13. The Story of Prophet Mūsā (Part 2)

13 The Story of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  (Part2 – Moosa and Bani Israel)

We praise Allāh ﷻ, whom without Him no good could happen and all blessings are from Him. We thank Allāh ﷻ and we say, Alhamdulillāh and then Alhamdulillāh, and then Alhamdulillāh, who made it possible for us to worship Him. If it wasn’t for Him allowing us and assisting us to do so, we wouldn’t have been able to make one Tasbīh or one Tahlīla or one Takbīra or one Rak‘āh or to fast one day; it is all from Allāh ﷻ and His Tawfīq [success] and assistance.

Allāh ﷻ saved Mūsā عليه السالم  and Banī Isrā’īl from the strongest man, and regime, and army, and nation on the face of the earth. To Allāh ﷻ there is nothing that is a superpower, there is no one who is strong, there is no government that is powerful. For Allāh ﷻ they are all under Him and they are all His servants, and for Allāh ﷻ with ‘Kun Fayakūn’, everything is created, or anything can be destroyed.

1 Banī Isrāīl’s Ungratefulness after being Saved

Allāh ﷻ says, We saved you from Fir’aun and his people.(Al-Baqarah – 2:49)

Blessings from Allāh ﷻ. Banū Isrā’īl saw the miracle of Allāh ﷻ in front of their own eyes, they saw the sea split into two portions which seemed like mountains and then they saw Fir’aun and his army drowning. And they saw how Allāh ﷻ delivered them to safety. [But for all that], what was the first thing they did when they reached the safety? Banū Isrā’īl, the first thing they did when they were with Mūsā عليه السالم , when they were traveling into a new land, finally they are in freedom now, released from the servitude of Fir’aun; Banū Isrā’īl saw some men worshipping some idols and they went to Mūsā عليه السالم  and, “They said, “O Mūsā, can you make for us a God, like they have God’s?” Allāh ﷻ says,

And we brought the Children of Israel with safety across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols in worship. They said, Oh, Moses [Mūsā], make for us a God as they have gods…(Al-A’raf – 7:138)

SubhanAllāh’il-adhim! You just came out from Egypt and Allāh ﷻ saved you, and you saw the miracles of Allāh ﷻ with your own eyes. You saw the miracles of Allāh ﷻ, assisting Mūsā عليه السالم  and assisting you and you were helpless, and you couldn’t do anything for yourself. And Allāh ﷻ performs His miracles in front of your own eyes and then you ask Mūsā to create for you a god like they have gods!? Banū Isrā’īl, they knew about Allāh ﷻ and they believed in Allāh ﷻ, so don’t understand this wrong. Don’t think that the Banū Isrā’īl wanted to replace the religion with something else, No. They believed in Allāh ﷻ and they knew that Allāh ﷻ is the one who helped them and assisted them but when they saw what the other people are doing, they wanted to have something similar to them, they are not satisfied with what they had, they have an inferiority complex. So, they think that these gods are going to bring them closer to Allāh ﷻ or something.

“Weaker Nations Always Imitate Stronger Nations”

Ibn Al-Khaldūn says something interesting. He says, that “always, weak nations imitate the strong nations, – Ad Dha’if yata Shab’bahu bil Qawwi’ – the weak imitates the strong.” Banū Isrā’īl were weak in Egypt, and they came out of Egypt, now they are in freedom, but they’re still thinking with the weak mentality. So, they always think that the others have something better than them.

And you find among the Muslims who are weak today, those of them who are not proud with what Allāh ﷻ has given them. They’re always trying to find ways to imitate the others. And who are they imitating? They’re imitating the West because the West is strong. So, you find that the Muslim wants to look like the non-Believers, he wants to act like the non-Believers, he wants to celebrate like the non-Believers, he wants to do everything the way the non-Believers are acting.

One of the prominent priests of the Catholic Church in Italy; So, this priest wrote a letter to the Pope. In that letter, he said, if you were just seeing the state of our Christian men, he was talking about Al-Fursān, and these are the Knights. The Christian churches used to send these Knights to raid the Muslim world, they would go to the Holy Land, and these were very powerful small bands of horsemen and then they would dispatch them to the Muslim world to cause corruption. And by the way, not only were they causing corruption on land, but it also happened in the sea.

2 The Truth About the Emergence of Piracy

Do you know who the pirates are? What are the pirates? How were the pirates founded? And do you know who they were fighting? Piracy, the whole issue of piracy and pirates in the sea, which we see a lot of cartoons and movies about, it was started and invented to fight the Muslims in the Mediterranean Sea. That is how piracy started. Because the Mediterranean Sea was an Islamic Sea for a very long time, with Al-Abbasiyeen and then Al- ‘Uthmaniyeen, was the power in the Mediterranean Sea. So, these pirates would go, and they would raid the Muslim merchants who are travelling in the Mediterranean Sea. Anyway, so, this priest wrote a letter to the Pope, he said, “If you would see how our men try to dress like the Muslims, and they learn Arabic, and they write poetry of romance and love in Arabic better than the Arabs”, because the Muslims in that time were strong.

So, you find that the weak is always trying to imitate the strong, and now things reversed. So, you have now, the Muslim is trying to imitate the ones who are strong, but the Muslim should always believe that the strength is from Allāh ﷻ and the honour belongs to Allāh ﷻ, and Allāh ﷻ says,

All honour, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad), and to the believers,(Al-Munāfiqūn – 63:8)

What we are going through now is a temporary state, it is not permanent.

3 Banī Isrā’īl is Asking Mūsā for a God besides Allāh ﷻ

So Banī Isrā’īl are still thinking with that inferior, weak mentality. So, they said, “O Mūsā, can you make for us a God, like they have God’s?”(Al-A’raf – 7:138-139) This action in itself, is it a sin or is it Kufr? It is Kufr, it is Disbelief. When you’re asking for a god besides Allāh ﷻ, that is Kufr, but what did Mūsā عليه السالم  tell them? Did he say, “You are non-Believers, you are Kuffar”? No, he didn’t. He said, “Innakum Qawmun Tajhalūn – You are people who are ignorant.”(Al-A’raf – 7:138-139) And he taught them and whoever refuses after they received the message, then that is disbelief. So Mūsā now is teaching them.

Allāh ﷻ says, He said: “Verily, you are a people who know not. [Mūsā added:] “Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in (idols-worship). And all that they are doing is in vain.”(472 Al-A’raf – 7:138-139)

These people: don’t think that they’re strong, don’t think that they’re powerful, they are going to be destroyed; what they’re doing is wrong.

Allāh ﷻ says, He said: “Shall I seek for you an Ilahan (a God) other than Allah, while He has given you superiority over the ‘Alamin (mankind and jinns of your time).”(Al-A’raf – 7:140) Mūsā عليه السالم  is telling Banī Isrā’īl, “Allāh ﷻ has chosen you.” They were the chosen people of Allāh ﷻ, they were the nation whom Allāh ﷻ chose even though up to that moment, they were still weak, and they didn’t have any Khilāfah, and they didn’t have any nation and they didn’t have any power. Nevertheless, they were still the best. And the Muslims need to read the Āyah in the Quran where Allāh ﷻ says,

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah.(‘Āli `Imrān – 3:110) You are the best nation that was brought forth for humanity. So even if you are in a slum, in a weak moment, we should still understand and realize that we have what can make us the best and the chosen people of Allāh ﷻ. So Mūsā عليه السالم  is telling Banī Isrā’īl that, Allāh ﷻ has given you superiority over mankind, he has chosen you.

4 Banī Isrā’īl Refuses to Fight Alongside Mūsā for Allāh ﷻ

Mūsā عليه السالم  and Banī Isrā’īl, left Egypt and they were promised the Holy Land, Jerusalem, and the land surrounding. So Mūsā and Banī Isrā’īl are traveling towards that direction, and they arrived next to Jerusalem. Mūsā عليه السالم  told his people, “Let’s attack, here’s Jerusalem, we can see with our own eyes, let’s attack.” In that time, it was ruled by Al-‘Amalīq, a certain disbelieving nation, they were the rulers of the Holy Land, and Mūsā عليه السالم  told Banī Isrā’īl, “Allāh ﷻ has promised you with this land, so let’s attack.” Mūsā said to his people,

”O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you, and turn not back (in flight) for then you will be returned as losers.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:21) ‘Al Firaruw min Al Zahf’- And turning your back in the battle is one of the major sins in Islam. Rasūlullāh ﷺ has counted in one Hadith seven major sins; one of them is ‘Al Firaruw min Al Zahf’-, turning your back to the battlefield and running away.( Sahīh al-Bukhārī 2766, 6857, – Sunan an-Nasa’i 3671, 4009, 4012)

It’s a major sin, and the ‘Ulamā say, doing that can destroy your deeds, just destroy all what you have done – “Tuh’bitul ‘A’maal”. And Mūsā عليه السالم  told his people, “Wa Lā Tartaddū”; do not turn your back in fighting. “Fatanqalibū Khāsirīn”; then you will be returned as losers. If you turn your back away, you will return as losers.

Not only did Banī Isrā’īl turn their back to their enemy, but they also refused to fight, to start with. It wasn’t a matter of turning your back in the battlefield. They said, “we are not going to fight, period.” Allāh ﷻ says,

They said: “O Mūsā! In it (this holy land) are a people of great strength, and we shall never enter it, till they leave it; when they leave, then we will enter.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:22) So, what if there are people of great strength? Look at this, they said, ‘the people in there are powerful and strong. ‘So, we’re not going to get in there until these people leave.’ How do you think people who are powerful and strong are going to vacate it for you? You already said that they’re powerful and strong. Do you expect them to walk out and tell you, ‘Come on in?’ You already said that these are people who are strong. But this is the negative passive stance of people who are humiliated, they want victory without paying the price; ‘just let them leave and then we’re going to walk in.’ In other words, we want the victory, we want the Holy Land, but we don’t want to fight, we don’t want to sacrifice, we don’t want to pay any wealth, we don’t want to give our souls, we don’t want to put any effort, we want to go in there, in an effortless fashion. “Fa’in Yakhrujū Minhā Fa’innā Dākhilūn – Let them leave first, and then we’re going to walk in.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:22)

But there’s still some good among them so two men came ahead,

Two men of those who feared (Allah and) on whom Allah had bestowed His Grace [they were Yusha’ (Joshua) and Kalab (Caleb)] said: “Assault them through the gate, for when you are in, victory will be yours, and put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23)

They said, you attack them, open up the gate, and that will be enough to defeat the enemy. Does this mean, that it’s a miracle? They just have to break in the gate and the enemy will leave? Or does it mean that if you break in the gate, the enemy will immediately lose? Allāhu A’lam, but these two men told them, ‘Enter the gate and if you enter the gate you will win. That’s all what you need to do, just open up that gate and walk in.’ So, these two men are willing to go in and fight, and they’re encouraging their people to fight. With what quality did Allāh ﷻ describe these two men? What quality do these two men have? Fear: Yakhāfūn – who feared Allāh.

5 As a Believer, You Have to Fear Allāh ﷻ and Not the Creation!

This is a very important thing to notice, that you cannot fight the enemy, unless you fear Allāh ﷻ more than you fear the enemy. You have to have Khash’ya of Allāh ﷻ, you cannot face the enemy because as a human being, you have natural fear, you have natural fear from death but if you have the fear of Allāh ﷻ, and you are afraid of Allāh ﷻ more than you are afraid of the creation, then nothing can stand in front of you. And that’s why the Mujahideen in the sake of Allāh ﷻ, nothing can stand in front of them. Nothing! Because nothing can put fear in their hearts. They have no fear of the creation. The creation can present a bigger army, they can present stronger weapons, but they can never put in their hearts fear more than the fear of Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ says,

“It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Awliyā’ (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad), so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.”(‘Āli `Imrān – 3:175) Allāh ﷻ is the one whom should be feared, we should not fear the creation. And that’s why the men of Allāh ﷻ, who have the Khash’yā, nothing can shake their hearts. Al-Izz al-Din ibn Abdel-Salam when he walked to meet with the leader of At Tatar, an emperor, who was powerful and mighty leader. And Al-Izz al-Din ibn Abdel-Salam walked in to meet with him, and this man was famous, with power. He was a blood thirsty leader, from Al- Moghul [Mongol], who attacked the Muslim world and was destroying everything that he would see. In Baghdad, they sacked it and they killed 2 million [Muslims], and Al-Izz al-Din ibn Abdel-Salam went with his students to meet with this, leader of At Tatar. So, he started speaking to him and then he started raising his voice and pointing his finger in his face and threatening him with Hellfire, and threatening him with the punishment of Allāh ﷻ, and making Du‘ā against him. The students who came with Al-Izz al-Din ibn Abdel-Salam started wrapping up their clothes. Why? They were waiting for the sword to cut his head and blood to splash all over the place. So, they were wrapping up their clothes, so that the blood will not splash on them. When they walked out, they went to Al-Izz al-Din ibn Abdel-Salam said, “What were you doing, how were you able to do that?” He said, “When I imagined the greatness of Allāh ﷻin front of my eyes, then this man became smaller than a cat.” When I imagined the greatness of Allāh ﷻ, this man, this mighty, powerful, military general became smaller than a cat; that is the Khash’yā of Allāh ﷻ.

So, these two men said, just break the door open, and they’re going to lose. And they said,

“…And put your trust in Allāh, if you are believers indeed.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23, 24) What was the response of Banī Isrā’īl, right after they heard the order from Mūsā and they heard the advice from these two men? Allāh ﷻ says,

They said: “O Mūsā! We shall never enter it as long as they are there.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23, 24)‘We’re not going to go in, period. Don’t try neither will your order work, nor will the advice do any good. We’re not going to go in.’ And then look at what they said,

“So go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23, 24) ‘Qā`idūn’ means sitting down, look at the passiveness. Sitting down; that is the state of many of us and I want you throughout the period of the story of Mūsā and Banī Isrā’īl, [because] now we’re finished with Mūsā and Fir’aun, we’re done with Mūsā and Fir’aun, you’re not going to hear about Fir’aun anymore.

6 Qur’ān Mentions these Stories for Us to Relate and Derive Lessons

Now we are talking about Mūsā عليه السالم  and Banī Isrā’īl. From now on, I want you to always think about our situation comparing it with the story of Banī Isrā’īl, because Allāh ﷻ did not mention to us those stories in the Qur’ān for historical purposes. Allāh ﷻ has mentioned for us those stories because we are going to fall in the same traps, but we have the guidance that will save us out of it. That is why Allāh ﷻ told us these stories. Banī Isrā’īl, they fell in those traps, and they couldn’t get out. So, they became ‘Al-Maghdubi Alaihim’ (Al-Fātihah – 1:7; And in the Tafsir of ibn Kathīr, it says, that “the Jews abandoned practicing the religion; this is why ‘anger’ descended upon the Jews”) And this ummah will commit the same mistakes, but because of the blessing of Allāh ﷻ, a group of them will always be on the right path. So, we want to learn about this for our own benefit. They said, ‘We’re going to sit down. We’re not going to do anything. We’re going to sit down here and Filistin [Palestine] is going to be free.’ The problems of the Muslims around the world are going to be taken care of, as if we are saying that the problems we are living through now, are caused by our fathers, and our children are going to solve them and we don’t want to do anything, or we will be waiting for the Mahdi to come. This is a state of passiveness and ‘Qā`idūn’ means sitting down. They are not doing anything, but they want Mūsā عليه السالم  to go and fight with his Lord; ‘he is your Lord, He has promised you, He is going to do you good, so go with Him and fight.’

