Moses: Prophet Moses on the Quranic canvas.
Eventually, they reached the kingdom of Egypt while wandering. At that time, neither of them had a single penny. It was the melon season. Ripe melons were blooming in a field by the road. The owner was hiring laborers to work in the field. Qaboos and Haman asked the owner for a melon, saying that they were hungry. The owner expressed his annoyance and said, 'You are healthy and strong young men, why are you begging? Try to earn your own food by working.'
They said, “What should we do at this moment?”
The owner said, “Take some of my melons from this field to the market and sell them.”
Qaboos left Haman as a pledge with the owner of the field and went to the market with some melons and sold them in a short time and returned the price to the owner. The owner was pleased with this and gave them two melons to eat and also gave Qaboos some money as a reward for their labor. At the same time, he also offered to employ them permanently. Although the offer was good, they still refused it and left for the capital of Egypt.
The royal court of Egypt. Qaboos sought an appointment with Pharaoh in the hope of a job. Because he knew that this Pharaoh who was on the throne was a benefactor, kind and just. When he was called to the court, he greeted him as usual and said, 'O great ruler! I have become unable to support myself due to lack of work. Please arrange a job for me.'
Qaboos's manner and inert speech attracted the attention and attention of the Pharaoh. He said, 'O young man! What work do you know?'
'O my Lord!' Qaboos said, 'I can do any work.'
At that time, a man brought the news to the chief vizier that the officer in charge of the royal cemetery had died. When the vizier informed the Pharaoh about this, he said, 'We can give you the authority of the royal cemetery. Do you want to take this responsibility?'
Qaboos happily agreed to this proposal.
Qaboos was a clever and sharp-witted man. Immediately after receiving the authority of the cemetery, he announced to the city - 'From now on, no one can bury a body without the permission of the authorities and for each burial, the authorities must pay a certain amount of money as a "burial fee".'
That year, an epidemic suddenly broke out in the city. Seeing the high number of corpses imported, Qaboos doubled the burial fee. As a result, a lot of money started to be imported for this purpose. At the end of the year, he deposited a large sum of money in the treasury. The royal authorities were pleased and promoted him to the post of Kotwal. During this time, he developed a good relationship with the Chief Vizier. And after receiving various gifts, the Vizier began to present Kotwal Qaboos' various achievements to the Pharaoh.
Suddenly, the Grand Vizier died. Pharaoh had long been confident in the abilities of Kotwal Qaboos. So he appointed him to this position without selecting anyone else. And Qaboos was soon able to prove his abilities and prudence.
Egypt had been suffering from drought and famine for several years. Qaboos, thinking about the plight of his subjects, presented a request to the Pharaoh for a one-year tax waiver. The emperor accepted his argument and waived the tax for that year. Then, when an official announcement was published throughout the country to this effect, everyone began to praise Qaboos.
Suddenly, the Pharaoh died. Since there was no heir to the throne, an urgent meeting of high-ranking officials unanimously decided to crown the Grand Vizier Qaboos.
Qaboos ascended the throne and first appointed his friend Haman as the Grand Vizier. Then a former benefactor named Rameses declared himself "Pharaoh Rameses II".
As long as Joseph was in power, the Israelites were well off in Egypt. They had food, shelter, and jobs, and the Egyptians treated them kindly. But as time went by after his death, things changed. The Egyptians began to consider them foreigners.
On the other hand, whatever the number of Israelites was in Egypt during Jacob's time, their number soon increased. The reason for the rapid population growth was their religious belief in "multiplying the number and filling the earth." Later, this increase in number became their fate. This new ruler on the throne of Egypt knew nothing about Joseph. He was alarmed by the rapid increase in the number of Israelites, thinking it a political problem for the government's security. So he issued a new order to put them into slavery. And to force them into this work, strict manpower was used.
The Israelites were put to work making bricks, cutting and carrying stones, etc., and Pharaoh built two cities, Rameses and Pritam, (now Tanis and Kantei) as the capitals of the northern region.
Pharaoh had a dream. He saw a fire suddenly break out in one of his palaces. It spread quickly and burned down the entire palace. Pharaoh called the soothsayers to find out what this dream meant. They said, “O Pharaoh! A child will be born to the house of Israel who will cause your kingdom to collapse.”
When Pharaoh learned which of the Hebrew children would cause trouble in the kingdom, he did not waste any time. He immediately issued a royal decree to the Hebrew midwives, telling them to save the daughters at birth and kill the sons. Pharaoh was very happy to issue this order. Because, as a result of this order, the security of the kingdom was consolidated, and the political problem of government security was also solved due to the increase in the number of Israelites.
Meanwhile, the midwives did not properly carry out the order to kill the male children. Then Pharaoh summoned the midwives to the court. Then two of their representatives, Shiphrah and Puah, appeared before him. Pharaoh said to them, "Why do you not obey my command?"
They said, "O Pharaoh! The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they give birth before the midwife reaches them."
Pharaoh then issued a strict order to all the Israelites to kill all their newborn sons. Since there was no danger from the daughters, he remained silent about them again. Meanwhile, we do not know how many mothers were rendered childless by Pharaoh's order. However, we do know of one whose child was raised without any problems in front of everyone. And it was only a favor from God
- "Pharaoh was arrogant in the land; he divided its people into different groups. He was oppressing one group by killing their sons and sparing their daughters. He was certainly one of the mischief-makers. We wanted to show those who were oppressed in the land a favor, and to establish them in the land [Palestine] as leaders, and to show Pharaoh, Haman and their hosts what they feared from them." - (28:4-6)
Moses was born at a time when the order was given to kill all the newborn Hebrew boys. He was the son of Imran, a Levite. He had two siblings, Aaron and Mary. Aaron was about five years older than him. However, even after the birth of a son, Moses' mother, Yuhanib, did not obey Pharaoh's order. Because a revelation from God had come to her -
Thus [according to plan] We sent a revelation to the mother of Moses, "Breastfeed him. Then when you fear for him, do not fear to cast him into the river, nor grieve. We will surely return him to you, and make him one of the messengers." -(28:7)
For the first three months, Moses' mother was able to hide her child in her house. Then she became fearful because of her neighbors. Because it was no longer possible to hide him in their sight. So, she was forced to make a small reed basket to float him in the river in accordance with the revelation in such a way that water could not enter it. Then one morning, when the crow was calling, she hid the baby Moses in her bosom and in her clothes and set off quickly towards the Nile. Her daughter Maryam followed her with small feet.
When the mother reached the river bank, she carefully placed her child in the reed basket and floated it in the river. And it began to float away in the current. Moses' mother was looking at the basket. Her heart cried out, her chest was empty! And she was about to bring him back, but God gave her strength, so her faith returned -
'And the chest of Moses' mother was empty. We gave her strength so that she would have faith. Otherwise, she would have brought him back. -(28:10)
The mother's heart did not want to leave her child on the river bank and go back. And so Moses' mother kept her eyes on the basket and walked back. But when the day grew late, she did not dare to go any further, fearing that someone would suspect her. So she said to her daughter Miriam, "Follow him." So she watched him from a distance so that no one would notice. -(28:11)
The basket was floating down the river, and Maryam, from afar, followed it with a heavy heart to see what would happen to her beloved little brother.
Bibi Asia, one of Pharaoh's wives, came to bathe in the river. Then, when she got into the water, the basket floated to her. Curious, she opened it and saw the frightened baby inside. Up until now, Moses had been quiet in the basket. But now, seeing the stranger, he began to cry. The cries of this beautiful baby touched Bibi Asia's heart. So she looked around and looked for his mother. Seeing no one around, she tried to get a nurse to nurse him. But Moses refused to eat anything.
Wasn't four-year-old Maryam very intelligent? So she began to watch their activities from a distance so that they wouldn't understand. Then, seeing that Pharaoh's family wanted to raise the child, he went forward slowly and said to Pharaoh's wife, concealing his identity, "Shall I show you a family who will nurture him and raise him for you and take care of him?"
Moses refused to eat anything, because that was God's plan. -And We had already decided that Moses would not be suckled until (his sister came) said, "Shall I show you a family who will nurture him and raise him for you and take care of him?"-(28:12)
The wife of Asia was childless. So she took this child to the palace, intending to raise him as her own. -Then Pharaoh's family took Moses, that he might be an enemy and a cause of grief to them. Indeed, Pharaoh, Haman, and their army were criminals. -(28:8)
In the meantime, Bibi Aisha had clearly understood that a Hebrew mother had thrown her child into the river on the orders of Pharaoh. And since it was a Hebrew child, Pharaoh would want to kill him first. So Bibi Aisha returned to the palace and went to Pharaoh to resolve the matter and said, “This child will be the apple of my eye and yours, do not kill him. It may be beneficial to us; or we may adopt him as a son.” -(28:9)
In fact, they had no idea about the outcome. They no longer had the knowledge of the unseen, so how could they know that this child would one day become their enemy and cause them sorrow! Pharaoh loved this woman, and so to please her, he refrained from killing the child, thinking that what would happen if this only child of the Hebrews was alive?
Bibi Aisha sent people to the address given by Miriam to find a midwife. Moses' mother's breast was already empty. So she immediately agreed to the proposal. Thus, Moses' own mother came as his midwife. Bibi Asia said to her, "We tried to give this child to another nurse to suckle. But he did not drink at all. So if you can suckle him, you will receive a suitable reward. In return for your midwifery services, you will be given an allowance of one dinar per day and other royal privileges."
Then Moses' mother put her breast to Moses' mouth and he began to drink. This caused the maidservants to doubt and question him. But Moses' mother carefully avoided those questions. As a result, their place in the royal family was established. -Thus We returned him [Moses] to his mother, that his eyes might be refreshed, and that he might not grieve, and that he might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most people do not know. -(28:13)
After weaning, Moses was taken to Pharaoh's family. Then one day an incident occurred, Moses urinated in Pharaoh's lap. Pharaoh became angry and glared at him, so he grabbed his beard and slapped him on the cheek. Pharaoh was shocked and quickly took him down from his lap. Then an unfortunate fortune teller predicted and informed Pharaoh that a disaster would befall his kingdom in the near future. And whoever causes that disaster will not be a member of the royal family, but will be raised within the royal family.
Moses was identified. Pharaoh did not forget the fact of slapping him. He wanted to kill Moses. But his wife created a barrier, saying, “Are we raising him like a child to kill him? There may be a mistake in the calculation.”
Pharaoh could not deny his wife’s words. But fear entered his heart. So he said, “Then we can test him in another way.”
Then, at Pharaoh’s command, some precious stones, diamonds and pearls were brought in a vessel and burning coals in another vessel. Pharaoh said, “If it is the child, then he will certainly take the pearls in his hand, but will not touch the coals.”
His wife said, “He is only a foolish child, attracted by the brightness of the burning coals, so he will stretch out his hand to take them, he does not know that he will be burned in the fire.”
The two vessels were placed in front of the child Moses. He glanced at his mother, Asia, and raised his hand towards the pearl bowl. Asia was terrified. At that moment, the angel Gabriel pulled Moses' hand and placed it on the coal bowl. Then he took a piece of coal from the bowl and put it in his mouth. Asia ran and quickly took it out of his mouth, and said angrily, "Did I not tell you before that this is a foolish child?"
Thus, Allah passed Moses' test and created a situation in which he was raised without any problems in the house of the disbelievers. And so it happened, while the Hebrew sons were being killed all over the country, he was passing the age ladder in the comfort and care of the royal family. And Pharaoh and his wife also began to raise him with great enthusiasm.
However, Moses' tongue was severely damaged by the fire, so he could not speak clearly in adulthood. For this reason, when he received the prophethood, he asked his brother Aaron to be his assistant, so that his physical disability would not cause any deficiency in presenting the word of God to the people.
As a member of the royal family, Moses had the opportunity to receive all the higher education. As a result, he had the opportunity to develop himself as a righteous person. And perhaps: his own mother also carefully narrated to him the lives of his ancestors and the responsibilities and duties entrusted to them as God's chosen descendants, which may have: impressed him - made him aware of his responsibility - awakened a dream in his mind - 'When Moses reached maturity and maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the righteous.' - (28:14)
When Moses was thirty years old, a problem suddenly appeared in his life. Pharaoh had set himself on the throne of the people's lord and god. The Egyptians and some of the helpless Israelites also worshipped him as a god. Then, after Moses gained knowledge and wisdom, he began to tell people some of the true religion. Many became his followers. Then the servants told Pharaoh, "O Pharaoh! Moses is helping the people not to acknowledge you as a god. He says, "The Creator of the whole world is the only God, the Lord of all."
Hearing this, Pharaoh became very angry and Moses became his enemy. He might have issued an order to kill Moses openly. But his wife, thinking that she would hinder him from carrying out that order, planned to kill him secretly. But this secret plan of hers was also revealed. Bibi Asia said to him, "Did I raise him with love for his son to kill him? People are slandering him, and they have done so before."
Pharaoh said, "This time their statement about him is not completely false."
Then his wife pleaded with him, "Do not kill him. He is still a child, and as he grows older, his actions will certainly change."
At the request of his wife, Asiya, Pharaoh refrained from killing him, but he ordered him to be expelled from the city.
Due to the order to be expelled from the city, Moses stayed in various places outside the city and sometimes entered the city secretly. One day, when he entered the city, he saw an Egyptian oppressing an Israelite. The Israelite man saw Moses and asked for his help against the enemy. Then Moses stepped forward to help him. The Israelite said, “He wants to take the fuel I have collected by force.”
The Egyptian was Pharaoh’s chief cook. He ignored Moses and, to assert his authority, told Moses to say, “This fuel is being taken for the royal furnace.”
As Pharaoh’s adopted son, Moses was respected by everyone in the court, in the palace, and outside. Even the high-ranking officials respected him. So this Egyptian should have stopped this heinous act upon seeing him. However, he did not do so, but instead, he began to beat the Israelite with inhuman torture.
Moses became very angry. And he hit the Egyptian with a strong punch. With one punch, he knocked him down. Moses said to the Israelite, “Go, take your stick and go.”
Then the Israelite picked up his stick and left. And as he was leaving, Moses looked at the Egyptian. But what! The man had not yet risen! So Moses went forward to lift him up and then was astonished and afraid to see that with that one punch the Egyptian had already died.
Moses had no intention of killing the Egyptian. He had struck him with a punch to save the Israelite from oppression, but he died! Moses felt that the force of the punch was much less than that of the Egyptian. So he was saddened and regretted that the Egyptian had died because of his excesses and said, "This is the plan of Satan! He is an open enemy and a deceiver!" -(28:15)
Then he looked towards the sky and raised his hands and said to God, “My Lord! I have wronged myself, so forgive me.” Then He forgave him. Indeed, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. -(28:16)
Then Moses looked around and saw no one around him, so he quickly buried the body of the oppressor in the sand. Then he said to God, “My Lord! By Your favor upon me, I will never help a sinner.” -(28:17)
Moses left the scene.
No one else was present when the Egyptian was killed. Therefore, there was no fear of the murder being revealed. And the Israelite was not supposed to know about the death of the Coptic. And even if he had known, he was not supposed to reveal it, because the accident had happened while he was trying to save him. But still Moses was afraid and spent the night in that city, looking around in fear.
Moses always had a strong hope in his heart that his own people would always accept him as a savior and would always support him, but the next day's events made him realize how wrong his idea of the Israelites was.
Then he looked around in fear and it was morning in that city. (He heard) the man who had asked for his help the day before crying out for his help. Moses said to him, "You are clearly a quarrelsome man." -(28:18)
At this, the Israelite became suspicious, thinking that Moses was angry with him. So when Moses was about to kill the enemy of the two of them, [the Israelite thought that Moses was going to kill him], he said, “O Moses! Do you not intend to kill me as you killed a man yesterday? You are going to be a tyrant on earth, do you not intend to be a reformer?”-(28:19)
Hearing this from the mouth of the Israelite, Moses was afraid. He thought that the matter must have become known. Otherwise, how could he have known the secret matter? While he was thinking all this, at that time, the young man seized the opportunity and said to himself, “So this is it! Wait, I will show you how much rice you can get from a bushel of rice!”
