PROPHET ABRAHAM (IBRAHIM)
Abraham (Ibrahim) is one of the Prophets of God. He is the son of Azar (also called Tarikh), the son of Nakhur, the son of Sarugh, the son of Arghu, the son of Falagh, the son of Ghabir, the son of Shalikh, the son of Qaynan, the son of Arfakhashidh, the son of Sam, the son of Noah. Prophet Abraham was born in Iraq, under the rulership of Nimrod. Nimrod ruled a wide area.
The astrologers informed Nimrod at the time that a child would be born, and at his hands, the destruction of his reign would occur. They said that the residence of this child would be in Babil (Babylon) next to Kufah. At that, Nimrod ordered that any male newborn child would be slaughtered.
THE BIRTH OF PROPHET ABRAHAM
The wife of Azar conceived. Her husband took her to Ur, a village outside of Babil. It is a place between Kufah and Basrah, all in present day Iraq. He made her stay in a place that was excavated underground. He used to supply her with food, drink and the rest of her needs.
After a long period of time passed without anything happening to the reign of that king, he felt relaxed. Azar addressed the king regarding the subject. The king permitted them to return. So, they came back with their children. Abraham grew up rapidly. His father was a man who carved idols and worshipped them.
PROPHET ABRAHAM CALLS HIS FATHER TO ISLAM
Prophet Abraham forbade his father from doing this false worship, as indicated in Surat Maryam, verse 42. Abraham said, “O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear, see, or benefit you with anything?”
Azar was angry and he said, "O Abraham, if you do not worship my gods, I will stone you,” as was stated in Surat Maryam verse 46. Prophet Abraham told his father that he would ask God to guide him to Islam. Despite the threat, his evil father did not kill him.
Abraham used many wise techniques to prove to his father and the rest of the idol worshippers that they were wrong in worshipping idols instead of their Creator.
The people at that time worshipped the sun, the moon, and the stars. They sculpted idols representing those objects in the sky. Abraham wanted them to think about how these objects move, and that they must have a Creator Who has Power over them, making them move.
ABRAHAM NEVER WORSHIPPED THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS
We know from verse 76-79 of Suratul-An^am that one night Prophet Abraham saw a star in the sky and told the people with denial, “This is my Lord?!” Then he waited and wanted them to observe that the star went away. After the star went away Abraham told, “I don’t worship that which goes away”. Abraham did the same with the moon and the sun. Concerning the sun he said, "Is this what you want me to worship, this which is bigger?!” He stressed to the people that all these things are creations that change, and that one must worship the Creator of those objects Who never changes.
Important note: Nowadays you find some people who misunderstand these verses and commit a serious mistake. They believe that Prophet Abraham worshipped the star, then the moon, then the sun. Then he finally worshipped God. This is totally incorrect. It is not possible that any Prophet would do such a thing.
These misguided people think that the questions that Prophet Abraham posed were instead confirmations that he worshipped the star, moon, and sun. In the Qur’an, there are no exclamation or question marks. However, as already known, Abraham’s statement was an exclamatory question posed to confirm an extreme rejection—in accordance with the Arabic language of the Qur’an.
An example of this is the following: Say someone came to you and said so-and-so is very gentle and has good manners. Then, when you associate with that person you find he is ill mannered and vulgar. You pose the question, “This person is good mannered?!" Clearly what you mean is that this person is the opposite.
How could people take those verses to mean that Abraham first worshipped those things in the sky? God said in the Qur'an that Abraham was already a believer prior to that incident (Al-Ambiya’, verse 51). The great Muslim scholar Ibnul-Jawziyy cited this in his book Zadul-Masir.
PROPHET ABRAHAM SMASHES THE IDOLS
The people of Abraham used to celebrate a feast where they went out of the town all together to celebrate that day. On that day, Prophet Abraham told them, "Inni saqim” (I will be sick) as it is cited in the Qur'an in Suratus-Saffat verses 89. Hence Prophet Abraham did not go with them to their feast. When they left, Prophet Abraham swore by God to break their idols, as stated in verse 57 of Al-Ambiya'. Some of the people who were the last to leave heard Abraham.