Now compare these people with the Sahaba of Rasūlullāh ﷺ in the battle of Badr, when Rasūlullāh ﷺ said “’Ashiruu Alayha ya Ay’yuhan Nas – give me your opinion, shall we fight the enemy or not?”

“Al-Maqdād Ibn Aswad stood up and spoke and ‘Abdullāh Ibn Mas‘ūd said regarding this, “Al-Maqdād stood up and spoke some words; I would sacrifice the world to be the one who spoke those words.” Al-Maqdād, he stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allāh! Go forth to what Allāh ﷻhas commanded you to do, and we are not going to tell you like the Children of Israel told Mūsā, ‘Go and fight with your Lord, we are going to stay here’, but we will fight in front of you, and behind you, and on your right, and to your left, and we will say go forth and fight with your Lord, we will fight with you.” Rasūlullāh وسلمعليههللاصل, as it says in Al- Bukhārī, his face lit up, it was shining and he was happy, and he stood up. So those words of Al-Maqdād strengthened the Sahāba,”(I took this part from “The Life of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ,“page 486 by Imām Anwar AlAwlakī للا رحمه , because the Hadith here is described more in detail.)

Mūsā عليه السالم  is one step away from Jerusalem, the promise of Allāhﷻ which he has been waiting for, for years. Mūsā عليه السالم  is almost there, he got it. He was freed from Egypt and Fir’aun was destroyed. And now they are on the Gates of Jerusalem, he can see it with his own eyes, he can see the promise of Allāh ﷻ right in front of him and in that critical moment, Banī Isrā’īl betrayed him. It was a grim moment for Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم . Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  after that he raised his hand to Allāh ﷻ and said,

He, [Mūsā] said: “O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, so separate us from the people who are the Fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah)!”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:25)

‘I have no control over these people. I have control only on myself and my brother. All of these are not doing me anything. So Allāh ﷻ please separate me from the people who are rebellious.’ Because he saw that this nation who he served and he brought them and he delivered them to safety now, and when they’re one step away from Jerusalem they betrayed him, and they refused to enter. Allāh ﷻ has punished Banī Isrā’īl because of that must,

7 Allāh ﷻ Punishes Banī Isrā’īl for Their Betrayal

Allāh says, Therefore it (this holy land) is forbidden to them for forty years; in distraction they will wander through the land. So be not sorrowful over the people who are the Fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah).(Al-Mā’idah – 5:26) Allāh ﷻ made them wander in the desert for 40 years because of this sin of refusing to fight in the sake of Allāh ﷻ, so they were in a small area called Sinaa’, and they were going around in circles trying to find the way out, in a very small area; Sinaa’ is not very big but Allāh ﷻ made them lose directions. So, they were going in circles traveling in Sinaa’ for 40 years.

8 Allāh ﷻ Makes an Appointment with Mūsā عليه السالم

Allāh ﷻ wanted to meet Mūsā عليه السالم , and he gave an appointment with Mūsā to meet him after 30 days. He said, ‘after 30 days we meet in the holy place, next to At Tur, next to the mountain.’

Allāh ﷻ says, “And We appointed for Mūsā (Moses) thirty nights”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:142)

Mūsā عليه السالم  was in a hurry to meet with Allāh ﷻ so he went early. The Mufassirīn say, what happened was, that Mūsā was commanded too fast for 30 days because fasting is purification. So Mūsā will go through a period of purification for 30 days before he meets with Allāh. Subhān’Allāh, fasting is a purification –Tazkiyyah – It is a purification for us. So Mūsā went through that period of purification for 30 days. Because of the smell, and this is something that some of the Mufassirīn say, because of the smell of his mouth which is natural due to the hunger Mūsā عليه السالم  used Miswak to change that smell and he went to meet with Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ told him, “Oh Mūsā, don’t you know that I love the smell of the mouth of the person who’s fasting more than I love the smell of musk? Go and fast for another 10 days.” So that’s the reason why Allāh ﷻ said, “and we added 10 days to it”. So, the total was 40 days. During that period, completely, during those 40 days Mūsā عليه السالم  was fasting. Allāh says,

And We appointed for Mūsā thirty nights and added (to the period) ten (more), and he completed the term, appointed by his Lord, of forty nights.”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:142) Mūsā عليه السالم  told his brother,

And Mūsā said to his brother Harun: “Replace me among my people, act in the Right Way (by ordering them to obey and worship Allah Alone) and follow not the way of the Mufsidūn (mischief makers).”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:142)

So, the leader of Banī Isrā’īl left, [and Mūsā] has to appoint somebody else to lead them and the best was the Nabi; Hārūn عليه السالم . And then Mūsā went to meet Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ says,

And when Musa (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him,(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:143) Mūsā عليه السالم  went to speak with Allāh ﷻ. So Mūsā is Kalimul’llāh, the one whom Allāh ﷻ spoke with, and Kalīm means Allāh ﷻ spoke with him many times, it’s not once or twice, it’s many times.

9 Mūsā عليه السالم  Wants to See Allāh ﷻ

Mūsā now reached to the level where Allāh ﷻ is speaking with him. Mūsā wanted to get one step higher, he wanted to see Allāh ﷻ. So, he said,

“O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:143) Did Mūsā say this because he is in doubt? No, he said it because he wants to achieve that high status and to enjoy the pleasure of seeing Allāh ﷻ, which is the greatest pleasure. Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā,

Allah said: “You cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain if it stands still in its place then you shall see Me.”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:143) Allāh ﷻ wants to show him a proof that he cannot see Allāh. So Allāh ﷻ is going to show himself to the mountain and Mūsā عليه السالم  is staring at the mountain. So Allāh ﷻ revealed himself to the mountain and Ibn ‘Abbās says, Allāh ﷻ only revealed part of himself to the mountain. Allāh ﷻ says,

So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Musa (Moses) fell down unconscious.(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:143) The mountain was destroyed and crushed down and turned into dust, the mountain, could not stand the power of Allāh ﷻ. So, the mountain was crushed and destroyed and vanished. It Completely, “Fasakhil Jabal”, it just went down in the earth because of humbleness to Allāh ﷻ and broke into pieces of dirt; sand. Mūsā عليه السالم , when he saw the mountain, what happened to him? Mūsā fell down in the state of shock; unconscious. Mūsā fell unconscious because of the shock by just staring at the mountain what would happen to him if he was staring at Allāh ﷻ? This was the reaction of Mūsā when he saw the mountain. What would have happened to him if he has seen Allāh ﷻ?

Allāh ﷻ says, Then when he recovered his senses he said: “Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:143)

9.1 No One in Dunyā Has Seen Allāh ﷻ With Their Eyes

Did anybody see Allāh ﷻ in Dunyā? No one, no one has seen Allāh ﷻ with his eyes, but Muhammad ﷺ has seen Allāh ﷻ in Dunyā, but not with his eyes, he saw him with his heart. What does it mean that you see Allāh ﷻ with your heart? When you are dreaming your eyes are closed, but you can still see and hear, when you dream about things you see things, you hear things. So, some of the scholars say that Rasūlullāh ﷺ has been able to see Allāh ﷻ in Dunyā with his heart but not with his eyes.

9.2 The Mu’min (Believer) will see Allāh ﷻ in the Akhirah

Can anybody see Allāh ﷻ in Ākhirah? Yes, and who are the ones who will see Allāh ﷻ? Al-Mu’minūn, the Believers in Jannah. The ones who are in the lower levels of Jannah, they would see Allāh ﷻ every Jumu‘ah; in the time of Salātul Jumu’ah, the people of Jannah will go to a certain meeting place, and their seats will be reserved ahead of time, that’s in the Hadith. You can’t just go and pick a spot and sit, you have the leisure to do that in the Masjid, you can come and pick a spot, but there in Jannah you cannot. The seats are already reserved and on what basis are they reserved? On how close you are to the Khatib in Jumu’ah, that’s in the Hadith. The Seats: the closer you were to the Imam in Salātul Jumu’ah, the closer you are going to be to Allāh ﷻ on those meetings on Jumu’ah. So here in Dunyā, you can come and pick that spot. The earlier you come, the better spot and the closer spot you will get. So, you have the freedom of choosing this place when you’re in Dunyā but in akhirah that’s it, it is reserved. And the ones who used to sit in the first Saff [row or line], they are the ones who will receive the first Saff – the first line in Jannah. That is for the lower ranks of Jannah, and then the people of Firdaus the higher levels, they would see Allāh ﷻ twice a day. That is for the people of the higher levels of Jannah.

10 Allāh’s Blessings on Banī Isrā’īl During their Punishment of 40 Years

Allāh ﷻ, as we have mentioned earlier, has punished Banī Isrā’īl because of their refusal to enter into the Holy Land with wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. It was a punishment from Allāh ﷻ but Allāh ﷻ is very merciful and forgiving. So even though it was a punishment for them, they were asking Allāh ﷻ and Allāh was accepting their Du‘ā; they wanted food, they wanted water, they wanted shade and Allāh ﷻ was providing for them.

Allāh ﷻ says, And We shaded you with clouds and sent down on you Al-Manna and As- Salwā, (saying): “Eat of the good lawful things We have provided for you,”(Al-Baqarah – 2:57) So Allāh ﷻ provided them with clouds, that is the shade to protect them from the sun, and then Allāh ﷻ provided them with food and drink. So Allāh ﷻ provided for them shade and provided for them, Al-Mann wa As- Salwā. And Al-Mann wa As- Salwā; the Mufassirīn, have tried to explain what it is exactly, but it is a blessing from Allāh ﷻ, it is something special that Allāh ﷻ sent for them. Some of them said that Al-Mann is some kind of extracts that come out from trees, and it tastes like honey and some of them have mentioned, that it is honey. While As- Salwā, most of the Mufassirīn say it’s a bird [quails]. Even though Banī Isrā’īl were going through a stage of punishment because this was supposed to be a punishment for them. Why? Because they refuse to enter into Al-Ard’ul Muqaddasa. But Allāh ﷻ ‘Yatubu ‘Ala’t Ta’ibin – accepts the repentance of the ones who repent and Allāh ﷻ gives the human beings many chances. Allāh ﷻ has sent to Fir’aun nine Āyāt, one Āyāh after another, giving Fir’aun a chance but in the end, when Fir’aun refused to accept any of them, then the punishment of Allāh ﷻ came, and when the punishment of Allāh ﷻ comes down, nothing can release it! So, with Banī Isrā’īl, Allāh ﷻ provided them with this food Al-Mann wa As- Salwā is the food, and then Allāh ﷻ provided them with the shade. [Now] what else do they need? They need water. So Allāh ﷻ says, “And remember when Mūsā asked for water for his people,”. The people came and asked him and said, we want water. So Mūsā عليه السالم  made Istisqa’, he asked Allāh ﷻ to give them water. Allāh ﷻ says,

And (remember) when Mūsā (Moses) asked for water for his people, We said: “Strike the stone with your stick.” Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water. Eat and drink of that which Allah has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth.(Al-Baqarah – 2:60) 12 springs of water are going to gush forth for every tribe of Banī Isrā’īl, they have their own spring. So, the stick that Mūsā had; remember a long time ago, Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā,

“And what is that in your right hand, O Mūsā?”(Tāhā – 20:17)

But Allāh ﷻ knows the stick more than Mūsā. So Allāh ﷻ has provided for Banī Isrā’īl, the food Al-Mann wa As-Salwā and the shade wa Žallalnā `Alaykumu Al-Ghamāma and Allāh ﷻ also provided for them the water.

11 Banī Isrā’īl Wants Variety in their Food

Banī Isrā’īl went to Mūsā عليه السالم  and asked Mūsā to make Du‘ā for them. What did they want? Allāh ﷻ says,

And (remember) when you said, “O Mūsā (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fum (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:61) Allāh ﷻ provided them with Al-Mann wa As- Salwā, [which is] special food from Allāh ﷻ for Banī Isrā’īl. They [still] went to Mūsā عليه السالم  and they said, “O Mūsā tell Allāh ﷻ that we cannot endure having one type of food”. ‘We want to have more variety in the menu.’ And they asked for, lentils, onions, garlic and herbs and other stuff that grows from the earth; vegetarians, all the stuff they want are some kinds of plants that come out from the earth. Allāh ﷻ is providing them with the best meat, special meat and Allāh ﷻ is providing them with this special food, which is Al -Mann and we don’t even know what it is. And Allāh ﷻ is giving them this as a blessing and as a miracle. It’s a miracle and at the same time it’s a blessing for them. They went to Mūsā عليه السالم  and they said, we got tired of eating the same type of food, we want to have more variety, so ask Allāh ﷻ to provide us with other stuff, other kinds of food.

12 Victory and Freedom Needs Sacrifice

Keep in mind that the issue here is not the particular types of food. The issue here is not garlic and onion and cucumbers and herbs, even though their particular choice of these foods is amazing, because how could you replace the meat and the Manna and Salwā with garlic and onion? I mean this shows you their tastes, but the issue is not in the particular types of food that they are requesting, [rather] the issue here, we need to keep in mind is that Banī Isrā’īl are refusing to sacrifice. They’re not even willing to give up the type of foods that they grew up with. They grew up in Egypt, eating onion and garlic and cucumbers and these herbs. If they grew up in Egypt eating big ‘macro-Whopper’, they’re going to ask for the same thing. So, the issue here is not particularly the garlic and the onion the lentils. The issue here is that they’re not willing to give up even their daily habits, for the sake of Allāh ﷻ. Why did they leave from Egypt? Allāh ﷻ brought them out of Egypt to free them and to honour them and to give them the Holy Land, which they have been promised. But freedom has a price and entering into the Holy Land needs some work Banī Isrā’īl, they are not willing to even give up the particular types of food they were eating, let alone work and sacrifice and pay for their freedom.

13 Mūsā’s Reply to Bani Isrāīl’s Request

Mūsā told them, “Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!”(Al-Baqarah – 2:61)

So Mūsā told them, ‘Go back to Egypt, you will find what you want.’ If you don’t want the freedom, if you don’t want the honour, if you don’t want the Holy Land, go back to Egypt, go back to the life of slavery, to the life of servitude, to the life of humility, to the life of oppression and you will find all the lentils, garlic, onion that you want. If you’re not even willing to give up a small portion of your lifestyle, if you’re not willing to give up a habit that you grew up with. How can you pay the price for freedom? You don’t deserve freedom! If you are not even willing to change the Menu, if you are not willing to change the types of food that you eat, then you don’t deserve the freedom and the honour. They want the Holy Land, they want freedom they want Fir’aun to be destroyed they want to have the establishment, the ‘Tamkeen’ on the earth, but they don’t want to do anything, they don’t want to sacrifice anything, they don’t even want to give up their daily habits. It may sound very strange, how could such a people do this, how could they go and ask Mūsā عليه السالم , we want lentils and onion and garlic when Allāh ﷻ is providing them with Mann and Salwā.