Without any delay, the Egyptian king rushed to the court and informed Pharaoh about the murder.
Pharaoh was delighted to hear this accusation of murder against Moses. He immediately ordered his arrest. And upon receiving the order, the guards immediately scattered in search of him in the alleys of the city. And they began to say to themselves - "Where will this Moses escape after committing such a great crime?"
They placed a silent guard on the main roads of the city.
Meanwhile, Moses knew nothing about the arrest warrant. But when one of his well-wishers and a trusted official of Pharaoh, Joshua ibn Nun, learned of the official decision regarding Moses, he ran from the farthest edge of the city and said, "O Moses! Pharaoh's council is plotting to kill you. So go out. And I speak only for your good." (28:20)
He [Moses] went out in fear and trembling and said, "My Lord! Save me from the transgressing people." (28:21)
When Moses left Egypt [towards Midian], he had no means of travel with him and no idea of his destination. In that critical situation, he turned to Allah and said, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me." -(28:22)
The region to which Moses fled was the mountainous desert on the other side of the Red Sea. It is believed that he crossed the three-cornered Sinai Peninsula and went to Midian, near the Gulf of Aqaba in the east, where the descendants of Abraham and Keturah lived.
Midian is the plateau of Yemen or the eastern part of Jordan. This region was rich in dense forests along the seashore. For this reason, the inhabitants of this region or the Midianite community were called the Aiqa [the word Aiqa means a region adorned with dense trees]. After the destruction of the people of Lot, Allah destroyed these people of Aiqa. Because they were wicked and worshipped trees and gods. Allah had sent Prophet Shu'ayb to this community as a warner. But they rejected Shu'ayb, so destruction became their inevitable fate, as the people of 'Ad and Thamud, and the people of Lot and Noah were destroyed in the past.
The land of Syria. After traveling about eight miles (one mile = 16 miles), Moses reached the wilderness of Midian. Seven days had already passed. During these seven days, his only food was the leaves of the trees. He was walking forward with great hunger and fatigue. It was noon. At one point, Moses saw a well in the field. He went forward and reached the well and saw a group of shepherds standing there with their flocks. At that time, two girls went to the well to fill their jars with water. But some shepherds came forward and drove them away. Then they moved behind the shepherds and started driving their flocks. Seeing this, Moses went to the two girls and asked them, “What is the matter with you? -(28:23) Why do you stand in front of the flocks? Water them?”
The two girls, noticing Moses' attire, realized that the man was a foreigner - probably an Egyptian. They humbly confessed, "We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds have taken their flocks away." -(28:23) Then, noticing some further questioning in Moses' eyes, they added in a low voice, "We have no brothers, and our father is old, -(28:23) so he cannot do it himself. So we must take care of the flocks ourselves."
"That's the matter!"
Moses went forward and drove the shepherds away from the well. Then he single-handedly rolled away the heavy stone from the well's mouth and began to water their flocks. The two girls stood silently, amazed, watching his actions.
When the flocks had finished drinking, the girls drove them away and headed for their home. And Moses went back and took shelter under the shade of a nearby tree. Then he presented his condition and need before God and said, “My Lord! I only ask for whatever favor You will bestow upon me.”-(28:24)
The two daughters were the daughters of Prophet Shu’ayb. When they returned to their home, their father saw them returning home in the morning and asked, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”
They said, “Today an Egyptian saved us from the hands of the shepherds, and he also drew water for our sheep.”
Shu’ayb saw that the man had shown kindness and that he should be rewarded for it. So he said to them, “Where is the man? Why did you leave him? Call him and give him something to eat.”
While Moses was still sitting under the tree, hungry and tired, one of the two daughters came to him, limping in shame, and said, “My father has invited you to reward you for watering our flocks.” -(28:25) Hearing this from the girl, Moses understood that God's help had come. So he stood up without saying a word and followed the girl to their house.
The girl introduced Moses to her father. Then, at one stage of the conversation, Moses told their father all the events of his arrival here. During the break between serving food, the two daughters also listened to everything Moses said attentively. After hearing everything, Hazrat Shu'ayb also understood that Moses was homeless at this moment - he needed shelter. And he could have given Moses shelter as a guest if he wanted. But he understood that Moses would not accept this hospitality for fear of being strangled by others - he would leave. So, without making that offer, he only reassured Moses and said only this, 'Do not be afraid, you have been saved from the people who transgressed.'-(28:25)
The daughters knew and understood their father well. And they also had a good idea about Moses. But if he did not get shelter, Moses could be in danger in this unknown foreign land. Moreover, the two daughters did not want to lose Moses under any circumstances. So, the wise eldest daughter Saphara made a proposal to her father in a joyful voice, saying, 'O our father! Take him as a servant - he is strong and trustworthy. He will be good as your servant.'-(28:26)
Hearing this proposal from his daughter, Hazrat Shuaib realized that he liked this young man. And he also thought - it would be good if his daughter got married to this young man. He is a suitable match. Moreover, he was unresponsive to his daughter's proposal. So, without any hesitation, he chose the path of direct transaction - he proposed to Moses to marry one of his daughters - "I want to marry one of my two daughters to you on the condition that you work for me for eight years. If you want to complete ten years - you can do that too. I do not want to cause you any trouble. By Allah's will, you will find me a good man." - (28:27)
Moses understood that this proposal came by Allah's will. So he agreed to it, saying, “This is a covenant between you and me. If I complete either of these two terms, then I will have nothing to say against you. Allah is witness to what we have said.”-(28:28)
Moses married Safura, the eldest daughter of Prophet Shu’ayb, and according to the terms, he started herding the flocks of his father-in-law. Moses had two sons by this wife Safura.
In Midian, Moses completed the prescribed eight years of compulsory service and two years of optional service. That is, he lived the life of a shepherd for a total of ten years. Perhaps it was in Midian that Moses had the opportunity to meditate on his mother’s teachings and understand Egyptian education. Moreover, he gained a proper understanding of the life of the people of the desert, their food and water sources, which was very important. Later, this knowledge helped him to guide the Israelites during their long and difficult captivity in the wilderness. Of course, God's direct and indirect help was always there.
Pharaoh's servants were looking for Moses for the murder of an Egyptian. For this reason, he left Egypt. As a result of the passage of a long time, that fear no longer remained. So, after completing his term, he said to his father-in-law, Shoaib, "Now I want to return to Egypt, to my people."
Shoaib said, "You have completed your term. So now I have nothing to say. You can go whenever you want."
After receiving permission from his father-in-law, Moses set out for Egypt with his family. On the way, fearing mischief in the region of Syria, he left the known route and took an unknown route. It was winter. His wife Safura was pregnant, and her delivery was also near. When Moses lost his way and went to the west and right of Mount Tur, evening had fallen. So he pitched a tent and took shelter with his family in a place.
It was a bitter cold night. Meanwhile, in the middle of the night, his wife suddenly began to give birth. At that time, Moses wanted to light a fire. In those days, flint stones were used to light a fire. But Moses failed to light a fire using this stone. In this bewildered state, he suddenly came out of the tent and saw a fire in the direction of Mount Tur. Then he said to his wife, “Stay here, I have seen a fire. Perhaps I can bring you fire from there or find a way from there.” -(20:10)
Moses' wife, Safura, did not want him to leave her alone in the darkness of the desert. She called to him from inside and said, "You do not have to go anywhere tonight, stay with me."
Then Moses went inside and said to his wife, "Wait a moment, I have seen a fire, perhaps I can bring you news (midwives) from there, or a piece of burning wood so that you can light a fire." - (28:29)
Moses noticed the fire and moved towards Mount Tur. Then when he reached the fire, he saw an amazing sight. He saw a fire burning brightly on a fresh and green olive tree, but none of its branches or leaves were burned by the fire. Moses stood and enjoyed this amazing sight for some time and waited, thinking that if any spark of fire fell to the ground, he would pick it up. When this did not happen after some time had passed, he gathered some grass and straw, thinking that he could light it on fire so that he could take it with him.
As Moses continued to approach the fire with the straw in his hand, the fire moved back and forth from one branch of the tree to another. Moses looked at the fire in amazement and moved forward. Then a voice called to him from a tree in the sacred place on the right side of the valley, “O Moses!” -(20:11)
This voice was heard from all around. Moses did not see the source of its call and stood still. The voice came, 'I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed are those who are in the place of the light of the fire and around it. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. -(27:8-9)
I am your Lord, so take off your shoes, for you are now in the sacred valley of Toa. And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed to you.
I am Allah, there is no god but Me. So worship Me and establish prayer in remembrance of Me. The Hour (the Hour) is coming, and I intend to conceal it, so that every soul may be rewarded according to its deeds. So let not him who does not believe in the Hour, but follows his own desires, turn you away from it, lest you be destroyed. -(20:12-16) Bring Your people out of darkness into light and remind them of the past.'-(14:5)
Moses said, "My Lord! Expand my chest and make my task easy for them. Remove the stiffness of my tongue so that they may understand me. Grant me a helper from among my relatives, my brother Aaron. Strengthen my hand through him and grant him a helper so that we may glorify You and remember You much. You are the Knower of all that we are."-(20:25-35)
He said: O Moses, you have been granted what you asked for. I have bestowed upon you another favor. When I commanded your mother to put him in the ark and cast it into the sea, the sea would push him ashore. My enemy and his enemy would take him up. I have bestowed love upon you from Myself, so that you may be raised before My eyes.
When your sister came to you, she said: Shall I tell you who will take care of him? Then I returned you to your mother, that her eyes may be cool and she may not grieve.
You killed a man, so I relieved you of this worry; I tested you with much. Then you stayed among the people of Midian for a few years; O Moses, you came at the appointed time and I took you for Myself. -(20:36-41)
“O Moses! What is that in your right hand?”
He said: “This is my staff, on which I walk, and with it I drive the sheep, and there is much besides.” -(20:17-18)
This staff was the staff of Paradise. Adam brought this staff with him when he came down from Paradise. It had two branches on its top. Light would spread from these branches in the darkness. After Adam, the rod passed down from generation to generation among the descendants. After Prophet Moses married Saphara, the daughter of Shuaib, he received this rod as a gift from his father-in-law along with other things. After leaving Egypt with the Israelites for Palestine, when Moses died on the journey, the Israelites carried this sacred rod with the Tabernacle of the Testimony to their homeland.
He said, “O Moses, throw it!”
Then he threw it, and it immediately started running like a snake.-(20:19-20) And when it started running like a snake, it did not look back but kept running in the opposite direction. It was said to him, “Moses, go back, do not be afraid. You are safe.” -(28:31-35)
(When Moses returned) He said, “Take hold of it, fear not, I will restore it to its former state.”-(20:21)
Then he took it and it returned to its former state. Then He said, “Put your hand in your armpit, it will come out clean and bright.”
“Put your hands over your chest and fear no more.”
[Then He said] These are two signs from your Lord against Pharaoh and his chiefs. They are indeed a people who have rejected the truth.-(28:32) [So] go to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed.-(20:24)
Moses said, “My Lord, I have killed a man of theirs, so I fear that they will kill me. My brother is better in speech than I, so send him as my helper, he will support me. I hope that they will call me a liar.”
[He said] “I will strengthen your hand with your brother and give you both superiority. They will not harm you in the least. By My signs you and those who follow you will be victorious.”-(28:32-35) [So] go, you and your brother, with My signs and do not be negligent in My remembrance.-(20:41)
Moses returned to his wife with the prophethood. In the meantime, his wife Sappho had given birth to a son naturally and was anxiously looking back at the path, seeing that Moses was late in returning.
Moses entered the tent. He was happy to see his son in his wife's arms. He went forward and picked up the son. Then he explained everything to his wife in detail. Then when his wife recovered, one morning Moses and his family set out for Egypt.
Meanwhile, God had informed Aaron of Moses' arrival and whereabouts through a revelation. So he welcomed them and waited for them to go ahead by the main road leading into the city. Evening came, but Moses was not in sight. Finally, he waited until evening and returned, deciding to come again the next day.
Moses entered Egypt with his family. So when they reached the outskirts of the city, it was midnight. They left the main road and walked towards their home very secretly, relying on guesswork. At one point, they reached their door.
A very familiar door. Moses went forward and knocked softly on the door. The door opened. A maidservant stood at the door, watching them with curiosity. Moses introduced himself as a traveler.
The Israelites were descendants of the Prophet, hospitable. So they were welcomed and seated inside. Meanwhile, Aaron came to meet him with the news of the arrival of a traveler. When he saw Moses, he recognized him and hugged him. Meanwhile, Moses' mother also came running from inside with the news of Moses' arrival in her family. Moses explained everything in detail to his mother and his brother.
A big problem for Moses was to convince his people, the Israelites, that they could do this work and that they should do it. As a nation, they had already lost their purpose in life. Slavery had taken away their confidence and enthusiasm. Moses understood this. So he discussed this in detail with his brother Aaron.
Aaron first gathered the elders. And Moses told them all that God had said to them. And he performed the miracles before them, and said, "O my people! If you believe in God, then put your trust in Him."
When the elders heard that God had seen their suffering and remembered them, they bowed down to Him and said, "We put our trust in God, our Lord! Do not make us the oppressors of the wrongdoing people, and save us by Your grace from the disbelieving people."
Then Moses and Aaron told the rest of the Israelites this to encourage them, and to convince them that they should leave Egypt and that they could do so. But most of them did not listen to Moses, for fear of Pharaoh and his officials. Moses was disappointed and said in anger, "Our Lord! "Our Lord, by the splendor and wealth that You gave Pharaoh and his chiefs in the life of this world, they led people astray from Your path."
The Children of Israel used to worship in their appointed places of worship regularly. This was the order given to the nations before Moses. But Pharaoh's servants often destroyed their homes and places of worship. Therefore, most of the Israelites lived in tents.
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Seeing. Now He revealed to Moses and Aaron, "Build houses for your people in Egypt, and make your houses the Qiblah, and establish prayer, and give good news to the believers."
None of his people believed in them except a group, fearing persecution from Pharaoh and his chiefs. Indeed, Pharaoh was a tyrant and a transgressor in the land. Moses said, "O my people! If you believe in Allah, then rely on Him if you are Muslims."
Then they said, "In Allah we have put our trust. Our Lord! Do not make us a target for the wrongdoing people. And save us by Your grace from the disbelieving people."
We revealed to Moses and his brother, "Build houses for your people in Egypt, and make your houses the direction of prayer, and establish prayer, and give good news to the believers."
Moses said, "Our Lord! What You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs in this worldly life, they mislead (people) from Your path." (10:83-88)
Then Allah reminded Moses of the responsibility He had entrusted to him, saying, "Take My example, you and your brother, and do not be lazy in remembering Me. Go to Pharaoh, for he is transgressing. Speak to him kindly. Perhaps he will take admonition or fear." (20:42-44)
They said, "Our Lord! We fear that he will punish us as soon as we leave or that he will transgress unjustly."
He said, “Do not be afraid; I am with you. I hear and see. So go to him and say, ‘We are the messengers of your Lord, so let the Children of Israel go with us and do not harm them. We have come with a sign from your Lord, and peace to those who follow the guidance. Indeed, the message has been sent to us. Whoever denies or turns away, for him is the punishment.”-(20:45-48)
Moses and Aaron set out for Pharaoh’s palace at dawn to seek Pharaoh’s permission to leave Egypt with the Israelites. Then, when they reached the palace gate, the guard barred them from entering, saying, ‘Prove yourselves.’
Moses said, “We are the messengers of Allah.”
The gatekeepers were astonished. They have been worshipping Pharaoh as their god until now. So who is this god? So they said in a solemn voice, “Pharaoh is our Lord. We do not know of any god other than Him.”
The Egyptians worshipped Pharaoh as a god. This was not because Pharaoh had declared himself a god, and people worshipped him as a god out of fear of his punishment, but rather because that was their belief.
