Prophets of Allah – Moses: The prophet who freed the Children of Israel

Jalees Ahmad, Al Hakam

Prophet Moses^as, known as مُوۡسٰۤي [Musa] in the Holy Quran, was a law-bearing Prophet of Allah. He freed Bani Isra’il, the Children of Israel,  from the brutalities and oppression of the Pharaoh of that time.

Prophet Moses^as was one of the Prophets whom the Holy Prophet^sa met during his spiritual journey, the Mi‘raj (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al Salat, Hadith 349). The Holy Prophet^sa, in the Holy Quran, has been likened to Moses^as. (Surah al-Muzzammil, Ch. 73: V.16)

The Holy Quran states that it gives the true events of Moses’^as life. With regards to the progeny of Prophet Isaac, it was in Prophet Moses^as that Allah’s promise with Abraham (Genesis, 17:19) saw its complete manifestation (For more details, see the article about Prophet Isaac^as, Al Hakam, 24 February 2023, Issue 258, pp. 11-12). The Prophets sent after Moses^as were reformer-prophets who came under the law of Moses^as.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra writes:

“The progeny of Isaac^as multiplied exceedingly. From among them arose the prophets Moses^as, David^as, Ezekiel^as, Daniel^as and Jesus^as. (Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran, p. 61)

Clarification of Nabi and Rasul

The Holy Quran, regarding Prophet Moses^as, uses both the titles Rasul and Nabi:

اِنَّہٗ کَانَ مُخۡلَصًا وَّکَانَ رَسُوۡلًا نَّبِيًّا

“He was indeed a chosen one; and he was a Messenger, a Prophet.” (Surah Maryam, Ch.19: V.52)

In this verse, Prophet Moses^as has been recorded as Rasul and Nabi. This verse dispels a misconception that some Muslims have. Some say that Rasul and Nabi hold different connotations: Rasul is used for a messenger who brings a new law and a new book, while Nabi is one whom God sends to reform people and receives divine revelation, but is not accompanied by a book. They argue, every Rasul is a Nabi but not every Nabi is a Rasul.

However, if this notion were correct, then the Holy Quran wouldn’t state that Moses^as was both Rasul and Nabi. If a Rasul means a person who brings a new law and book and, at the same time, is also a Nabi, then the usage of the title Nabi in this verse وَّکَانَ رَسُوۡلًا نَّبِيًّا is redundant and out of place, God forbid. The fact of the matter is that every Rasul is a Nabi and every Nabi is a Rasul. (For more, see Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 287, Surah Maryam, Ch.19: V.52)

Pharaoh and Haman

The Holy Quran states that Moses^as was sent “unto Pharaoh and Haman and Korah; but they said, ‘[He is] a lying sorcerer.’” (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.25) Throughout the ages, prophets have been labelled with various names by their enemies.

The Holy Quran describes Pharoah as acting arrogantly and as someone who “sought to weaken a party of them, slaying their sons, and sparing their women. Certainly, he was of the mischief-makers.” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.5)

At this time, as the atrocities committed by the Pharaoh and the likes of Haman reached their limit, God, desiring to show favour to those who had been considered weak on earth, raised a prophet who would save the people of Israel from the chains of slavery.

Pharaoh, who was drunk on power and afraid of being overtaken, ordained a policy of divide and rule. “Haman was the title of the High Priest of the god Amon, ‘ham’ in Egyptian meaning high priest and Amon was the god who dominated all other Egyptian gods. ‘Haman was the director of the double treasury and granary and director of the soldiers and all the craftsmen of Thebes. His name was Nebunnef and he was a high priest under Ramesses II and his son Merneptah. Being the head of the extremely rich sacerdotal organisation embracing all the priesthoods of the country, his power and prestige had increased so much that he controlled the most influential political faction and even kept his own private army’ (A Story of Egypt by James Henry Breasted, Ph.D.).” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 2432)

Revelation to Moses’^as mother

God, in the Holy Quran, states that He revealed to the mother of Moses^as:

“‘Suckle him; and when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve; for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of the Messengers.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.8) For fear of her child being killed by the Pharaoh, Moses’^as mother cast him afloat into a river after receiving word from God.