14 Comparison Between Banī Isrāīl’s Situation With our Ummah Today

Sounds very strange, but remember, always when we’re talking about the stories of Banī Isrā’īl and Mūsā, relate them to our situation, you are going to find that it’s not very different. If you look at our situation, and remember what we said earlier, that everything that Allāh ﷻ has mentioned about Banī Isrā’īl, there are going to be some people from this Ummah who are going to fall into the same mistake. The difference between our Ummah, the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ and Banī Isrā’īl, is that with Banī Isrā’īl, it was a general problem and it ended up causing the Wrath of Allāh ﷻ to be on them. But with the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ the problem will be with some, but there are going to be some who are continuously on the straight path. That is the difference. [Rasūlullāh ﷺ says], “There will be a group of my Ummah on the straight path, any disagreement with them will not harm them until the day of Judgment.” And Rasūlullāh ﷺ also says, “You will follow the footsteps of the nations before you step by step, inch by inch, even if they enter into a hole of a lizard, you’re going to follow them there.” The Sahaba asked, “Al Yahud wan Nasara – the Christians and the Jews?” Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Who else?” So, there’s going to be some of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, who are going to follow the footsteps of the Jews and the Christians, and there are going to be some of the Muslims who are going to learn the lesson and not commit the same mistake.

Banī Isrā’īl, refused to pay the price, they didn’t want to give up anything for the sake of freedom and for the sake of Allāh ﷻ and for the sake of establishment and we find that our situation is not very different. Banī Isrā’īl refused to give up the habit of eating garlic and onions and lentils, while we have some who are not willing to give up a football game or a basketball game and come to Salah. ‘If the game is in the time of Salātul ‘Isha or Salātul ‘Asr or Salātul Maghrib, I am not going to leave the TV set and go to the Masjid, I’m not going to leave.’ For Banī Isrā’īl, at least this was an issue of food. While here we are talking about something [games] that doesn’t benefit but it harms, sitting in front of the tube box watching a basketball game or watching a soccer game or a football game and leaving the Salah. Or another habit, you see because we are talking about breaking a habit. We’re not even willing to break a habit for the sake of Allāh ﷻ. You could have someone who wakes up 7:30 in the morning every day. Salātul Fajr, the time ends by Shuruk As-Shams’ so it’s too late to pray Fajr now. ‘Well, you know I can’t, I can’t sacrifice my sleep, I’m not going to wake up early,’ but why are you waking up 7:30 am? Because of work. ‘I’m willing to wake up 7:30 and sacrifice for work, but I’m not willing to wake up for Salātul Fajr.’ The Salāh has to be done in the specific time. If you intentionally plan to pray Salāh after it’s time, it’s unaccepted. If you intentionally plan to pray Fajr after the time of Fajr is over, it is unacceptable Salāh, because you’re doing it intentionally. It is forgiven when you’re doing it with an excuse, like you slept unintentionally or you forgot, or you were in very extreme situation you couldn’t pray, then you can make Qadha’ and Allāh ﷻ will forgive it. But if you intentionally plan on a daily basis to delay the Salāh until the time is over, that Salāh is unaccepted, because it’s past the time. If we look at our situation, we find that there’s a lot to learn from this story; we are not willing to give up our habits. When we are talking about giving time or giving effort or giving money, we hold back. The religion of Allāh ﷻ is not something that we can take lightly because Allāh ﷻ says,

“O Yahya! Take the book with strength.”(Maryam – 19:12) Allāh is telling Banī Isrā’īl, “Take this religion with strength”, you have to take it with seriousness.

Mūsā عليه السالم  told his people, He said, “Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower?”(Al-Baqarah – 2:61)How can you replace Mann and Salwā with garlic, onion and lentils? Allāh ﷻ is providing you with the best, and you’re asking for the lowest? The Mufassirīn say, [when Mūsā told them “Go you down to any town], this could mean either one of two things:

‘Ihbiţū Mişrāan’, Misr, means Egypt, but it can also mean land. So, it would mean go to Egypt, you will find what you want, go back to Egypt, you will find the garlic, lentils, onions, and herbs you were looking for and you will also find the oppression and the servitude and the slavery that you deserve to live under.

Or the other meaning would be to go to any country or land, and you are going to find these [vegetables]. Mann and Salwā was the special thing, but this garlic and onion and lentil, you’ll find that anywhere.

Allāh ﷻ says, “And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allah.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:61)They refused to sacrifice for Allāh ﷻ, so Allāh ﷻ has made on them humility and misery.

15 Mūsā عليه السالم  Goes to Meet Allāh ﷻ at Mount At-Tūr

When Mūsā عليه السالم  went to meet with Allāh ﷻ in At-Tūr, and we talked about Mūsā asking to see Allāh ﷻ and we talked about the conversation between Allāh ﷻ and Mūsā. Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā, “Why were you in a hurry to meet me and leave your people?” Allāh ﷻ has made an appointment with Mūsā, so Mūsā is very urgent to go and meet with Allāh ﷻ. So, he is going in a hurry. So Allāh ﷻ asked Mūsā,

And what made you hasten from your people, O Mūsā?

Mūsā said: “They are close on my footsteps, and I hastened to You, O my Lord, that You might be pleased.”(Tāhā – 20: 83-84)

So Mūsā left his people close by and he went to meet with Allāh ﷻ. Mūsā عليه السالم  did not leave his people alone but he appointed his brother to be the leader in his absence. He appointed Hārūn عليه السالم . Mūsā said, “Be my successor, on my people.”(Al-‘A`rāf – 7:142) And he went to meet with Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā what was going on. Mūsā عليه السالم  did not know what was happening. So Allāh ﷻ told him what was happening in that same moment.

16 Banī Isrā’īl Worships the Cow in Mūsās Absence

Allāh ﷻ says, “Verily! We have tried your people in your absence, and As-Samiri has led them astray.”(Tāhā – 20:85) Allāh ﷻ said, we are putting your people through a test, and As-Sāmirī is leading them astray. This is a man who is called As-Sāmirī from Banī Isrā’īl, he has led them astray. What did As-Sāmirī do? Allāh ﷻ gave him the ability to see something nobody else saw. Allāh ﷻ says,

 (As-Sāmirī) said: “I saw what they saw not, so I took a handful (of dust) from the hoof print of the messenger [Jibrael’s (Gabriel) horse] and threw it [into the fire in which were put the ornaments of the Fir’aun’s (Pharaoh) people, or into the calf]. Thus my inner-self suggested to me.”(Tāhā – 20:96)

What did he see? When Allāh ﷻ was destroying Fir’aun and his army, Jibrīl was there. The Mufassirīn say that Jibrīl عليه السالم , whenever his horse would step on a piece of land, life would immediately grow up from that place, from the footstep. As-Sāmirī saw Jibrīl and it’s an unusual supernatural ability that As-Sāmirī had; it’s a fitnah, it’s a trial from Allāh ﷻ. So As-Sāmirī went, and he picked up some of that dirt from under the footsteps of the horse of Jibrīl and he kept that dirt with him.

Allāh ﷻ says, They said: “We broke not the promise to you, of our own will, but we were made to carry the weight of the ornaments [Gold] of the [Fir’aun’s (Pharaoh)] people, then we cast them (into the fire), and that was what As-Samiri suggested.”(Tāhā – 20:87) Then As-Sāmirī told Banī Isrā’īl to gather all of the gold that they have brought with them from Egypt. The women of Egypt, the Egyptian women, they had their jewellery with the women of the children of Isrā’īl. The women of the children of Isrā’īl somehow had the gold that belonged to the Egyptian women, and they were feeling guilty because of that gold. ‘This gold doesn’t belong to us what should we do with it?’ They had a feeling of guilt. So As-Sāmirī suggested that they gather all of this gold together and they burned it. Allāh ﷻ says,

Then he took out (of the fire) for them a statue of a calf which seemed to low. They said: “This is your ilah (god), and the ilah (god) of Mūsā , but [Mūsā] has forgotten (his god).”(Tāhā – 20:88) And what did As-Sāmirī do? He threw that dirt that he had with him in the gold. So, it was mixed with the gold, and they moulded out of that gold the shape of ‘ijl’ – calf.

Somehow, that calf would make a sound – ‘Khuwar’, which is the sound of a cow, as if it was alive. Some of the commentators of Qur’ān say, that what As-Sāmirī did was, he made a hole throughout the inside of the animal, so wind would go in and it would make a breezing or whistling sound, so the people would think it’s alive. Some of the Mufassirīn would say, somehow it was a miracle and because of that dirt in it, it had some sort of life in it. It wasn’t alive, but it was making some sound, it was making a sound, and this was a Fitnah for Banī Isrā’īl. When they saw this calf made out of gold, making this sound, As-Sāmirī told them this is your God, so they started worshiping it and they were making Sujūd and ‘Ibādāh to the calf. They were worshiping it.

Mūsā عليه السالم  told his people, that I’m going to be absent for how long? 30 days, because the appointment in the beginning was 30 and then Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā add another 10 days. Banī Isrā’īl did not know that the appointment was changed. Mūsā عليه السالم  did not tell them about the changing in time, so they thought it was 30 days. 30 days passed, 31 days passed, 32 days passed; ‘where is Mūsā’? They said, Mūsā forgot where his God is, he got lost. He did not know that his God is right here, ‘Fanasiyah’ – he forgot. They added another evidence.

Number one: This calf is making this special sound.

Number two: Mūsā said he is going to be absent for 30 days and now he’s absent for more than 30 days.

They said, “This is your God and the God of Mūsā but he forgot.”(Tāhā – 20:88)

So, this is the story behind the calf, and we’ll get back to that in the end of the story.

17 Mūsā Returns to His People

Mūsā was told by Allāh ﷻ that your people have worshipped the calf. So Allāh ﷻ says,

Then Mūsā (Moses) returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow.(Tāhā – 20: 86)

Mūsā went back to his people angry, upset, and sorry. He was so sad. ‘How could this happen in my absence? My people commit shirk and they worship another god besides Allāh ﷻ?’ He was so angry and upset.

So, he went there to meet his people. What did Mūsā do as soon as he saw his people worshipping the calf? He threw the tablets. Allāh ﷻ has given to Mūsā, Al-Alwāh – the tablets that had the Hudā [guidance] of Allāh ﷻ in them, that had the Awām, the commandments of Allāh ﷻ. When Mūsā saw Banī Isrā’īl making Sujūd to the calf, he threw the tablets from his hand. What would you do if you see somebody throwing the Qur’ān? It is something that is unacceptable! But when Mūsā saw this in front of his eyes, he was in a state of shock. So those tablets fell from his hand.

Mūsā already knew about it, didn’t he? He already knew about it, because Allāh ﷻ told him. How come his reaction was different when he saw it? Because Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “When you hear something, it’s not like seeing it.”(Musnad Ahmad 2447) Hearing about something is different than seeing it. When you see something, it is a completely different thing than when you hear about it. Mūsā heard about it from Allāh ﷻ, but when he saw it, it was something different, and he was in a state of shock. He threw the tablets from his hand.

And he said,   “O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a fair promise?”(Tāhā – 20:86)

Allāh ﷻ has promised you with victory, Allāh ﷻ has promised you with the Holy Land, Allāh ﷻ has promised you with Jannah, Allāh ﷻ has promised you with Tamkīn – establishment on the earth if you are believers. How could you leave all of these promises and commit Shirk?

“Did then the promise seem to you long in coming? Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you, so you broke your promise to me (i.e., disbelieving in Allāh ﷻ and worshipping the calf)?”(Tāhā – 20:86)

‘Do you feel that it’s too long in coming so you gave up? You have broken your promise to me.’ They said, “We broke not the promise to you, of our own will.”(Tāhā – 20:87)

They refuse to admit their guilt. “But we were made to carry the weight of the ornaments of the [Fir’aun’s] people, then we cast them (into the fire), and that was what As-Sāmirī suggested.”(Tāhā – 20:87)

Then he took out (of the fire) for them a statue of a calf which seemed to low. They said: “This is your ilāh (god), and the ilāh (god) of Mūsā, but [Mūsā (Moses)] has forgotten (his god).”(Tāhā – 20:88)

Let’s analyse what Banī Isrā’īl said. Mūsā told them, “You have broken your promise with me.” They said, “No, we did not break our promise with our own will, but we were carrying with us ornaments, and this is the suggestion of As-Sāmirī.”

There are two problems with this [statement]:

They had guilt in their hearts because of this gold. Ibn Kathīr says, “First of all, this gold is Halāl for them. Now, because the people of Fir’aun are the enemies of Allāh ﷻ, and Allāh ﷻ destroyed them, and that Ghanām should go to them.” So, they should take the gold.

They had guilt for carrying that gold with them, but they did not feel any guilt committing Shirk against Allāh ﷻ. So, the scale of Taqwā is upside down; [they had] Taqwā in very small things, but no Taqwā in the major issues. So Banī Isrā’īl are feeling the guilt of carrying with them the gold that belongs to the people of Isrā’īl, and they have no guilt whatsoever when they are worshipping a calf besides Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ says,

Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?(Tāhā – 20:89)

And Hārūn عليه السالم  advised them, And Hārūn (Aaron) indeed had said to them beforehand: “O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allāh ﷻ) the Most Beneficent, so follow me and obey my order.”(Tāhā – 20:90)

Sayyidnā Hārūn عليه السالم  was appointed to be the leader over Banī Isrā’īl in the absence of Mūsā عليه السالم . This is a Fitnah, it is a test from Allāh ﷻ. Hārūn عليه السالم  is telling them, ‘Allāh ﷻ is your Lord, so obey me and follow my order. I’m the Amīr, I’m the Khalīfa on you.’ Because Mūsā told Hārūn, “Akhlufnī Fī Qawmī – be the successor or be the leader on the people in my absence.” So, he appointed Hārūn, and Hārūn told the people, “You have to obey me”, but Banī Isrā’īl were already set in their stubbornness to worship the calf. Subhān’Allāh, this calf was so attractive to them.

18 Banī Isrā’īl Rejects Hārūn’s Warning

Allāh ﷻ says, They said, “We have heard and disobeyed.” And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief.(Al-Baqarah – 2:93)

Their hearts absorbed it. Even long after the residual of that, ‘Ajal is still in their hearts, this is way after. Allāh ﷻ says, “Wa ‘Ushribū Fī Qulūbihimu Al-`Ijla Bikufrihim – they absorbed the love of the calf in their hearts because of their Kufr.” And Allāhu A’lam, were they loving the calf because of the sounds that it was making – Khuwār, or was it because Al-‘Ijl was made out of gold? So, what was their response to Sayyidnā Hārūn?

They said: “We will not stop worshipping it (i.e. the calf), until Mūsā (Moses) returns to us.”(Tāhā – 20:91)

‘Do whatever you want. We’re not going to stop worshipping the calf.’

19 Mūsā Blames Hārūn for not being Attentive

When Mūsā came back and he saw what they were doing, the first thing he did was he threw the tablets from his hand. “Wa ‘Alqá Al-‘Alwāĥa Wa Fī Nuskhatihā Hudan – he threw the tablets, and in the tablets was guidance.” And then he rushed towards his brother, and he grabbed him with his beard in one hand and his head in the other hand and started pulling him towards him. And he told his brother,

 [Mūsā] said: “O Hārūn (Aaron)! What stopped you when you saw them going astray; That you followed me not (according to my advice to you)? Have you then disobeyed my order?”(Tāhā – 20:92,93)

Mūsā said, “How come you didn’t come and tell me? How come you let this happen and you didn’t come and convey this news to me?” Hārūn said,

He [Hārūn (Aaron)] said: “O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard, nor by my head! Verily, I feared lest you should say: ‘You have caused a division among the Children of Israel, and you have not respected my word!’”(Tāhā – 20:94) “Son of my mother”; it means he is trying to bring up the blood relationship that is between them, and the mother is the side of mercy. So, he is telling him, ‘We are brothers.