The Egyptians believed that it was not possible for any human being to possess the unlimited power of Pharaoh, only possible for the gods. For this reason, they themselves called Pharaoh "the greatest of gods." And they praised his virtues by saying, "He is the sun, illuminating everything with his light." In the temple, there was an idol of Pharaoh alongside the idol of the gods. Not only ordinary people but also high-ranking people would bow down to Pharaoh.
Of course, the priests also played a significant role in respecting Pharaoh as a god. They demanded obedience from the people to Pharaoh. They would say: "If you obey, you will receive the blessings of the gods, otherwise the gods will curse you. -Those who disobey the will of Pharaoh will be subject to drought, enemy attacks, and the punishment of the god Osiris."
The Egyptians believed that the priests served the gods, fed them - they took food in front of their idols, so they met the gods, they not only delivered the offerings to the gods, but also could offer the prayers of the people to them. For this reason, they listened to the gods; the gods gave instructions to the people through them. Therefore, the people accepted their words without question.
Moses told the guards about Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. But the guards refused to listen to him or Aaron. They had to stand in front of the palace. For
a long time, Moses and Aaron had to stand in front of the palace. Every morning they would stand in front of the palace and return in the evening. One day, a high-ranking official saw two men standing in front of the palace for a long time and, out of sheer curiosity, asked them their identity. Moses said, "We are the messengers of God. We have come to Pharaoh by His command, seeking his permission to free the Children of Israel from this land."
The servant was astonished at the firmness of Moses' statement, and he quickly informed Pharaoh of this, saying, "Two men named Moses and Aaron have come here with a matter that is truly astonishing. And they have been waiting for you for a long time in front of the palace, seeking to meet you."
Pharaoh was curious. So Moses and Aaron were brought before the court. Moses had sandals on his feet, a staff in his hand, and foreign clothes on his body. Pharaoh examined them carefully and asked them, "What is the purpose of your coming?"
They said, "The Lord of the worlds has sent us [to you] so that you may let the Children of Israel leave this land with us."
Pharaoh did not immediately allow the Israelites to leave Egypt, although their increase in number was a cause of concern to him and he was busy at the time reducing their number. For they were slaves and hundreds of thousands of slaves were a financial asset to him. Of course, Pharaoh did not want these people to rebel against him and win, nor did he want to voluntarily release this large population, who were servile to him for free. So he and his council, upon hearing Moses' speech, began to laugh and mock them.
Pharaoh and his council said, "How can we believe in two people like us who have been sent by the Lord of the worlds? Especially those whose people enslave us?"
Pharaoh Rameses II raised Moses, that is, Moses was his adopted son. But because of his long absence and unfamiliar appearance, he did not recognize him at first sight. Then, having recognized him, the cunning Pharaoh tried to undermine Moses' personality and morally weaken him, raising complaints about his people and personal life, saying, "Did we not raise you among us when you were young? Did you not spend many years of your life among us? And what you did! You are ungrateful." -With this statement, Pharaoh tried to make Moses understand by hinting that, “The killing of a person from the community in which he was raised and reached his youth is not only an injustice but also a sin and a blasphemy.”
Moses understood Pharaoh’s hint and understood what he was talking about. He said to himself, “You have issued an arrest warrant against me without any evidence for the murder of an Egyptian. Yet for a long time you have been killing countless Israeli women, men, and children. And that is not considered a crime in your eyes.”
Allah gave Moses the knowledge of the process of resolving these cunning arguments and objections of Pharaoh. So in response to his words, he said, "I did that when I was astray. Then when I feared you, I fled from you. Then my Lord gave me knowledge and made me one of the Messengers. This is your favor that you have made the Children of Israel slaves!
- O Pharaoh! I am a messenger sent by the Lord of the worlds. I have no right to say anything but the truth about Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I have brought you clear signs from your Lord. So let the Children of Israel go with me."
Pharaoh said, "O Moses! Who is your Lord? Who is the Lord of the worlds?"
In response, Moses introduced the identity of Allah by mentioning all His works that are pervasive in the entire creation and that no one can claim to have done by himself or any human being. He said, “He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if you believe.”
Pharaoh said to his people, “Do you hear?”
Moses said, “Your Lord is He who has given to everything its proper form and nature and guided it.”
Pharaoh said, “Then what will be the fate of the people of the past?”
Pharaoh was hoping that Moses would reply, “They are all sinners and of the Hellfire.” Then he would say to the Egyptians, “Look, how foolish he is! He thinks all your fathers, all the Egyptians, are of the Hellfire.” Then everyone would surely be angry with him. But Moses answered wisely, saying, “The knowledge of this is with my Lord in a Book. My Lord does not err or forget, who has spread out the earth for you and made for you paths in it. He sends down water from the sky and produces with it plants in pairs, one similar to the other. Eat and pasture your cattle; surely in this are signs for those who understand.”
Pharaoh said to the council, “This messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!”
Moses said, "He is the Lord of the East and the West and all that is between them, if you only knew!"
Pharaoh said, "If you take another god besides me, I will surely put you in prison."
Moses said, "Even if I bring you a clear sign?" Pharaoh
said, "If you have brought a sign, then produce it if you are truthful."
Then Moses threw his staff on the ground in front of Pharaoh's throne. At once it turned into a serpent and stood up. Pharaoh immediately raised his foot on the throne. The council cried out in alarm. Then Moses came forward and took hold of the serpent's tail - and immediately it became a staff again.
At this the council breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "This is magic!"
Having dismissed this sign as magic, Moses put his hand in the folds of his garment under his armpit to present his second sign. And when he took it out, it immediately appeared to the spectators as bright white. They said, “Both are magic like each other. We do not believe in either of them.”
Pharaoh had been watching Moses’ actions all this time attentively. His mind believed in the signs that Moses had brought as true. But he rejected the signs in the assembly out of injustice and arrogance and said to the leaders of the people, “I see that this is a master magician! He wants to expel you from your land. Now do you advise me?”
Moses said, “Why do you say this about the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? The magicians do not succeed.”
The people said, "Have you come to us to turn us away from the way we found our fathers? And that you two may be prominent in the land? We do not believe you two."
They said to Pharaoh, "Give him and his brother some respite. And send messengers from town to town. Let them bring before you all the magicians."
Pharaoh said, "O Moses! Have you come to us to drive us out of the land with your magic? We will do as you have done. So appoint a time for us to meet you. We will not be able to disobey you, nor will you."
Moses said, “Your appointed day is a day of festival, and the people will gather on that day at one o’clock in the afternoon.”
Pharaoh called his servants (the magicians) and said, “Bring to me the magicians of the night.”
Then he left the court.
On the appointed day, Moses and Aaron arrived at the appointed place at the appointed time. It was a day of festival, so a large number of people had already gathered. Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s magicians were also present. They were 72. At one point, Pharaoh said to the people, “Gather yourselves together so that if they humble themselves, we may support them.”
The scattered people gathered. Pharaoh pointed to Moses and Aaron and said to the magicians, “These two are indeed magicians, they intend to drive you out of the land with their magic and completely destroy your traditions and culture. So prepare your magic, then stand in formation. Whoever wins today will be the successful.”
“Whoever wins today will be the successful.”- At Pharaoh’s words, the magicians could not be sure whether they would receive a reward if they were victorious! So two of their representatives (Janni and Jambri) went to Pharaoh and said, “If we are victorious, will we receive a reward?”
He said, “Of course, and you will be very close to me.”
The magicians returned to their places and discussed among themselves and consulted secretly. Moses said to them, "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against God, lest He destroy you completely. And whoever invents a lie fails."
The magicians ignored Moses' statement. Then, to show their calmness and carelessness, they said to Moses, "O Moses! Will you throw first, or shall we throw?"
Moses replied politely, "Rather, you throw."
So the magicians began their work and threw their ropes and sticks on the ground at the same time and said, "By the honor of Pharaoh, we will surely be victorious."
When they threw, the people's eyes became bright and they became afraid, as if they were watching a feast. As a result of their magic, all the ropes and sticks seemed to become snakes and began to scurry around. At that moment, fear also entered Moses' heart. Then Allah gave him courage, saying, “Fear not, you will be the one who will prevail.”
So Moses said to the magicians, “What you have brought is magic, Allah will prove it false. Allah does not help the corrupters. He will establish His truth according to His word, even though the criminals may dislike it.”
Allah commanded Moses, “Throw your staff. It will swallow up what they have done. Wherever the magician is, he will not succeed.”
So Moses threw his staff. Before it could fall to the ground, it became a huge snake and stood up. Then it began to swallow their false creations one by one. Despite their efforts, the magicians could not sustain their creation, and Moses’ snake swallowed all the small and large snakes they had made with their magic. As a result, the truth was established and what the magicians had done was proven false. They were defeated there and humiliated.
After observing everything, the magicians firmly believed that this was not magic. If it was magic, Moses could not have destroyed their magic like this. A revolutionary change took place among them. They immediately prostrated themselves to Allah. The people present were amazed at their actions and looked at them with inquiring eyes. Seeing this, they declared, 'We believe in the Lord of the worlds, who is the Lord of Moses and Aaron.'
Hearing the words of the magicians, Pharaoh's mind started to think quickly. He was thinking about how to confuse the people present before they believed in Moses and at the same time punish Moses. He quickly made a decision. Then, like a cunning and wise politician, he accused Moses and the magicians of rebellion. He said to the magicians, 'What! You believed in him before I gave you permission? Surely this (pointing to Moses) is your leader who taught you magic. You have plotted to drive the people of the city out. This is a plot indeed! Well, you will soon know the result! I will surely cut off your hands and feet from opposite sides, then crucify you all. Then you will know which of us (him or Allah) is more severe in punishment and how long it will last.'
One of the two representatives of the magicians said firmly, 'We will not give you preference over the clear proof that has come to us and over the One who created us. So do what you wish. You can only rule in this worldly life. We have believed in our Lord. May He forgive us our sins and the magic we used to oppress you. Allah is Good and Ever-Forgiving.'
The other said in anger, 'We will return to our Lord. When the sign of our Lord comes to us, we will believe in it. You are only accusing us of this.' He prayed and said, 'Our Lord! Grant us patience and let us die as Muslims.'
Moses returned with his people. They said to him, 'What will happen now?'
He said, 'Seek help from Allah and be patient. The world is Allah's. He makes whomever He wills inherit from His servants, and the righteous will have a good end.'
They said, 'We have been wronged before you came to us and after you came to us.'
He said, 'Your Lord will soon destroy your enemy and make you their successors in the land. Then He will see what you do.'
When Moses had gone, the chiefs of the Copts said to Pharaoh, 'Will you let Moses and his people rule the kingdom or will you and your gods be abandoned?'
Pharaoh said, "We are stronger than them, we will kill their men and save their women." He called an unscheduled meeting in his court.
In a meeting convened by Pharaoh to review the situation arising from Moses' victory and discuss the process of mitigating its side effects, he said to his council, "Permit me to kill Moses, and then let him seek refuge with his Lord. Let us see how his Lord protects him. Otherwise, I fear that he will change your religion or spread corruption in the land." (40:25-26) Pharaoh now completely suppressed his previous statement of killing the men while sparing the Israelite women. Because the order to kill the sons of the Israelites and keep the daughters alive was already in effect. So now killing their men would create chaos in the kingdom. Moreover, they were already a financial asset for him - free slaves. Now it was a reward for him that the problem was not Moses' forces but Moses himself.
Pharaoh's wife, Bibi Asia, was sitting nearby. He had already joined the group of believers by believing in Moses. Now, hearing Pharaoh's plan to kill Moses, he said, "Will you kill a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,' while he has come to you with clear proof from your Lord? If he is a liar, his lie will be upon him, and if he is truthful, then some of what he has said will befall you. Indeed, Allah does not guide the transgressing, lying people. O my people! Today you are the king in the land, you are the ones who move about in it; but who will protect us if the punishment of Allah comes upon us?" (40:28-29)
Bibi A'isha, "O my people! I fear for you a Day of distress like that of the people before you, like the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud, and those after them. Allah does not intend to do injustice to His servants. O my people! I will cry out to you with a loud cry. We fear a Day when you will turn your backs, but you will have no protector against Allah. He whom Allah leads astray, for him there is no guide. Joseph came to you before with clear proofs, but you were in doubt about what he brought. Then, when he died, you said, "Allah will not send after him any messenger." Thus does Allah lead astray the transgressors, the doubters. Those who dispute about the verses of Allah without any authority that has come to them, that is very displeasing to Allah and to the believers. Thus does Allah set a seal on the heart of every arrogant, tyrant." (40:30-35)
Pharaoh said to his people, "I make clear to you only what I understand, and I guide you only to the best path."
Bibi Aasia said, "O my people, follow me. I will guide you to the right path. O my people, this worldly life is only a pastime, and the Hereafter is the permanent home. Whoever does evil will only be repaid like it, and whoever does good, male or female, while he is a believer, they will enter Paradise. There they will be provided without measure." (40:38-40)
The chiefs of the Coptic community said, “Pharaoh is our Lord. We submit to him. And you must return to him and to our people.”
Bibi Asiya said, “O my people! What is the matter? I call you to salvation, and you call me to Hell! You call me to deny Allah and associate with Him that for which I have no proof. I call you to Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Exalted in Power. There is no doubt that what you call me to has no call in this world or the Hereafter. To Allah is our return, and the transgressors are the ones who will be in Hell. You will remember what I tell you. I submit my matter to Allah. Indeed, the servants are in the sight of Allah.”-(40:41-44)
Pharaoh said, “O my people! Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? "Do you not see that these rivers flow beneath my feet? Am I not better than this wretched Moses, who cannot speak clearly? If he is a prophet, why is he not given a golden bracelet, and why does not an angel accompany him?" Thus did Pharaoh deceive his people. They believed him. Indeed, they were a people who rejected the truth. -(43:51-54)
The woman said, "My Lord! Build for me a house near You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his evil deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people." -(66:11)
Pharaoh said, "O Haman, burn bricks for me and build for me a towering palace so that I may look at the God of Moses from there. But I think he is telling a lie." -(40:36-37)
Pharaoh wanted to put the woman to death. But he could not do so.
Pharaoh and his advisor Haman strongly refused to let the Israelites go with Moses and ordered the taskmasters, "You burden them with heavier work, So that they will not listen to false words and be busy with their work.'
After this instruction, the taskmasters instructed the Hebrews - 'Not only will you make more bricks, but from now on you will have to collect the straw that was given to make bricks until now.'
Then they complained to Pharaoh and said, 'We are not being given any straw, yet we are being asked to make more bricks.'
Pharaoh said, 'You are really lazy, very lazy. Go, go, work.'
The Hebrew managers realized that they were in danger. So they said angrily to Moses and Aaron, 'You are responsible for our situation. You have made us a stench in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants. That is why they have turned their backs on us and have been extremely harsh with us.'
In this situation, neither Moses nor Aaron could convey any message of hope to the people. So the Israelites realized that there was no way out. So, fearing persecution, they scattered around to collect stubble instead of straw. Seeing their plight, Moses prayed to God, "Our Lord! Destroy their wealth and seal their hearts. They will not believe until they see the severe punishment."
He said, "The prayer of both of you has been accepted, so be strong, and do not follow the path of those who do not know." (10:89)
In the last verse, Allah, along with the good news of the acceptance of their prayer, warns Moses and Aaron that they should be engaged in the work entrusted to them and that even if the response to the acceptance of their prayer is delayed, they should not be in a hurry like the ignorant. After about forty years, the response to the acceptance of the prayer was manifested.
By imposing hard labor on the Israelites, Pharaoh's advisor Haman made them make a lot of bricks. At the same time, he recruited fifty thousand masons to build the high palace that Pharaoh desired. The number of those who did labor, woodwork, and ironwork was in addition to this. The palace was built so high that there was no other like it in the world at that time. After Pharaoh drowned in the Nile, this palace was destroyed by an earthquake. was destroyed.-..And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built and We destroyed what they had erected.-(7:137)
Meanwhile, after all the efforts of Moses to obtain Pharaoh's consent to leave Egypt with the Israelites failed, God struck Pharaoh's resistance for forty years in order to break his resistance. Before each of these blows, He sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to obtain his consent. After each blow, Pharaoh allowed the Hebrews to go, but whenever Moses averted the blow with God's permission, he changed his mind, until a more severe blow was struck.