Upon seeing Moses^as afloat on a river, a person from Pharaoh’s household, Pharaoh’s daughter, picked him out and took him home (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol.7, p. 479). The Quran says regarding this incident:

“And Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘[He will be] a joy of the eye, for me and for thee. Kill him not. Haply he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ And they perceived not [the consequences thereof].” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.10)

The man who was destined to free the Israelites from the cruelties and bondage of Pharaoh, then just a baby boy, grew up in the Pharaoh’s lap. Indeed, remarkable are the ways of God.

Moses^as grows up in the house of the Pharaoh

Having grown up in the house of the Pharaoh, we are not wrong to assume that Moses’^as education as well as his physical build must have been good in comparison to the people of the time. Being destined for greatness in the future, the Quran says that Moses^as was given wisdom and knowledge. The Holy Quran states:

“And when he reached his age of full strength and attained maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (Surah al Qasas, Ch.28: V.15) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states that this means he reached an age at which revelation is revealed. (Tafsir-e-Saghir, p.499) The verse further states, “and thus do We reward those who do good.” (Surah al Qasas, Ch.28: V.15) which shows that Moses^as was muhsin which means he was frequently occupied in good deeds.

An unfortunate incident and plot to kill Moses^as

The Holy Quran states that one day, Moses^as found two men quarrelling – one of his own party, and the other of his enemies. Being of good nature, when the poor man sought help, Moses^as was ready to help the oppressed. The Quran states: “So Moses smote him with his fist; and [thereby] caused his death. He said, ‘This is of Satan’s doing; he is indeed an enemy, a manifest misleader.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.16)

Immediately, not able to bear what he had done, Moses^as sought God’s forgiveness. The fact that he did not use any weapons shows that he did not have any ill intent. He was merely attempting to put a halt to the quarrel; however, he ended up killing the man. When God forgave him for this mishap, Moses^as vowed that he would always side with those who were oppressed. (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.17-18)

Following this, the chiefs of Pharaoh’s people counselled together to kill Moses^as. A man, who desired good for Moses^as, came to him running, saying, “‘O Moses, of a truth, the chiefs are taking counsel together against thee to kill thee.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.21) Upon finding out, Moses^as prayed to God to deliver him from this. (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.22)

Migration to Midian and marriage

Fleeing from his hometown and finding his way to Midian, Moses^as prayed to Allah: “‘I hope my Lord will guide me to the right way.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.23)

Upon arriving at Midian’s water, he saw a group of men watering their flocks and also saw two women, with their flocks, remaining back. Moses^as asked them, “‘What is the matter with you?’” To which they answered, “‘We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds take away [their flocks], and our father is a very old man.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.24)

Moses^as then offered to help them water their flocks at the well of Midian. He then turned to a shade and prayed, “‘My Lord, I am in need of whatever good Thou mayest send down to me.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.25) One of the two women approached Moses^as and said that her father was calling him so that they may reward him for his help. The Bible states that the father was Jethro (Exodus, 3:1). Moses^as told him of what had happened to him. The noble man, convinced of Moses’^as nobility, said that he was now safe and also acknowledged the Egyptians of the time as unjust people. (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.26-27)

He gave one of his daughters’ hand in marriage to Moses^as and asked for Moses’^as service for 8 or 10 years. The fact of the matter is, as explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, that the father, being old, was in need of an honest man to look after his flock. Since the qualities the father desired were found in Moses^as, the father considered Moses^as. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, p. 490)

The father offered one of his daughters to Moses^as and desired that he remain with him, as a son-in-law, and serve and remain with him for eight years, so that he may benefit from his noble company. (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.28)

Moses’^as call

When Moses^as had completed the term, he decided to travel with his family to Egypt.