When they left, Abraham went to the idols. Those idols were in a grand hall, one next to the other. Food was placed between the hands of the idols. Prophet Abraham, mocking the idols, asked them, "Won't you eat?” When they did not reply, he said, “What is the matter with you? You do not speak.” Abraham started breaking them, using an ax. He destroyed them, making them rubble, except for the large one. Abraham left it intact for the people to see when they returned. He wanted to show them that the biggest idol, that they regarded the highest, was truly without power.
When the people returned and saw what had happened to their idols, they were extremely distressed, deeming this as a major incident. They said, "Who did that to our gods? Whoever did that to our gods is unjust!"
Those who were among the last batch to leave, having heard Prophet Abraham utter those words said, "We have heard a young man called Abraham speaking ill of them. We have not heard such words from another person. We think that this is the person who did that to the idols."
The matter of this incident reached Nimrod and his close associates. They said, “Bring Abraham in front of the people to witness what we are going to do to him.” When they brought Abraham, with the people gathered at the place of the king, they asked Abraham, “Did you do this to our gods?” Abraham said, “If these idols could utter, then it is the largest idol of them who did that. So ask it, if it can speak.” Abraham did not say that the big idol did it. He was proving to the people that the big idol was powerless.
Those people recognized that the biggest idol did not speak, as Prophet Abraham was saying. They put their heads down because they knew that Prophet Abraham discredited them. Then, Prophet Abraham told them, "Do you worship other than God, that which does not benefit or harm you? Woe to you! Come back to your senses."
NIMROD TRIES TO BURN PROPHET ABRAHAM
Then Nimrod and his companions unanimously agreed to burn Prophet Abraham in support to their false gods. They collected wood, put it in a big ditch, and they started a great fire, so great that they needed to use a catapult to throw Abraham into it.
They did not know the catapult at that time. The cursed Satan came to them, in the form of a man, and taught those people how to make a catapult. It is said that man named Hayzin built it. Later, God made the ground swallow Hayzin.
The fire was so hot that if a bird were to fly above that fire, it would be burned. The people tied the hands and feet of Prophet Abraham before sending him off in the catapult. Prophet Abraham addressed God, “There is no God but You. Praise to You. You are free of all imperfections. To You are the thanks. You are the Owner of everything. You have no partners.”
When they threw Abraham into the fire, God made that fire cool and peaceful on him. Prophet Abraham said, “God’s support is enough for me. God is the best to rely on.” He stayed in it for the time that God willed for him to stay, without being harmed. He came out of it safe, without his body or clothes being burnt. The ropes that tied him did get burnt, without that hurting Prophet Abraham.
Days went by and Nimrod was sure that Abraham was dead. Then Nimrod looked and saw Prophet Abraham there alive and unburnt. Nimrod also saw a man next to Prophet Abraham who looked like him. Nimrod said, “I saw as if Abraham is alive. I think I am not seeing well. Build me a tower so I can be high and see clearly.” They made that tower, and when Nimrod ascended it, he still saw Abraham and a man next to him identical to Abraham. Nimrod yelled to Abraham, “O Abraham, can you get out of the fire?” Abraham said, “Yes”. Then Nimrod asked, “Are you afraid of being burnt if you stay there?” Abraham answered “No”.
Then Abraham went out of the fire. Abraham was asked, “Who was the one with you?” Abraham said, “That was the angel of shades. God sent him to give me good company.” Since then, Nimrod refrained from further hurting Abraham. However he still did not accept the message of Prophet Abraham.
God gave a punishment to Nimrod in this life, and in the next. Nimrod was ordered to accept Islam three times, which he refused. Then Nimrod gathered his army. God sent a lot of insects, attacking the army of Nimrod. The insects ate their flesh and left them as dead skeletons. Then, God sent an insect to Nimrod that went into his nostril. Nimrod felt great pain because of that and the only thing that he thought would make the pain go away was for his head to be hit. Nimrod asked for his head to be hit with hammers and other objects. It is narrated that he was in that condition for 400 years until he died.
ABRAHAM AND SARAH GO TO EGYPT
After living in Palestine, Prophet Abraham and Sarah then headed towards Egypt. When Abraham arrived in Egypt there was a Pharaoh who was also an unjust tyrant. This man used to commit adultery with the beautiful married women that entered his land. Prophet Abraham told his wife, “If this tyrant knows that you are my wife, he will use force against me to get you.”