After the Egyptians suffered from hunger in the first blow of the flood, by God's mercy, the land produced abundant crops for several years. Then abundance suddenly returned to their homes. Then they thought that it was the grace of the gods. So to please them Pharaoh's officials proclaimed everywhere: 'You are to worship your own gods with pride.' Thus, worship began to be organized all over the country. At
that time, various gods and goddesses were worshipped in Egypt. Some gods were reserved for specific areas and communities, and some for the general public. The powers of their gods were also believed to be limited. For example, gods related to the afterlife and the celestial sphere, gods who created the body, gods who gave life to the body, gods who determined life span, gods who removed suffering and pain, gods who provided sustenance, etc. And the sun god was at the top of the gods and goddesses.
The Egyptians believed that the sun god was responsible for the care of humans and other creatures. And the person who held the throne was a reflection of this god. Therefore, the responsibility and right to care for the entire world belonged to the ruler of Egypt. For this reason, those who held the throne were called 'Pharaoh', which later became Pharaoh.
Pooja arrangements are being made everywhere. Everyone is busy worshipping their respective gods. The temple of Thebes is also decorated for this occasion. Because it is the main religious temple of the country. The path made between the rows of sphinx statues on both sides leads to the entrance of this temple. The statue of the pharaoh is placed in front of the temple, its height and size are 5-6 times larger than the size of a human. To enter the temple premises, one has to enter through a narrow door between two minarets.
At the end of the premises, there is a huge, dark hall. The roof of that room is supported by many pillars. Some of these pillars look like papyrus trunks, some like palm tree trunks, and some look like flower buds slowly blooming on the top of a tree trunk. The height of each pillar is 23 meters. On the roof, a golden starry sky is painted on a dark blue background. And on the towers, walls and pillars were carved huge statues of Pharaoh and various gods with the heads of various animals.
Moses, observing the actions of the Egyptians, said to Allah, 'O Allah! These fools are thanking Your mercy and grace to those idols. They have not learned anything from Your punishment!'
So Allah struck Pharaoh and his supporters with a second plague of locusts so that they might understand - and so that they might return to the right path. But they were a disbelieving and sinful people. So they were plagued by each plague for a certain period of time, while the Israelites remained safe - but they did not try to understand anything, but their arrogance remained. As a result, they were hit one after another, each of which was stronger than the previous one.
In response to these plagues upon the Egyptians and the reaction of Pharaoh and his supporters, the Quran says: “We afflicted Pharaoh’s supporters with famine and scarcity of food so that they might understand. Whenever good befell them, they said, ‘This is what we deserve.’ And whenever evil befell them, they blamed Moses and his companions. Their good and their bad are in the hands of Allah, but most of them do not know. They said, ‘No matter what sign you bring us to conjure us, we will not believe you.’
Then We afflicted them with floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood. These were clear signs, but they were arrogant. And they were a sinful people. Every sign We showed them was better than the previous one. We punished them so that they might return (to the right path).-(43:48)
And when the punishment came to them, they said, "O Moses! Pray for us to your Lord. If You remove the punishment from us as You have promised us, we will believe in you, and we will send the Children of Israel with you."
Whenever the punishment was removed from them for a specified term, they broke their promise. So We took revenge on them. And We made the people who were considered weak inheritors of Our blessed kingdom (Palestine), the eastern and the western (Jordan River).-(7:130-137)
Abraham gave God his firstborn son, Ishmael, in return for God's love for him. God took away that gift but returned it in mercy. But Pharaoh, disbelieving in God and rejecting His mercy, was acting arbitrarily by killing all the Hebrew male children. So God now withdrew His mercy from the unbelieving Egyptian people. As a result, all their firstborn [human and animal] children returned to God.
In the early hours of the night, such a tragic event occurred that every Egyptian house, even Pharaoh's palace, was filled with weeping. This incident spread intense fear in every house in the country. The survivors thought that they too might die. And so the Israelites were allowed to leave the country. That night, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to the palace and said, 'Get the Israelites out of my people before I change my mind. And pray for us.'
God had told Moses in advance about the permission of Pharaoh and ordered him to celebrate the Passover. After receiving permission to leave the country, God's command came to Moses, 'Take my servants and go out tonight, and take a dry road for them through the middle of the sea. Do not be afraid that someone will come and overtake you from behind, do not be afraid.' -(20:77)
After this command, Moses organized the Israelites that night and began preparing for the journey. The Israelites were excited and anxious at this time due to the joy of liberation. They ate the Passover meal in a hurry. They were wearing clothes wrapped around their waists, shoes on their feet, and staffs in their hands.
First, Moses searched for the body of Joseph, which was kept in a coffin. When leaving Egypt, Prophet Joseph had made the Israelites promise to take his body with them. And Moses was a prophet and a messenger. So he was fully aware of the accounts of the previous prophets and the responsibility entrusted to him.
Moses asked the elders, 'Which of you can find the body of Joseph?'
None of them could provide any complete information. At that time, an old woman said, 'I can find it.'
Moses- 'Then take me there quickly.'
The old woman- 'I cannot do that until a decision is made about me.'
Moses- 'What is the decision about you again?'
The old woman- 'This promise that you will not go to heaven without taking me.'
Hearing this outrageous demand, Moses was speechless. At that time, Gabriel came and said, 'This old woman has complete faith in Allah, in the previous prophets, in the Hereafter and in you. After all, she is the only woman who has found the body of Joseph. So her status is not low in the sight of Allah.'
So Moses said to the old woman, 'Who will enter Paradise and who will not? It is in the hands of Allah alone to decide. But I say, if my name is on the list of those fortunate ones, your name will also be there.'
The old woman said, 'All praise is due to Allah alone. Now come with me.'
The Ark of Joseph's body was carefully preserved for the purpose of returning to the homeland. But as time passed and its caretakers died, the Israelites became completely ignorant of this Ark.
The old woman accompanied Moses and stopped near a small pond. Then she pointed with her finger and said, "If you water this pond and dig up the ground, you will find the Ark of Joseph's body."
At Moses' command, the people began to water and eventually they lifted the Ark from the ground.
Most of the Israelite women never fully trusted Moses. They had prepared to leave with their families, but they never wanted to believe wholeheartedly that their journey was permanent. For this reason, when they left, they were able to easily impress the Egyptians with their own beliefs and convince them that they were not leaving permanently, that they were only going to celebrate a religious festival and would soon return. And they asked them for gold and other gifts on condition that they would return them when they returned.
There was great enthusiasm among all. For they realized that their opportunity for a great change had now come. The answer to their heartfelt prayers to God had come, the long four hundred and thirty years of captivity had ended. They were now free and on their way to the 'Promised Land'.
The Israelites, including women and children, were ready to leave, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Moses organized this large group with their provisions for a quick journey. Then he set out with them in the middle of the night and advanced through the desert towards the Red Sea.
Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave, but the next morning he realized his mistake when his servants came and told him, 'O Pharaoh, all the Israelites left Egypt at night under the leadership of Moses.'
Then Pharaoh thought to himself, 'What have I done? I have lost all my servants!' He immediately decided to pursue the Israelites and then sent heralds to the cities to gather troops from each region.
That morning, Pharaoh announced in every city: 'The Israelites must be captured. They will not be allowed to leave the country. They have caused us trouble and anger. Moreover, it is not difficult to capture them. - 'The Israelites are a small group, and they are harassing us, while we are many in number and strong enough.' - (26:53-56)
When the Egyptians learned that the Israelites had left the country, they were also angry. Because they had asked for their ornaments to be returned. And so they quickly armed themselves with weapons and prepared for war.
Thus Pharaoh hastily prepared his army and chariots for battle. And the next morning he pursued the Israelites with about seven hundred thousand men, including seventy thousand horsemen. And they pursued them at sunrise.-(26:60) Thus God drove Pharaoh's host out of their gardens and fountains, and [drove] them out of their treasures and pleasant places.-(26:57-58) They are going to certain death, but they do not know it. They left behind so many gardens and fountains, so many fields and pleasant places, so many means of pleasure, in which they used to talk. Thus it was.-(44:25-28)
The route from Egypt to Canaan was along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the northeast. This familiar route was usually used by travelers. Moses did not take this route, because it would have taken them directly into the land of the Amalekites. They were a barbaric, idolatrous, fierce, and warlike tribe. And he knew that Pharaoh was in pursuit. The attack of the Amalekites in front and the army of Pharaoh in the rear would have brought the inexperienced Israelites and their families to the gates of Hell. Moreover, God must have some plan that he did not know. So Moses followed the path God had indicated without a word.
When the Israelites reached the mouth of the sea at the end of the third day's journey, it was almost evening. And then the two groups saw each other. The Israelites saw that they were trapped. The sea was on either side of them, the mountains on one side, and Pharaoh's army behind them. Moses' loyal companions exclaimed, 'We are caught.'
Moses said, "By no means! With me is my Lord; He will guide us." (26:60-62)
In this situation, the Israelites, having reached the threshold of certain death, became angry and said, "O Moses, was there no burial place in Egypt that you have brought us to kill us in this wilderness?"
Others said, "O Moses! Was it not better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this wilderness?"
Some of the Israelites wanted to kill Moses, while others prepared to return to Egypt. In this situation, Moses waited patiently for God's command. Then We commanded Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff." As a result, it split apart and each piece became like a huge mountain. We brought the other party there.-(26: 63-64)
Meanwhile, Pharaoh and his army reached the sea shore and saw the sea water parting in two, forming a path in the middle like mountains on both sides, and the Israelites were crossing the sea on foot.
Pharaoh's army stopped and stood in awe, watching this strange sight. Pharaoh said to them proudly, 'This is my glory.'
Out of anger, he immediately drove his chariot into the sea, and his army followed him. But they could not reach the Israelites. As soon as they entered the sea, the water of the sea came to them from both sides and covered them.-(20:78) The heavens and the earth did not cry for them, nor did they find respite.-(40:29)
Meanwhile, when Pharaoh began to sink, he became afraid and believed in Allah and said, "I believe, there is no god but Allah, in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am among those who submit to Him." (10:90)
Allah accepts the repentance of a servant until the breath of death begins. That is, the angel comes to take his life. This is the moment when the rules of the Hereafter begin for that servant. Therefore, no deed (faith or disbelief) at that time is acceptable. As a result, it is not accepted, because it is said in the Quran: "On the Day of Resurrection, (that Pharaoh) will advance at the forefront of his people and will lead them to Hell." (11:98) And so Allah rejected him and said, "Now you say this! You were disobedient before and were of the misguided. So I will preserve you by your dead body, that you may be a sign to those who come after you. But most of mankind are heedless of My signs.' (10:91-92)
Thus the Israelites crossed the sea safely and entered the Arabian Peninsula. And they were delivered from slavery and death. Most of them were grateful to God for everything that happened to them. But even after crossing the sea, a group of the Israelites did not lose their fear of Pharaoh. Then Moses told them, 'Pharaoh has drowned.'
They said, 'We will not believe until we see his body with our own eyes.' So God made his body float on the water and the waves carried it to the shore. Then the Israelites saw Pharaoh's body with their own eyes, and their fear was gone.
Meanwhile, the Pharaoh's body was retrieved by his servants and they mummified him in the Necropolis cemetery of Thebes, directly across the Nile from Luxor in Egypt - away from public view. The mummy is currently preserved in the Egyptian Museum, in the Royal Mummy Chamber. Thus God kept the Pharaoh's body on display for thousands of years for future generations to learn from this event.
As soon as they crossed the sea and entered Arabia, the great task of leaving Egypt was completed. In fact, it marked the beginning of the Hebrews as a nation. They were no longer a brotherhood with a limited purpose, but now a great people. A new nation for God's special work.
During their stay in Egypt, the Israelites learned much about the social, political, commercial and cultural life of the Egyptians. Living in that advanced country, they became skilled in many things. Being oppressed together, they learned to share their sorrows and labors. Moreover, they came to know the religious truth. In contrast to the shallow and meaningless religion of the Egyptians, which worshipped animals and gods, they clearly understood the power and might of their faith in one God.
The route the Israelites were taking was not a short one to Canaan. Moses told the Israelites that they were to go through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, to Mount Sinai, and from there north to the Promised Land of Canaan.
At one point in their journey, they came across a people who were idolaters. They saw their gods and were immediately drawn to idolatry. They saw how beautiful a sight they were worshipping, while there was no God before them.
And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea. Then they came across a people who were idolaters. They said, 'O Moses! Make for us a god like their god.'
Moses said, 'You are a foolish people. What they are doing will be destroyed, and what they are doing is also baseless.' -(7:138-139)
But the people could not get rid of the matter. They brought the matter up to Moses again. Then Moses became angry and said, "What! Shall I seek for you other gods than Allah, when He has given you superiority over the worlds?" (7:140) Then he realized that it was useless to be angry with this foolish people and to explain to them. So he softened the Surah and said, "Remember when Pharaoh's people were punishing you with the worst punishment, killing your sons and sparing your women. And Allah delivered you from them. In that was a great trial from your Lord for you." (7:141)
At that time, Moses' wife, children and father-in-law came to meet him from Midian. His father-in-law, Shu'ayb, noticed that every morning when he had pitched his tent and was resting, people came to Moses for judgment and stood around him with their complaints until evening. Seeing this, he said to him, "If you continue like this, you will grow weary."
Moses said, "The people come to me to know the will of God. I settle their disputes and explain the laws and instructions of God."
He said, "Rather, you should choose some people as leaders who are honest and responsible. Then teach them the laws and regulations. Then appoint them according to their qualifications as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Those who are leaders of tens will take care of small matters. And the leaders will take action according to the importance of the problem. On the other hand, you will only deal with special problems. On the one hand, you will get rest and can pay close attention to important matters."
Then, on the advice of his father-in-law, Moses divided the Israelites into groups and sub-groups and selected a leader for each group. Thus, leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens were appointed. It was agreed that they would deal with small problems, and Moses would only deal with special matters.
After crossing the vast wilderness of the Wilderness of Sin, the Israelites finally approached Mount Sinai in the third month. At that time, Gabriel informed Moses of his departure to bring the Law. He said that during the thirty nights of intense prayer and worship of the Most Gracious God at a certain place on Mount Sinai, he would be given a Book - to complete the favor upon the righteous, and to explain everything in detail, and to guide and mercy - so that they may believe in the meeting with their Lord.
So Moses entrusted the responsibility to his brother Aaron, saying, "You will represent me among the people in my absence, and you will deal well with the people, and you will not follow those who do mischief." (7:142)
Then he left everyone behind and set out for Mount Tur alone to bring justice. And Aaron continued to lead the Israelites. At one point, the Israelites reached a distance from the foot of Mount Sinai and camped there.
Mount Sinai. This mountain is a place of wonder and devotion. There are many mountains and peaks on this mountain. Coming to take justice according to the promised time, Moses reached the foot of this mountain. It was silent, the last rays of the sun were spreading over different parts of the mountain. A supernatural sight. Moses reached the appointed place according to the promised time and waited for the instructions.
And when Moses came to the appointed place at the appointed time, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord! Show me that I may see You."
He said, "You will never see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its place, you will see Me."
When his Lord shone upon the mountain, it crumbled and Moses fell down helpless. When he regained consciousness, he said, "Praise be to You! I have turned to You in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (7:143)
Allah gave Moses the law. This long and extensive law, which was revealed to Moses for the Israelites, can be divided into three parts.
(a) The moral law: which is briefly described in the Ten Commandments.
(b) The social law: This part contains social laws, such as the application of property laws, the rules of the court, the punishment of criminals, etc. Here too there is much detail.
(c) Religious rites and ceremonies: These contain detailed descriptions of worship, such as sacrifices, rules for observing the Law, the holy months, and many other such matters. These commandments cover every aspect of the life of this new nation whose sole purpose is to carry forward the trend of monotheism.
