MOSES

Ar: Musa,
Heb: Mosheh (), meaning "drawn", because Moses was drawn from the water to escape the killing of Pharoah:

> Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:1-10).

Corresponds to the Biblical Moses who brought the Torah (Taurat). Moses is called the Speaker with God in Islam; the name of Moses occurs 136 times in the Qur'an, the highest among all the prophets.

- Allah speaks directly to, see speaks to God directly, under MOSES

- and the Angel, al-Kahf 18:61

- and the angel of death,
  * Narrated Abu Huraira: The angel of death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, "You sent me to a slave who does not want to die." Allah restored his eye and said, "Go back and tell him (i.e. Moses) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand." (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, "O my Lord! What will be then?" He said, "Death will be then." He said, "(Let it be) now." He asked Allah that He bring him near the Sacred Land at a distance of a stone's throw. Allah's Apostle said, "Were I there I would show you the grave of Moses by the way near the red sand hill." (Sahih Bukhari 2.423)

- a Prophet, Maryam 19:51

- and Pharoah, Ta Ha 20:9-80,92; al-Anbiya' 21:48; al-Qasas 28:3; al-Mu'min 40:23; az-Zukhruf 43:46; ad-Dukhan 44:17

- and Aaron, Yunus 10:76; as-Saffat 37:114; al-Mu'min 40:23; ash-Shura 42:13; az-Zukhruf 43:43; ad-Dukhan 44:17; adh-Dhariyat 51:38; as-Saff 61:5; an-Nazi`at 79:15

- bringing forth water from the rock, al-Baqarah 2:60; al-A`raf 7:160

- commands to his people, al-Ma'idah 5:20-21

- companions of,
  * Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: That he differed with Hur bin Qais bin Hisn Al-Fazari regarding the companion of (the Prophet) Moses. Ibn 'Abbas said that he was Khadir. Meanwhile, Ubai bin Ka'b passed by them and Ibn 'Abbas called him, saying "My friend (Hur) and I have differed regarding Moses' companion whom Moses, asked the way to meet. Have you heard the Prophet mentioning something about him? He said, "Yes. I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While Moses was sitting in the company of some Israelites, a man came and asked him. "Do you know anyone who is more learned than you? Moses replied: "No." So Allah sent the Divine Inspiration to Moses: 'Yes, Our slave Khadir (is more learned than you.)' Moses asked (Allah) how to meet him (Khadir). So Allah made the fish as a sign for him and he was told that when the fish was lost, he should return (to the place where he had lost it) and there he would meet him (Al-Khadir). So Moses went on looking for the sign of the fish in the sea. The servant-boy of Moses said to him: Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. On that Moses said: 'That is what we have been seeking? (al-Kahf 18:64) So they went back retracing their foot-steps, and found Khadir. (And) what happened further to them is narrated in the Holy Qur'an by Allah. (al-Kahf 18:54 up to 18.82) (Sahih Bukhari 1.74, also 1.78, 1.25)

- duel with Pharaoh's magicians, al-A`raf 7:109-126; Yunus 10:79-81; Ta Ha 20:65-70; ash-Shu`ara' 26:43-47

- forgiven by God for killing, al-Qasas 28:15-16
  * In al-Qasas 28:16, the Qur'an expressedly states that God forgives Moses for his killing of the Egyptian. What is there to forgive if there is no wrong?

- forty nights upon Mt. Sinai, al-Baqarah 2:51; al-A`raf 7:142

- given scripture together with Aaron, Maryam 19:53

- House of, al-Baqarah 2:248

- in Egypt, al-A`raf 7:102

- in Sinai, al-A`raf 7:138,150; Ibrahim 14:5; bani Isra'il 17:101; an-Naml 27:7; an-Nazi`at 79:15

- leprous hand, al-A`raf 7:108. ``He put his hand into his bosom and withdrew it leprous, white as snow; they also put their hands into their bosoms and withdrew them leprous, white as snow.'' (Pirke Rabbi Elieser, 48, quoted by Abdul-Haqq).

- Muhammad told not to doubt book of Moses, as-Sajdah 32:24

- parting of the Red Sea, Ta Ha 20:77; ash-Shu`ara' 26:63

- plagues, al-A`raf 7:133-136,163

- quarrel with Adam in paradise, Sahih Bukhari 004.055.621, Sahih Bukhari 6.260, Sahih Bukhari 6.262. We are also told that quarrelsome man is most hated in Allah's sight, Sahih Bukhari 6.48.

- Qur'an attest to book of Moses, al-Baqarah 2:89; al-Ahqaf 46:11-12,30

- received God's written tablets, al-A`raf 7:145

- speaks to God directly, (speaker with God...Kalim-Allah), an-Nisa' 4:164; al-A`raf 7:143,

  > Narrated Masruq:

  > I said to 'Aisha, "O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?" Aisha said, "What you have said makes my hair stand on end ! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, is a liar." Then Aisha recited the Verse:

  > 'No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.' (6.103) 'It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.' (42.51) 'Aisha further said, "And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar." She then recited:

  > 'No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.' (31.34) She added: "And whoever tell you that he concealed (some of Allah's orders), is a liar." Then she recited: 'O Apostle! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord..' (5.67) 'Aisha added. "But the Prophet saw Gabriel in his true form twice." (Sahih Bukhari 6.378)

  However, Moses was an exception to the way prophets receive revelation, and presents an exception to 42:51 in that Moses spoke directly to God without the intermediary angels. Al-Baidhawi says that God spoke to Moses "without mediation of any other, and face to face, as He speaks to angels" (quoted by Sale, op. cit, p.118, note e, quoted by Abdul-Haqq, p.57).

  ``Moses was the only Prophet to whom God has spoken directly, rather than through the Angel Gabriel.'' (Kerry Brown and Martin Palmer ed. Essential Teachings of Islam, Arrow Books, 1990, p. 37)

  Even Muhammad receive no such treatment.

- strikes the rock, al-Baqarah 2:60

- the Mother of, al-Qasas 28:7

- the yellow/golden cow, al-Baqarah 2:67,92.

  - lowing (roared), see THE GOLDEN CALF.

- tall brown curly-haired man, Sahih Bukhari 4.462

- al-Baqarah 2:108,136; Âl 'Imran 3:84; al-An`am 6:84,91; al-A`raf 7:103-162; Yunus 10:75-93; Hud 11:96,110; Ibrahim 14:5-6,8; bani Isra'il 17:2,101-104; al-Kahf 18:60-82; Maryam 19:51-53; Ta Ha 20:9-98; al-Anbiya' 21:48; al-Hajj 22:44; al-Mu'minun 23:45-49; al-Furqan 25:35; ash-Shu`ara' 26:10-66; an-Naml 27:7-14; al-Qasas 28:3-44,48,76; al-`Ankabut 29:39; as-Sajdah 32:23; al-Ahzab 33:7,69; as-Saffat 37:114-120; al-Mu'min 40:23-27,53; Ha Mim Sajdah 41:45; az-Zukhruf 43:46-55; ad-Dukhan 44:17-36; al-Ahqaf 46:12,30; adh-Dhariyat 51:38-40; an-Najm 53:37; an-Nazi`at 79:14-25; al-A`la 87:19

Go Back to Main Index