Then Hārūn is giving the justification of why he didn’t come and tell Mūsā what is happening. He said, “Verily, I feared lest you should say, ‘You have caused a division among the Children of Isrā’īl, and you have not respected my word.’” Hārūn said that “I would have caused disunity.”

When Hārūn told Banī Isrā’īl not to worship the calf, they threatened Hārūn. They said, “We are going to kill you!” And Hārūn said this in another Āyah,

Hārūn said: “O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me.(Al-A’rāf – 7:150)

Hārūn was saying, ‘Don’t let the enemies, because we have some enemies among these people, some of them are enemies. Don’t let them rejoice because of the dispute between me and you.’

20 Conflicts Shouldn’t be Publicised

So, whenever we have a conflict, we should keep it private. If there’s a conflict between the husband and the wife, it should not go out of the bounds of the household, unless it is necessary. So, the problems should be private. And even when Allāh ﷻ said, ‘You bring outside assistance,’ who did Allāh ﷻ say? “Ĥakamāan Min ‘Ahlihi Wa Ĥakamāan Min ‘Ahlihā – appoint (two) arbitrators, one from his family and the other from hers.”(An-Nisā’ – 4:35) Bring a judge from her side of the family, and a judge from your side of the family. If that doesn’t work, then you bring somebody from the community as a judge. The same thing: when we have a dispute as a Muslim Ummah, we should keep it contained, and we should not bring the enemy from outside to solve it.

And when Mu’āwiyyah was having a dispute with ‘Alī, the Romans felt that this is their opportunity to make a move. So, they started to arrange their army, and the news reached to Mu’āwiyyah, because Mu’āwiyyah was the one who was close to the Roman Empire in Ash-Shaam. So Mu’āwiyyah sent a letter to the emperor of the Romans. He said, “Don’t let the dispute between me and my cousin cause you to be overconfident. If you do not stop, I’m going to send you an army that starts here and ends where you are.” Mu’āwiyyah was telling them clearly, ‘Don’t think that this dispute between me and my cousin will cause us to open door of opportunity for you to come in.’

Hārūn is telling his brother Mūsā, “Don’t let the enemies rejoice over me.” Hārūn said, “They were about to kill me – Astađ`afūnī.” They saw Hārūn as weak. Allāh ﷻ has given every one of these Ambiyā all of the qualities they need for the specific purpose that they’re going to fulfil. Allāh ﷻ has given Mūsā a very strong and powerful personality because he’s going to be dealing with a very stubborn people, Banī Isrā’īl. So Allāh ﷻ has given him a very strong personality, and a strong body, and a strong character, and a strong presence. When Mūsā was there, they wouldn’t dare to do this thing that they did in front of Hārūn. Allāh ﷻ has given Hārūn the qualifications he needs as a Wazīr and advisor for his brother. He has given him the ability to speak. ‘Afşaĥu Minnī Lisānāan – Mūsā said, “My brother Hārūn is more eloquent, or clearer in his speech”; to be an assistance for his brother.

21 Preventing Evil Should Not Create a Bigger Evil

When Mūsā was absent, Banī Isrā’īl were about to kill Hārūn. So Hārūn had to calm things down until his brother would come back. If he tried to enforce the law and prevent them from worshipping the calf, that would have caused a rift and a dispute between Banī Isrā’īl, and the problem could get out of control. And we know that when you make Nahyā ‘An Al-Munkar, you want to make sure that it will not cause a bigger Munkar. One of the rules of preventing evil is, when you’re preventing evil, it should not cause a bigger evil. So Hārūn is not approving the worshipping of the calf, he told his people. See, because he has to make Bayān, he cannot be quiet and then say, ‘This is Hikmah.’ No, he has to tell the people that this is wrong, and he told them that this is wrong. “Innamā Ilāhakum Al-Rahmān – your Lord is Allāh ﷻ, Al-Rahmān.” But he waited until his brother came back and then he would leave it in the hands of his brother Mūsā.

22 Mūsā Accepts the Apology of Hārūn عليه السالم

Mūsā accepted that apology, and he accepted the justification of Sayyidnā Hārūn. So Mūsā said,

Mūsā said: “O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and make us enter into Your Mercy, for you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”(Al-A’rāf – 7:151)

Mūsā had a very soft and merciful heart. Even though he was in a moment of anger, he was very angry, and he was grabbing his brother by his beard and by his head, but immediately when he saw that his brother was on the right side, he started making Du’ā for him and his brother. And this shows the love of following the truth. It is not stubbornness, we don’t follow our desires, we follow the Hāqq wherever it is. So Mūsā, in the beginning, he thought that this was a mistake, so he came to stop it. And then when the explanation was given to him, he knew that his brother was doing the right thing, so he immediately made Du’ā for his brother.

23 Mūsā عليه السالم  Addresses As-Sāmirī

And then Mūsā turned towards As-Sāmirī, who is the cause of all of this problem. He said,

 [Mūsā (Moses)] said: “And what is the matter with you. O Sāmīrī? (i.e.why did you do so?)”(Tāhā – 20:95)

When Mūsā first came, who did he first blame? First, he directed the blame to his people. And then who did he blame next? Hārūn. Finally, he blamed As-Sāmirī, even though As-Sāmirī was the cause of the problem.

Look at the Hikmah in that; who is the one who’s responsible for this sin? It is the whole people. See, As-Sāmirī, if he gave this advice and the people didn’t follow it, it wouldn’t have occurred. Always, in every Ummah, there are going to be some people who will call to evil. Now is the Ummah going to follow them or not? So, who carries the burden? It is the Ummah. It is the whole Ummah of Banī Isrā’īl. So Mūsā directed the blame to them first. He said, “Do you want the anger of Allāh ﷻ to come on you?” [Tāhā – 20:95]. So, he first blamed the Ummah of Banī Isrā’īl, because if they did not follow the advice, this problem would have stopped right there, and it wouldn’t have occurred. So, in the beginning, it’s the responsibility of the Ummah. Any problem that we are going through today, it is our problem; the problem of the Ummah. The problem that is happening in Iraq, or in Chechnya, or in Kashmir, or Palestine, or in Somalia, or in Eritrea, or in Sudan, or any part of the Muslim world, it is our problem collectively as an Ummah. And then, who does the blame go to next? The leaders. Mūsā did not go and talk to As-Sāmirī next, he went to the Amīr – he went to the leader, he went to his brother, Hārūn, and said to him “O Hārūn (Aaron)! What stopped you when you saw them going astray?” [Tāhā 20:92].

“How come you didn’t convey this message to me? You are the leader, you are held responsible, you are held accountable.”

And then in the end, Mūsā went to As-Sāmirī and told him, [Mūsā] said: “And what is the matter with you. O Sāmīrī? (i.e. why did you do so?)” [Tāhā 20:95]. Because As-Sāmirī is following Shaitān and he’s only one person. If the people and the leader stand against him, he couldn’t do anything. Allāh ﷻ says,

(Sāmirī) said: “I saw what they saw not, so I took a handful (of dust) from the hoof print of the messenger [Jibrīl’s (Gabriel) horse] and threw it [into the fire in which were put the ornaments of the Fir’aun’s (Pharaoh) people, or into the calf]. Thus my inner-self suggested to me.”(Tāhā – 20:96)

And we talked about how he did this. When Allāh ﷻ was drowning Fir’aun and his army, Jibrīl was there. As-Sāmirī was able, through an Āyah – sign of Allāh ﷻ, something supernatural, was able to see Jibrīl and he was able to see the footsteps of Jibrīl or the horse of Jibrīl, and he was picking up from that dirt, and then he mixed it with the gold, which the women of Banī Isrā’īl had, and that gold belonged to who? To the women of Egypt. They mixed it together and they made a calf. That calf started making some strange sounds, like a sound of a calf. So, they started worshipping it.

Mūsā made his decision in terms of the punishment to As-Sāmirī. He handed down the punishment to As-Sāmirī, and that is that Sāmirī be exiled for the rest of his life. “Because of this sin, you cannot be part of our Ummah anymore. You have to leave us alone and we will leave you alone.”

Allāh ﷻ says, Mūsā (Moses) said: “Then go away! And verily, your (punishment) in this life will be that you will say: “Touch me not (i.e. you will live alone exiled away from mankind); and verily (for a future torment), you have a promise that will not fail.”(Tāhā – 20:97)

Mūsā here is saying, ‘In this Dunyā, you will not be with us and we will not touch you, and then he said, “’Inna Laka Maw`idāan Lan Tukhlafahu – we’re going to leave you now alone. This is a punishment in Dunyā and then in Ākhirah, there is another punishment that will be on you from Allāh ﷻ.” And then he said,

“And look at your ilāh (god), to which you have been devoted. We will certainly burn it, and scatter its particles in the sea.”(Tāhā – 20:97)

He didn’t even want to make use of the gold in it. He said, “We are going to burn it all and throw it in the sea.” And then Mūsā said,

Your Ilāh (God) is only Allāh, the One (Lā ilāha illā Huwa) (none has the right to be worshipped but He). He has full knowledge of all things.(Tāhā – 20:98)

24 Banī Isrā’īl Asks Allāh ﷻ for Tawbāh

They asked Allāh ﷻ for Tawbāh. Allāh ﷻ said, ‘I will accept your Tawbāh, but there is a condition.’ This crime is a very grave crime, it’s a very big crime. Therefore, the Tawbāh for is, you have to sacrifice. Allāh ﷻ says,

And (remember) when Mūsā (Moses) said to his people: “O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:54) And what is the repentance?

 “So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Lord.” Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.(Al-Baqarah – 2:54)

‘Kill yourselves, [because] worshipping the calf is a big sin. Therefore, they have to pay a price for the Tawbāh, because Banī Isrā’īl kept on changing their minds; every now and then, they commit a crime and then they say, “Oh Allāh forgive us!” Allāh ﷻ wants them to pay a price and sacrifice if they want their Tawbāh to be accepted. Allāh ﷻ says in Qur’ān, “Fāqtulū ‘Anfusakum – Kill yourselves.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:54) What does this mean? The Mufassirīn say it means that the ones who did not participate in worshipping the calf, kill the ones who worshipped the calf; even if it is their father, or their brother, or their son, and that’s why it’s ‘killing yourselves’, because you could be killing your father, or killing your son, or killing your brothers, it is like killing your own self.

So, all of Banī Isrā’īl had to pay a price, even though not all of them worshipped the calf, but this happened in front of their eyes, and they did not stop it. So, the Tawbāh was you kill yourselves. So, they took their knives and the swords, and they started killing each other, and it was a massacre. It is said in one day, 70,000 were killed. It was a massacre; blood was flowing, but this was their Tawbāh, because of the big sin they have committed, they had to pay a hefty price for this Tawbāh. Allāh ﷻ accepted it from them, even though it was Riddah [apostasy].

25 Banī Isrāīl’s Elders are Taken by Mūsā to Apologise to Allāh ﷻ

Mūsā chose seventy men from the elders of Banī Isrā’īl; the most prominent among them, the leaders of the people, and he took them to the mountain Al-Tūr to meet with Allāh ﷻ. Some of the Mufassirīn say they went on that mission to apologize to Allāh ﷻ for what Banī Isrā’īl have done. So, this is a delegation from Banī Isrā’īl, going to apologize for what Banī Isrā’īl have done. Allāh ﷻ says,

And Mūsā (Moses) chose out of his people seventy (of the best) men for Our appointed time and place of meeting.(Al-A’rāf – 7:155) So, they went to meet with Allāh ﷻ. As I said, some of the Mufassirīn say they want to apologize for what Banī Isrā’īl have done. When they got there, Mūsā went into a cloud, the mountain was covered in a cloud, so they stayed outside. Mūsā went into the cloud, and they saw the light in which Mūsā was standing in, and Mūsā was speaking to Allāh ﷻ, and then Mūsā came out.

26 Banī Isrā’īl Ask for Another Miracle

When Mūsā came out, Allāh ﷻ says, these men, the best of Banī Isrā’īl said,

And (remember) when you said: “O Musa (Moses)! We shall never believe in you till we see Allah plainly.” But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were looking.(Al-Baqarah – 2:55) You come to apologize for the sin and now you’re putting these prerequisites? They said, “we are not going to believe in you, until we see Allāh with our own eyes.” “Falammā ‘Akhadhat/humu Ar-Rajfatu – so the earth shook, and they all fell dead.”

Allāh ﷻ sent on them a Aş-Şā`iqatu – a thunderbolt, and it killed them all. Allāhu Akbar, now Mūsā is in a dilemma. Mūsā took these seventy, which are the best of Banī Isrā’īl to go and to apologize to Allāh ﷻ. These seventy are dead. What will Mūsā tell the people when he goes back? The people will completely lose hope. [They will say] ‘If these are the best of us and this is what happened to them, then we have no hope, because these are the best among us. These are the ones whom you expect Allāh ﷻ to accept their apology. If Allāh ﷻ did not accept their apology and Allāh ﷻ killed them all, what will happen to us?” So Mūsā knew that his people are going to be in‘Hālat Ya’s’ – in despair. Mūsā عليه السالم  said,

And when they were seized with a violent earthquake, he said: “O my Lord, if it had been Your Will, You could have destroyed them and me before.(Al-A’rāf – 7:155) ‘Oh Allāh, if you wanted, you could have destroyed us before.’

Would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us?(Al-A’rāf – 7:155)

‘There are some among us who are foolish. Are you going to destroy us all because of them?’

“It is only Your Trial by which You lead astray whom You will, and keep guided whom You will. You are our Wali (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us, for You are the Best of those who forgive.”(Al-A’rāf – 7:155) And then he said,

“And ordain for us good in this world, and in the Hereafter. Certainly we have turned unto You.”(Al-A’rāf – 7:156)

Allāh ﷻ said, He said: (As to) My Punishment I afflict therewith whom I will.(Al-A’rāf – 7:156) Allāh ﷻ can punish whomever He wills.

And My Mercy embraces all things.(Al-A’rāf – 7:156) The mercy of Allāh ﷻ embraces all things.

That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqūn (pious), and give Zakāt; and those who believe in Our Āyāt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and revelations, etc.)(Al-A’rāf – 7:156) Who are they? Allāh ﷻ says,

Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad ﷺ) whom they find written with them in the Taurāt (Torah) (Deut, xviii, 15) and the Injīl (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), – he commands them for Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) (Al-A’rāf – 7:157) The Bishārah – the glad tidings of Sayyidnā Muhammad ﷺ was given to Banī Isrā’īl in that moment. Where is it? They hid it, they changed it, they altered it, but the promise of Rasūlullāh ﷺ was given to Mūsā, and this honour was given to Rasūlullāh ﷺ in that time, in the presence of the leaders of Banī Isrā’īl. Allāh ﷻ says,

Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful.(Al-Baqarah – 2:56)

So Allāh ﷻ raised them up after their death. Mūsā, he brought them the laws of Allāh ﷻ and he said, “Follow them. This is the law of Allāh ﷻ, you have to follow it. Give me a promise that you will follow it.” Banī Isrā’īl said, “No, show us what is in there first, and then we’re going to tell you are we going to follow it or not.” This is coming from Allāh ﷻ and they know that it is the Word of Allāh ﷻ. They told Mūsā, “We’re not going to follow it until you let us know what is written there. Show us what is there first!”