Moses was separated from his followers on Mount Sinai for a total of 40 days while giving the Law. "And We appointed for Moses thirty nights, and then joined him for ten more. Thus the term of his Lord was completed forty nights." (7:142) The addition of ten nights is probably because Moses was commanded to fast at the time of the Law, and after fasting for a month, he broke his fast without God's permission.
After God had destroyed many previous nations, He gave Moses the Book, which was a source of knowledge, guidance and mercy for mankind, so that they would remember.-(28:43) The giving of this law by God to Moses is not only the most important event in Hebrew history, but one of the most important events in history. It would be impossible to estimate the importance of this law in human history. It was extremely important for the Israelites, and indeed for the entire human society, and it was the final word of God that must be obeyed. They have been given importance as a spiritual duty of man. They are still a part of the laws and customs of the people of every country today.
After giving the book, God explained to Moses all the details of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. Then He gave him the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, which were made of stone and on both the backs of which He had engraved the commandments. Finally, He said, 'O Moses! We have given you the message and spoken to you, and have made you excel among the people. So take what We have given you and be blessed. And We have written for you on the Tablets a reminder of everything and a clear explanation of everything. So hold fast to them and command your people to accept. I will soon show you the abode of the disbelievers.'-(7:144-145)
But O Moses! Why did you come before me, leaving your people behind?'
Moses said, 'They are following me. And my Lord! I have come to You in haste, that You may be pleased.'
He said, 'We have tested your people after you came, and Samaritan has led them astray.'-(20:83-85) So O Moses! Go down now, do not delay.'
Then when Moses stood up with the Book and the Tablets in his two hands, Then God said, "Hold fast to what I have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may be careful." (2:92)
Moses quickly descended the mountain. Then he approached the camp and saw the calf and the people dancing.
During Moses' long absence, the Israelites did an incredible thing. Not knowing what had happened to him, they decided to leave the mountain. Many of them even wanted to return to Egypt. Therefore, they wanted a god to lead them at any cost. So they made a golden calf and worshiped it. Unfortunately, Aaron failed to stop them at this time. The
Samaritans played a leading role in the matter of the god. He was able to convince the Israelites that the gold they had taken from the Egyptians was someone else's property. Therefore, it was unlawful for them, and it must be taken away from them. Then the Israelite women brought all the gold ornaments that they had asked the Egyptians who were with them to return, and they threw them into a pit. Then fire was thrown into it in the presence of Aaron so that the gold melted and became a censer. Aaron said to the assembly, 'Moses will come back and take further action regarding this gold.'
The girls were watching the outcome of the ornaments with broken hearts. And some of the enthusiastic crowd was making noise. At that time, Samari said to Harun, "Shall I throw these too?"
Harun thought that he might have some ornaments of the Egyptians in his hands, so he ordered them to be thrown. Samari said, "May my wish be fulfilled." I will throw them only if you pray for me in this sense - not otherwise."
Harun was not aware of Samari's hypocrisy and disbelief. So he prayed. Then he threw the object in his hand into the fire. In fact, he did not have any ornaments in his hand, but some soil from under the feet of the angel Gabriel. He witnessed this amazing event that grass immediately grew where the feet of Gabriel's horse fell on the ground. This made him understand that the soil under his feet contained the pulse of life. Out of sheer curiosity, he collected some of the clay and kept it with him. Then, when the gold he had asked for from the Egyptians was set on fire, Satan induced Samari to throw this clay into it. He had a desire in his mind that in Aaron's absence, he would use this gold to make a god like the god of the Egyptians. And in order to fulfill his desire, he also used Aaron's prayer.
When Aaron left the place, Samari, with the help of others present, made a god in the shape of a calf (the Egyptian god Opish) with the gold. Because of the clay from the hooves of Gabriel's horse that Samari had thrown into the fire, this idol of a god began to behave like a living cow and even to call out in a low voice.
Samari said, 'This is God. Moses went to Mount Tyre to talk to him, and now he has appeared here in the flesh.'
Hearing the words of Samaritan, the people began to worship it with great enthusiasm. But they did not see that it did not speak to them, nor show them any way. Nevertheless, they began to disobey it. Indeed, they were transgressors.
During a three-day festival, the people sacrificed animals at the feet of the golden calf in preparation for the journey. When Aaron saw that a large part of the Israelites had started worshipping the idols of cows and calves because of Samaritan, he went to them and said, 'This is not your god, but misguidance has overtaken you. This is only an idol made of ornaments. Your god is the Most High God.'
They said, 'Where has Moses gone? He left us for thirty days. Now forty days are about to pass.'
Aaron could not answer this question either. Samaritan said, 'He has forgotten the way, he needs to be searched for.'
Aaron said, "Listen to me if you wish to be guided. O my people! You are only being tested by this. Your Lord is Most Merciful. So follow me and obey me."
But most of them did not listen to him. They declared, "We will not turn away from worshipping Him until Moses returns." -(20:90-91)
In this situation, Aaron was bewildered. Completely helpless, he separated himself from the errant Israelites with a group of them and waited for Moses to return. During
Moses' brief absence in the wilderness of Sin, the Israelites disobeyed Moses' command and made and worshipped idols. This act proved how deeply they had become addicted to Egyptian idols. Such an act, at any time, was a capital sin. Moreover, it was at the very foot of Mount Sinai, when Moses was being given the Book, that his people were being convicted of idolatry. It was truly a great tragedy for the Israelites to commit this sin at this time. As a leader, Moses had to deal with all these problems. The extraordinary patience, wisdom and selflessness that Moses displayed in leading this complaining and rebellious multitude is undoubtedly a model of great leadership in history.
At this critical juncture, Moses returned to the Israelites. He came and saw their sins. When he saw them doing so after a delay of only ten days, he said in anger and sorrow, "How many evil things have you done in my absence? Why did you hasten to bring about the command of your Lord?" (7:150) "O my people! Did not your Lord make a good promise? Has His promise been delayed, or did you desire the wrath of Allah upon you, and so did you break the promise of Allah?"
They said, "We did not break our promise to you willingly; but we were burdened with the ornaments of the people, and we threw them into the fire, as did the Samaritans. Then he made for them a calf that made a sound like a cow. He said, 'This is your god and the god of Moses, but Moses has forgotten.'
Moses said, 'Do you not see that it does not respond to you, nor does it have the power to do you any harm or good?'-(20:86-89)
Moses called his brother Aaron to him. He thought that his brother had not fulfilled his duty, so why this misdeed? He became very angry with Aaron. He said to him in a harsh voice, 'What prevented you from following me when you saw them going astray? Did you then disobey my command?'-(20:92-93)
Blinded by anger, Moses threw down the tablets in his hands. Then, in anger, he grabbed Aaron's beard and hair. Aaron said to him in a very soft voice, 'O my brother! Listen to me, and leave my beard and hair. I feared that you would say, 'You have caused division among the Children of Israel, and you have not given due weight to my words.'-(20:94) O my brother! The people almost killed me, thinking me weak! Do not do to me that which the enemy may rejoice in, and do not include me among the transgressors.'-(7:150)
"O brother! I did not neglect my duty. I tried to stop them. But they did not listen to me. And at that time, if I went to answer their arrogance, there would be division among the Children of Israel, and this was what I feared the most. So I waited for your return. I believed that you would be able to return them to the right path. For this reason, I did not overdo it."
Moses' anger subsided at Harun's words. He realized that he was not the real culprit in this matter. Samaritan was the culprit. So he immediately summoned him. Samaritan also came forward. Seeing him, Moses asked, "O Samaritan! What is your matter?"
He said in awe, "None of them saw what I saw at that time. I saw Gabriel. And at that time, I took a handful of dust from his footprints. Then I threw it into the fire. And my soul prompted me thus.-(20:95-96) Then when a god was made of it in the form of a calf, it came to life and lowed like an ox. And the people began to worship it.'
When Samari was born, Pharaoh's order to kill all Israelite male children was in force. Fearing to see her son killed by the soldiers before her eyes, his mother put him in a hole in the forest and covered him from above. At that time, Gabriel looked after him by God's command. That is perhaps why she saw Gabriel among them and recognized him. After crossing the sea, when they approached Mount Sinai, Gabriel came riding on horseback to tell Moses to go to Mount Tur to bring the law.
However, when Moses heard Samari's words, he became very angry. He wanted to kill him. But Gabriel forbade him to do so because of his past actions. He had played a major role in organizing the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. So Moses said to the Samaritan with hatred, 'Go away! And it is decreed for you that you will say to everyone during your lifetime, 'I am untouchable,' and for you is a term that will not be changed. And look at your god whom you were busy worshipping, and we will burn him up. Your god is only Allah, you have no god but Him, and He knows all things.'-(20:97-98)
Moses snatched the calf from the Israelites and burned it in the fire. Gold does not burn in fire but because the calf came to life because of the dust of Gabriel's feet, it burned to ashes.
Moses mixed this ash with water and fed it to all the worshippers, including the Samaritans. Then he prayed to Allah, saying, "My Lord! Forgive me and my brother. Give us refuge, and You are the Most Merciful."
He said, "Those who take the calf as a god, upon them will be wrath from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world. Thus do We punish the slanderers. But those who do evil and then repent and believe, then indeed, your Lord, after repentance, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
When Moses' anger subsided, he took up the tablets. In them was written guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord.-(7:151-154)
Meanwhile, after burning the idol, mixing its ashes with water and feeding it to all the worshippers, those worshippers who did not sincerely repent began to feel unbearable pain in their stomachs. And their faces became distorted. Then they repented and realized that they had gone astray. They sought out Moses and said, 'O Moses! Now if our Lord does not have mercy on us or forgive us, then we are doomed.'-(7:149) However, some of them were not yet sincerely ashamed, but rather began to envy those who did not worship as followers of Aaron.
Moses asked forgiveness from God on behalf of the Israelites. He said, “It is not possible to forgive them because sin has entered their hearts. So let them kill each other among themselves.”
They said, “We repent and we are ready to die with joy if God forgives us.”
God told Moses, “They will only be forgiven if what you have fed them comes out of their bodies.”
Then Moses called out to them, "O my people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf as a god, so turn to your Creator and kill your souls. That will be better in the sight of your Creator. He will forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (2:54)
They repented sincerely, although there were some among them who repented only out of fear of punishment and death. The sky became dark, and they began to kill each other as God had commanded. The sword only worked on the guilty, yet seventy thousand of the calf worshipers fell. At this time, Moses again raised his hand to God for forgiveness amid the cries of women and children. Then the sky cleared and God gave them the good news of forgiveness. So that they might be grateful. (2:52) The rest were healed except for seventy people.
The Israelites The women also began to feel guilty for making gods out of their ornaments. They took off their remaining ornaments and never wore them again.
Meanwhile, Samaritan was struck with a loathsome fever and remained with it until the moment of her death. Whoever touched her was struck with the same fever. For this reason, she would ask everyone to stay away from her. Finally, she was driven away from the people and took refuge in the forest and died in a very helpless state.
From Mount Sinai, Moses brought the Torah (Hebrew language) for his people. Then he presented it to the Israelites and said, 'Allah has given you this book for your guidance.'
The Children of Israel were doubtful and perverse. They said, 'O Moses! How shall we know that this is the Book of Allah? Let Allah Himself tell us that this is His Word, so that we may believe? It is also possible that you have written the Book yourself and placed it before us, and you are continuing to say that it was given by Allah.'
Moses was greatly distressed by their objections. He said to the Israelites, 'O my people! Why do you trouble me, while you know that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?'
Then when they turned aside, Allah made their hearts bend. Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.-(61:5)
But the Israelites refused to accept the Book that their Messenger had given them as a divine Book. Moses was distressed. Are these foolish people not slandering him? He prayed to Allah to resolve the problem. Allah said, 'O Moses! Take some of the people of Israel who are trustworthy and go to Mount Tur, I will make them recite My words so that they may believe in My Book.'
Moses said to the Israelites, 'When you reach Mount Tur, Allah will make you recite His words. You are several hundred thousand people here. It is not worth gathering all of you there. Rather, I think it is better to come there with some of the leaders from among you. If they return and testify to the truth of this Book, then you should have no objection to accepting it as the Book of Allah.'
Everyone liked this proposal.
Moses chose the leaders from among the Israelites, six from each tribe, a total of seventy [excluding Moses and Aaron]. Then he purified them. Then he went with them towards Mount Tur. The whole mountain was covered with smoke at that time. When they reached the mountain, an earthquake began. Moses realized that perhaps Allah was still angry with the people because of their worship of the calf. That is why He had thrown them into this earthquake. So he raised his hands towards the sky and cried out to Allah, 'O my Lord! If You had willed, You could have destroyed them and me before this. Will You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is Your test, whereby You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector. So forgive us and have mercy on us. And You are the Best of those who forgive. And establish for us good in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, to You we shall return.-(7:155)
Hearing this prayer of Moses, those who still had love for the gods in their hearts felt ashamed and repented. Then the earthquake stopped. Allah said to Moses, 'I punish whom I will. My mercy encompasses all things. So I establish it for those who exercise self-control, give charity, and believe in My signs.'-(7:156)
Moses gathered them together at the foot of the mountain within a certain boundary. Under no circumstances were they allowed to move forward or touch the mountain. Then, one by one, the Ten Commandments were thundered from Mount Sinai
: - Do not worship any other god except God.
- Do not worship idols.
- Do not take God's name in vain.
- Keep the Sabbath day holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- Do not murder.
- Do not commit adultery.
- Do not steal.
- Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- Do not covet your neighbor's property.
This sound was heard from all around. At that time, the Israelites looked up at the mountain and the sky to find the source of the sound. But they did not see anyone. They only saw the entire mountain covered with thick smoke. So questions arose in their minds and their marks appeared on their foreheads. They asked each other for help. Then they said to Moses, 'Show us Allah face to face.'-(4:153)
No one has the ability to see Allah while alive in this world. Because His being is infinite and human vision is finite. Therefore, human finite vision will never be able to see His infinite being from all sides. So Moses tried to dissuade the people from this matter, saying, 'This claim of yours is outrageous and foolish. So desist from it. No one will ever see Him. Do you not see that I have sought to see him before, and that a part of Mount Tur has melted away with the light of his light?'
But the Israelites were very stubborn. So Moses' plea could not melt their hearts. They persisted in their demand. They said, 'O Moses! We will not believe you even if it is a day of darkness until we see Allah face to face.' (2:55) Immediately after their demand, lightning struck them. They all immediately fell unconscious - apparently dead.
Moses also lost consciousness in the lightning. When he regained consciousness, he saw that the foot of Mount Tur had become a city of death. This greatly distressed and disturbed him. For these people were a special people of the Children of Israel. Moreover, how could he return without them and answer the people? They were already stubborn; They will slander him that he has taken away their chosen leaders by deception and killed them. And they will not stop there, but they will prepare to take revenge by killing him. So he cried out to Allah, 'O Allah! These are fools. Forgive them. If they lie here dead and I return alone, the Israelites will slander me. And they have already looked at me with suspicion.'
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. He says in the Quran: And then you were struck by lightning and you witnessed it. Then We revived you after your death, that you may be grateful.' (2:56)
Seventeen representatives returned with Moses to their people. Then they narrated the whole incident to the Children of Israel. They narrated what they had done after they went up to Mount Tur and how Allah had dealt with them. They also said that everything Moses said was true and real. There was no room for doubt in his words and deeds. The Book he brought before us was undoubtedly sent by Allah. After this testimony of theirs, the Children of Israel listened attentively to the injunctions of the Book.
The Israelites had been in the wilderness of Sin for more than a year. During that time they were learning the details of the law, which they were to observe in their daily lives. A particularly important matter at this time was the construction of the tabernacle, the object of which was the presence of a merciful God among the people. Bezalel and Oholiab were in charge of the construction, but the people gave willingly the necessary materials. Gold, silver, copper, goat and ram skins, linen, and other good things were used in the tabernacle.
The tabernacle was set up in a rectangular space, 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and surrounded by an additional tent wall. The entrance was from the east. The main part was 45 feet long and 15 feet wide. It was divided into two parts, the Holy Place on the east side, or front, and the Most Holy Place on the west side. The Holy Place was 15 feet wide, 15 feet high, and 30 feet long. In this part were the table of shewbread, the golden lampstand, and the incense altar.