Abraham told Sarah, “If he asks you, tell him that you are my sister (which is true, my sister in Islam).” Then, some of the assistants of this tyrant saw Sarah and told him, “We have seen a woman that arrived into your land that should be yours and not anyone else’s due to her extreme beauty.” Hearing that, Pharaoh sent his assistants to bring her, and they did.
When Prophet Abraham learned about that, he started praying, as is the case with pious Muslims. They resort to prayers in hard times. When Sarah entered the quarters where the Pharaoh was present, he could not hold back.
Because of his ill manners, he stretched his hand towards her. His hand froze severely. The king told her, “Supplicate God that my hand will be released and I shall not harm you.” Sarah did, and the king’s hand was cured. Because of his ill manners, the king attempted once again to reach for Sarah, and his hand froze, but in a stronger manner than the first time. The king told Sarah the same thing as the first time. She made supplication and his hand was cured.
The king attempted a third time, and his hand froze much more severely than the first two times. The king told Sarah, “Make supplication to God to restore my hand and I swear I will not attempt again.” Sarah made supplication and the king’s hand was restored. Then, the king called the man that brought Sarah to him and told him, "Take her away! You brought a devil to me and not a human! Take her out of my land! Give her Hagar (Hajar), (who is a slave woman that he had) as a gift, and let her go."
When Prophet Abraham saw Sarah, he ended his prayers and said, “Tell me your news.” She said, "Good news. God held back the hand of this vulgar man, and we came back with a servant." Hagar was a beautiful woman. After a certain period of time, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham as a gift. According to the rules given to Abraham, he could legally have sexual intercourse with the slave he owned.
THE BIRTH OF ISHMAEL
Sarah reached the age of menopause after having been barren. Prophet Abraham had intercourse with Hagar and she gave birth to Ishmael (Ismail). Hagar is the mother of all the Arabs that came from the offspring of Ishmael. This is why Prophet Muhammad said to his Companions, "If you conquer Egypt, then pay good attention to and treat the people of Egypt well, because they have a blood tie to me." The Prophet meant that the relationship between the people of Egypt and the Arabs is tied to Hagar (who came from Egypt), with her being the mother of all the Arabs who are from the children of Prophet Ishmael. Muslim related this hadith.
Whoever calls Ishmael the “bastard son” of Abraham is making a serious lie. Ishmael was a legitimate son of Prophet Abraham, for the intercourse that Prophet Abraham had with Hagar was legal according to Islam.
Abraham went out of Egypt and went to a land called Bi'rus-Sab^ (Beer Shiva). Then he left to an area between Ar-Ramlah and Ilya' (Jerusalem), all in Palestine.
The scholars said that Sarah was jealous after Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and that is why Abraham took Hagar and his son and went to Makkah, as will be explained.
PROPHETS ABRAHAM AND ISHMAEL REBUILT THE KA’ABAH
Later, God ordered Prophet Abraham to reconstruct the Ka’abah. Prophet Abraham did that along with Ishmael.
When the walls of the Ka^bah were raised, Abraham stood on a stone which is known as Maqam Ibrahim (this stone originally came from al-Jannah, just as the Black Stone was). Each time the walls were raised a level that stone rose up, carrying Abraham. With each stone they laid, they made supplication to God as said in Suratul-Baqarah verse 127. It means “O God, accept this obedience from us. You are attributed with Hearing and Knowledge.”
There is a footprint to this day, on the stone that Prophet Abraham used to stand on while building the Ka^bah. It is truly Prophet Abraham's footprint. However, it is not confirmed that there is a footprint of the foot of Prophet Muhammad on any particular stone.
When Abraham finished reconstructing the Ka’abah, God ordered him to call, “O people, God ordained Hajj to this Old House.”
God imparted to Abraham the knowledge of performing Hajj. Prophet Ishmael also performed Hajj. Hagar, Ishmael's mother, died before Sarah, in the land of Hijaz (where Makkah is). Then Sarah died in the land of Ash-Sham. It was stated that after the death of these two women, Abraham married a woman from the people of Kan’an, who also bore children for him.