Allāh ﷻ says, And (O Children of Isrā’īl, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): “Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqūn (the pious ).”(Al-Baqarah – 2:56)

Allāh ﷻ lifted up a mountain in the air, and this mountain flew over Banī Isrā’īl and it stopped right there, like a cloud over their heads. And then Allāh ﷻ told Banī Isrā’īl, “You either follow the word of Allāh ﷻ, otherwise, this mountain will crush you.” Allāh ﷻ says,

And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): “Hold firmly to what We have given you [i.e. the Taurāt (Torah)], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allāh and obey Him.”(Al-A’rāf – 7:171)

Allāh ﷻ told them, “You either follow the word of Allāh, otherwise you will be crushed under this mountain.” And the Mufassirīn say that Banī Isrā’īl, as soon as they saw the mountain above their heads they said, “We are going to follow. Fine, we agree.” And they made Sujūd. Ibn ‘Abbās says, “They didn’t make Sujūd on their forehead and their nose. They made Sujūd on their cheeks so that they can look with one eye, up to the mountain.”

So Allāh ﷻ is giving Banī Isrā’īl many chances. An incident happened where one old man from Banī Isrā’īl was killed. This man was wealthy. They couldn’t find out who killed him; they didn’t know, they tried, they searched. Nobody admitted to the crime, and they looked around, they didn’t know who killed him. So, they went to Mūsā, and they said, “Oh Mūsā, we want you to solve this crime. Somebody is killed. We don’t know who killed him. Solve it for us.”

27 The Miracle of the Cow

So Mūsā asked Allāh ﷻ for a solution to this problem, and he went to Banī Isrā’īl and said,

And (remember) when Mūsā said to his people: “Verily, Allāh commands you that you slaughter a cow.” They said, “Do you make fun of us?”(Al-Baqarah – 2:67)

Mūsā went to his people and said, “Allāh ﷻ is commanding you to sacrifice a cow.” They said, “What?! Are you making fun of us? Are you joking with us? We’re asking you to solve a crime of somebody who was killed and you’re telling us to kill a cow? What are you talking about?”

What did Mūsā say? “Inna Allāha Ya’murukum – Allāh is commanding you.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:67) And Banī Isrā’īl said that “Qālū ‘Atattakhidhunā Huzūan – Are you making fun of us? Are you joking?” Look at the rudeness of Banī Isrā’īl. What do you mean? Mūsā is joking with the name of Allāh ﷻ? Mūsā will tell you, “Go and sacrifice a cow. Allāh ﷻ is telling you to sacrifice a cow,” and you go and tell him, “You’re joking. Are you making fun of us?” This is not appropriate for a righteous man to do, let alone a Nabī of Allāh ﷻ – a prophet, to use the name of Allāh ﷻ in jokes. But this shows you the manners and the Ādāb of Banī Isrā’īl. Mūsā عليه السالم  said,

He said, “I take Allāh’s Refuge from being among Al-Jāhilūn (the ignorant or the foolish).”(Al-Baqarah – 2:67) ‘I’m not making fun of you. This is serious.’

Allāh ﷻ told them, “Sacrifice a cow.” Now, if you would follow that order, what does it mean? You go and take any cow. But Banī Isrā’īl asked too many questions. So, they went to Mūsā and said,

They said, “Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!”(Al-Baqarah – 2:68) So, they asked a question and they’re going to get an answer.

He said, “He (Allāh ﷻ) says, ‘Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but (it is) between the two conditions’, so do what you are commanded.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:68)

So now, their pool of choice is narrower. It has to be a middle-aged cow; it can’t be old; it can’t be young. So, they went, and they looked at the cows. And then they came back to Mūsā and said,

They said, “Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its colour.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:69)

Oh Mūsā, can you ask Allāh ﷻ to tell us what colour it is? Mūsā said,

He (Mūsā) said, “He (Allāh ﷻ) says, ‘It is a yellow cow, bright in its colour, pleasing to the beholders.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:69)

Now it has to be yellow and yellow is rare, and it has to be pleasing; when you see it, you’re pleased. So now they’re even forced to go into a smaller choice. Now the choice is becoming narrower and narrower, the pool of choosing is smaller. They went and looked around at the cows, and then they came back.

They said, “Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily to us all cows are alike, And surely, if Allāh wills, we will be guided.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:70) We went and we saw all the cows, they look the same. ‘Inna Al-Baqara Tashābaha `Alaynā – all these cows, they look the same to us. If they look the same, go and take one of them and sacrifice it. Why do you have to ask all of these questions? They felt that they are asking too many questions; they knew that. So, they said, “Wa ‘Innā ‘In Shā’a Allāhu Lamuhtadūna – and Inshā’Allāh, we’ll find the right one.”

He (Mūsā) said, “He says, ‘It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no other colour except bright yellow.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:71) So, this cow, now, does not till the soil, nor water the fields, it is sound, it has no problems with it. So, these are additional descriptions which are narrowing their choice. They went around and they found only one cow that fulfils these conditions. Only one. In all of Banī Isrā’īl, only one cow, and it is said that this cow was owned by an orphan. Somehow the orphan knew that Banī Isrā’īl want this cow badly, so he made business out of it. He knew that there’s no cow that has these qualities, except this one. Not only tripled the price, but he is also now tripling the price, he said, “If you want this calf, you have to pay me its weight in gold.” He knows how to make money out of a cow. And Banī Isrā’īl were forced to pay its weight in gold, because that was the only cow that fulfils the conditions. Allāh ﷻ says,

They said, “Now you have brought the truth.”(Al-Baqarah – 2:71)

They told Mūsā, “Now you have brought us with the truth,” as if he was joking or lying to them before. It shows you how rude they were with their Nabi.

So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it. (Al-Baqarah – 2:71)

They barely did it. Why did Allāh ﷻ tell them to slaughter a cow? Allāh ﷻ wants to perform an Āyah – miracle in front of their eyes.

And (remember) when you killed a man and fell into dispute among yourselves as to the crime. But Allāh brought forth that which you were hiding.(Al-Baqarah – 2:72)

So We said: “Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow).” Thus Allāh brings the dead to life and shows you His Āyāt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.(Al-Baqarah – 2:73) Take a piece of that cow, which is dead, and strike the dead man with it, you’re going to have life. So, the dead man who was killed, when they touched him with the dead flesh of the cow, the man stood up alive. And he started to speak, and he said, “My nephew is the one who killed me.” Because he killed him for the inheritance. “My nephew is the one who killed me,” and then he died again. It was a miracle of Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ says, “Thus Allāh ﷻ brings the dead to life and shows you His Āyāt – His signs, so that you may understand.” But Allāh ﷻ says,

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness.(Al-Baqarah – 2:74)

Subhān’Allāh, a heart can be harder than rocks! And Allāh ﷻ says, “There are some rocks…

And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allāh. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.(Al-Baqarah – 2:74)

And your hearts are even worse than stones. There are stones that can produce water, there are stones where rivers can come out, there are stones that would fall down from the Khash’yā of Allāh ﷻ, and your hearts are stone; they are producing nothing, they have no Khash’yā – and no fear of Allāh ﷻ.

28 Do not Ask Irrelevant Questions Regarding the Dīn (Islām)

We we’ll make a few comments on this lesson of Al-Baqarah: It is not appropriate to come to the Ambiyā of Allāh ﷻ and ask them questions and ask them too many questions that don’t have a good purpose behind them, or that are not beneficial.

Rasūlullāh ﷺ told the people, in Sahīh Muslim, this Hadīth is narrated by Muslim. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Oh people, Allāh ﷻ has made it mandatory on you to make Hajj, so make Hajj.” One of the present men, and it’s a clear order from Rasūlullāh ﷺ: “Make Hajj.” Very clear, it doesn’t need any explanation. One man stood up and asked, “Every year? Should we make Hajj every year?” Rasūlullāh ﷺ did not answer. The man stood again and said, “Should we make it every year?” Rasūlullāh ﷺ did not answer. He stood up a third time and said, “Shall we make Hajj…?” He’s insisting. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “If I said yes, it would have become mandatory on you and you would not be able to do it.” ‘Why are you asking the question? If I said yes, then it would become mandatory on you to make Hajj every year and you will not be able to do it. Why are you bringing difficulty on yourselves?’ And then Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Leave me alone with what I have left you with. What has destroyed the people before you, are because of their going back and forth to their Ambiyā and asking them questions. If I tell you to do something, do the best you can, and if I prevent you from doing something, don’t do it. Don’t ask too many questions. If I tell you to do something do as much as you can.”(Sahīh Muslim 1337, Sunan an-Nasā’i 2619)

Because the orders of Islam are many, and many of them are recommended; we can’t do them all. So Rasūlullāh ﷺ knew that, and he said, “Do as much as you can.” But in the things that are Harām, you don’t do them. Period. ‘If I tell you not to do something, then don’t do it.’

Don’t ask too many questions, and this is to the Ambiyā. Now this needs to be understood in the right way. It does not mean that you worship Allāh ﷻ on ignorance. If you don’t know something, then you need to ask because we have a situation which is mentioned in Hadīth Abū Dāwūd:

Jābir says, “We were travelling and there was a man with us who got injured with a stone; a stone came in his head, a rock came and knocked him in his head, and it injured him, and then he had a wet dream at night. So, when he woke up, he was in [a state of] Janābah. When he woke up in the morning he said, “Do you find any excuse for me to make Tayammum? Is it allowed for me to make Tayammum?” [They said:] “We don’t find any excuse for you. You have to make Ghusl.” They gave him a Fatwā, telling him you are able to touch water. He took a shower and he died, [because] they told him, “We don’t find an excuse for you. You have to bathe. You’re not able to make Tayammum.” So, the news was carried to Rasūlullāh ﷺ. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “They killed him, may Allāh ﷻ kill them. They killed him. Why didn’t they ask if they do not know? Because the cure of ignorance is asking. How come they didn’t ask? They did not know. Why did they give him a Fatwa, and they don’t know? They should ask. The cure of ignorance is asking. It is enough for him to make Tayammum and tie a cloth on his head, and then wash the rest of his body.”(Sunan Abu Dāwūd 336) But the water, when it hit the injury, it killed him. So Rasūlullāh ﷺ is saying here, that you need to ask.

29 Abstaining from Answering Questions is Part of Knowledge

And also, we learned something important from this Hadīth: don’t give Fatawā if you don’t know! Wallāhi, I have brothers coming and telling me about things that they are told. Unbelievable. People are giving Fatawā right and left. May Allāh ﷻ forgive us all, we all make mistakes. All of us, we make mistakes, but sometimes there are some of us, and whenever a question is presented, they have an answer. They have an answer for everything. They are know-it-all. Everything, they can answer. You could answer a question and you could cause the death of somebody like this. The Sharī’ah is not a game that you play with. When you don’t know something, say, “Allāhu A’lam – [Allāh knows best]. Somebody travelled from Al- Maghrib or from Andalus, from the extreme west to Imām Mālik in Madinah. He had 40 questions. He asked Imām Mālik these 40 questions, and Imām Mālik answered 34 of them with, “Lā A’lam – I don’t know.” He had 40 questions and out of the 40, to 34 he said, “I do not know. Allāh ﷻ knows best.” The man said, “I came all the way from Morocco to hear that you don’t know?” Imām Mālik said, “I don’t know.” This man travelled all the way.

And now, sometimes, we volunteer. We jump into a conversation, and we volunteer an answer. Some of the ‘Ulamā said, ‘I don’t know is half of knowledge.’ A sign of knowledge is when you say, ‘I don’t know.’ That shows that this person has some knowledge.

They came to ‘Umar bin Khattāb once, and we learn two things from this Hadīth of this incident of ‘Umar bin Khattāb. Somebody asked ‘Umar bin Khattāb a question when ‘Umar was a Khalīfa. ‘Umar bin Khattāb said, “Did this thing happen?” The man said, “No.” Umar said, “Okay, go back home. When it happens, then come back and ask me, and I will gather the people of Badr to give you an answer.”

We learn from this Hadīth of ‘Umar bin Khattāb, that we should not try to know about things that we don’t need to know about. If the incident did not happen, then why hypothesize? I mean, there are some outrageous things. Like this question that was presented to the Fuqahā: this is in the old time. This question was presented to the Fuqahā. They said, “What if somebody is carrying wind in a bag?” You know wind? It comes out from the body. They said, “Somebody gathered that wind in a bag, and then he put it on his back and then he flew in the air.” They did not have airplanes in the time. “And then he flew in the air. Can he pray with that wind on his back?” Look at this. This is somebody who has nothing to do and is laying down on his bed thinking about these hypothetical situations.

So ‘Umar bin Khattāb said, “I’m not going to answer the question. If it did not happen, I’m not going to answer it. Go back home. When it happens, then come back.” And what did ‘Umar say? He said, “I’m going to bring the people of Badr who are still alive and make a council, and then we’re going to give you a Fatwā.” ‘Umar bin Khattāb cannot give a Fatwā alone? He has to bring the people of Badr to give a Fatwā? Allāhu Akbar!

Now, in the time of the Ambiyā they were not supposed to ask some questions because Wahī was still coming down. Now, you need to ask questions if you don’t know. If you don’t know something, ask question, but ask questions about Al-‘Ilm Alladhī Yanfa’ – ask questions about knowledge that will benefit you. Don’t ask about ‘Ilm Lā Yanfa’ – don’t ask about knowledge that will not benefit you. And Rasūlullāh ﷺ used to say in the Hadīth, “Allāhumma Innī As’aluka ‘Ilman Nāfi’an Wa A’ūdhubika Min Al-‘Ilm Lā Yanfa’ – Oh Allāh, I ask You to give me knowledge that will benefit me, and I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit.”(Sunan Ibn Mājah 3843, – Sahih Muslim 2722)

30 Qur’ān is a Book of Guidance

Subhān’Allāh, if you look at the method of Qur’ān, the methodology of Qur’ān, you find that Qur’ān does not mention dates, did not mention places. I mean, there is no historical record in Qur’ān; you don’t find any dates mentioned whatsoever. Why? Because the dates of when things happen, don’t have anything to do with the Hidāyah [guidance]. This book, Qur’ān, is a book of guidance, so Allāh ﷻ put the Huda in it.

But when you compare it to the Bible, you find that everything in the Bible has dates, and numbers, and places, and it has the family, the name of the family members of every person that is mentioned in there, and who they got married to and their life story. If you’re looking in Qur’ān, you find that Qur’ān has not even mentioned the stories of the birth of the Ambiyā of Allāh ﷻ. It did not give the dates of their birth, it did not even mention the stories of the births of the Ambiyā, with the exception of ‘Īsā. Why? Because of the importance of the birth of ‘Īsā in guidance. Why? Because he, ‘Īsā was worshipped besides Allāh ﷻ. Why? Because of his miraculous birth, they said that he is the son of God. That’s why Allāh ﷻ talked about the birth of ‘Īsā in Qur’ān, but Allāh ﷻ did not talk about the birth of Muhammad ﷺ, he did not talk about the births of Sālih, or Hūd, or ‘Ibrāhīm عليه السالم  or Nūh, Allāh ﷻ did not talk about their births. And Allāh ﷻ just mentioned, the Bishārah – the glad tidings of the birth of Ismā’īl and Ishāq because of the miracle in it; because it was to an old man, ‘Ibrāhīm, and an old woman, Sārah. And Allāh ﷻ also talked about the birth of Sayyidnā Yāhyā, because of the miracle in it too; Zakariyyā was old in age and his wife was old in age. And Allāh ﷻ talked about the creation of Ādam, which is his birth, but Allāh ﷻ did not talk about the birth of anyone else. Allāh ﷻ talked about the birth of Mūsā because of the miracle – the Āyah in his birth, at least the early parts of his life, there is a miracle in it.