The table of shewbread was made of acacia wood, which was 3 feet long, 2 feet 3 inches wide, and 2 feet 3 inches high, and overlaid with pure gold. Around it were four finger-sized side boards, or 3 inches in diameter, made of gold plated around them. Four gold rings were placed on the four bases near the side boards. Two carrying poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold were inserted through the two rings on each side. On this table were placed pure gold dishes for holding the shewbread, gold spoons, and other necessary gold utensils.
The lampstand is a lampstand with seven lamps made of pure gold. The tree—stem, branches, calyx, buds, and flowers—was all one piece. Three branches came out from one side of the lampstand and three more branches came out from the other side. Each branch had three bowls like almond blossoms, a knob and a flower, and on the stem were four bowls, their knobs and flowers. Again, there was a knob under each branch. And all of it was made of a talent of gold.
The incense altar was a square of acacia wood, 1 foot 6 inches long, 1 foot 6 inches wide, and 3 feet high, and its horns were of one piece with it and were overlaid with pure gold. It had four gold rings at its four corners to carry it, and through the two rings on each side went a pole of acacia wood, which was overlaid with pure gold.
The Most Holy Place was 15 feet wide, 15 feet high, and 15 feet long, and was separated from the Holy Place by a beautiful and expensive curtain. This part was kept completely dark and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, did the high priest enter to atone for the people. This section contained the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God's presence.
The Ark of the Covenant was a box of acacia wood. It was 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide, and 2 feet 3 inches high, and was overlaid inside and out with pure gold. The four legs of the ark had four gold rings. Two carrying poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold were inserted into the rings on either side of the ark. The two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God were placed in this ark.
On top of the ark was a mercy seat. The mercy seat was a solid gold plate 3 feet 9 inches long and 2 feet 3 inches wide, with two cherubim facing each other and spreading their wings upward, covering the mercy seat. The cherubim looked toward the mercy seat. The
tabernacle, along with all its furnishings, had to be taken with them when the Israelites returned to their homeland. It was re-erected in Canaan and used for their worship. The general plan of this tabernacle was the model for Solomon's magnificent temple in Jerusalem. Both Zerubbabel and Herod imitated it when they rebuilt that temple.
On the first day of the first month of the second year, the tabernacle was set up. At that time the cloud covered it. And Moses anointed Aaron and his sons as priests and inaugurated them.
When the tabernacle was set up, Karun also appeared at its inauguration, riding on a mule, decked out in splendid clothing, and followed by his attendants in costly apparel.
Karun was Moses' cousin and had become the possessor of great wealth through the favor of Pharaoh. Moses' grandfather, Kahat, was also the grandfather of Karun. One of the two sons of Kohath was Yashur, whose son was Qarun. The other son was Imran, the father of Moses. He knew the Scripture more than the other Israelites, and his voice was sweet. For this reason he was also called Munawwar. But he was a tyrant.
Qarun was a high-ranking official in Pharaoh's court. Pharaoh appointed him as the guardian of the Israelites. By the grace of God, through his official position, he became the owner of great wealth. God gave him so much wealth that if he locked it in a storehouse and put the keys together, it would be difficult for a strong man to carry it. [28:76] These keys were made of leather, each one a finger long.
However, as soon as Qarun arrived with his men, the attitude of the people present changed. They turned their attention to them. When many of the Children of Israel, who desired the worldly life, saw his jeweled garments and the glittering pomp of his servants, they said, "Would that we were given what Qarun has been given! Indeed, he is a great fortune."
But those to whom Allah had given knowledge heard this regret and said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allah is best for those who believe and do good deeds, and none will attain it except the patient." [28-79-80]
The manner in which Qarun arrived tried to make Musa understand that, 'If your leadership continues like this, then you should also know that a group of people are following me. And I am their leader; moreover, I am the owner of countless diamonds and rubies. So I am better than you, and it is not necessary for me to follow you.'
Meanwhile, Musa also understood that Qarun did not come there with good intentions. So he called him and asked, 'What is the reason behind what you are doing?'
He said, 'O Musa! You have become more honorable than me by receiving the prophethood. But know that I have also become superior to you in terms of worldly wealth. So my honor in this community is not less than yours. So why should I not also be entitled to leadership like the one you are leading?'
When Qarun expressed his opinion in this way, Musa said, 'I have no hand in this matter. We accept whatever happens from Allah. He is the All-Powerful in this matter. He gives leadership to whom He wills and keeps away from leadership whom He wills.'
Qarun was not satisfied with this answer, but he wanted to remove Moses from his leadership by proving that the Book of God was Moses' own writing. So he learned the details of the Book, then he called his tribe [the Levites] and said, "It is impossible to follow the law that Moses has established. O my people!" He said, "Do you not see that the law that Moses has established in the name of God will only enrich Aaron the priest? And in a few years all the Israelites will have to go to his door with alms bowls in hand?" Then he explained how the laws of Moses would cause havoc in people's lives through a story [cut and pasted from some laws of the law]:
"Suppose a poor Israelite widow was making a living with her two young daughters. The only real and intangible assets that the widow had were a piece of land, an ox, and a donkey. When the woman went to cultivate her land, she was told that it was not lawful for her to plow with an ox and a donkey together. - (Deuteronomy, 22:10); then when she was sowing, she was told that it was not lawful for her to sow two kinds of seed in the same field. - (Leviticus, 19:19) When she went to reap, she was told that it was not lawful for her to reap the edges of the field. - (Leviticus, 23:22), everything being done according to the law, when she threshed the grain, the priest Aaron [A tenth of the produce] came to receive it. -(Leviticus, 23:10)
The widow, fed up with the restrictions and hardships of the Sharia law on the cultivation of the land and the division of the produce, sold her land. Then she bought some lambs with the money from the sale of the land and started raising them. But when they produced lambs, Aaron the priest went and claimed all the lambs as his; then at the end of the year he came again to receive his share of the zakat [every tenth animal that passed under the shepherd's rod]. -(Deuteronomy, 18:4), then the woman said angrily, "I cannot meet all these demands of this priest; it is better for me to slaughter them and eat them."
Then when he had slaughtered them, Aaron went and took the meat of the shoulder, the two jawbones, and the liver.-(Ibid. , verse 3), and the woman was angry and cried out, “O priest! If this is what you
want, I have dedicated it all to God.” Aaron replied, “Then it is all mine.”-(Numbers, 18:14), and he took all the meat, leaving the widow and her daughter destitute and destitute.”-(Numbers R. 18:2-3; Tanakh, Korah, 4-6).
“Now, O my people!” said Korah, “Do you believe that these laws, which will turn you into a destitute monk like that widow in a few years, and will make only that priest Aaron rich—do you believe that they came from God? No, never, but Moses himself wrote them for you, O my people! They only want to steal your wealth and make themselves the owners of wealth.”
Hearing these words of Qarun, Moses came to him and said, “Why are you saying this? And why are you slandering Aaron in this way? Has Aaron harmed you?”
The Levites said, “God is among us, yet you have only employed Aaron and his sons in His service. You have exceeded all limits in everything.”
Before Moses could say anything, Qarun said, “O Moses! Good thing, Allah called you to Mount Tur and gave you prophethood, well, I accept it, but your brother Aaron was among us - what is the sign of his leadership?”
He said, “Allah has given him as my helper.”
Qarun said, “By Allah, I will never believe this unless you give me some logical reason or proof.”
Then Moses said, “I will give you proof of it tomorrow morning.”
The next morning, Moses ordered the twelve tribal chiefs and Aaron to place a staff each next to the Ark of the Testimony in the tabernacle of the tabernacle. At that time, as a sign of Aaron's leadership, flowers bloomed on his dead staff.
Even then, noticing the jealousy in Qarun's eyes, Moses said to him in a calm voice, "O Qarun, Allah has made you the owner of countless wealth and money, and has given you honor and respect. So fulfill its right. Give zakat to the poor, the needy and the needy and give charity in other ways." By saying this, Moses reminded him that even though he was kept away from leadership, Allah had made him the owner of abundant wealth. Therefore, he should put aside these frivolous thoughts and instead express gratitude to Allah for those blessings.
And the followers of Moses said to him, "O Qarun, do not be arrogant. Allah does not like the arrogant. Seek the good of the Hereafter with what Allah has given you, and do not neglect your lawful enjoyment in this world. Be kind, as Allah has been kind to you. And do not spread corruption on the earth. Allah does not like the corrupters." [28:76-77]
'Whose understanding' - according to the divine law, one-tenth of his wealth should be distributed to the poor and some savings should be made for the hereafter. Karun felt pity for Moses, who was trying to take away a large part of his wealth - through zakat and charity. So he said with pride and arrogance, 'O Moses, I have learned various techniques to acquire wealth. I have obtained this wealth through my own knowledge and glory. [28:78] I have accumulated all this wealth by adopting various techniques. Therefore, my glory in wealth is not in vain. What I have acquired by using my own labor and strategy is not to say that it has been bestowed upon me. I have earned it by my own labor and strategy, so its full ownership is mine. So how does anyone else have a right to it?'
So, unable to capture Moses in any way, he hatched a despicable plan to frighten him and shame and humiliate him in front of people - he wanted to accuse Moses of adultery. So he made a deal with a wicked woman that he would pay her a large sum of money and that woman would file a complaint of adultery against Moses with the chief of ten, saying that Moses had committed adultery with her. Karun paid the woman the money on this deal and the woman then went to the chief of ten as agreed. Then the complaint reached the court of Moses, becoming the chief of ten, the chief of fifty, the chief of a hundred, and the chief of a thousand.
Moses was shocked to hear the woman's complaint. He realized that a conspiracy had been hatched against him. He immediately prostrated himself and after praying to Allah, he addressed the woman, saying, 'I swear to you by Allah, tell me the truth, why are you saying this slanderous thing against me?'
She said, 'Since you have made me swear by Allah, it is not permissible to lie. The real fact is this - Qarun paid me a large sum of money to say this about you. Now I ask forgiveness from the Merciful Allah for my crime and repent.'
Moses immediately prostrated himself and prayed to Allah for Qarun's judgment. Allah revealed through revelation, 'The earth has been ordered to act as you have ordered.'
Meanwhile, Qarun also hid himself and went to the assembly of Moses with the commander of the thousand to see Moses' disgrace with his own eyes. But the woman confessed everything and fled and took refuge in his tent.
The next day, Moses came to the tent of Qarun and said to the Israelites who were there, "Move away from the tent of this wicked man. Do not touch anything of his; if you do, you will also be subject to destruction for his sin."
The people moved away from his tent. Moses said, "This man is a despicable plotter against Allah, His Book and His Messenger."
Moses commanded the earth, "O earth! Swallow Qarun with his wealth and supplies."
Immediately the ground under Qarun's tent began to split in two. Qarun screamed and jumped out of his tent. But he could not escape. The earth began to swallow him, all his family members and all his supplies.
The earth swallowed him up to his knees. Moses said to the earth, "Hold him tighter."
When the earth swallowed him up to his neck, Moses cried out, "O Qarun, there is still time - believe in Allah and promise to pay Zakat."
He said, "O Moses, I will not give up even a single inch of my wealth as long as you live."
Moses commanded the earth, "Swallow him."
Qarun, his dwelling, his tent, his treasures, everything disappeared into the cracks in the ground. The Israelites who were present screamed in fear at this sight. They thought that the ground might swallow them too. When the work was finished, the cracks on the ground closed again.
Thus, Allah swallowed Qarun and his house. There was no group on his side who could help him against Allah's punishment. Nor could he defend himself. Those who wanted to be like him the day before then began to say, "Look! Allah increases the provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts it for whom He wills. If Allah had not been gracious to us, He would have swallowed us up in the earth. Lo! the disbelievers do not prosper.'-(28:81-82)
After Qarun was killed, the Israelites bowed down. They said to Moses, "O Moses! We will never accept this Book."
Moses said, "Seventy of your representatives have authenticated this Book and they have declared themselves as witnesses to its truth, so do you say that it is not from Allah?"
They said, "We cannot accept this Book, because its laws are difficult to follow."
They demanded that the Book be changed.
At that time, the Forgiving and Merciful God did an unprecedented thing for this disobedient nation whom He had chosen. [So that the conduct of the Israelites with Allah and His Messengers would later be the standard by which other nations would be judged.] He spoke to them directly and commanded them, “Hold fast to what has been revealed from Me, and remember its verses, that you may become righteous.”-(2:63)
Six hundred thousand [603,550 according to Numbers 1:46] of the Israelites heard this command from God. And they all [except for the number of those who were not with them, it is not known, but it is certain that 72 were not with them] said, “We hear, but we disobey.”-(2:93)
Allah found in the hearts of most of the Israelites a lack of respect for the Book. So He ordered Gabriel to lift Mount Tur and place it over their heads. He lifted the mountain and placed it over their heads in such a way that it looked like a hanging roof, and they thought that it would fall on them and crush them all together. -(7:171)
The Israelites had never imagined that such a situation could arise. They clearly understood that Mount Tur was going to end their lives. Then, standing on the verge of life and death, they made a full promise to God to accept the Torah. They cried out in fear and terror, saying, "Our Lord! We swear that we will worship none but You, and that we will be kind to parents, relatives, orphans and the poor, and that we will speak good words and advise everyone well, and that we will establish prayer and pay zakat." -(2:83)
God accepted their covenant and said, "And do not kill one another, nor expel one another from the land." (2:84) They fulfilled that covenant and said, "You only remain with us."
Then God said, "I am with you. If you establish prayer and give zakah and believe in My messengers and honor them and lend them a goodly loan, I will surely remit from you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever disbelieves after that, he has indeed gone astray." (5:12)
Then God commanded Gabriel to remove the mountain, and he removed it and put it back in its place. And the Children of Israel were free from danger.
Twelve chiefs were appointed for them from the twelve tribes to make it easy for them to fulfill their promise. Each tribal chief was given the responsibility of keeping his own vows to God and of seeing that his own people kept them.
On the twentieth day of the second month the cloud lifted from the tabernacle of the testimony. Then the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai. For the first time, they set out on their journey, as God had commanded. They kept going until the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.
When the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out. Wherever the cloud settled, they would camp. When the cloud lifted, they would set out, whether by day or by night. As long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle, whether it was two days or a month or more, the Israelites would camp and not set out.
Whenever the Israelites set out with the Ark of the Covenant, Moses would say, "O God! Let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee from before you." And whenever the cloud stopped, he would say, "O God, return to us."
The Israelites' journey was northward and ended at the southern border of Canaan. Upon reaching this point, Moses was instructed to enter the Holy Land of Canaan (Syria) and was informed in advance that God had written down the dominion of this Holy Land for them - which would come true. "Enter this town and go wherever you wish and eat whatever you wish,'' enter with your heads bowed down'' (actual etiquette) and say, 'I beg your pardon'' (verbal etiquette) I will forgive you; And I will increase My bounty for those who do good.'-(2:58)
So after Moses had set up camp, he sent twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to the land of Canaan to bring back the necessary news of the land. The real purpose was to inform them about the land, its fertility and crops, its cities and the nature of its people, etc. Before the journey, Moses had told them, 'Whatever you see there, tell me first. Do not describe anything to anyone without my permission.'
The delegation set out and went to the very northern border of the country and returned by another route. The journey took forty days, which was enough to see this small country. On the way, at one point outside the city, they met a man named Awz bin Unuq, a man from the Amalekite tribe. Awz, after talking to them, realized that they had come to fight them. Then he became angry and took twelve of them prisoner alone and presented them to the royal court and informed the king of their intentions. So they were detained and the court consulted about them. Some of the advisors said, "Let them be killed."
Others said, "Let them be set free."
Finally, it was decided that they should be set free so that they could return and describe to their people the physical appearance and strength of the Amalekite. And so that their desire for war would be completely satisfied. So they were set free.
To illustrate the fertility of the land, the delegation brought back from the scoundrels a bunch of grapes, which they hung on a staff. They also brought some pomegranates and figs.