Definitely Ishmael was the first son of Prophet Abraham. In the perverted Torah, they say that Prophet Abraham was ordered to slaughter his “first son Isaac.” Those Jews changed their book, to take away from the true privilege granted to Ishmael. The facts that Ishmael was so patient with the order to be slaughtered, and that Abraham loved Ishmael so much, show the high status of Ishmael. The Jews wanted to cover that up. The Jews come from Isaac and they wanted people to think that Isaac got the honor of that great test of the order to slaughter. However, they forgot to also take away the words "his first." According to their Torah, Ishmael was Abraham’s first son. The fact that they forgot to remove the words, “the first” shows their grave error.
Abraham is called Khalillullah, which is an exclusive title for him and Prophet Muhammad. It contains the meaning of “the one whose heart is full of love for God”, or “the one who is fully dedicated to God.” God revealed to Abraham ten booklets. He was the first person to be circumcised. Abraham was 80 years old when God ordered him to circumcise himself. To rush and be obedient to God, Abraham immediately acted. There was a hammer next to him. He used it to perform the circumcision. The hammer had a flat head on one side to hammer nails, and a sharp edge on the other side. Abraham used the sharp edge for the circumcision. Abraham did not wait to find something else, out of being quick in obedience to God.
Most of the conversation of Prophet Abraham with his children was not in the Arabic language. Yet Prophet Ishmael spoke the Arabic language.
It is known that Abraham was extremely merciful. He is the best of the Prophets after Prophet Muhammad. He was buried in al-Khalil (Hebron), in Palestine, next to where his wife, Sarah, was buried. The place of his grave is known there. The entire city of al-Khalil was named after Prophet Abraham.
Much more is related concerning the honorable Prophet Abraham in the following chapters about Prophets Lot, Ishmael, and Isaac. We ask God to greatly bless and honor Prophet Abraham, and grant us being with him in the Hereafter.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013
The history of prophet Noah
The Advent Of Prophet Nuh (Noah)
Under these circumstances Allah, the Most Merciful, wanted the people to be good again. He sent Nuh as His apostle for the reclamation of the depraved humanity dwelling in that part of the earth which is called 'Iraq in the present era. Those people believed in Allah but they associated other gods with Allah, the Supreme. The priests of these deities exercised great control over all affairs. The people offered sacrifices in the name of their deities to please them. They spent the money lavishly and thus their condition became miserable.
The Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) like other prophets was sincere, pious, patient and trustworthy. He was strong in his will and determination. Angel Gabriel (Jibra'il) conveyed him the teachings from Allah. He was commanded to reform the people who had been led astray by the Satan. He kept on preaching the faith of Allah and directed the people to pray to One God. He advised them to refrain from doing evil deeds. The Holy Quran affirms his endeavors to reform his people in the following Verses:
"He (Nuh) said: O' my people! serve Allah. There is no god other than Him. If you refuse, verily I fear for you chastisement of a grievous day. The Chiefs of his people said: Most certainly we perceive you in clear error. He said: O' my people! There is no error in me but I am an Apostle from the lord of the worlds. I deliver to you the message of my Lord and I counsel you right (Surah 7: Verses 59,60)
Again in the following Verses the Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) warned his people by declaring:
"O' my people! Surely I am a plain Warner to you bidding you to serve Allah and be mindful of your duty to Him, and obey me so that He may forgive your faults." (Surah 71: Verses 2-4)
The Prophet Nuh (Noah) Was Opposed
Most of the people did not believe in the Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him). They made fun of him and ridiculed him as a mad man. Whenever he tried to convey the message of Allah to them, they began to thrust their fingers into their ears. They persisted in their infidelity and proudly disdained his counsel to do good deeds. The people were so stubborn under the influence of their priests that they paid no heed to the message of Allah and their aversion rapidly increased. At last in sheer disgust the Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) had to cry out:
"My Lord! Leave not upon land any dweller from among the disbelievers. For surely if You leave them, they will lead astray Your servants and will not beget any but immoral ungrateful offspring. My Lord! Forgive me and my parents and him who enters my house believing, and the believing males and females and do not increase the unjust in aught but destruction." (Surah 71: Verses 26-28)
Preparation Of An Ark
Consequently Almighty Allah answered the prayer of Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) by asking him to build an ark (a very big boat). The Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) knew that Allah planned to drown all those sinners who had rejected His Commandments. He began to build the ark with the help of his followers. They went on working constantly from dawn to dusk. When the boat began to take shape, the disbelievers made fun of them. The transgressors thought that the Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) and his followers were becoming crazy and were losing their balance of mind. The Holy Quran says:
"And he began to build the ark and whenever the chiefs among his people passed by him, they deride him but he said: Though you scoff at us now, we will scoff at you in Hereafter." (Surah 11: Verse 38)
Calamity Befalls
When the big ark was completed, the sky became cloudy. It started to rain in torrents. The streams became bulging with water. The Valleys were in the grip of food. There was water everywhere. The lightning wasfrightening and the thunder made the hearts pound fast. Every one was scared and worried except the Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) and his Followers. The Holy Quran gives the description of this terrible deluge in the following Verses:
"So We opened the gates of the heavens with water pouring down and We caused the earth to gush forth its springs, so the water of the heavens and the earth gathered together according to measure already ordained." (Surah 54: Verses 11, 12)
The Prophet Nuh (peace be upon trim) called on his family and followers to embark the boat. They came rushing to the ark. There was a special place in the boat for all the animates including human beings and their animals. The ark sailed amid waves like mountains while the streams of water were rising fast and filling many houses with water through the windows and the doors. Many houses collapsed and dashed to the ground. Some of them tried to swim but in vain. They were in a pathetic condition but they deserved it. The son of Nuh was separated from him because he was an evil-doer. The Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) prayed to his Lord and said:
"Surely, my son belongs to my family and Your promise is true. Allah said: Surely, he is not of your family. He is of evil conduct, therefore ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge." (Surah 11: Verses 45, 46)
In the meantime the water rose higher and higher. The whole area was under the sway of flood and all the disbelievers were drowned. The Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) and his followers were safe and sound in the ark which was floating without any obstruction of huge waves. Finally the rain stopped and the water abated. The sky became clear.
The Prophet Nuh And His Followers Remain Safe
The story of Prophet Musa
The Story of Prophet Musa
Prophet Musa was born in the land of Egypt and came from the people known as the Israelites. The ruler of Egypt was the Pharoah and he hated the Israelites that were in his land. In a fit of anger he sent an order throughout the countryside that said that all Israelite baby boys had to be killed as soon as they were born. When Musa was born, he was supposed to be killed along with the others but Allah had a plan for Musa. He ordered Musa’s mother to place Musa in a wooden chest in the great Nile River and allow it to float downstream. The mother did what she was told but was afraid she would never see Musa again.
Allah guided the chest down the Nile River and, eventually, it floated into a small stream. The Pharoah’s wife spotted the chest and ordered her servants to bring it ashore. When the Pharoah’s wife saw the baby, she fell in love with him. She picked up the baby and showed it to the Pharoah. “Look,” she said, “Here is a joy for the eye to behold. Please don’t kill him. Instead, we could adopt him as a son for ourselves.” The Pharoah agreed with her and they decided to keep the baby. So Allah spared Musa the death that was supposed to await him and he was raised in the royal court of the Pharoah of Egypt.
In the meantime, Musa’s mother became very sad and wept bitterly at the thought of her helpless little Musa. Allah knows how much a mother loves her child so He made a plan for them to unite. The mother sent her daughter to the Pharoah’s court in order to check on baby Musa. When the daughter came to the royal palace, she found the Pharoah’s wife very upset. “Why won’t this baby eat?” she exclaimed to her servants. “He will surely die unless someone can nurse him.” Then Musa’s sister spoke up. ”I know of a people that will nourish the baby and make him strong,” she said. The Pharoah’s wife was very surprised but was desparate, so she agreed to let the baby go to be fed. The Pharoah’s wife never knew that it was Musa’s mother who nursed baby Musa. Thus Allah made the mother happy again because she could see her son every day.
Musa grew to become big and strong. One day he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. The poor Israelite asked Musa to help him. Musa stepped forward and hit the Egyptian with such a powerful blow that the Egyptian collapsed and died. After seeing what he had done, a cold sweat broke out on Musa’s forehead. He said to himself, “This is the evil work of Satan. He is an enemy who clearly misleads!” Musa knew it was a sin to kill anyone until he is brought to trial and found guilty. He knelt on the ground and prayed to Allah. “O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul. Do You forgive me?” Allah is the Most Merciful, and out of His mercy Allah forgave Musa. Musa then vowed never to help those that sin and to be in Allah’s service for the rest of his life.