So, we need to concentrate on the knowledge that will benefit, and we should look at the fruits of knowledge.

They came to Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and they said, I think they were talking about Bishr Al-Hāfi or one of the ‘Ulamā. They came to Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal and said, “He is not a scholar.” Why? Because he doesn’t know a lot of Fiqh, and he doesn’t know a lot of Hadīth. Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “He already has the fruit of knowledge. And that is Khashya’tillāh – the fear of Allāh ﷻ. You’re saying he doesn’t have knowledge? He already has the fruit of knowledge. And what is the fruit of knowledge? It is the fear of Allāh ﷻ.” Innamā Yaksh Allāha Min ‘Ibādihi Al-‘Ulamā – the ones who fear Allāh ﷻ are the scholars. [Fāţir – 35:28]

Now this man fears Allāh ﷻ so he has the fruit of knowledge. So, we should seek the fruit of knowledge, and we should study the knowledge that benefits, the knowledge of Huda – guidance, and get away from the details, and the minor issues, and the disputable issues that add nothing or subtract. I mean, Subhān’Allāh, sometimes we have big disputes about things that are not going to put you in Jannah or put you in Hellfire if you do them or you don’t; some very, very minor issues, when Allāh ﷻ has told us that our unity is a priority.

31 The Shyness of the Mu’min – the Believer Mūsā عليه السالم

Mūsā عليه السالم  was very shy and that is how the Mu’min – the Believer should be. He was always covering up his body. Banī Isrā’īl said, “Mūsā is not showing us his body because he is suffering from some kind of disease.” And they accused him of leprosy, and they accused him of having syphilis, the expansion of the testicles. They said, “That’s why he’s always covering himself up.” Banī Isrā’īl used to bath together, and they would go out in a river or in a pool and they would all take their clothes off, and they would just go in and bath in front of each other. Mūsā عليه السالم  would go alone and would bath alone and would not let anyone see him.(Sahīh al-Bukhārī 278, 3404, – Sahīh Muslim 339)

So, Allāh ﷻ wanted Banī Isrā’īl to see, that this [accusation against Mūsā] is not true. So, Mūsā went to bathe, and he put his clothes on a rock, on a stone and then when he looked back, he didn’t find the stone; the stone was running away with his clothes. So, Mūsā is running after the stone, and this is in Bukhari, we’ll read the Hadith. So, Mūsā عليه السالم  is running after the stone and is saying, “Thawbī yā Hajr! Thawbī yā Hajr! – Bring me my clothes back, stone! Bring me my clothes back!” And he’s running after the stone and the stone took him around Banī Isrā’īl, so they could take a look at Mūsā عليه السالم , without any clothes. ‘Fara-awhu ahsanu ma khalaq Allāh – They saw the best creation of Allāh. ‘And then, when the issue was done, the stone stopped by the order of Allāh ﷻ. So, Mūsā had his stick, which he would carry with him always, and he started beating the rock, beating the stone. Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “And he left on it marks that could be seen.” He hit it so hard, that it left behind marks. Allāh ﷻ says,

O you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Mūsā (Moses), but Allāh cleared him of that which they alleged, and he was honourable before Allāh.(Al-‘Ahzāb – 33:69)

32 Mūsā عليه السالم  Having Difficulties with Banī Isrā’īl

Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  was with the children of Isrā’īl in the wilderness. They got lost in the desert, and Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  had to spend his life and his efforts, dealing with his people and Mūsā wanted good for them, nevertheless, they were causing him difficulties and they were being stubborn and difficult to deal with. So, Mūsā told his people,

“O my people! Why do you hurt me while you know certainly that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?”(As-Saff – 61:5) ‘Why do you harm me?’ But Mūsā had to endure all of this difficulty with his people. And then, his brother Hārūn عليه السالم , the Prophet of Allāh ﷻ, the right hand of Mūsā عليه السالم , his advisor – Wazīr, his supporter, his helper throughout this period, his brother Hārūn عليه السالم  passed away. Now, Mūsā عليه السالم  is alone to deal with his nation, with this huge nation of Banī Isrā’īl. Mūsā عليه السالم  was alone, he lost his close associate and brother and advisor Hārūn عليه السالم .

33 The Angel of Death Visits Mūsā عليه السالم

And then Mūsā عليه السالم  received the visit from the Angel of Death, in the form of a man and this Hadīth is in Sahīh al-Bukhārī [1339]. The Angel of Death presented himself to Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  in the form of a human being, a man. And he came and he told Mūsā عليه السالم , “Are you ready to die?” Because we know that the Angel of Death takes our lives without announcement, but he does not take the life of a Nabi until they take permission and they let them know. So, the Angel of Death told Mūsā “Are you ready to die?” Mūsā عليه السالم  slapped the Angel of Death in his face and he knocked his eye out. He slapped him in his face, and he knocked his eye out. So, the Angel of Death went to Allāh ﷻ and said, “Yā Rabb, Arsaltanī ilā ‘abd lā Yurīdu al-Mowt – Oh Allāh ﷻ, you have sent me to a man who doesn’t want to die.” And then the Angel of Death says in another Hadith, this is not in Bukhārī, I think this Hadith was narrated by Imam Ahmad. He says, “Walowlā Karamathu ‘alayk Lashaqaqtu ‘alayhi – And if it is not because I know that Mūsā is loved to you, I would have made his death difficult.” Allāh ﷻ told the Angel of Death, “Go back to Mūsā and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox. And tell him that every hair that is under his hand, I will give him one year in his life – for every hair under his hand.” The Angel of Death went to Mūsā and said, “O Mūsā, Allāh ﷻ is telling you, ‘Put your hand on the back of an ox, and Allāh ﷻ will give you for every hair under your hand one year to live.” Mūsā by now, had a chance to think about it. So, he asked the Angel of Death, “And then what? Then what will happen?” Then the Angel of Death said, “Then you will die.” Mūsā عليه السالم  said, “Fal-ān Idhan – Then let me die now.” ‘If in the end I’m going to die, let me die now.’

34 The Wish of Mūsā عليه السالم  Before his Death

We don’t know exactly why Mūsā عليه السالم  rejected the Angel of Death in the beginning, but Ibn Kathīr says, “Maybe it was because Mūsā had a desire in his heart that wasn’t fulfilled yet and Mūsā wanted that desire, wanted that hope and aspiration to be fulfilled.” And that desire is a desire that Mūsā عليه السالم  has been living for and awaiting for a long time in his life and that is the promise of Allāh ﷻ to enter into the Holy Land Jerusalem. So Mūsā عليه السالم  wanted to have the honour of leading his people into the Holy Land and establishing the Islamic nation. He wanted to have the honour of leading his people into Jerusalem. But this was the will of Allāh ﷻ and when Mūsā realized that it wasn’t ordained for him, he said, “Then let me die.” But he said, “I have a request.” He told the Angel of Death, “I have one request and that is that you take me as close as you can to Jerusalem. Take me as close as you can, a distance of throwing a stone and let me die over there. If I’m not able to enter into Jerusalem alive, at least take me as close as possible to Jerusalem so that I can die next to it. I can die next to the walls of Jerusalem.”(Sahih Muslim 2372, – Sahīh al-Bukhārī 1339)

35 Banī Isrā’īl at the Gates of Jerusalem

So, Mūsā عليه السالم  was living with the hope that one day, he will enter into the Holy Land and the only reason why he didn’t is because of who? Banī Isrā’īl. They were on the gates of Jerusalem; they were on the gates! Mūsā عليه السالم  told them, ‘Let’s go and fight!’ They said,

“So go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23-24)

Then two men, ‘An`ama Allāhu `Alayhimā – two men who fear Allāh ﷻ, whom Allāh ﷻ has bestowed his blessing. They came to Banī Isrā’īl and they told them, “Just walk through the gates, and if you do so you will win.”(Al-Mā’idah – 5:23-24) And they refused. So, Allāh ﷻ did not give Banī Isrā’īl the honour of entering into Jerusalem, because they don’t deserve it, they are not ready yet and because of that, Mūsā was not able to enter into Jerusalem, neither was his brother Hārūn عليه السالم , and Mūsā عليه السالم  died in Al-Tīh; died in the wilderness. Rasūlullāh ﷺ has seen the grave of Mūsā عليه السالم  and Rasūlullāh ﷺ says in the Hadith of al-Isrā’, “Marartu biMūsā fa-idhā huwa qā-imun yusallī fī qabrihi – Rasūlullāh ﷺ says that in al-Isrā’, when Rasūlullāh ﷺ travelled to Jerusalem, he passed next to the grave of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  and he saw him praying in his grave to Allāh ﷻ. (Sunan an-Nasa’i 1598, – Sahīh Muslim 2375)

36 A Man More Knowledgeable than Mūsā عليه السالم

We will move on to a story, an interesting story, an amazing story that occurred with Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  and the reason why I delayed it until now is because we don’t know exactly where this story fits in terms of the chronological order of events. And this is the story of Mūsā and al-Khadr. It is a story of ‘Ajaa’ib – of astonishing events from the beginning till the end. And the way this event happened is that Mūsā عليه السالم  stood one day on the Minbar, on the pulpit, and was speaking to Banī Isrā’īl. So, one of the men of Banī Isrā’īl, the children of Isrā’īl stood up and said, “Oh Mūsā who is the most knowledgeable person?” So Mūsā عليه السالم  said, “I am”. Because he was the Prophet of Allāh ﷻ, he was the Nabi, he is the one who is receiving revelation from Allāh ﷻ. So according to his knowledge, he is the most knowledgeable person, because he is the Nabi, he is the Prophet, he is the one who has the direct link between him and Allāh ﷻ, receiving the Wahī [Revelation] from Allāh ﷻ.

So, he said, “I am”, and again this Hadith is in Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari 74, 78, 122, 3278, 3400, 4725, 7478, – Sahih Muslim 2380)

Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā, ‘how come you did not say Allāhu A’lam?’ How come you did not say that Allāh ﷻ knows best who the most knowledgeable person is? [Because] there is a man who has knowledge that you do not have.’ Mūsā عليه السالم  did not say that I am the most knowledgeable because he is proud, or because he’s arrogant, that’s not the reason. Mūsā is a Nabi of Allāh ﷻ, he would not do that, but he said that he’s the most knowledgeable person because that is according to his knowledge.

36.1 The Eagerness of Mūsā عليه السالم  to Increase in Knowledge

So, when it came to the knowledge of Mūsā عليه السالم , that he is not the most knowledgeable person, he was so humble that he requested from Allāh ﷻ to allow him to be a student of that man. He said, “O Allāh, how can I learn from him?” Allāh ﷻ told him, you can meet him in the place where you miss, or you lose your fish.

That is where you will meet this learned man, this wise man and the name of this man is Al-Khidr and Rasūlullāh ﷺ says in a Hadith, in an authentic Hadith, that the reason why he was called Al-Khidr, is because Al-Khidr in Arabic means green. The reason why he was named al-Khadr is because he was once sitting on dry grass and when he stood up, the grass under him was green. So that is why he was given the name Al-Khidr. A Karāmah, some Karāmāt were happening on the hands of Al-Khidr. Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā that you would meet Al-Khidr in this specific place. So, Mūsā عليه السالم  took with him his servant and who was the servant of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم ? [It was] Yūsha’ bin Nūn.

Yūsha’ bin Nūn, and we’re going to talk about Yūsha’ bin Nūn later. Yūsha’ bin Nūn was the servant of Mūsā, and because he was close to Mūsā and was learning from Mūsā عليه السالم , then Allāh ﷻ appointed him to be the Nabi of Banī Isrā’īl, when Mūsā عليه السالم  passed away. Because he was close to Mūsā, and he was learning from Mūsā عليه السالم . That’s how we learn, by being close to the learned ones. So, this servant of Mūsā learnt the wisdom and the knowledge from Mūsā عليه السالم , and then Allāh ﷻ appointed him to be the Nabi after Mūsā عليه السالم  and Hārūn عليه السالم  passed away. So, Mūsā went with his servant, and it is mentioned in Al- Qur’ān: “Wa ‘Idh Qāla Lifatāhu”.(Al-Kahf – 18:60) He and his servant they started embarking on this amazing and wonderful trip. Allāh ﷻ says,

And (remember) when Mūsā (Moses) said to his boy-servant: “I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling.”(Al-Kahf – 18:60)

So, the place you will meet him is the junction between the two seas. Some of the scholars say that these two seas are the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. So, you’ll meet him in the juncture between these two seas, Wallāhu A’lam. Mūsā عليه السالم  was so determined to go and learn. He said, “I would reach to the junction of the seas, even if it would take me years in traveling.” Allāhu Akbar, Mūsā has so much knowledge already, he’s already receiving the Wāhi from Allāh ﷻ, but because he knew that there’s a man who has some other knowledge, that he does not have, he is willing to make all of this traveling to go and learn.

This is how Tālib Al-‘Ilm should be! The student of knowledge needs to sacrifice, you need to sacrifice to learn! Mūsā عليه السالم , even though he was knowledgeable, he did not say, “what I have is enough.” He travelled all the way and he said, “I would even travel years if I need to do so, to go and learn.” So, we need to sacrifice if we want to learn. We need to sacrifice time, and effort, and money to learn.

36.2 Mūsā عليه السالم  and his Servant on Their Journey

The servant of Mūsā was carrying this fish, it was a dead fish. They camped in a certain area, and they went to sleep. But something amazing happened and this is the starting of the amazing things in this trip. This fish woke up and marched all the way to the sea and started swimming in the sea, in front of the eyes of Yūsha’ bin Nūn. Yūsha’ bin Nūn saw this dead fish wake up and then march all the way to the sea, and then start swimming in the sea, and it’s making a tunnel behind it – Sarabā. He forgot to tell Mūsā about it and they went to bed. And then they travelled. They travelled the next day. Allāh ﷻ says,

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel.(Al-Kahf – 18: 61-64)

Mūsā now, was tired and hungry. And Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “Mūsā did not become tired and hungry until that moment.”(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3149) All throughout this trip, until that moment Mūsā never felt exhausted. So, they reached to the junction of the two seas, they slept there and then they travelled the next day. And then Mūsā said,

So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Musa (Moses) said to his boy-servant: “Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey.”(Al-Kahf – 18: 61-64)

Only then did Mūsā feel fatigue, and he told his servant, “Bring us the fish.” Yūsha’ bin Nūn remembered what happened to the fish. He said,

He said: “Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock?” That’s where they slept – next to the rock. “I indeed forgot the fish, none but Shaitan (Satan) made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange (way)!”(Al-Kahf – 18: 61-64) Mūsā said, “That is what we were looking for!” Because Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā you will find al-Khidr in the place where you lose the fish. So, Mūsā said, “That’s what I was waiting for!”

Mūsā said, “That is what we have been seeking.” So they went back retracing their footsteps.”(Al-Kahf – 18: 61-64)

Now Mūsā and Yūsha’ bin Nūn have to travel back the same way, because Allāh ﷻ told Mūsā, “You would find him in the place where you lose the fish.” Already they have travelled a long distance, now they have to retract back. So Mūsā and Yūsha’ bin Nūn are retracing their steps back.