The delegation returned and reported to Moses all that had happened. They said, "The land truly flows with milk and honey; there is no lack of anything in it. This is its fruit." (They placed bunches of pure grapes, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits before Moses.) Then they said, "But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are very large and fortified. We saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan River."
But even after hearing the words of the strong men, Moses was not affected by them. Because Allah had previously told him through revelations of victory and success. So he was sure that the strength and greatness of the Amalekites would be of no use. He decided to confront them and ordered everyone to prepare for war.
If the Israelites learned about the great strength and greatness of the rival tribe, they would not agree to fight, because they had suffered from inferiority complex after hundreds of years of slavery and had not even a shred of self-confidence left. Moses knew this. So he warned the twelve members of the delegation not to tell the Israelites about the physical strength and greatness of the Amalekites under any circumstances - to keep it completely secret.
But, in the end, the action went against Moses' instructions. Although they did not tell anyone openly, each of them secretly told his friend about the strength of the Amalekites, except for two. They were, Yushaya ibn Nun (husband of Miriam, the sister of Moses) and Caleb ibn Uqena. Gradually, all the Israelites became aware of this and began to talk about the physical strength and size of the Amalekites. People spread exaggerated information about them. Some said, 'They are a hundred cubits long and sixty cubits wide.'
Others said, 'If one of them went into the sea, the water would be up to his knees.'
Some of them surpassed them. They said, “They catch fish from the sea and bake them in the sun.”
However, all twelve of the delegates agreed that the land was good and they wanted to have it. So when the issue of conquering the land came up, they divided into two groups.
Ten of the delegation trespassed. They said, “The cities are walled and their people are brave warriors, so it is not possible to conquer the land.”
The common Israelites became discouraged. They did not want to think about war. They said to each other, “What is the point of crossing the Red Sea and now dying in battle at their hands?”
Then Moses said, “O my people! Remember the favor of Allah that He has made prophets from among you, made you rulers of this kingdom, and given you that which He has not given to anyone else in the world. O my people! Enter the holy land that Allah has appointed for you, and do not turn back, for then you will be losers.”
They said, "O Moses! There is a great people there, and we will not enter it until they leave it. When they leave it, we will enter." (5:20-22)
Two of the group, Caleb and Joshua, seeing the weak attitude of the Israelites, said to encourage them, "The whole world is in the hands of Allah. No one can harm or benefit anyone except by His permission. So the greatness and strength of the Amalekites will not be of any use, since Allah's promise of help is with us. So, 'Confront them at the entrance. If you enter, you will be victorious. And you believe and put your trust in Allah.'" (5:23)
Despite the great efforts of Caleb and Joshua, most of the Israelites did not agree to occupy the land. When they did not believe their prophet Moses, how could they believe others? They told Moses clearly, "O Moses, we will not enter it as long as they remain there. So go, you and your Lord, and fight.”-(5:24)
Moreover, when they heard that they were told to say ‘Hittatun’ (forgiveness) when they entered the city, they mockingly said ‘Hintatun’ (wheat, wheat). Allah was displeased with them for this verbal and semantic distortion of the Divine Law. Moreover, ten of the delegation had transgressed. For this reason, He sent down a punishment from the sky. They were killed by lightning.
But they (the ten delegations) transgressed and said other than what they were told. So We sent down a punishment from the sky on the transgressors, because they were disbelievers.’-(2:59)
What else could Moses do in such a situation? He said to Allah, ‘My Lord! I have no authority over anyone except me and my brother; so judge between us and the disbelievers.’
Allah said, "But forty years will be forbidden to them. They will wander in the land like wanderers. So do not grieve for the people who reject the truth." (5:25-26)
God told Moses to turn back and return to the wilderness. The Israelites went forward as instructed and reached the wilderness of the Sinai Valley in the Arabian Desert. And God confined them in that wilderness. Now from here they could not go to the land of the Amalekites, nor could they return to Egypt if they wished. And humiliation and destitution were imposed on them. They fell under the wrath of God and wandered around. This was because they did not obey God's laws and killed the prophets unjustly. That was because they were disobedient, transgressors.-(2:61)
It means wandering astray. The Israelites were imprisoned in this wilderness for forty years, one year for each of those forty days that it took to see the land of Canaan. They wanted to leave here and return to Egypt. After wandering all day, they found themselves in the evening at the same place from which they had set out in the morning. The length of this tract was thirty farseks, or ninety miles, and the breadth nine farseks, or twenty-seven miles.
The Israelites should have trusted in God in every matter, for He had helped them in every need. But they failed to keep this faith. For this reason they had to suffer severe punishment. Except for Caleb and Joshua, all those over twenty years of age had to wander in the wilderness for forty years in inhuman suffering and hardship, and eventually died. The ten unfaithful spies, of course, had to die earlier. As a punishment for their unfaithfulness, they had to spend forty years wandering in the wilderness, a journey that would have been completed in at least two years.
The years were very difficult for everyone. Suffering and death awaited them one after another. Moses' fate was even worse. As a leader, he had to endure the scorn and abuse of this rebellious people. He had to witness their suffering and death with his own eyes.
However, God did not abandon Moses or the Israelites. They often faced problems, and He always gave them the right solutions and provided them with everything they needed. Among the blessings He bestowed upon the Israelites in their most difficult times were:
--He placed a cloud over their heads to protect them from the scorching heat of the open desert, which shaded them like an umbrella. The cloud also went with them wherever they went.
--When they were thirsty, He would bring forth springs of water from rocks. --He
provided manna and sorghum from heaven as food.
--He hung a pillar (pillar of fire) from the sky to help them work and move around during the dark night.
--He did not tear their clothes. Even as the child grew, his clothes would become looser as needed.
When he reached the desert, the people revolted greatly due to the lack of drinking water. There was no smell of water anywhere in this desert desert, empty of people. People were running here and there, thirsty. The people gathered around Moses and said, 'Provide us with water to drink, now.'
Moses said, 'Why do you quarrel with me, and why do you test God?'
They said, "Did you bring us out of Egypt with our families and livestock to die from lack of water? Tell us, is God with us or not?"
Hearing their complaints, Moses cried out to God, saying, "O God! What shall I do with this intolerant people? If I do not get water to drink, they will stone me to death. You are the Most Merciful, the Most Powerful. So provide them with water."
God said, "Strike the rock with your staff."
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the people together in one place, assuring them that water would be provided for them.
The rock that Moses struck and made water flow was a square piece of rock about a cubit in length. This was the same rock that Moses had once run with his clothes while taking a bath. Moses struck the rock four times on all four sides. And with each blow, three springs gushed forth from each side (from the two corners and the intersection of the ears). At that time, Allah said to the Israelites, 'Eat of the provision that Allah has given you and do not go about on earth, spreading corruption.'
Among the people of Moses were a group of people who guided others to the truth and acted justly. And Allah divided them into twelve tribes. These twelve tribes of Israel began to collect their water from the twelve springs.
'Among the people of Moses were a group of people who guided others to the truth and acted justly. And We divided them into twelve tribes.'-(7:159) And when Moses asked for water for his people, We said, 'Strike the rock with your staff.'
And twelve springs gushed forth from it. Each tribe recognized its place for drinking. (I said), 'Eat and drink from the provision that Allah has given you and do not spread corruption in the land.'-(2:60)
The Israelites again complained against Moses and Aaron. They said, 'Why did we not die in Egypt? We used to eat meat from pots of meat and fill our bellies there, and now we are starving.'
Moses, burdened by the people's questions and complaints, appealed to Allah. Allah said, 'Tell them that tomorrow they will be able to eat meat. And they will eat it as much as they want.'
Moses said, 'Even if they slaughtered all their cattle and sheep, it would not be enough for them.'
He said, 'You will see it with your own eyes. Allah is Great in Power. Tomorrow you will eat meat and salwa (the meat of wild birds) to your full stomachs and in the morning you will eat bread and manna.'
The next day, thousands of birds of prey covered the Israelite camp. Then a wind blew from the sea, and the wind blew the birds around the camp, scattering them over a large area, covering the ground. The men easily caught the birds and brought them back.
And the manna fell from the sky every night like dew. It was white, like fish scales, and its appearance was like fallen chaff, and its taste was like cake made with honey. It melted in the sun. In the morning the Israelites would gather this manna and grind it into loaves of bread, and bake them.
The Israelites were commanded to gather only as much food as each person needed each day (which was determined to be an omer or a kilogram of eight hundred grams) and not to leave any of it until the next day. Only on the day before the Sabbath they were to gather twice as much, because God would not send any manna on the Sabbath. But they thought that instead of gathering food every day, if they could gather more food and keep it for several days, they would be able to sit down and eat, and they would be saved from the labor of gathering food every day. They gathered more food than they needed each day, and after meeting their daily needs, they kept the rest for the next day. The next morning they did not go out to gather manna. So when they were preparing food, they found that all the manna they had gathered had been wasted. So they had to starve that day. Thus, by disobeying Allah's command, the Israelites could not harm Him - rather, they harmed themselves.
'We shaded you with clouds and sent down for you manna and sorghum, (saying) "Eat of the good things that We have provided for you." But they did not harm (Me) in disobeying My command, but they harmed themselves.' - (2:57)
At the command of Moses, Aaron kept an omer of manna for future generations so that they could see what food Allah Almighty had given them to eat in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt. This manna was kept in a pot on the table of showbread in the Tent of Meeting.
Despite God's many favors to the Israelites, they repeatedly showed their disobedience. They blamed Moses for getting them into trouble. Many openly rebelled against him many times. They even expressed regret for leaving Egypt and many even expressed their desire to return to it - where they could eat beef, garlic, onions and watermelons, etc.
Every day, the Israelites became disgusted with eating manna and salva. They came to Moses in a group and said angrily, 'We have nothing to eat except manna. O Moses! We will never be able to endure such food, so pray to your Lord for us to produce for us vegetables, beans, wheat, garlic, lentils and onions from the earth.'
Moses was tired of reassuring these rebellious people again and again. So at that time he became angry and said, 'Do you want to leave the good things (manna and salva) and exchange them for bad things? But go to any city. There you will find what you want.'
There was a city on the edge of the desert. Moses pointed to this city when he said this. Although he knew that the Israelites would not be able to leave the desert for forty years, no matter how hard they tried.
The people kept praising it. Then Moses said to the Israelites in a quiet voice, "Remember the favor of Allah upon you. This favor He bestowed upon you. He delivered you from the hands of Pharaoh's people. They were oppressing you severely; they were killing your sons and sparing your daughters."
"And when you said, 'O Moses! We will never be able to endure such food, so pray to your Lord for us that He may bring forth for us from the earth herbs, and millet, and wheat, and garlic, and lentils, and onions.'
Moses said, 'Do you want to exchange the good for the bad? But go to any town. You will find there what you desire.'-(2:61)
Moses said to his people, 'Remember the favor of Allah upon you. This favor He bestowed upon you in delivering you from the hands of Pharaoh's people. They were oppressing you severely; they were killing your sons and sparing your women.'-(14:6)
Once upon a time, the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness as Allah had commanded them. Then, at the command of Allah, they set out on their journey.
The Israelites eventually reached Kadesh Barnea and camped there. At that time, Miriam died and was buried in that memorable place.
The Israelites had reached the last stage of their journey to the land of Canaan. Among the countries on their journey was the land of Edom. To save time, they asked permission to pass through the land and also gave assurances that the journey would be peaceful, that is, that they would not be harmed in any way.
Moses' messengers took this message to Edom: 'Our ancestors went down to Egypt. Then we lived there for many years. We were oppressed and humiliated there. Then God, in His mercy and compassion, rescued us from there.
- We are now on the border of your kingdom, in Kadesh. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through any cornfield or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will go along the highway and will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your kingdom.'
But the king of Edom said, 'No, you cannot pass through our land. And if you try to pass through here, we will be ready for war.'
The Israelites answered, ‘We will go by the main road. If we or our livestock are harmed, we will pay for it. We will only cross over on foot.’
But they said, ‘No, you shall not pass through this land.’
They came out with their armies to fight against the Israelites.
So the Israelites had to go far south, then east, and finally north into Palestine before they could go north.
Petra. A beautiful city at the foot of Mount Herath. The Israelites camped here. Here God said to Moses, 'Take Aaron and go up Mount Herath.'
Moses and Aaron climbed the mountain as God commanded. From there, the land of Canaan could be seen to the north. They were both happy. At that time, God said to Moses, 'Aaron will not enter the land that I am going to give to the Israelites.'
Aaron died on the mountain. So Moses buried him there. Then he came down and told the Israelites about his death. Aaron's son Elijah succeeded him as priest.
Meanwhile, the Israelites could not accept Aaron's natural death. They blamed Moses for his death. And a group of them, without any hesitation, said to Moses plainly, "Who knows that you yourself did not kill him? And he was softer than you to us."
Moses was saddened by the people's words. He cried out to God to be freed from their slander. God ordered the angels to bring Aaron's body to the Children of Israel.
The angels brought Aaron's body to the Children of Israel. At that time, the body was hanging slightly above the ground. And the Children of Israel saw that there was no sign of murder on it. Moses was freed from the slander of murder.
The people mourned for Aaron for thirty days to pay their respects.
The Israelites set out from Mount Hira and entered the desert along the Gulf of Aqaba. It was a vast desert. There was sand after sand, and there was a thicket of bushes. They were afraid of snakes. Here again the people began to complain. This time their complaint was about the food. They said to Moses, ‘We cannot bear to look at this bad food.’
Because of this disobedience, many of the Israelites began to die from the bites of poisonous snakes. Others were frightened and changed their minds and begged God for mercy. God is the source of mercy and compassion. He instructed Moses, ‘Make a bronze snake and set it on a pole, so that anyone who is bitten by a snake can look at it and live.’
Finally, a long and difficult journey through the deserts of the south and east of Edom came to an end. Now the Israelites were moving northward along the eastern side of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River valley. They found no obstacles as far as the Arnon River. This river meets the sea in the middle of the eastern side of the Dead Sea. This region was one of the most fertile and beautiful regions. This was especially attractive to the Israelites, who had long been accustomed to the barren desert. The region was known as Sihon, the home of the Amorites. The Israelites wanted to pass through the land peacefully. But the savage, warlike Amorites would not grant their request. Furthermore, King Sihon of Heshbon came up with his army and encamped at Jahaz. Then God commanded Moses to confront the enemy. As a result, the Israelites engaged in battle and defeated the invaders.
As they went north through Sihon, they first fell into the kingdom of Og. The city was ruled by Og, king of Bashan, surrounded by fortresses. They were strong warriors. When they heard of the Israelites' arrival, Og's army came to the city of Edrei and camped. But the Israelites were now more experienced and confident and assured because of their victory over Sihon. They began to fight enthusiastically and were victorious. They captured sixty fortified cities of Og, as well as the fertile land.
After the conquest of Bashan, the Israelites came east to Moab. When Balak, king of Moab, heard that they had just won two battles and that a living god was with them, he was very afraid and told the elders of the neighboring country of Midian, "This group will eat up everything around us, just as the ox licks up the grass of the field."
Balak consulted with the elders of Midian and sent an urgent message to Balaam bin Baura, a religious leader living in the city of Pethor east of the Euphrates River: 'Moses has come with a large army of his followers to kill us and drive us out of this area. Come and curse them against this attack, so that he will return with his people and army.'
The leaders brought valuable gifts to Balaam in order to gain consent to help Moab. Balaam's prayers were accepted. He knew the Isma'il Azam. Hearing everything, he said, 'You do not know what I know. How can I curse the Messenger of Allah and his followers? If I do so, I will be destroyed in this life and the next! Go back.'
So the Moabite leaders went back and said to Balak, 'He refuses to come with us.'
Then Balak sent other leaders, more numerous and more honorable than before. They brought a second, more urgent invitation with even more gifts. They said to Balaam, "Balak says: Let nothing hinder you from coming to him. He will honor you and do everything you say."
Balaam said, "Even if Balak gives me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot do anything beyond the command of God."
