17. PROPHETS’ DU‘Ā (PRAYER) IN THE QUR’ĀN (11)
12. Mūsā (Moses) a.s. (cont.1)
Accepting
the suggestion of his daughter the old man (Reuel/Jethro) offered Mūsā (Moses) a.s.
to marry one of his daughters on the condition that he would take care of his
flocks for eight years, and if he could give an extra two years if he liked to
do so. Mūsā agreed to the condition and, according to Ibn ‘Ābbās, Mūsā fulfilled
the longer term, ten years, and he married to girl who had suggested to her
father to ask Mūsā to tend their flocks, and her name according to the Old
Testament was Zipporah (Exodus 2:21).
After fulfilling the term Mūsā
wanted to visit his country Egypt secretly with his relatives, so that neither
Pharaoh nor his people would know it. He set out in the dark cold rainy night
with his family taking with him the flocks his father-in law had given to him.
He stopped to camp, and tried unsuccessfully to make fire. From afar he saw a
fire burning in the direction of al-Ṭūr. So, he said to his family to wait
while, as he wanted to go to the fire to get a burning fire brand to warm
themselves and to relieve them from the cold, or to get information, because
they were losing their way. He headed in the direction of the Qiblah on the
western mountain on his right (Q. 28:29-30)
When he reached the fire Allah called
him from the right side of the valley, in the blessed place, from the valley: “O
Mūsā, I am Allah, the Lord of all that
exists!” Allah told him to throw down
his staff, and when he saw it moving as if it were a serpent moving quickly, he
turned in flight and did not look back. The Qur’an commentator Ibn Kathīr said
that the serpent was so big; his mouth was so huge, swallowing rocks as it
passed. Then Allah told him to come back and not to fear as the serpent had
turned back into a staff.
Then Allah told him to put
his hand into the opening of his garment and then draw it out it would shine
white without a disease. To be free from fear Allah told him to draw his hand
close to his side. With these two signs, turning his staff into a serpent and
putting his hand into his garment turning it white without a disease,
Allah commanded Mūsā to go to Pharaoh to deliver a
message. Mūsā said that he feared that people would kill him, as he had killed
one of them. Moreover, he could not speak well. He asked Allah to send his
brother Hārūn (Aaron) with him as a helper, as his brother would understand him
more than they, and could explain to them what he meant. So Allah granted his
request provided Aaron, his brother, as a prophet, and would give both of them
power, namely, overwhelming evidence, so that they would not be able to harm
both of them.
When Mūsā and his brother Hārūn came to Pharaoh and his
chiefs with the message from Allah to worship Him Alone, showing them the clear
miracles and evidence to confirm the truth of what they claimed that it was
from Him, Pharaoh and his chiefs disbelieved them. They said that what Mūsā was
claiming was nothing but invented magic, and that they had never heard of this
among their fore-fathers. Mūsā told them that Allah knew whom He guided and
prevailed, and wrongdoers would not be successful. (Q. 28: 29-37).
Sūrat Ṭāhā
(chapter 20) also talked about Mūsā and his brother Hārūn. This surah consists
of 135 verses, 1 verse ends with long “ū”, 19 verses end with long “ī”, and the
remaining 115 verses end with long “ā”, including the name “Musā” in 12 verses.
These long vowels are usually used to express emotion, especially sorrow and
distress, such as “āh”. Other prophets’ names
ending with long “ā” are Zakariyyā, Yaḥyā, and ‘Īsā.[1] The verse 1-8 was verses read by ‘Umar which
touched his heart and became a Muslim. He had intended to kill the Prophet, but
he was told to deal first with his own sister, because she had converted to
Islam.
The first verse starts
with the term “ṭāhā” which is, like الم (A.L.M.), considered by
the majority of Qur’an commentators as “one of the letters of the Qur’an, and
none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings.” However, other Qur’an
commentators, like ‘Ibn’Abbās, ‘Ikrimah, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk, the term was originally
derived from the Nabataean language, whereas according to Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, Qatādah,
and al-Ḥasan it was derived from Syriac, meaning يَا رَجُلُ (“O man!”). Another interpretation was that it means ياَ إِنْسَان (“O
human being!). Another interpretation is that “Ṭāḥā” is another name for
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.The meanings of the verse 1-8, then, run as
follows:
“O man! (or O Muhammad!). We have not sent down
the Qur’an
to you
to cause you distress, but only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah).
A Revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the
earth
and high heavens. The Most Gracious (Allah) rose over the (Mighty) Throne (in a
manner that suits His Majesty). To Him
belongs
all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth,
and all
that is between them, and all that is
under the soil.
And if
you (Muhammad) speak (the invocation) aloud,
then
verily, He knows the secret and that
which is
yet more hidden. Allah! None has the right to
be
worshiped but He! To Him belongs
the Best
Names (Q. 20:1-8)
The verses which follow, namely, verse 9-47 dealt with
Allah’s dialogue with Mūsā upon his entering the sacred valley Ṭuwā’. While Mūsā was wandering one night in the desert he
was apparently lost, he saw fire. He told his wife to wait, and he might bring
some burning brand from it, or some guidance at the fire. When he came to it he
heard a voice calling him by name, that He was his Lord, and to take his shoes
off, because he was entering the Sacred Valley Ṭuwā’. He told him that He was
Allah, and to worship Him Alone, as none had the right to be worshiped but Him,
and to perform prayer for His Remembrance.[2]
Then He gave him two miracles: turning his staff into a serpent, and turning
his right hand into white colour after pressing it to his left side. He then ordered him to convey the message of
worshiping Allah Alone to Pharaoh, and these two miracles would be used as
evidence of his prophethood to him. He then prayed to Allah, as follows:
... رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي. وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي. وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً
مِنْ لِسَانِي.
يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي. وَاجْعَلْ لِي وَزِيرًا مِنْ
أَهْلِي. هَارُونَ أَخِي . اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي.
وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي. كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا.
وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا.
إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا (طه:25-35(
“O my Lord! Open for me
my chest (grant me self-
confidence,
contentment, boldness). And ease my task for
me, and
loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (i.e.,
remove
the incorrectness from my speech). And
appoint
for me
a helper from my family, Hārūn (Aaron) my brother.
Increase
my strength with him, and let him share my
task
(of conveying Your message) that we may glorify
You
much, and remember You much. Verily, You
are
Ever a Well-Seer of us.” (Q.
20:25-35)
If we compare the meeting
between Allah and the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in his mi‘rāj and
between Allah and Prophet Mūsā in Sinai, we find that:
1.
In the mi‘rāj the Prophet met Allah in Sidrat al-Muntahā,
beyond the seventh heaven, while Prophet Moses met Allah on the earth, in the
Sacred Valley of Ṭuwā’ in Sinai. These two places do not imply fixing a place
for Allah, because He is beyond the limitation of time and space. The places were fixed only for the two
prophets, Muhammad and Moses respectively. Allah mentions the place where His
signs appeared for Prophet Moses in a burning bush in the following verses:
وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَى. إِذْ رَأَى نَارًا
فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا
إِنِّي آَنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آَتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا
بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى.
فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ يَا مُوسَى. إِنِّي أَنَا
رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ
الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى. وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَى.
إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ
الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي. (طه:٩-۱٤)
“Has the story of Moses reached thee: Behold, he saw
a fire: so he said to his family, ‘Tarry ye; I
perceive a fire;
perhaps I can bring you some burning brand
therefrom,
or find some guidance at the fire.’ But when
he came to the
fire, he was called: ‘O Moses! Verily I am thy
Lord! Therefore
put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred
valley of Tuwa’. I
have chosen thee: Listen, then, to the inspiration (given
to thee).
Verily, I am Allah: there is no god but I: So
serve thou Me (only)and establish regular prayer
for My remembrance.” (Q. 20:9-14)
In other verses Allah specified the place
more clearly, as follows:
فَلَمَّا قَضَى مُوسَى الْأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِ
آَنَسَ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّورِنَارًا قَالَ
لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آَنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي
آَتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَصْطَلُونَ.
فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الْأَيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ
مِنَ
الشَّجَرَةِ أَنْ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ
رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ (القصص:۲٩-٣٠)
“ Now when
Moses had fulfilled the term, and was
travelling
with his family, he perceived a fire in the direction
of
Mount Tur. He said to his family: ‘Tarry
ye; I perceive a fire;
I hope to bring you from there some
information, or a burning
firebrand,
that ye may warm yourselves. But when he
came
to the
(Fire), he was called from the right bank of the valley,
from a
tree in hallowed ground: ‘O Moses! Verily
I am
Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Q.
20:29-30)
2.
The meeting in mi‘rāj was with preparation. Allah sent Gabriel
and Michael to accompany the Prophet to heaven, while Prophet Mūsā’s meeting
with Allah was without preparation: he saw fire at night, told his wife to stay
and went to the fire where Allah talked to him. He did not come to talk to
Allah, but to take some fire or to find guidance at the fire. He might have lost his way, he wanted
physical guidance, and instead, he got spiritual guidance.
3.
Prophet Muhammad went to heaven on the Burāq, while Prophet
Moses walked when he entered the sacred valley Ṭuwā’. He was ordered by Allah
to take off his shoes when he entered the valley, according to some
commentators, symbolizes leaving the material world behind when he entered the
spiritual one.
3. Both meetings ended with the injunction of prayers, which indicates
the importance of prayers. (to be
continued)
(CIVIC, 14 November,
2014)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
تفسير الطبري (ت. 310 هـ (
تفسير القرطبى (ت. 671 هـ(
تفسير ابن كثير (ت. 774 هـ(
Abu Khalil, Dr. Shauqi . Atlas of the
Qur’an. Riyadh, Darussalam, 2003
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’an
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the
Qur’an.
Holy Bible: New International
Version, 1973
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mūsā
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Mūsā.html
[1] In classical Arabic poetry the names of the beloved ones
usually also end with long “ā”, such as “Laylā” and “Salmā”. We have the long
poem of “Majnūn Laylā” about Qays who madly fell in love with his own
cousin Laylā, until he became out of his mind. In 1930 the great poet Aḥmad
Shawqī in his poem entitled تلفتت ظَبْيَة الوادي (“the female gazelle of the
valley turned away”) said, among other things, sung by Muhammad ‘Abdul Wahhāb,
as follows:
ليلى نداء بليلى رن فى اذنى ** سـحر
لعمرى له فى السـمع ترديد
ليلى تردد فى سـمعى و فى خلدى ** كما تردد فى الايـك الاغاريد
ليلى ترى انا مجنون يخيل لى ** لا الحى
نادواعلى ليلى و لا نودوا
Laylā, the call to Laylā rang in my ear, * a magic,
upon my life, which I keep hearing repeatedly.
Laylā, is repeated in my ear and mind * like
the repetition of the singing of birds in the jungle..
…
Laylā, I wonder whether I have become crazy
as I have imagined
* for the tribe neither
called Laylā, nor they were called (by her).
The pre-Islamic Arab poet Imru’ al-Qays also mentioned and called his
beloved Salmā in his poem entitled ألا عِم صبـاحا
“Oh, good morning!”)
[2] In the Old Testament, God said: “Do not come any
closer.” God said, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing
is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this Mūsā hid his face,
because he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:5 and 6). This is contrary to
the Qur’an where Mūsā wished to see Allah.
He said, رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ
إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ
مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي. فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا
وَخَرَّ مُوسَى صَعِقًا. فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا
أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (الأعراف: 143) “O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.” Allah
said, “You cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain; if it stands still in its
place then you shall see Me.” So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He
made it collapse to dust, and Mūsā fell down unconscious. Then when he
recovered his senses he said: “Glorified are You, I turn to You in repentance
and I am the first of the believers.(Q.
7:143)