36.3 Mūsā عليه السالم  Meets Al-Khidr

On their way back, they pass by a man who was covered under his blanket. So Mūsā عليه السالم  saw that man and he told him, “As-Salāmu ‘alaykum.” So, the man stood up and said, “Annā bi-Ardika as-Salām – People over here do not know about Salām. Who are you?” Mūsā said, “I am Mūsā”. So, the man said, “Mūsā Banī Isrā’īl? – Are you the Mūsā of the Children of Isrā’īl?” Mūsā said, “Yes.” Al-Khidr already knew him and heard about him. So, when he said, “I am Mūsā”. He said, “Are you the Mūsā of Banī Isrā’īl?”. He wants to make sure. He said, “Yes, I am Mūsā of Banī Isrā’īl.” He said, “I am Al- Khidr”. Mūsā عليه السالم  told Al-Khidr, “I want to learn from you.” Humble – a Nabi of Allāh ﷻ, he is telling this man, who might not be a Nabi, because there’s a difference of opinion whether al-Khidr was a Nabi or not. Some scholars say he is, some say he is not, and it is an undetermined issue, because there is no evidence that he was a Nabi of Allāh ﷻ. He could have been of the Ambiyā, or he could have been a Walī of Allāh ﷻ. So, we don’t know.

36.4 The Agreement Between Mūsā عليه السالم  and Al-Khidr

Regardless, it shows that Mūsā عليه السالم  wanted to learn from him and he came in a very humble manner, and he said, “I want to study under you.” Al-Khidr said, “I have knowledge that Allāh ﷻ has taught me that you do not have, and you have knowledge, which Allāh ﷻ has taught you that I did not have.” So, Al-Khidr knew that he has some knowledge, that is unknown to Mūsā, and Mūsā has some knowledge that is unknown to him. Mūsā said,

Mūsā (Moses) said to him, “May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allāh)?”(Al-Kahf – 18:66-70) ‘Attabi`uka – I want to follow you. Allāh ﷻ says,

He (Khidr) said: “Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?”(Al-Kahf – 18:66-70)

 ‘You are going to see things that are amazing and astonishing, and you are not going to have patience.’ Mūsā عليه السالم  said,

Mūsā (Moses) said: “If Allah will, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.”(Al-Kahf – 18:66-70) ‘Let me follow you!’ Al-Khidr did not want to reject this student of knowledge, but he set a condition. Allāh ﷻ says,

He (Khidr) said: “Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you.”(Al-Kahf – 18:66-70) This is the condition: you follow me, but you do not question my actions. You accept what you see, don’t argue. Mūsā عليه السالم  said, ‘I agree.’ So, this was their agreement.

36.5 The Story of the Ship

They began this trip. Al-Khidr is taking Mūsā to Wonderland. It started with Al-Khidr and Mūsā crossing the sea. Al-Khidr wanted to travel to the other side of the sea. So, he was looking for transportation, for a ship. So, he found a ship and he asked them to deliver them to the other side. It turned out that the sailors, the owners of the ship knew Al-Khidr and they offered him a free ride: “We’re going to carry you for free.” They didn’t do it because they know Mūsā, but they did it because they know Al-Khidr. So, this was a favour done to who? To Al-Khidr, specifically, they knew Al-Khidr. Rasūlullāh ﷺ mentions that in the Hadith, “Fahamalūhumā bi-ghayri Nawl – They carried them without any compensation.”(Jami` at-Tirmidhi – Book 47, Hadith 3442)

Why? Because they knew Al-Khidr. The first thing that happened when they were on the ship: Mūsā and Al-Khidr were sitting together on the deck and a bird landed on the deck, and then that bird dipped its beak in the ocean, in the sea to drink. Al-Khidr told Mūsā, “Did you see that bird?” And Mūsā said, “Yes.” Al-Khidr said, “My knowledge, plus your knowledge, compared to the knowledge of Allāh ﷻ, is like what that bird has taken from the sea.” That one drop that the bird has taken from the sea, is like my knowledge plus your knowledge. You said that you’re the most knowledgeable person on the face of the earth. Allāh ﷻ told you that there’s somebody who has more knowledge than you. We, together, me and you together, combined the knowledge of the two most knowledgeable people on earth, compared to the knowledge of Allāh ﷻ – it’s less than what that bird has taken from the sea. That is the knowledge of Allāh ﷻ. The ocean of the knowledge of Allāh ﷻ. That’s the first lesson Al-Khidr is giving to Mūsā عليه السالم ; our knowledge is nothing compared to the knowledge of Allāh ﷻ.

And then Al-Khidr, when the sailors were busy with work, Al-Khidr took an axe, and he broke a slab on the ship, and he plucked out a panel. He destroyed part of the ship. He took his axe, he started destroying it when the sailors were busy, they didn’t know what was happening. And then he pulled out a panel from the ship. Mūsā when he saw this, he couldn’t believe his eyes, because these men are doing you a favour. They’re doing it for you, not for me, they’re doing you a favour by giving you a ride for free and you destroy their ship? Mūsā عليه السالم  said,

So they both proceeded, till, when they embarked the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Musa said: “Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have committed a thing “Imra” (a Munkar – evil, bad thing).” (Al-Kahf – 18:71-73) How could you do this? How could you do this for the people who are doing you a favour? Is this how you pay them back? They give you a ride for free, and you destroy their ship? Do you want them to drown in the sea? Al-Khidr said, “Didn’t I tell you; you’re not going to have patience? The agreement was that you don’t question my actions.” Al-Khidr said,

“Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?”(Al-Kahf – 18:71-73) Mūsā عليه السالم  did not intentionally break his promise, Mūsā forgot. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Wakānat al-ūlā min Mūsā nisyāna – the first time Mūsā forgot.” Mūsā forgot, forgot his promise. So, he told Al-Khidr,

Mūsā said: “Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair (with you).”(Al-Kahf – 18:71-73)

Mūsā عليه السالم  said, ‘Forgive me for this mistake, and don’t be hard.’ Meaning, even though our agreement is if I question you, our agreement is breached. But he said, “Give me another chance, don’t be strict.” Al-Khidr said, “I’ll give you another chance”, even though the agreement is over with. Al-Khidr could have told Mūsā, you have to leave, but al-Khidr said, “I will give you another chance.”

36.6 The Story of the Little Boy who was Destined to be an Oppressor

They reached to the shore on the other side, and they passed by children who were playing. What seemed to be innocent children playing. Al-Khidr walked up to one of these children, he picked him up, he grabbed his head, and he tore it off. He tore off the head of the child, he killed him.

Mūsā عليه السالم  remembers exactly his promise. Now he remembers it, but we know the nature of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم , he can never approve evil. If he sees something that is wrong, he speaks out against it. So, Mūsā, even though he knows that he has given a promise not to question when he saw this crime in front of his eyes. Allāh ﷻ says,

Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Mūsā (Moses) said: “Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing “Nukra” (a great Munkar – prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!”(Al-Kahf – 18:74-76) How could you do this? This child is innocent, he didn’t do anything! How come you killed him? Al-Khidr said,

“Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?”(Al-Kahf – 18:74-76)

So, the anger of Mūsā subsided and he told Al-Khidr, “This is my last chance.” Allāh ﷻ says,

[Mūsā (Moses)] said: “If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.”(Al-Kahf – 18:74-76)

That’s it, you have done your part and you have forgiven me enough. One more time, give me one more chance. The third chance; ‘If I break the promise for a third time, then you can go your own way.’ Al-Khidr agreed.

36.7 The Story of the Orphans and Their Treasure

Allāh ﷻ says, Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them.(Al-Kahf – 18:77)

Mūsā عليه السالم  and Al-Khidr walked into a town, and they asked the people of that town to feed them. It was in their law, in their religion and in our religion too, that the guest has a right upon you. You are not doing the guests a favour by providing for the guests for three days and it is an obligation on you to help the guest and take care of that guest for three days. After three days, you can hold back if you want, or you can continue, but it’s up to you. But for the first three days, it’s an obligation on the Muslim community to take care of the guest.

So Mūsā عليه السالم  and Al-Khidr, they walked into that town, they asked them to feed them, [and] they provided them with nothing. They were very stingy people and refused to help; they did not extend any helping hand to them. While Al-Khidr and Mūsā were walking down a street in that town. Allāh ﷻ says,

Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. [Mūsā] said: “If you had wished, surely, you could have taken wages for it!”(Al-Kahf – 18:77)

Al-Khidr saw a wall that was about to fall down. A cracked wall, very weak, it was about to tumble and fall down. Al-Khidr started erecting the wall again. Al-Khidr stopped, and he was rebuilding that wall, without taking permission from anyone, without being requested to do so by anyone – and he’s doing it for free, he is building that wall for free. Mūsā عليه السالم  saw a contradiction in this. The people of the ship, the sailors of the ship who were doing you a favour for free, you destroyed their ship. [Also] the child who’s innocent, you kill him. And these people who refuse to help us, you’re doing them a favour, for free. The people who will help you, you do what seems to be harming them and the people who are not doing you any good, you are helping them. So Mūsā عليه السالم  had a suggestion to offer and said, “Why don’t you charge them for building the wall?”(Al-Kahf – 18:77)

36.8 Al-Khidr Explains Mūsā عليه السالم  the Wisdom Behind his Actions

Al-Khidr said, “This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience.”(Al-Kahf – 18:78-79)

‘This is the end of our agreement. You have breached the agreement, you have to go your way and I go my way, it’s done.’ But Al-Khidr said, “Before you leave, I will tell you the interpretation of the things, you did not have patience on. I will interpret for you what was happening.”

 (Khidr) said: “As for the ship, it belonged to Masakin (poor people) working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them who seized every ship by force.”(Al-Kahf – 18:78-79)

He said, “I’ll tell you first about the ship. That ship belonged to some poor sailors. That was their source of living. They would use that ship for transportation, or for fishing, but that was their only source of income. And there was a king on the way, who was attacking the area and that king is going to take every ship that seems to be in a good condition. So, the king is going to come in that area and is going to take by force and confiscate every ship that seemed to be in a good condition.” So, Al-Khidr wanted to break this ship, so that it seems to be an old, destroyed ship, so the king would leave it alone. And therefore, these poor sailors would not have lost their ship and then they can fix it after the king leaves. “That is why I broke off a panel from it. So at least the sailors will have their ship, even though it’s not functioning, they will have it. But if I did not do this, the king would take the whole thing away and they would lose their source of income.” So Allāh ﷻ brought for these poor sailors, a blessing, through the hands of Al-Khidr.

And by the way, this Āyah has been used as a supporting evidence for the issue of Al-fiqh al-Masā-il al-Mafāsit, and the scholars derive the rule from this Āyah, that if you are confronted with two evils and you must choose between one of them, you choose the least [evil], or like they say, “necessarily evil”. If you have to choose between two evils, choose the least. There were two evils here:

One evil was the king takes away the ship.

The other evil is, I break a panel.

Which is the least evil? [The answer is] breaking a panel, breaking that slab. Al-Khidr had this Fiqh of choosing the least of the two evils.

36.9 The Little Boy Who Would Become an Oppressor

Next is the story of Al-Ghulām. Allāh ﷻ says,

(Khidr) said: “And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. “So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.”(Al-Kahf – 18:80, 81)

Khidr said, ‘That young boy, he was going to grow up to be a Kāfir, a disbeliever and a Tyrant.’ Yurhiqahumā Ţughyānāan Wa Kufrāan – Ţughyān is tyranny, and kufr is disbelief. So, this young boy will grow up, not only to be a Non-Believer in Allāh ﷻ, but he will grow up to be a tyrant, and will cause his parents hardship and difficulty. Allāh ﷻ wanted the best for this family. So, Allāh ﷻ wanted to take away the life of that young boy and to replace the family with another child that will be nice and kind to his parents and will be a believer in Allāh ﷻ. And this shows you, that you never know what lies on the other side. These parents – let’s think about their reaction when their child was killed, what do you think their reaction was? They would cry and they would mourn, and they would be upset and sorry, because they do not know what Allāh ﷻ is planning for them. Al-Khidr knew the plan, but they didn’t. They were losing a child, but they did not know, that that was the best for them, because if this child grew up, and was living, he would cause them hardship and difficulty and Allāh ﷻ wanted to take away this child, and to give them another child that will grow up and become kind to them. So Allāh ﷻ was hiding for this family good, in what appeared to be evil. You might love something, but it’s not good for you and you might dislike something, but it’s good for you. Allāh ﷻ says, “And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.(Al-Kahf – 18:80, 81)

36.10 The Wisdom of Building the Wall for the Two Orphans

Next is the story of the wall: Al-Khidr erected the wall. Al-Khidr said, “That wall belonged to two orphans in the town. Beneath the wall was a treasure.”(Al-Kahf – 18:82) Al-Khidr was instructed to build the wall, so, the orphans would grow up, and retrieve their treasure later, because if the wall falls down, [and if] Al-Khidr left the wall alone, what would happen? It would fall down, and the treasure will be exposed, and these orphans are young, and they would not be able to defend their treasure. I mean, we know that the people of that town are not going to leave that treasure alone, those people who refused to feed the Al-Khidr and Mūsā عليه السالم , who refused to even give them some food. They’re not going to leave this treasure with two kids, they are going to take it away from them. If these people were so miserable and stingy, that they didn’t even feed Mūsā and Al-Khidr, we wouldn’t expect them to be honest with the two orphans. They’re going to steal that money; they’re going to rip them off. Therefore, Allāh ﷻ wanted Al-Khidr to build the wall again, so that the orphans would grow up and when they are old and strong, they would be able to retrieve their treasure.

Allāh ﷻ says, “And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man.”(Al-Kahf – 18:82)

36.11 Protect Your Children with Your Good Deeds

Underline this: Why did Allāh ﷻ send Al-Khidr to rebuild the wall? Why? Because the father of the two orphans was what? Righteous. Allāh ﷻ protected the orphans, Allāh ﷻ protected the children because the father was righteous. If you want Allāh ﷻ to protect your children, then protect them with your good deeds. Protect them with Al-‘Amal as-Sālih. Sa’id ibn Musaiyyib, At-Tābi’ī Al-Kabīr – one of the major Tābi’īn. He told his son, “Yā Bunay, innī la-astakthiru min al-a’māl as-sālihā hattā yahfadhak Allāh – Oh my son, I am doing so many good deeds because I want Allāh ﷻ to protect you with them.” Our good deeds are protection for our children. If we want Allāh ﷻ to take care of our children, let’s take care of them by our good deeds and Allāh ﷻ will take care of them, even if you are not around.

This man was dead and Allāh ﷻ took care of those orphans, Allāh ﷻ sent Al-Khidr specifically. Specifically, sent Al-Khidr to go and fulfil that mission. Why? To serve that man who died because he was righteous. So Allāh ﷻ will take care of your affairs. Don’t worry! Allāh ﷻ will take care of you, whether you are dead or alive, if you take care of the orders of Allāh ﷻ. ‘Ihfadh illāh yah’fadhak – take care of the commandments of Allāh ﷻ,- what will happen? Allāh ﷻ will take care of you.