On the way, he saw a fire near Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1-3), in the desert of Sinai. He said to his family, “‘Wait, I perceive a fire; haply I may bring you some useful information therefrom, or a burning brand from the fire that you may warm yourselves.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.30)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has said that it was a vision that Moses^as saw and that it was a spiritual sight on the Mount. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, p. 500) As Moses^as approached it, he heard a voice calling, “‘O Moses, verily I am, Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.31) It was here that Allah had revealed to Moses^as that He had chosen him. The first commandment given to Moses^as was to observe prayer. (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.15)

Moses’^as rod and the white hand

In the vision, when Moses^as was asked about the rod, he said:

“‘This is my rod, I lean on it, and beat down therewith leaves for my sheep, and I have also other uses for it.’” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.19)

As this was a vision, it bears a huge significance to Moses’^as mission. In the visions, the rod signified, as explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, Moses’^as community, Bani Isra’il. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 413)

Further, we read:

“He said, ‘Cast it down, O Moses.’ So he cast it down, and behold! it was a serpent running. [God] said, ‘Catch hold of it, and fear not. We shall restore it to its former condition.’” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.20-22)

When Moses^as was told, in the vision, to cast his rod down, he saw it as a serpent. This, in the vision, meant that if Moses^as were to leave his community, as he did the rod, the outcome would be unpleasant. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 414) History bears this out, and it has been alluded to in Surah al-Baqarah when Moses^as left his people for 40 nights and they turned to idol worship.

Then, when Moses^as was frightened seeing the serpent, he was told to fear not and take hold of it, after which it was restored to its former condition. (Surah TaHa, Ch.20: V.22) It means that Moses^as saw first-hand what would happen to his people if he abandoned them. He was told, to restore their condition, his attention, nurturing and care were required. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 414)

Next, in the vision, Moses^as was told, “‘And draw thy hand close under thy armpit. It shall come forth white, without any disease — another Sign.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.23)

The Holy Quran says Moses^as perceived his hand turning white without any ill effects. Here, the Holy Quran uses the words يَدَکَ اِلٰي جَنَاحِکَ. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has explained that يد can refer to a community. Hence, the vision symbolised that so long as Moses^as bestowed his fostering care to his community, they shall become noble men of God who beamed with spiritual light. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 415)

Moses’^as encounter with Pharaoh

When Moses^as was told to go to Pharaoh, whose name was Merneptah, he prayed to God to make this task easy for him and requested that Aaron^as, his brother, assist him as he was better at speaking. (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.25-30)

Allah the Almighty told Moses^as to go to Pharaoh and to speak gently to him. This highlights an important lesson for preachers; it teaches that they must always adhere to soft speech when conveying their message. In this way, it is more probable that one’s message will be taken in by the other party. (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.45)

Moses^as and Aaron^as were commanded to tell him that they were sent as messengers from God and inform him to let the people of Israel go free. (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.48)

In Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, it is recorded that when Moses^as and Aaron^as went to Pharaoh with their message, Pharaoh said, “‘Did we not bring thee up among us as a child? And thou didst stay among us many years of thy life. And thou didst do thy deed which thou didst, and thou art of the ungrateful.’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.19-20) Here, Pharaoh alludes to the Egyptian Moses^as accidentally killed earlier in his life. Moses^as replied: “‘I did do it then, and I was [one] of the erring.” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.21)

Further, in Surah Ta Ha, we read Moses^as and Aaron^as said:

“‘It has, indeed, been revealed to us that punishment shall come on him who rejects [the Message of God] and turns away.’” Pharaoh replied, “‘Who then is the Lord of you two, O Moses?’”

Moses^as said, “‘Our Lord is He Who gave unto everything its [proper] form [and] then guided [it to its proper function].’” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.49-51)

So far in this conversation, the message Moses^as brought seems to be new for Pharaoh who did not believe in God.

