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The Story of Moses and Aaron (Musa and Haroon)
Imam Ibn Kathir Ad-Dimashqi
eBook: Stories of the Prophets
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"Go To Pharaoh! Verily! He has transgressed (all bounds in disbelief and disobedience, and has behaved as an arrogant, and as a tyrant)."
Moses said: "O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness). And ease my task for me; and make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (remove the incorrectness of my speech) that they understand my speech, and appoint for me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother; increase my strength with him, and let him share my task (of conveying Allah's Message and Prophethood), and we may glorify You much, and remember You much, Verily! You are of us Ever a Well-Seer."
Allah said: "You are granted your request, O Moses! And indeed We conferred a favor on you another time before. When We inspired your mother with that which We inspired, saying: 'Put him (the child) into the Tabut (a box or a case or a chest) and put him into the river (Nile), and then the river shall cast it up on the bank, and there, an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his shall take him.' And I endured you with love from Me, in order that you maybe brought up under My Eye, when your sister went and said; 'Shall I show you one who will nurse him?' So We restored you to your mother, that she might cool her eyes and she should not grieve. Then you did kill a man, but We saved you from a great distress and tried you with a heavy trial. Then you stayed a number of years with the people of Midian. Then you came here according to the term which I ordained (for you), O Moses!"
"And I have Istana'tuka (chosen you for My Inspiration and My Message) for Myself. Go you and your brother with My Ayat (proofs, lessons, verses, evidences, signs, revelations, etc), and do not, you both, slacken and become weak in My Remembrance."
"Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, verily, he has transgressed all bounds in disbelief and disobedience and behaved as an arrogant and as a tyrant. And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear Allah."
They said: "Our Lord! Verily! We fear lest he should hasten to punish us or lest he should transgress all bounds against us."
He (Allah) said: "Fear not, Verily! I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing. So go you both to him, and say: 'Verily, we are Messengers of your Lord, so let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not; indeed, we have come with a sign from your Lord! And peace will be upon him who follows the guidance! Truly, it has been revealed to us that the torment will be for him who denies (believes not in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messengers, etc), and turns away.' (from the truth, and obedience of Allah)" [Ch 20:9-48 Quran]
Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh) went together to Pharaoh and delivered their message. Moses spoke to him about Allah, His mercy and His Paradise and about the obligations of monotheism and His worship.
Pharaoh listened to Moses' speech with disdain. He thought that Moses was crazy because he dared to question his supreme position. Then he raised his hand and asked: "What do you want?"
Moses answered: "I want you to send the children of Israel with us."
Pharaoh asked: "Why should I send them, as they are my slaves?"
Moses replied: "They are the slaves of Allah, Lord of the Worlds."
Pharaoh then inquired sarcastically if his name was Moses. Moses said "Yes."
"Are you not the Moses whom we picked up from the Nile as a helpless baby? Are you not the Moses whom we reared in this palace, who ate and drank from our provisions and whom our wealth showered with charity? Are you not the Moses who is a fugitive, the killer of an Egyptian man, if my memory does not betray me? It is said that killing is an act of disbelief. Therefore, you were a disbeliever when you killed. You are a fugitive from justice and you come to speak to me! What were you talking about Moses, I forgot?"
Moses knew that Pharaoh's mentioning his past, his upbringing, and his receiving Pharaoh's charity was Pharaoh's way of threatening him. Moses ignored his sarcasm and explained that he was not a disbeliever when he killed the Egyptian, he only went astray and Allah the Almighty had not yet given him the revelation at that time. He made Pharaoh understand that he fled from Egypt because he was afraid of their revenge upon him, even though the killing was an accident. He informed him that Allah had granted him forgiveness and made him one of the messengers.
Allah the Almighty revealed to us part of the dialogue between Moses (pbuh) and Pharaoh: Allah said: "Nay! Go you both with Our Signs, Verily! We shall be with you, listening. And when you both come to Pharaoh, say: "We are the Messengers of the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists), and So allow the children of Israel to go with us.""
Pharaoh said to Moses: "Did we not bring you up among us as a child ? And you did dwell many years of your life with us. And you did your deed which you did (the crime of killing a man) and you are one of the ingrates."
Moses said: "I did it then, when I was an ignorant (as regards my Lord and His Message). So I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukman (religious knowledge, right judgments of the affairs and Prophethood), and appointed me as one of the Messengers. And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, and that you have enslaved the children of Israel."
Pharaoh said: "And what is the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)?"
Moses replied: "Lord of the heavens, and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty."
Pharaoh said to those around: "Do you not hear what he says?"
Moses said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!"
Pharaoh said: "Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!"
Moses said: "Lord of the east, and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!"
Pharaoh said: "If you choose an ilah (a god) other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners."
Moses said: "Even if I bring you something manifest (and convincing)."
Pharaoh said: "Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!" [Ch 26:16-31 Quran]
The degree of the conflict expressed in this dialogue reached its apex; thus, the tone of dialogue changed. Moses used a convincing intellectual argument against Pharaoh. However, Pharaoh escaped from the circle of dialogue based on the logic and began a dialogue of another type, a type which Moses could not bear to follow; a dialogue of menacing and threatening. Pharaoh deliberately adopted the style of the absolute ruler. He asked Moses how he dared to worship Allah! Did he not know that Pharaoh was a god?
After declaring his divinity, Pharaoh asked Moses how he dared to worship another god. The punishment for this crime was imprisonment. It was not permitted for anyone to worship anyone other than the Pharaoh. Moses understood that the intellectual arguments did not succeed. The calm dialogue was converted from sarcasm to mentioning charity, then to scorn, then to the threat of imprisonment.
Moses said: "Even if I bring you something manifest and convincing." Pharaoh said; "Bring it forth, then, if you are of the truthful!" So Moses threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders! [Ch 26:30-33 Quran]
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