Allāh ﷻ says, “Their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which you could not hold patience.”(Al-Kahf – 18:82)

And Al-Khidr is saying here something very important, “Wa Mā Fa`altuhu `An ‘Amrī – And I did it not of my own accord”.(Al-Kahf – 18:82) These things that you saw me do, Allāh ﷻ is the One who is telling me to do them. This is knowledge from Allāh ﷻ. And that is how the believer should be: you never give credit to yourself; you give credit to whom the credit belongs to and that is Allāh ﷻ. This is the story of Mūsā عليه السالم  and al-Khidr. Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “Yarham Allāhu Mūsā. Lauw kāna Sabr, laqussa ‘alaynā min amrihimā – May Allāh ﷻ have mercy on Mūsā. If he was patient, then we would’ve been told more about this amazing story.” Rasūlullāh ﷺ wants to know more about the details of the life of this learned, wise man; Al-Khidr.

37 Some of the Favours of Allāh ﷻ on Mūsā عليه السالم

We finish the story of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم  and we’d like to end his story by mentioning a few of his Fazā’il Manāqib. These are not all of them, we’ll just mention a few. Mūsā عليه السالم  was the most frequently mentioned Nabi in Qur’an; he was mentioned more than any other Nabi. And Allāh ﷻ has praised Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم , and said, “Wa Kāna `Inda Allāhi Wajīhāan – and he was honourable before Allah. [Al-Ahzab 33: 69] He was distinguished, he was noble, he was honoured.” Allāh ﷻ is the One who gave him that title and Allāh ﷻ says,

And mention in the Book (this Quran) Mūsā (Moses). Verily! He was chosen and he was a Messenger (and) a Prophet.(Maryam – 19:51) He was chosen – Mukhlaşāan, Allāh ﷻ chose him from out of mankind. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Lā tufaddilūnī ‘alā Mūsā fa-inna al-nāsa yus’aquna yawm al-Qiyāmah fa- akūnu awwala man yufīq. Fa-ajidu Mūsā bātishan bi-qā-imati al-’arsh, falā adrī asu’iqa fa-afāqa qablī amjuzi-a bi-sa’aqati al-Tur (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim) – Do not prefer me over Mūsā.” And we talked about what Rasūlullāh ﷺ means by this. It is our belief, and we know that Muhammad ﷺ is the best of mankind, but we know what Rasūlullāh ﷺ means of this, it is his humbleness, ﷺ. “Don’t prefer me over Mūsā عليه السالم ”. Rasūlullāh ﷺ does not want us to go to the non-Believers and start saying, “We have Muhammad ﷺ, you have Mūsā. Muhammad ﷺ is better than Mūsā”.- No, Because Rasūlullāh ﷺ does not want us to fight with the non-Believers and end up taking a stance against the Ambiyā of Allāh ﷻ, because Mūsā عليه السالم  is a Muslim and ‘Īsā عليه السالم  is a Muslim. Therefore, Rasūlullāh ﷺ does not want us to get into that. He said, “Lā tufaddilūnī ‘alā Mūsā – Do not say that I’m better than Mūsā.” Because Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “On the Day of Judgement everybody will go through a Sa’aq” – that is the shock. “Everyone will go through that shock, and everyone will be unconscious and dead.” And then Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “And I will be the first one to rise up, but I will find out that Mūsā is already grabbing the throne of Allāh ﷻ. And I don’t know whether he was excluded from the shock, or whether he did not go through the shock because he has already went through it, when he asked to see Allāh ﷻ.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 3398, – Sunan Ibn Mājah 4274)

You remember when we talked about Mūsā asking to see Allāh ﷻ? “Fa- su’iqa Mūsā, fa-kharrasa ‘iqāb – he went through a shock, and he fell unconscious.” So, Muhammad ﷺ said, “Maybe Allāh ﷻ did not put him through the shock on the Day of Judgment because he has already been through a shock in Dunyā, that is enough.” Once is enough. So, Mūsā عليه السالم  will be excluded from that shock on the Day of Judgment.

And Rasūlullāh ﷺ once was distributing Al-Ghanā’im, the spoils of war, he was giving out. So, one man came to Rasūlullāh ﷺ and said, “Inna hādhihi al-qismah mā urīda bihā wajh Allāh – the way you’re dividing this wealth, you’re not doing it for the sake of Allāh ﷻ.” A man comes to Rasūlullāh ﷺ and tells him, “You are not doing it for the sake of Allāh ﷻ.” Imagine this, you’re speaking to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, whom Allāh ﷻ chose, and you accuse him of being unfair and unjust? Obviously Rasūlullāh ﷺ was upset and the Sahaba said, “We could see anger on his face.” But then Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Rahim Allāhu Mūsā laqad ūdhiya bi-akthara min hādhā fa-sabar – May Allāh ﷻ have mercy on Mūsā, he was harmed more than this and he was patient.”(Sahih al-Bukhari 3150, 3405, 4335, 6059, 6100, 6291) Mūsā عليه السالم  went through a lot.

Allāh ﷻ says about Mūsā, And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: “O my people! Why do you hurt me while you know certainly that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?”(As-Saff – 61:5) So he went through a lot of harm, nevertheless, he was patient and Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “May Allāh ﷻ have mercy on him, he went through more than this and he was patient.”

Another one of the Fadā’il of Mūsā is; Rasūlullāh ﷺ mentioned one Fadīlah for Mūsā in Al-Isrā’ and one in Al-Mi’rāj. When Rasūlullāh ﷺ went to Al-Isrā’ – Al-Isrā’ is a trip from Mecca to Jerusalem and Al-Mi’rāj is from Jerusalem to meet with Allāh ﷻ. When Rasūlullāh ﷺ was going in Al-Isrā’, from Mecca to Jerusalem, Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “I passed next to the grave of Mūsā and I saw him praying in his grave.”(Sunan an-Nasa’i 1631, 1633, 1634, 1635, 1636, 1637) And then when Rasūlullāh ﷺ went in Al- Mi’rāj, Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “I met with Mūsā in As-Samā as-Sādisah – in the sixth heaven.”(Sunan an-Nasa’i 450, 448, – Sahih Muslim 164a, – Sahih al-Bukhari 7517) Nobody was higher than Mūsā except Sayyidnā ‘Ibrāhīm عليه السالم  in the seventh heaven. Mūsā was the highest, in the sixth heaven. That is one of the Fadā’il of Sayyidnā Mūsā عليه السالم .

Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “The Umam (the nations of the world) were presented to me. I saw some Prophets; they had a small group. Some of the Prophets had a man or two following them on the Day of Judgment.” Imagine a Nabi comes with one and two men, or two men with him. That’s it, all of his life he was making Da’wah and the result was one or two men. That’s it, and then Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “And I saw some of the Ambiyā and no one was with them.” There were some Ambiyā, [who will] have no followers whatsoever. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Thumma ‘arada lī sawādun ‘adhīm – and then I saw a huge nation.” Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “I desired, I wish that this would be my Ummah.” “A-ummati hādhih? – Rasūlullāh ﷺ asked the two angels who were with him, Jibrīl عليه السالم  and Mīka’īl عليه السالم . This is a dream which Rasūlullāh ﷺ was seeing: Jibrīl came and took his right hand, Mīka’īl the left hand and they took him in this trip. So Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “Is this my Ummah?” Rasūlullāh wanted this to be his Ummah because this was huge. They said, “No, Hādhihi Ummat Mūsā – These are Banī Isrā’īl, these are the Ummah of Mūsā, Banī Isrā’īl. But look to the right side.” [Rasūlullāh ﷺ said], “Fa-idhā bi-sawādun ‘adhīm yamla-u al-ufuq – I looked to the right side and I saw a nation that is filling the horizon and then they told me, “Look to the other side.” So, I looked in the other side, and I saw a nation that is filling the horizon. They said, “This is your Ummah and Allāh ﷻ will include with them 70,000. 70,000 of your Ummah will enter into Jannah without going through Hisāb, without going through the regular accounting of everyone else.”(Sahīh al-Bukhari 5705, 5752, – Sahih Muslim 220, – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2446)

70,000 of this Ummah will enter into paradise, without going through the accountability stage, that everyone else has to go through. This is a Karāmah of Allāh ﷻ to this Ummah. But we also learn from the Hadīth, that the second largest nation is the nation of Banī Isrā’īl, the children of Isrā’īl.

Another Hadith narrated by Al-Imam Ahmad: Rasūlullāh ﷺ when he went to Hajj, he passed through a valley. He asked, “What is the name of this valley? The name of this valley is the Azraq valley. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, “As if I can see Mūsā coming down from this hill, making Hajj to Allāh ﷻ and making Talbīyah.”(Sunan Ibn Mājah 2891, – Sahīh Muslim 166) So, Mūsā made Hajj to the house of Allāh ﷻ. Yūnus bin Matta عليه السالم  made Hajj and in other Ahādīth, we have narrations of other Ambiyā making Hajj; like Hūd عليه السالم  and Sālih عليه السالم . So, the Ambiyā of Allāh ﷻ made Hajj to the House of Allāh ﷻ and Allāh ﷻ was making Muhammad ﷺ see them as if it was in front of his eyes. He saw Mūsā when he was coming down that hill and he saw Yūnus ibn Matta عليه السالم  coming down that hill, wearing wool clothes, over a red camel. These are some of the Fadā’il [virtues]of Mūsā عليه السالم .

38 Yūsha’ bin Nūn Becomes the Leader of the Children of Israel

When Mūsā passed away, the leadership was handed down to Yūsha’ bin Nūn. Yūsha’ bin Nūn, who was mentioned in Qur’ān as a servant – a Fatāh. ‘Idh Qāla Mūsá Lifatāhu’. Yūsha’ bin Nūn was a servant with Mūsā. Being a servant with Mūsā, he was close to the revelation, close to the teacher, and he was a righteous student of this teacher. So, when Mūsā عليه السالم  passed away, the leadership was handed down to Yūsha’ bin Nūn and Yūsha’ bin Nūn is a Nabī, but he is not mentioned in Qur’ān. He is mentioned in the Hadīth of Rasūlullāh ﷺ. The name of Yūsha’ bin Nūn is not in Qur’ān, but it is from Hadīth, and it is in the Sahīh Hadīth. Yūsha’ bin Nūn, in English – Joshua.

Yūsha’ bin Nūn, became the leader of the Children of Israel. The Children of Israel were delivered to the Holy Land, and they were victorious under his leadership. This did not happen with Mūsā عليه السالم  and it did not happen with Hārūn, rather it happened in the time of Yūsha’ bin Nūn. Mūsā and Hārūn passed away when Banī Isrā’īl were in the wilderness. Rasūlullāh ﷺ tells us a clue of the reason why this victory was delayed. The Children of Israel who came out from Egypt were raised up in servitude and slavery, so they were weak, and they were not fit for victory. Allāh ﷻ made them stay in the wilderness for 40 years, until all of that generation passed away. And a new generation who was raised up in freedom, under the leadership and the teaching of Mūsā and Hārūn, these are the ones who were given the victory to enter Jerusalem; the ones who were raised up by Mūsā and Hārūn in a free environment, because the environment in Egypt was not suitable to raise up a generation of victory. Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, ‘None of the ones, who worshipped the calf entered into Jerusalem.’ All of that old generation who worshipped the calf were dead. A new generation was raised up in the desert, in that harsh environment, under the teachings of Torāh, under the hands of Mūsā and Hārūn; these are the ones who were qualified for lead- ership. We learned something interesting from them. There’s no doubt, that Mūsā عليه السالم  is the greatest Nabī of Banī Isrā’īl. How come? Did the victory happen in the time of Yūsha’ bin Nūn? It tells us that it is not enough to have a leader. Mūsā is the best that Banī Isrā’īl have seen, and he is the founder of this nation. Nevertheless, victory did not happen on his hands even though he desired it so greatly. He wanted to enter into the Holy Land. And we know how much he desired that, that when the angel of death came to take his soul, he hit him. And then when he knew that this is his ap- pointed time, he said, ‘I will die now, but Oh Allāh make me die as close to Jerusalem as possible’ – Ramiyat Hajar – a throw of a stone. He said, ‘If I cannot enter into Jerusalem alive, at least bury me as close as possible to Jerusalem.’ But that did not happen in the time of Mūsā, because the generation which were with Mūsā did not deserve it.

39 “When You have Allāh ﷻ on Your Side, then don’t Worry”

So now, when we keep on thinking that, I mean, we’re waiting for Al-Mahdi, everyone is waiting for Al-Mahdi. It’s not an issue of Al-Mahdi, if you’re not ready Al-Mahdi cannot do you anything. The generation has to be ready and prepared for victory. It’s not an issue of a leader, the generation has to be ready and prepared. And that’s why Banī Isrā’īl were not able to enter into Jerusalem, until there was a suitable generation for victory, and these are the ones who entered with Yūsha’ bin Nūn. And we will see the miracle which Allāh ﷻ performed for them. When you have Allāh ﷻ on your side then don’t worry. Allāh ﷻ will do everything for you.

Yūsha’ bin Nūn was fighting with Al-Jabābirah. Al-Jabābirah were the people who were living in Jerusalem. They were giants, powerful tyrants. Yūsha’ bin Nūn led the Children of Israel in that battle. The fighting was furious. The sun was about to set. Yūsha’ bin Nūn knew that he would need more time, it’s not enough for him. He cannot win, except if the day is longer. If they wait for the next day, the army will regroup and attack again. So, he needed more time. Yūsha’ bin Nūn pointed to the sun and said, “Anti Ma’mūrah Wa Ana Ma’mūr – You are receiving orders and I’m receiving or- ders. Both of us are receiving orders from Allāh ﷻ. So, stop!” He told the sun, “Stop.” Allāh ﷻ made the sun stop for Yūsha’ bin Nūn, until he finished and destroyed the enemy, then the sun started moving again.

If you have Allāh ﷻ on your side, don’t worry. Allāh ﷻ will take care of you. It’s not a matter of numbers, or weapons, or air force, or artillery, or battal- ions. If you have Allāh ﷻ with you, Allāh ﷻ will help you. He pointed to the sun, telling it to stop and it stopped. And this Hadīth is narrated by Imām Ahmad. Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “One of the Ambiyā went into war, and he told his army, ‘If any one of you just got married, you did not sleep with your wife yet and you want to, then don’t come with me.’ And then he said, ‘And if anybody is building a house, and he did not build the roof yet, then don’t come with me.’”(Sahīh al-Bukhārī 3124, – Sahīh Muslim 1747)

What is the Nabī of Allāh ﷻ, Yūsha’ bin Nūn telling his people? ‘If you got married to a woman and you did not sleep with her yet, don’t come with me. If you are building a house and you did not build the roof yet, don’t come with me. If you have bought some pregnant goats or pregnant camels, and you’re waiting for them to deliver, don’t come with me.’ Yūsha’ bin Nūn does not want anybody to come with him if their hearts are attached with something else. ‘If your heart is with your wife, don’t come with me. If your heart is with your house, don’t come with me. If your heart is with the cam- els and goats, don’t come with me.’ He’s not looking for numbers; he could gather a crowd and take them to war. He said, ‘No, I don’t want to. This battle needs people who have Ikhlās – who have sincerity. If you’re coming and doing this half-heartedly, then stay home.’ And then, Rasūlullāh ﷺ says, “He fought until it was time of ‘Asr, and then he told the sun, ‘You are receiving orders and I’m receiving orders. Oh Allāh, stop the sun.’ And Allāh ﷻ stopped the sun until he achieved victory.” And he won. This is the story of Sayyidnā Yūsha’ bin Nūn. They won, and they entered into Jerusalem. And they started expanding their nation under the banner of Lā Ilāha Illa Allāh.

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