Pharaoh demands a sign

With every prophet, there is always a group of men who demand signs. Pharaoh demanded a sign from Moses^as. Thus, Moses^as threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plainly visible. The rod did not actually turn into a serpent. It was, in fact, a vision shared by all present. (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.108)

The phenomenon of visions being shared by others is not something new. Instances from the life of the Holy Prophet^sa have been shared in the books of history, which allude to the possibility of visions being shared by others. For example, the chest incision incident that happened to the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa when he was a young child (for a further read, see Seal of the Prophets – Volume I, under the heading “Fosterage and Childhood”).

Another incident worth mentioning here involves the Holy Prophet’s^sa visit to Abu Jahl, who owed some money to a poor person in Mecca. A man approached the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa for help, explaining that Abu Jahl had been refusing to repay his debt. Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet^sa confronted Abu Jahl and demanded that he pay back the debt. Surprisingly, Abu Jahl immediately complied with the request. When asked why he had suddenly paid back the debt, he explained that he had seen two vicious, angry camels ready to attack him if he did not listen to the Holy Prophet’s^sa words. Similarly, Pharaoh had a similar experience when he saw a serpent.

The Five Volume Commentary explains:

“It was a sort of a vision in which God either exercised special control over the sight of the onlookers in order to make them see the rod in the form of a serpent or the rod itself was made to appear like a serpent; and this vision was shared by Pharaoh and his courtiers and the enchanters along with Moses^as. The rod remained a rod, only it appeared to Moses^as and others as a serpent. It is a spiritual phenomenon of common occurrence that in a vision when man rises above the encumbrances of the flesh and becomes temporarily transported to a spiritual sphere, he can see things taking place which are beyond his ken and are quite invisible to his physical eyes. The miracle of the rod turning into a serpent was one such spiritual experience.” (Five Volume Commentary, p. 1018)

Prophet Moses^as then “drew forth his hand, and lo! it was white for the beholders.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.109) This miracle and sign has also been mentioned in the Bible; however, the Bible states that the hand was “leprous” (Exodus, 4:6) whereas the Quran describes it as “without any disease” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.23) which was a vision, as described above, with great spiritual significance.

Seeing Moses’^as signs, Pharaoh said, “‘This is surely a skilful magician. He seeks to turn you out of your land by his magic.’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.35-36) With a study of the words and style of speech used by Pharaoh, it seems he was attempting to incite his people against Moses^as and desired to create division between them when he said that Moses^as sought to remove them from the land. Whereas, in reality, Moses^as only wanted to free his people from the cruel realities of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh calls his magicians to challenge Moses^as

Pharaoh called his magicians to challenge Moses^as. Pharaoh said that if they were successful in their challenge against Moses^as, they would be granted a high position in the royal court. (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.39-43) They assembled together at the appointed time on a fixed day.

The magicians said, “‘O Moses, either throw thou [first], or we shall be the first throwers.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.116)

Moses^as replied that they should throw first. The Quran says that when they threw their ropes and their rods, they captivated the eyes of the people,  struck them with awe and brought forth great magic (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.117). They said, “‘By Pharaoh’s honour, it is we who will surely win.’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.45)

At this point, Moses^as was inspired by God to throw his rod, which then undid the magic cast by the magicians, exposing their futile attempt. Upon this, Pharaoh’s people returned humiliated. The magicians, however, realised that Moses^as was, in fact, a messenger from God Who helped him, and believed in him. They said, “‘We believe in the Lord of the worlds, ‘The Lord of Moses and Aaron.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.118-123)

Pharaoh stands against Moses

Pharaoh, taking pride in his wealth and power, desired to kill Moses^as and challenged him to call upon God to save him. (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.27)

The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people said to him, “‘Wilt thou leave Moses and his people to create disorder in the land, and forsake thee and thy gods?’ He answered, ‘We will [ruthlessly] slay their sons and let their women live. And surely we are dominant over them.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.128)

Such was the enmity of Pharaoh. Drunk on his power, he saw himself above the law, a man who could do as he pleased. It was not long before this, he reminded Moses^as of the Egyptian he accidentally killed and now Pharaoh boasts of killing the sons of the followers of Moses^as.