The next morning Musa was still shaken from what had happened the night before. Then he saw the same man he had helped last night being beaten by another Egyptian. Again Musa prepared himself to help the weaker one when the Egyptian said something that made Musa stop. He said, “O Musa! Is it your intention to kill me the same way you killed that man last night? It seems you want to be a violent and unjust man.” Before Musa could reply another man came running toward them saying, “Musa the Egyptian chiefs are coming to kill you. Get away while there is still time!” Musa asked Allah to save him from these sinful people and then headed for the land of Madyan. Though Musa did not know it he was about to encounter many more adventures in his life devoted to the service of Allah.
Musa left the land of Egypt to go to the land of Maydan. He had been traveling for several days when he stumbled upon a small oasis which had several trees and a water hole. The sun was blazing hot, so Musa decided to rest awhile. At the water hole he saw some men who were letting their animals have some water. Waiting behind them were two young women with a tiny flock of sheep. After a long time he called out to the women, “What’s wrong? Why don’t you water your sheep?” The women told Musa that they couldn’t because the water hole was too crowded with the men’s flock. Upon hearing that, Musa got up and steered their sheep toward the water, allowing them to drink. The men grumbled a little at first, but upon seeing how big and strong Musa was, they stopped grumbling and looked down.
The two young women smiled and were very grateful for Musa’s kind help. Musa sat back down under the cool shade of a tree and the women took their flock of sheep back home. A little later one of them came back and asked him to come meet her father Musa agreed and went with her. The father was old and needed a young man to help with the care of the animals. After talking to Musa, the father found him to be a good man, so he offered one of his daughters to him in marriage. Musa agreed and helped the old man for several years. The marriage was a happy one, and they all prospered due to Musa’s hard work and good judgment.
Many years later, Musa decided to travel with his family. He was content with his life and had completely forgotten his troubles in Egypt. One day he saw a small fire far off in the distance. Since it was very cold, he went to go fetch a burning log to warm his family. As he approached the fire, he noticed something strange. The fire was only in one bush and did not spread to other bushes or trees. At the same time the bush didn’t burn up and become ashes; it just stayed there-burning. Then Musa heard a voice say, “O Musa, I am your Lord. Therefore in My presence take of your shoes.” Musa did what he was ordered.
Allah told Musa that he was to be a prophet. His mission was to go to the Pharoah of Egypt and tell him that there is no god but Allah. If the Pharoah and his people did not change their evil ways Allah would punish them.
Then Allah said, “What is that in your right hand, O Musa?” He answered, “It is my rod,” Allah said “Throw it, O Musa!” When he threw the rod, it hit the ground and started to move by itself. At first Musa stood there gazing at it. Then he turned and started to run. Allah told Musa not to run because, as long as Allah was with him, there was nothing to be afraid of. Musa came back and looked at the rod again. It had turned into a brown snake, slithering and hissing on the ground. He bent down to pick it up by its tail. As soon as he grabbed it, the snake became rigid and was a rod again.
Then Allah ordered Musa to placed his hand on his chest. When Musa did this his right hand radiated with light. To make his hand normal again, he simply put his hand back on his chest. Allah ordered Musa to go to the Pharoah with these two miracles and to warn him of Allah’s command. Before Musa left the blazing bush, he asked Allah to make him brave and to let him bring his brother Aaron with him. Allah granted both of these requests to Prophet Musa and assured him that he and his followers would win over the Pharoah.
Musa now stood at the royal palace with his brother Aaron alongside him. He had not seen Egypt for many years and he knew that his life was in danger. Nothing could have brought him back except the command of Allah. Prophet Musa could still hear the words of Allah ringing in his ears: “Go to the Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites leave the land of Egypt.” Musa climbed the golden steps that led to Pharaoh’s throne. When he reached the top he said, “O Pharaoh, I am the Apostle of the Lord of the Worlds. Let the Israelites go with me and do not harm them. There will be peace to all those who follow the guidance of Allah.”
Musa went on to warn the Pharaoh of all the calamities that would occur if he did not follow the guidance of Allah. But the Pharaoh refused to listen because he truly thought that he himself was a god. He looked about him and saw the riches he had and he was sure that there could never be anyone more powerful than he.
