Prophet Musa (AS) - The One Who Spoke with Allah
Learn about Prophet Musa's mission, his confrontation with Pharaoh, and the parting of the sea.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: - Tell the story of Prophet Musa (AS) - Understand how Allah saved Musa and his people from Pharaoh - Know about the splitting of the sea - Learn about the Torah and the Ten Commandments
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was born at a time when Pharaoh (Fir'awn), the cruel king of Egypt, was killing all baby boys born to the Children of Israel. Allah inspired Musa's mother to put him in a basket and place it in the river. The basket floated to Pharaoh's palace, where Pharaoh's wife found baby Musa and adopted him. Musa grew up in Pharaoh's palace, but he always cared about his people, the Children of Israel. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. Musa struck the Egyptian and the man died by accident. Musa was afraid and fled to Madyan, where he married and lived for years. One day, Musa saw a burning fire on Mount Tur. When he approached, Allah spoke to him directly. Allah gave Musa prophethood and sent him to Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel. Allah gave Musa miracles — his staff could turn into a snake, and his hand could become shining white. Musa and his brother Harun (Aaron) went to Pharaoh and delivered Allah's message. But Pharaoh was arrogant and refused. He challenged Musa with his magicians. When the magicians saw Musa's miracles, they believed in Allah. Pharaoh was furious. Allah sent many signs and plagues upon Pharaoh. Finally, Allah commanded Musa to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. As they reached the sea, Pharaoh and his army chased them. Allah commanded Musa to strike the sea with his staff. The sea split into two, creating a path for Musa and his people to cross. When Pharaoh followed, the sea closed over him and his army, and they drowned. Musa received the Torah from Allah on Mount Tur. But while he was away, some of his people built a golden calf to worship. Musa was very angry and grieved for his people. This story teaches us about Allah's power, His justice, and the danger of arrogance.
Qur'an Verses
فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ ۖ فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلَّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ
Fa-awhayna ila Musa anidrib bi'asaka al-bahr fa-infalaqa fa-kana kulla firqin ka at-tawdi al-'azim
Translation: Then We inspired to Musa, 'Strike with your staff the sea,' and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ
Wa laqad fatanna qablahum qawma Fir'awna wa ja'ahum rasulun karim
Translation: And We certainly tried them before them the people of Pharaoh, and there came to them a noble messenger.
Authentic Hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Do not prefer me over Musa, for people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first to regain consciousness. And I will see Musa holding the side of the Throne.'
Explanation
This shows the great status of Prophet Musa. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ respected Musa greatly and reminded us of his high rank.
Prophet Musa's story teaches us that Allah is more powerful than any tyrant. No matter how strong the oppressor seems, Allah will always protect those who believe in Him. We should never be arrogant like Pharaoh.
- 1.Why was Pharaoh killing baby boys?
- 2.How did Allah protect baby Musa?
- 3.What miracles did Allah give Musa?
- 4.How did the sea split for Musa and his people?
- 5.What happened to Pharaoh when he followed Musa into the sea?
- 6.What do we learn from Pharaoh's arrogance?
1. What does 'Fir'awn' mean?
2. What does the splitting of the sea teach us?
3. What did some of Musa's people do while he was on Mount Tur?
4. What did Pharaoh do to baby boys of the Children of Israel?
5. What do we learn from Pharaoh's story?
6. Where did Musa flee after the accidental death?
7. What else could Musa do with his hand?
8. What happened to Pharaoh when he followed Musa into the sea?
9. Where did Musa see the burning fire?
10. Who was Musa's brother?
11. What did Allah command Musa to do at the sea?
12. Who was the cruel king of Egypt?
13. What book did Allah give Musa on Mount Tur?
14. How did Musa's mother save him as a baby?
15. Who found baby Musa?
16. Who did Musa take with him to Pharaoh?
17. What did Allah give Musa as a miracle?
18. What does 'Tawrah' mean?
19. What happened when Musa struck the sea?
20. What happened when the magicians saw Musa's miracles?
Practice with Games
Games mapped to this lesson — reinforce what you just learned!