The Holy Quran states that a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who kept his faith hidden, said, “‘Will you slay a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.29)

History is replete with scenes of enemies hatching and plotting to kill the Messengers of their time. During the time of the Holy Prophet^sa, the chieftains gathered in Dar-ul-Nadwah to hatch a plan against the Holy Prophet^sa and eventually schemed to kill him. (Al-Sirat Al-Nabawiyyah, ibn Hisham, pp. 340-342, Zikr Hijrat-e-Rasul, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Moses^as told his people to “‘Seek help from Allah and be steadfast. Verily, the earth is Allah’s; He gives it as a heritage to whomsoever He pleases of His servants, and the end is for the God-fearing.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.129)

Punishment of Pharaoh’s people

The people of Pharaoh were punished with “drought and scarcity of fruits.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.131) “This verse speaks of two kinds of punishment which overtook Pharaoh’s people – loss of property and loss of life, the word  ثمرات (fruits) meaning both fruits and children or offspring.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol.2, p. 1028)

Rather than repenting, Pharaoh’s people ascribed the punishment that befell them to Moses^as. Proudly, they said they would never submit to Moses^as and would never allow the Israelites to be free. (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.132)

The Holy Quran says, “Then We sent upon them the storm and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and the blood – clear Signs; but they behaved proudly and were a sinful people.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.134)

The punishment that befell the people of Pharaoh has been stated in the above-mentioned verse. The word “storm” alludes to the plague of hail and the plague of darkness. “Locust” refers to the plague of locusts. “Lice” alludes to lice, swarms of flies, and the murrain of beasts. Such was the case for the people of Pharaoh. (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 1030)

Upon suffering severe punishments, they pleaded with Moses^as to pray for them. They said, “‘If thou remove from us the punishment, we will surely believe thee and we will surely send with thee the children of Israel.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.135) However, when the punishments were averted, they broke their promise.

Only a few youths believed

The Holy Quran says, “And none obeyed Moses^as, save some youths from among his people, because of the fear of Pharaoh and their chiefs, lest he should persecute them.” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.84)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, alluding to this verse, inferred that many a time, people believe in the message of their prophet; however, out of fear of their leaders, they dare not profess it lest they be conflicted with pain from their leaders. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol.3, p. 118)

Those who believed in Moses^as requested that he save them from the disbelieving people. Thus, Moses^as and his brother were revealed to, “‘Take, ye two, some houses for your people in the town, and make your houses so as to face one another and observe Prayer.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.88) Meaning, as explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Muad, that it was essential for them to live together in Egypt so that they may come to each other’s aid at the time of need and be united in a bond of brotherhood. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 3, p. 120)

Commandment to leave and the parting of the sea

Moses^as saw that Pharaoh and his people were leading men astray from the right path. Thus, he prayed for punishment to befall Pharaoh and his people, saying, “‘Our Lord! destroy their riches and attack their hearts – and they are not going to believe until they see the grievous punishment.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.89)

Moses^as was then commanded by God to lead Bani Israel out of Egypt. God said, “‘Take away My servants by night, you will surely be pursued.’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.53)

Enraged with Moses^as and his people, Pharaoh and his army charged to pursue them. When both parties – the people of Pharaoh and the companions of Moses^as – came into sight, Moses’^as companions said, “‘We are surely overtaken.’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.62)

With the sea before them, the disbelievers and army of Pharaoh in their pursuit, indeed, this was a very trying time.

Hearing their words, Moses^as, being a prophet of God, firmly replied, “‘My Lord is with me. He will direct me [to safety].’” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.63) This is the example of a true prophet of God; in the face of danger, Prophets of Allah never waver. Their faith, strongly and firmly rooted, never gives out.