The Pharaoh asked Musa to show a sign from Allah so the Prophet threw down his rod and it began to move and slither. At first the Pharaoh was scared but tried hard not to show it. “Ha!” said the Pharaoh in a prideful way, “I have sorcerers that can match your magic.”
Then Musa showed his radiant hand. It glowed with a shining white light. Still, the Pharaoh did not believe that Musa was the Apostle of Allah. He said, “I can build a throne that is as high as your Lord’s throne, Musa. And I will prove that your power from Allah is weak compared to my power.” The Pharaoh searched the land of Egypt for the best sorcerers available. When he found them, he brought them to his court and told them that if their magic was better than Musa’s they would be rewarded handsomely. The sorcerers readily agreed to the plan because they did not know who Musa was. Musa did not have any magic but he had something that was much more powerful; he had true signs from Allah.
On the day of the contest the Pharaoh’s court was filled with many people. Everyone in the room sided with the Pharaoh and left Musa all alone. But Musa remembered that Allah was with him. The sorcerers assembled their ropes and rods and asked Musa if he wished to have the first throw. Musa said, “No, you have the first throw.” And they did. All of the sudden Musa saw snakes and wiggly things and their magic appeared to be powerful. Allah said to Prophet Musa, “Throw your rod now.” When the rod fell to the ground it turned into a snake also and it swallowed all the ropes and other snake-like objects. After the last sorcerer’s rope had been swallowed, Musa grabbed the snake and it became a rod once again. A hush fell over the crowded court and the sorcerers looked at each other in a perplexed fashion. They turned to Musa now realizing that Musa was not a magician or a sorcerer. They knew that Musa’s power came from something greater than anything human.
The sorcerers then fell on their knees to beg for forgiveness from Allah for their evil ways. Allah forgave them but the Pharaoh grew furious. “How can you believe in Allah before I give you permission?” he said angrily. “If you don’t get up right now, I’ll have your arms and legs cut off and you will be crucified.” The sorcerers said, “Do what you will, but we fear the punishment of Allah much more than any torture you could do to us.”
The Pharaoh now realized he had a problem. Musa once again demanded that the Israelites go with him out of Egypt but the Pharaoh still would not allow it. Then Allah brought down a drought that stopped crops from growing and made cattle die of thirst. The Pharaoh promised to let the Israelites go if the drought would stop. Allah stopped the drought but the Pharaoh broke his promise. Many punishments came on Egypt and during each calamity the Pharaoh would make a promise to Musa. After the calamity had passed, however, he would go back on his word. Plagues, lice, locusts and frogs came, each more horrible than the last. Even the water in Egypt turned to blood, but still the Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go.
Finally, Allah told Musa to take the people out of Egypt during the night. Prophet Musa and the Israelites were well out of Egypt before the Egyptians knew what had happened. When the Pharaoh found out the Israelites had escaped he ordered all his forces to go and catch them and bring them back. He himself climbed into a golden chariot drawn by four white horses. He whipped them as hard as he could in order to catch Musa.
When Musa reached the Red Sea, Allah commanded him to strike the water with his rod. When he did the Red Sea miraculously parted and left a straight and narrow path down which Musa guided his people. The Israelites were awed but ran as fast as they could because they heard the hoof beats of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
When the Pharaoh got to the Red Sea, he paused for a moment. The path was still open and he could see the Israelites just starting to scramble up the other side of the water. “Now we’ve got them,” thought the Pharaoh. He whipped his horses once again and yelled out a savage battle cry which was heard by Musa and the Israelites on the other side. When the last old lady climbed up out of the parted Red Sea, Musa could see the Pharaoh not more than a hundred feet away. The Pharaoh had now caught up to Musa and, brandishing his heavy sword, looked as if he would surely get his revenge.
All of a sudden the mountains of water on each side of the narrow path came crashing down. The Egyptians cried out but their voices were cut off by the splash of water on their helpless bodies. The Pharaoh’s chariot overturned and the brave white horses neighed. A few seconds later, the only sound that could be heard was the calm water lapping lazily upon the shore. Musa and the Israelites had escaped from Egypt with the help of Allah and were now headed for the promised land.
