LESSONS FROM THE INCIDENT OF MOOSA ALAIHIS SALAAM

In regards to Hadrat Moosa Alaihis Salaam, Allah Ta’ala states in the Quraan Sharif,

والقيت عليك محبة منّى 

I have placed (a great deal of) love from my side (for Moosa Alaihis Salaam)

The result of this love was that whoever sees Moosa Alaihis Salaam will love him and they will not be able to hold themselves back from him. This was placed from the side of Allah Ta’ala so that people may attain Hidaayat. This will only be for those people that posses eyes of the heart. The likes of Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab had seen Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam yet they never brought Imaan. They were blind from the beauty of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam and the noor of the face of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. In a similar manner, Firoun was blinded from the beauty on the face of Moosa Alaihis Salaam. The people of Imaan are actually able to see the beauty and are attracted to the men of Allah Ta’ala.

The actual place of attraction was the eyes of Moosa Alaihis Salaam which attracted the people. From here we learn that actual beauty of a person is dependent on the eyes of a person. If the entire body is beautiful but the eyes contain a blemish the beauty of a person is destroyed. This clearly indicates that women in Purda should cover the eyes as well, as it is the actual place of beauty and the object of Purda is to cover the beauty. In fact, the eyes speak more than the tongue, and passes over messages in a subtle manner.

Further the books of Tafseer state that when Moosa Alaihis Salaam was born, the mother placed this little child in a box and placed him in the river Nile by the command of Allah Ta’ala, placing her trust in Allah Ta’ala. Again here, we learn the great lesson of protection, which is, protection is solely in the hands of Allah Ta’ala. Firoun and his army feared an Israeli infant that was to overthrow the government so they used to kill the male children every alternate year. Now this little child that deserves being killed according to the law of Firoun is placed in the river, which can be likened to being thrown from the frying pan into the fire, but it was the true Imaan in the mother of Musa Alaihis Salaam that allowed her to throw this child into the fire.

The Quraan clearly states,

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ

Do people think that they will be left after saying, we have brought Imaan and they won’t be tested. Most certainly We had tested those that came before them so that Allah Ta’ala will know those that are truthful and those that are liars.

We are also being tested daily in the form of our thoughts, eyes, tongue, etc. Anyway coming back to the incident, the box then took the little infant to the banks of the river close to the palace of Firoun. At that particular time, Firoun was strolling along the banks of the river with his wife. Firoun proclaimed, “Whoever brings this box to me will be freed.” At that time he possessed 400 slaves comprising of males and females, amongst whom, one slave picked up the box. When it was opened he notices a little child in the box, due to happiness he freed all the slaves at once. What is the position of the Ahlullah, that whenever a beloved passes a particular area the mercy of Allah Ta’ala descends. This was at a time that was well before he even received Nabuwwat. This is generally the condition of those that are accepted by Allah Ta’ala.

Thereafter Hadrat Aasiya, the wife of Firoun said,

وَقَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَيْنٍ لِّي وَلَكَ لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

(He is) the coolness of my eyes and your eyes, Do not kill him. Perhaps he will be of benefit to us or we will take him as a son and they did not even perceive

Firoun said, “He may be the coolness of your eyes but I have no need of him.” He didn’t kill the child on the request of his wife, but he was deprived of that Imaan by which others were able to see the beauty in this child. His wife was to be blessed with Imaan thus she saw the beauty in this child and immediately took a liking towards this child. Imaam Nasaa’ee Rahimahullah together with a group of others have narrated from Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam reported that had Firoun also confessed that this child is the coolness of my eyes as his wife had done, Allah Ta’ala would have blessed him with Hidaayat as well just as his wife was blessed with Hidaayat.

However, Allah Ta’ala had deprived Firoun of this bounty. Hadrat explains an important lesson at this point, that is, the beloved servants of Allah Ta’ala should be made the coolness of our eyes and this should be expressed verbally as well. In contrast, when we find fault in the pious servants of Allah Ta’ala and criticize them then there is a great danger of the Noor of Imaan being closed upon us.