Allah the Almighty then revealed to Moses^as to strike the sea with his rod. “Thereupon it parted, and every part [looked] like a huge mountain.” (Surah ash-Shu‘ara’, Ch.26: V.64) Indeed, God saves His beloved ones in miraculous ways. With the help of Allah, Moses^as and his companions were able to safely cross the sea during the low tide. When Pharaoh and his army reached the middle of the sea, the high tide returned, causing them to be engulfed by the sea.

Pharaoh believes

After wrongfully and aggressively pursuing Moses^as and his people and seeing that he was unsuccessful in his plan, Pharaoh said, “‘I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit to Him.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.91)

In response, God said, “What! Now! while thou wast disobedient before [this] and wast of those who create disorder.” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.92)

These words shed great light on the philosophy of faith. Faith is redundant if one is compelled to only believe after having witnessed clear and manifest signs. Such faith is weak, baseless and without value, not deserving of reward. True faith is belief in the unseen and the true Almighty Allah.

Allah states to Pharaoh, “This day We will save thee in thy body alone that thou mayest be a Sign to those who come after thee.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.93) It is interesting to note that only the Holy Quran makes mention of this; the Bible and other books of history are completely silent on this matter.

Forty days on the Mount

After being saved from the clutches of Pharaoh and his army, the children of Israel came across a people who were devoted to idols; they said to Moses^as, “‘O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.139) The people, having lived in Egypt under Pharaoh, seem to have been engulfed by the idolatrous ways of the people of Pharaoh.

Moses^as replied, “‘Surely, you are an ignorant people. [As to] these, surely destroyed shall be all that they are engaged in, and vain shall be all that they do.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.139-140)

The Holy Quran states that Moses^as went to Mount Sinai for 40 days. Before leaving, Moses^as said to Aaron^as, “‘Act for me among my people in my absence, and manage them well, and follow not the way of those who cause disorder.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.143)

On the mount, revealed to Moses^as were the commandments of God Almighty, which Moses^as wrote on a tablet. “It was indeed Moses^as, and not God, who wrote on the tablets the commandments that were revealed to him on the Mount; but as the commandments were revealed by God, the act of writing has been ascribed to Him.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol.2, p. 1038)

Prophet Muhammad^sa and Prophet Moses^as

In chapter 73 of the Holy Quran, we read:

“Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.” (Surah al-Muzzammil, Ch. 73: V.16)

The above-mentioned verse makes a reference to a Biblical prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:18) that predicts the emergence of a Prophet of God, similar to Moses^as, among the Ishmaelites.

Throughout the lives of both Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa and Prophet Moses^as, we see striking similarities. For instance, both were law-bearing prophets, who faced severe opposition from the chiefs of their respective towns. Additionally, they were granted miracles to support their claims of truthfulness, among other shared characteristics.

When the Holy Prophet^sa received the first revelation, he responded by saying:

مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ‏

“I cannot read.” (Sahih al Bukhari, Kitab bad’i l-wahyy, Hadith 3)

In light of these words mentioned by the Holy Prophet^sa, Qamar-ul-Anbiya, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra explained that it meant, “‘I cannot bear this responsibility.’” (Seal of the Prophets, Vol. I, p. 167)

He further explained, “This response was similar to that given by Hadrat Moses^as that ‘I am not capable of prophethood, this task should be assigned to someone else’, but who is more aware of the one who is capable of prophethood than Allah himself.” (Ibid.)

Alluding to Prophet Muhammad^sa and Prophet Moses^as, the Promised Messiah explained:

“In other words, just as was the case when God sent Moses^as, in the time of the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the disbelievers of Arabia were full of traits that resembled those of Pharaoh. They too, like Pharaoh, did not refrain from transgression until they witnessed a sign of glory. The work of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was like that of Moses^as. Apparently, it would seem that the work of Moses^as was not commendable, but the Holy Quran established otherwise.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol.1, p.41)