Musa and the Israelites had just crossed the Red Sea and were now beginning their journey to the promised land of Canaan. Allah told them that this was the land of abundance and that the Israelites were to be an example for all of mankind to follow. But Canaan was still far away and the sun grew fierce and hot. Allah, in His mercy, shielded the people from the sun by making clouds follow them wherever they went. As they crossed the desert it was impossible to find enough food to feed all the people. Allah knew this so He created a food called manna and made it fall from the sky as if it was rain. For meat Allah made quails fly to them which they could easily catch. Surely these people were blessed to have Allah as their Protector.
For many days they went without water and they became thirsty. Allah told Prophet Musa to strike a large rock with his rod. When he did water gushed out of it from twelve different places. There were twelve tribes in the nation of Israel and each one had their own fountain of cool clear water.
With all of these blessings it is hard to imagine the Israelites disobeying Allah. Yet they started to complain to Prophet Musa that they wanted to go back to Egypt. They were tired of manna and tired of traveling. They wondered if there was really a land called Canaan after all. They had forgotten that not too long ago they were mere slaves to the Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
Then the Israelites passed through a town. The people of this town worshipped idols like the Egyptians did. The Israelites said to Prophet Musa, “O Musa make us a god like the gods these people have.” Prophet Musa warned them that Allah is the only true God.
Allah commanded Musa to go to the top of Mount Sinai so that He could give Musa the Tablets. The Tablets were stone slabs that had special laws to govern the Israelites. Musa told his brother Aaron that he was to be in charge of the people while he was on top of the mountain. The climb was long and difficult. When he got to the top Musa said, “O my Lord show Thyself that I may look upon Thee.” Allah told Musa that if a nearby mountain could withstand the full Glory of Allah then Musa may look upon Him. Allah showed His Glory to the mountain. The earth began shaking and there was a shining light. Within a few seconds the mountain crumbled to dust and Musa fell over backward. When Musa regained consciousness he prayed to Allah. Allah then gave Musa the Tablets to take back to the Israelites.
After forty days Musa came down from Mount Sinai with the Tablets in his hands. When he came down he was horrified by what he saw. The Israelites had melted down their jewelry to make a golden calf. They molded the calf so that it was hollow inside. When the wind blew through the hollow calf it made strange noises. The Israelites worshipped the golden calf.
Musa became angry. He grabbed Aaron by his hair and said, “Did I not tell you to watch the people in my absence?” Aaron tried to stop the people form worshipping the calf but they didn’t listen to him and threatened to kill him. Musa let go of his brother and asked Allah for forgiveness for himself and Aaron. The one who actually led the people to make the false god was the Samari. He said that this calf was their god and the god of Musa, but Musa had forgotten. When Musa questioned the Samari he said in reply, “I took a pinch of sand from your footstep, O’ Musa, and tossed it into the molten gods as it was being shaped.” The Samari thought this would flatter Prophet Musa but instead Musa became more angry and said to the Samari, “Get out of my sight and from now on whenever someone comes to you you must say, “Touch me not.’” That was his punishment in this life but Allah has a greater punishment waiting for the Samari and his followers in the next life. Musa then seized the golden calf, melted it down, and scattered its gold across the sea.
Still many of the people did not believe in Allah. Musa took seventy men with him to the mountain to prove that Allah did exist. When they approached the holy place the ground began to shake and they started to fall. They cried to Musa to ask Allah for forgiveness for them. But each time Allah forgave the people they went against Allah and Prophet Musa again and again.
Then Allah commanded that the Israelites to sacrifice a cow. Instead of doing it they laughed and told Musa to ask Allah what kind of cow. Then they wanted to know what color it had to be. They kept on asking Musa more and more details about the cow until they forgot that the reason they were sacrificing the cow was for Allah.
In the end, many of the Israelites disobeyed all of Allah’s commandments. Allah said to them, “You are apes, despised and rejected.” Allah broke up the Israelites into many different tiny groups. They never reached Canaan. After the generation of Prophet Musa came another generation. These people thought only of this world and nothing else. They felt that they were the chosen people and that if they would do anything wrong they would be forgiven.
Allah tested the Israelites in times of bad while they lived in Egypt. Allah also tested them in times of prosperity after they crossed the Red Sea. Allah wanted the Israelites to strive for the straight path. Some listened but many did not.
No comments:
Post a Comment