you looked on. [2:51] 

The Bible mentions the crossing of the sea in the following words: 

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea. And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Stretch out thine hand over the sea.’ And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its strength. And the waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:21-28)

When Moses and the Israelites arrived at the northern extremity of the Red Sea, the ebb of the tide had begun. As the water receded, it left behind dunes, the tops of which were gradually uncovered, leaving the intervening depressions full of water. The Israelites crossed over at that moment. On arrival at the spot the Egyptian forces saw a bare stretch of the shore and pursued the fugitives, their chariot wheels stuck fast in the wet soil and the water returned upon them when the wind shifted and they were thus destroyed by God.

To put down the whole story in one line: Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh) led the Israelites out of Egypt into Canaan (towards the Promised Land). The Israelites left secretly by night, and when Pharaoh learnt of their flight, he pursued them with his hosts and was drowned in the Red Sea.”

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A note-worthy point:

When Pharaoh was drowning he proclaimed belief in the God of the children of Israelites saying:

I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe and I am of those who submit to Him.’

God acknowledging his belief and said: “What! Now! While thou wast disobedient before this and wast of the mischief-makers. So this day we will save thee in thy body alone that thou mayest be a sign to those who came after thee. And surely many of mankind are heedless of Our Signs.” (Qur’an 10:91-93)

It is remarkable that the Quran alone of all religious scriptures and books of history mentions this fact. The Bible makes no mention of it, nor does any book of history. But in what wonderful manner the word of God has proved true! After the lapse of more than 3,000 years the body of Pharaoh has been discovered and it now lies in a preserved state in the museum at Cairo!

Dear people, how wonderful this is, isn’t it?

Pharaoh who denied the Prophethood of Moses died more than 3000 years ago. More than 1500 years after the Pharaoh’s death, the Holy Quran prophesized that Pharaoh’s body has been saved, and now (or at least recently) in the 19th century, the prophecy of the Holy Quran became fulfilled when Pharaoh’s mummy was discovered.

We sent Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they unjustly rejected them. Behold, then, what was the end of those who created disorder! (Al Quran 7:104)

Okay, back to the story…

After having crossed the sea safely, Israelites saw the destruction of the powerful enemy with their own eyes and thanked God. God called Moses (pbuh) for forty nights on Mt. Tur. Moses (pbuh) was blessed with special communication with God which made him bold. Moses requested God to show him that perfect manifestation in which God promised of a prophet who is prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:18. Moses said, “… ‘Holy art thou I turn to thee and I am the first to believe” (7:144).

Law of Moses (pbuh): Musa (as) was then given the Commandments for Israelites which are found in the current Bible. He (pbuh) introduced the divine Commandments on the tablets and advised his people that their progress and prosperity lay in obedience to them.

God says about Moses & Torah in the Holy Book:

[40:54] And indeed We gave Moses the guidance, and made the children of Israel the inheritors of the Book — [40:55] A guidance and a reminder for men of understanding.

Conclusion: Moses (pbuh) had succeeded in bringing the Israelites out of Pharaoh’s bondage and brought them freedom.

God (Allah) alone possesses the knowledge of the future. He imparts it through his chosen ones. Here I attempt to mention a few prophecies of Moses (pbuh).

Moses (pbuh) prophesied coming of a great prophet after him:

God said to Moses (pbuh) as recorded: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 20:18-19)

In this prophecy Moses (pbuh) was told that God would raise a Prophet from among their brethren, (brethren of Israelites are the Ishmaelites) who will be a law bearing Prophet like unto Moses (pbuh). This was fulfilled in the person of… We will soon look into the details of the prophecy.

The Very Important: Bible has more to add:

The prophecies of the Bible had even led its followers to that part of the world where the great Prophet was to appear (through Moses). Thus it was said:

‘The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.” (Deuteronomy 33:2)

This line tells the tale of 3 important prophets of the world (three manifestations of the glory of God) and also about a fiery law…. We’ll discuss it in detail later under the name of that very prophet.

*And again, God’s words to Moses when Moses went to Mount Horeb under the command of God he addressed the Israelites saying:

The Lord thy God will raise unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken. (Deuteronomy 18:15)

In short, approximately 3400 years back itself, Moses declared that his own Law was, in the divine scheme, not the last Law; that the world was to have a fuller Law later on; and that, for this God would send in the latter days another Messenger of His. This Messenger was to teach all truth; it was he who was to mark the last stage in the spiritual advancement of man. The world had to wait for another book and another Prophet.

Moses (pbuh) was a law bearing Prophet and all those appeared after him including David (as), Solomon (as) and Jesus (pbuh) followed his law. His dispensation came to an end with the death of Jesus (pbuh) in Kashmir, India.

Prophecies of Moses are discussed in detail in the later part of this message.

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Join me to praise the lord and His Messenger: God is the Greatest. Long live the name of Hazrath Moosa (as) / Prophet Moses (pbuh)

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