Meanwhile, Balaam's wife was tempted by the valuable gifts. Then, at his repeated entreaties and when the leaders who had come came weeping and dying at his feet, she agreed. The leaders who had come came quickly to tell Balak this news. And Balaam got ready and mounted his donkey and went to the place where the Israelites were camped, intending to curse them.
After a long journey, the angel Gabriel stopped Balaam's donkey. Seeing the angel in the middle of the road, the donkey left the road and went into the field. Balaam beat it and brought it back on the road. After a short journey, Gabriel stopped again at the alley of two vineyards. There were walls on both sides of the alley, so to avoid him, the donkey had to go around the rampart on one side. This caused the wall to rub against the wall and the skin on one of Balaam's feet was torn. He became angry and beat the donkey again. After a short journey, Gabriel stopped at a place in the middle of the road where the donkey could not move to the right or to the left to avoid him. Then it was forced to sit on the ground. As a result, Balaam beat the donkey, but it did not want to go any further. The beating continued for a long time. Once Balaam fell into a stupor, and then Allah gave the donkey the power of speech. The donkey said, 'O Balaam! Am I not your donkey on which you have been riding for a long time? What have I done to you that you have beaten me three times? Don't you understand that the more you try to take me forward, the more the angel pushes me and takes me backward?'
Balaam did not understand this strange incident of the animal opening its tongue. He got off the donkey's back and sat in the shade of a nearby tree, exhausted. At that time, Iblis was already sitting there in the form of an old man. At one point in the conversation between the two, Iblis, aware of everything, said, 'It is Satan who is preventing you from a good deed. For has anyone ever heard such a strange story about a donkey talking? Surely Satan has forbidden you by using the mouth of a donkey. So, for the good of this city and its people, you should curse the Children of Israel. The attacking Israelites will be defeated and flee, and a kingdom of peace will be reestablished under the leadership of King Balak. Then, if you call people to the true path, they will respond to your call.'
Tempted by the words of the devil, Balaam left his donkey there and set off on foot.
Balak was waiting with his army on the banks of the Arnon River at the farthest border of the kingdom. Balaam arrived there. Balak, hearing the news of his arrival, ran to greet him. The next morning, when the army advanced to confront the Israelites, Balak took him and climbed Mount Ramoth-baal. From there, they turned their faces toward the desert. The tents of the Israelites could be seen far below. Balaam began to curse.
The Midianites' conspiracy with the Moabites was a threat to the security of the Israelites. As a result, Moses selected one thousand warriors from each tribe to suppress this opposing nation. These warriors advanced under the leadership of Josiah upon hearing the news of Balak's army approaching.
The Israelites were unable to gain any advantage in the first day of battle. Meanwhile, as the tide of battle turned, Josiah fell prostrate before the Tabernacle of the Testimony. This turned the tide of victory in favor of the Israelites. Seeing this, Balaam began to curse the Israelites with a loud voice. But every time he tried to name Moses and the Israelites, the name of his own people came out of his mouth instead of them. At that, his people said, 'O Balaam! What is this? You have begun to curse us instead of the Israelites.'
He said, "What can I do against the will of Allah?"
Even after Balaam failed to pronounce the names of the Children of Israel with his own mouth, he did not understand. He continued to try. As a result, his tongue came out of his mouth and fell on his chest. Then he became afraid and senseless. This is the man to whom Allah had given His signs, but he turned away from them. And Satan followed him, so he became one of the astray. Of course, if Allah had willed, He would have raised his status by the wealth of those signs. But he remained degraded and followed his own desires. When
Balaam realized that both his life and the Hereafter had been destroyed for the Children of Israel, he expressed his determination to destroy them. And he advised the Moabites: "The Children of Israel cannot be destroyed by war, but only by fornication." For adultery is an abomination to Allah. The people who commit it will be cursed and cursed, and they will never be victorious or successful. So send your wives and daughters to the camp of the Israelites, adorned with their adornment and with the things that are pleasing to their hands.
And recite to them the story of the man to whom We gave Our signs, but he turned away from them. And Satan followed him, so he became one of the astray. If We had willed, We would have increased him in rank by the abundance of those signs. But he was a degenerate and followed his own lust. So his story is like that of a dog: if you chase him, he will pant, and if you let him go, he will pant. Such is the story of those who deny Our signs. So recite to them the stories that they may reflect. Evil is the example of those who deny Our verses and they have wronged themselves. - (7:175-177)
The Israelites finally won the war against the Moabites. At that time, Gabriel told Moses - 'The initial outcome of the war was going against the Israelites due to the supplication of a man named Balaam from the Amalekites. That man knew the Greatest Name. Then, as a result of Joshua's supplication, Allah stripped him of all his honor and dignity, including the Greatest Name. As a result, the Israelites later became victorious. However, even though Balaam was stripped of all his honor and dignity, there are still three requests that he can make to be accepted in the court of Allah, the Most High.'
After Joshua learned these things from Moses, he met Balaam and told him everything. Balaam was captured by the Israelites in the war.
Hearing all this, Balaam became very sad. Joshua released him. Then he returned home.
Returning home, Bal'am said to his wife, 'I have sinned. Allah has taken away my honor, dignity and Isme-e-Azam.'
His wife said, 'Have you not attained any of the qualities that you have acquired by worshipping Allah all your life and becoming His beloved?'
He said, 'There are still three prayers left to be accepted.'
His wife said, 'But make one prayer for me right now. May He grant me a beautiful appearance.'
He said, 'You are beautiful just like that. Leave the three prayers for the Hereafter.'
The wife insisted. She said, "You have two prayers left."
Balaam loved his wife very much. Finally, helpless in his insistence, he prayed to Allah for his wife. Her beauty immediately lit up the house. But as a result of this prayer, Allah's wrath fell upon Balaam and his face became completely black.
Then, hiding her ugly husband, his wife started having illicit sexual relations with other men. Then one day Balaam caught her eye. Balaam got angry and cursed his wife. This made his wife ugly. Due to this, his children started crying out of their natural love for their mother. As a result, he was forced to pray to restore his wife's beauty. Although his wife's appearance returned to its previous state, his three prayers were wasted. The unfortunate Balaam spent the rest of his days on earth, ready to enter hell empty-handed.
Meanwhile, after Moab, Midian easily fell into the hands of the Israelites. At this time, Balaam's people acted as he advised. And the women came into the midst of the Israelite army, well-equipped. One of these women was Qasi bint Zuar. She was incomparable in beauty. Then, when she passed in front of Zamzam bin Shallum, a leader of the Israelites, Zamzam saw her and became attached to her. Shallum took her by the hand and brought her to Moses and said, 'O Moses! What do you say about this woman? Is this unlawful for me?'
Moses observed Zamzam closely. Seeing his aggressive and arrogant behavior, he understood that this man was ready to cause great harm. He was about to make a difficult decision, but for some reason he restrained himself. Then he answered calmly, 'Yes, it is unlawful. Never attempt to approach this woman.'
He said, 'O Moses! I am never ready to obey the command you have given me regarding this beautiful woman.'
Zamzam took the woman into his tent and then committed adultery with her. Allah was displeased and a plague descended on the Israelites in the form of wrath. It spread rapidly. Seventy thousand Israelites died in this plague. Moses' bodyguard, Aaron's grandson, Phinehas, learned that the plague had probably come about because of Zamzam's adultery. He immediately entered Zamzam's tent with a sword in his hand and killed her and the woman. Then he said to everyone, 'God is destroying us all because of this man's adultery.'
The people displayed the severed bodies of the woman Qasi and Zamzam in public. After this killing, the plague that had struck the Israelites was stopped. However, despite all this, Moses' purpose was successful, and they crossed the land of Moab. Thus, they were able to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land of Canaan.
Being able to defeat the Madinites gave the Israelites a secure position east of the Jordan River. As a result, they were later able to prepare for victory on the other side of the Jordan River.
This territory, which extended from Sihon to Og, Moab, and Midian, was a fertile land, desirable for the raising of cattle, and also good for agriculture. After the conquest of the east side of the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, who were chiefly interested in raising cattle, petitioned Moses to allow them to settle in this region as their portion of the Promised Land. Permission was granted on condition that their warriors would cross the Jordan and assist them in the conquest of the land for the other tribes to settle. This condition was acceptable, since all twelve tribes had helped to occupy eastern Palestine.
Since two or three tribes agreed to this arrangement, they eventually occupied the area east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee as their permanent home.
Moses devoted himself with great patience to the correction of a nation as stubborn as the Israelites. Once upon a time, a call came from Allah to leave his worldly affairs and travel to the boundless world of the hereafter. And so, at the behest of Allah, Azrael himself came to earth to save his soul. He appeared before Moses in human form and said, 'O Moses! The call of the Lord has come, accept it.'
After forty years of captivity, the first step towards entering the Promised Land had just been completed. Now the real work lay ahead. Many responsibilities, many plans, and details - Moses could not believe Azrael's words. So, thinking his words were a joke, he became very angry. He slapped him hard. Azrael's eyes came out of their sockets due to the force of the slap. Very sad, he returned to the court of the Lord and said, 'O my Lord! This servant of yours does not want to die, and moreover, he has changed the shape of his face by beating me.'
Allah fixed his eyes. Then he ordered him, 'Go to him again. And ask him what he wants.'
The angel came to Moses again and said, 'O Moses, what do you want? Long life? Then place your hand on the loin of a bull, and as many hairs as are under your hand, you will gain a year of life, by the will of God.'
Moses - 'What will happen then?'
Azrael - 'Death, because every living thing will seek death. All will be returned to Him.'
Moses realized that God's call had truly come. He immediately cried out to God, 'O God! Before I die, bring me near the Holy Land. Cross the Jordan and let me see that beautiful land.'
God said, 'Enough. Do not speak to me about this. Climb the top of Pisgah and look north, south, east, and west. You will not cross the Jordan River. So appoint an heir who will lead the Israelites to inherit the land you are about to see.’
When Moses learned of the Lord’s intention, he stopped moving forward and camped in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
Three years had passed since Aaron's death. Moses had already realized that his life was coming to an end. So he began to quickly complete the urgent tasks. Such as selecting cities for the tribe of Levi, determining the boundaries of the Promised Land, taking a census, and selecting a successor leader.
As his successor, Moses selected his faithful companion, Joshua, who had proven his ability and obedience in various ways, and gave him the necessary instructions. Because God had approved of this matter.
After completing all the work, Moses gathered the Israelites to deliver a farewell speech. His farewell speech or series of speeches was solemn, painful, and a memorable event. The main purpose of his valuable speech was to help the Israelites understand how much God had done for them, how dependent they were on Him, and how necessary it was for them to be unconditionally obedient to Him throughout their lives. The main topic of the speech was the punishment for disobedience to God the Creator and the reward for obedience. Obedience to God is the path of justice, truth and salvation.
The farewell speech that Moses gave to the Israelites was like this-
'O Children of Israel!
I have conveyed to you all the laws and commands of your Lord God. You shall observe them carefully and faithfully. Remember that He alone is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
-O Children of Israel!
Listen, your God, your Lord God is one and unique. There is no other god besides Him. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength, and serve Him only.
God Himself will set the boundaries of your land from the Red Sea on one side to the sea of the land of the Philistines and from the desert to the Euphrates River on the other side. You shall not make any covenant with the inhabitants of the land or with their gods. Otherwise, they will lead you into sin - you will be caught in the trap of their gods and perish.
--O Children of Israel!
It is not because of your innocence or righteousness or your greatness that God has turned his attention to you and is driving out the nations before you and giving you their land as your possession, but it is to fulfill the promise he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he is giving you this wonderful land, where there is no lack of milk and honey.
--O Children of Israel!
Remember the kindness and compassion of the great God towards you. Remember how He led a large group of you through the wilderness for forty years. During this long time, your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not become heavy. He did these things to crush your pride and test your obedience. When you were hungry, He provided food from heaven, which neither you nor your ancestors knew. When you were thirsty, He created a stream from the rock. Thus He wanted to teach you that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from His mouth. Therefore, you will keep His commandments, walk in His ways and worship Him.
--O Children of Israel!
God said- 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, then I will give you rain in its season, and the land will yield its produce, and the tree of its fruit will yield its fruit. Your threshing shall be until the vintage, and the vintage shall be until the sowing; and you shall eat bread to the full, and dwell in your land in safety. And I will give peace in the land. No one shall make you afraid when you lie down; and I will rid the land of evil beasts; and the sword shall not go through your land. And you shall drive out your enemies, five of you by a hundred, and a hundred and ten thousand, and they shall fall by the sword before you. And I will take pleasure in you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will establish my covenant with you. And you shall eat the old store, and bring forth the old before the new. And I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
--O Children of Israel!
When you have eaten and drunk there, praise God for the beautiful land He has given you. Be careful that Satan does not make you forget His commandments. And if you ever forget Him and follow other gods and engage in their service and worship, then I tell you for sure that you will be destroyed. You will be cursed in your dwellings and in everything in your fields and fields. You will sow much but reap little.
--O Children of Israel!
Therefore, when you come into conflict with a group, first call them to peace, if they listen to that call and agree to peace, then take them as allies, but if they do not listen, then fight them, and if they are defeated in battle, kill their men. Use their women, sons, boys and girls as slaves and confiscate their wealth.
--O Children of Israel!
I will not be the one to cross the Jordan River. Joshua will lead you in my absence.
After a pause, Moses said, "If you have rebelled against God while I am still alive among you, how much more will you rebel in my absence?" Taking the book of the law in his hand, he held it up and said, "From now on this book of the law will be placed beside the ark of the testimony. And it will be there as a witness against you."
The Israelites were worried about their situation in Moses' absence. They began to weep. Moses comforted them, saying, "God said, 'I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell you everything I command you. And it will certainly happen that whoever does not listen to my words that are in his mouth, I will force them to listen.'"
Moses' last blessing to the Israelites before his death was this:
'The Lord came from Sinai,
and shone upon them from Seir;
his light shone from Mount Paran.
He came with ten thousand holy ones;
in his right hand was
the living law for them.'
Pisgah. The highest peak of Moab. Moses and Joshua at the foot. They both looked up to the top. A pillar of stone stood tall, piercing the sky. Moses said to Joshua, 'Be strong and courageous, for you must lead this rebellious people into the land that God swore to their ancestors to give them. You must divide it among them as an inheritance. Do not be afraid or discouraged. The Almighty God will help you.'
Moses, having dismissed Joshua, ascended the mountain alone. From there he gazed with interest and excitement upon the riches of the Promised Land. He saw the future home of the Israelites stretching from south to north, west of the deep valley of the Jordan River, where he could never go. He felt a pang of regret, but also a sense of satisfaction. For he was leaving behind a mighty nation waiting to enter the Promised Land.
Moses' last vision was in the afternoon, when the setting sun was casting its light upon certain regions of Canaan. After the vision, God took his life, with the glorious vision of that land still fresh in his mind. Then angels buried him in the valley opposite Beth Peor. For this reason, no one has been able to locate his grave to this day.
Judging by the light of general history, apart from the influence of divine power, there is scarcely a man in the record of the world who has exerted so great and lasting an influence on his own destiny and that of mankind.
Completed.
Unedited.
# One said, “How did the daughter of Shuaib, with little knowledge, give her father a certificate about Moses? What about his strength, ability, and character?” @ I said, “The Quran gave two women certificates of intelligence. One of them was Maryam, the sister of Moses, and the other was Safura, the daughter of Shuaib.
The case of Maryam was that after she had drowned her brother Moses in the river, she followed him in a way that no one would understand . Then Pharaoh's wife took Moses, but she did not go forward until she realized that they wanted to raise him. Then she went forward and, fearing harm to her younger brother, she said to Pharaoh's wife, hiding her identity, "Shall I show you a family who will nurture him, raise him for you, and take care of him?" - and she did this when he was only four years old. And the case of Safura - she realized that Moses was strong when she single-handedly removed the heavy stone from the mouth of the well. And his faithfulness? - His behavior and gaze towards the two young women gave her a sure idea of this. And it is true that girls are born with the ability to recognize the gaze of men.
