Re: story of sayduna Musa, many lessons to learn!!!
Episode 5
In the name of Allah[1]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftn1/’), The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds, All Prayers and Blessings of Allah (SWT) be upon the Prophet (SAWS)[2]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftn2/’).
Today in the fifth episode we will deal with the childhood and the youth of Musa (AS) (Moses). Most of us could wonder how Musa (AS) reached such a special rank and could talk directly to Allah (SWT).No one has made a direct conversation with Allah (SWT) except Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) during al-Mi’raj[3]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftn3/’). Also a lot of questions could be raised like what was Musa’s message about and what made him special among all Prophets. The Prophet says:” “My similitude in comparison with the other Prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: ‘Would that this brick be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets.”
Musa (AS) is a leader created by Allah SWT) to eliminate injustice and to transfer his nation from being weak to being in control. I believe that Musa’s (AS) message is the most difficult one in history after the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWS) message. Musa (AS) has faced alone and without any weapon, the most oppressive tyrants in the all of history, incest who killed thousands of children. Allah (SWT) has made Musa’s (AS) physical appearance suitable to his difficult mission. He was tall, dark, with a strong muscular body. Musa (AS) was threatened all the time to be murdered and because he faced a lot of hardships in his life the word “fear” was mentioned a lot in his story in Qur’an. Musa’s (AS) main mission was to free his nation by the words “No god but Allah”, these words mean that there is no power or wealth but from Allah (SWT). Eventually, the Europeans were not those who started to proclaim for freedom as it is mostly known, Musa (AS) actually is the first to proclaim for the freedom of his nation.
Musa’s (AS) story could be divided into four stages:
The first preparation stage: (Childhood and youth) it lasted until he was 30 years old, and it took place in Pharaoh’s palace in Egypt.
The second preparation stage: It lasted for ten years and it took place in Madian.
The first accomplishment stage: It lasted fifteen years as he was facing Pharaoh in Egypt.
The second accomplishment stage: It lasted about ten or fifteen years and it took place in Sinai, Jordan, and at the Palestinian borders.
That means that Musa (AS) had lived seventy years into delivering his message.
Today’s episode will show how Allah (SWT) had prepared Musa (AS) to be a leader by adding ten traits to his personality. Anyone who wants to be a leader has to make sure that he has these ten traits.
Musa (AS) has spent his childhood in Egypt on the banks of the Nile. He spent it between the luxury of Pharaoh’s palace and the simplicity of Israelite houses. Musa’s (AS) mother had insisted that he should be raised in her home. Although Asia has tried to let him be raised in Pharaoh’s palace. She had to accept Musa’s mother’s wish especially since she was the only who could breast feed him. Musa (AS) had a lot of memories of his early life on the Nile banks. The name Musa in the ancient Egyptian language means someone who is saved from water; it also has another meaning which is the son of water. Asia was the one who gave him this name. Musa (AS) had spent his early childhood among the care and love of two mothers (his real mother and Asia). Allah (SWT) wanted him to be subjected to the kind of intensive love to build a stable character. From this point we could notice the first trait of a leader which is mercy. A leader without mercy would be a tyrant like Hitler, but Musa (AS) was a leader raised by Allah (SWT).
After weaning Musa (AS) moved to live in Pharaoh’s house as he was his father by adoption. His life in Pharaoh’s palace had helped in developing three traits of his personality as a leader. The first trait is the high educational background that he could not ever gain except in Pharaoh’s house. The second trait is the strong muscular body as the Egyptian took good care of sports and body health. The third trait is dignity and free spirit that made him not to fear Pharaoh or anybody.
When Musa (AS) was about eight years old, Asia decided to tell him that she was not his mother and she did not know who his real mother was.
Asia allowed Musa (AS) to visit his foster mother who was his unknown real mother; that made a strong relationship grow between him and his brother Harun (AS) (Aaron) and sister Maryam (AS) “Mary”. Despite the simplicity of Israelites houses, Musa (AS) found warmth among them, he felt that he did not belong to Pharaoh’s palace. His mother began to tell him about one of the most important figures in Israelite history which was Yusuf. Yusuf was popular for both Israelites and Pharaoh as he saved the Egyptian economy. For that reason, Musa’s (AS) smart mother has chosen to tell him about Yusuf who became Musa’s (AS) ideal. She also mentioned to Musa (AS) that Yusuf was from her ancestors to make Musa (AS) wonder what made them reach such level of humiliation. She made all the preparations to tell her son that she was his mother. Could you imagine how he as a kid had to tolerate such kinds of secrets? Eventually she revealed to him the whole secret with all of its details. Musa’s (AS) personality could tolerate such kinds of shocks because Allah (SWT) has given him a strong spirit that could face all the circumstances.
His mother convinced him to stay at Pharaoh’s palace to avoid Pharaoh’s outrage and to receive a good education. His mother helped in shaping his stable personality. She was a smart and extraordinary woman that is why three of her children’s names were mentioned in Qur’an.
His life in Pharaoh’s palace and Israelite homes had added flexibility to his character. It helped him to be aware of the culture and the life of the Pharaoh and the Israelites as well. That created an open minded character who could deal with different cultures and social background.
Allah (SWT) had gathered the eight traits of the leader that we have mentioned in our episode in only one Ayah. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as:” And as soon as he reached full age and matured, (Literally: leveled himself in body and mind) We brought him judgment and knowledge; and thus We recompense the fair-doers. “ (TMQ[4]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftn4/’), 24:14).
The last two traits that have to be found in a leader are that he should have a goal and aim in life. Musa’s (AS) aim was to save Israelites. People think Musa (AS) had become Israelites savior because Allah (SWT) had charged Musa (AS) to that mission, but the fact is that Allah (SWT) had charged Musa (AS) to that mission because Musa (AS) had chosen that to be his aim in life.
The last trait that should be in a leader is having good companions. Musa’s (AS) companion was his brother Harun (AS), he was his supporter in accomplishing his mission and in worshipping Allah (SWT). He was his companion in worldly life and in the hereafter.
In a nut shell the traits of a leader can be summarized to be: Mercy, strong muscular body, refined education, flexibility, good companionship, free spirit, having an ideal, ability to coexist, to have a goal in life and courage.
Translated by: The English Convoy – Dar al-Tarjama
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[1]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftnref1/’) The word Allah is the Arabic term for God. Although the use of the word “Allah” is most often associated with Islam, it is not used exclusively by Muslims; Arab Christians and Arabic-speaking Jews also use it to refer to the One God. The Arabic word expresses the unique characteristics of the One God more precisely than the English term. Whereas the word “Allah” has no plural form in Arabic, the English form does. Allah is the God worshipped by all Prophets, from Adam to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
[2]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftnref2/’) Salla Allah alayhe Wa Salam [All Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him].
[3]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftnref3/’) The night journey of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) from Makkah to Jerusalem and his ascension to the seventh heaven)
[4]](http://amrkhaled.net/‘#_ftnref4/’) Translation of the Meaning of the Qur’an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur’an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur’an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.