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wa-ʾawḥaynā ʾilā ʾummi mūsā ʾan ʾarḍiʿīhi fa-ʾidhā khifti ʿalayhi fa-ʾalqīhi fī l-yammi wa-lā takhāfī wa-lā taḥzanī ʾinnā rāddūhu ʾilayki wa-jāʿilūhu mina l-mursalīna
We revealed to Moses’ mother, [saying], ‘Nurse him; then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear or grieve, for We will restore him to you and make him one of the apostles.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 7
7. “And We inspired unto the mother of Moses, saying: ‘Give him suck, then when you fear for him, cast him into the River and do not fear nor grieve, for We will return him unto you and make him one of the apostles’.”
Pharaoh had been told that in that year a child would be born that if he could grow up he might destroy him. He ordered that all the newborn children should be killed. But when Moses was born, Allah inspired his mother to give him suck. Then she should put him inside a box and cast the box into the sea. In this noble verse, there are two orders, two prohibitions, and two glad tidings unto Moses’ mother. The two orders are:
and
The two prohibitions are:
And the two glad tidings are:
and
The Arabic word /xauf/ (fear) is used for a probable danger, and the Qur’anic word /huzn/ is applied for a certain anxiety.23 The objective of the term /yamm/ is the Nile River in Egypt which is called ‘sea’ because of its greatness and largeness. The castle of Pharaoh had been built on its bank. When Allah desires it, man’s enemy becomes his refuge, either:
Therefore, in order to illustrate a lively example of the triumphant of the oppressed over the oppressors, in this verse Allah starts the story of Moses and Pharaoh. It specially explains the parts in which Moses is in the weakest states and Pharaoh is in his mightiest circumstances, so that it shows the triumph of the Will of Allah over the will of tyrants in its best form. It says:
This short holy verse contains two commandments, two prohibitions, and two glad tidings which are a summary of a great story full of adventures, the extract of it is as follows: The system of Pharaoh had designed a vast plan for killing the ‘new born boys’ of the Children of Israel, and even the midwives of Pharaoh were taking control over the pregnant women of the Children of Israel. In this course, one of the midwives had friendship with Moses’ mother. (The delivery of Moses performed secretly and the signs of pregnancy were not so apparent in his mother.) When she felt that the childbirth was approaching, she went to meet her friend, the midwife. She told her that she had a child in her womb and she was in need of her kindness and friendship.
When Moses was born, a mysterious light came out from his eyes, in a manner that the midwife’s body trembled, and she felt a light of love in the depth of her heart for him, so that it brightened all parts of her heart. The midwife turned to the mother of Moses and said:
“I had decided to inform the birth of this child to the government in order that the officials come and kill this boy (and I take my tip), but what can I do that I feel an intensive love from this child inside my heart, so that I do not wish that he receives even the slightest harm. Take care of him properly. I think that at last our final enemy is this child.”
When the midwife came out from the house of Moses’ mother, some of the spies of the government saw her and decided to enter the house. Moses’ sister informed the event to the mother and she became so hasty that she did not know what to do. In the midst of this intensive fear that she could not think at all, she wrapped the child in a piece of cloth and threw him into the oven. Then the men of government came in and, after searching everywhere, they found nothing there save an oven full of fire.
They began making investigations from the mother of Moses. They asked what that midwife was doing there. She answered them that she was her friend and had come to see her. The spies became disappointed and went out. Moses’ mother came to her senses and asked Moses’ sister where Moses was. She answered she did not know. Suddenly a cry was heard from the inside of the oven. The mother hasted toward the oven when she saw Allah had made the fire cold and safe for him, (the same Lord Who made the fire of Numrud cold and safe for Abraham). She took out her child safe and sound from the oven.
Still the mother was not in security because the officials were searching here and there and, hearing the sound of a body would be enough for a great danger to happen. Now a Divine inspiration enlightened the heart of Moses’s mother. It was an inspiration that apparently invited her to a dangerous action, but, however, she felt peace from it. She realized that it was a Divine mission that she should fulfil it in any case. She decided to accomplish the content of this inspiration and cast her newborn child into the Nile River.
She went to an Egyptian carpenter, (a carpenter who was one of Coptic people). She asked him to make a small box for her. The carpenter asked her for what purpose she wanted that box with those qualities. The mother of Moses, being unable to tell a lie, disclosed her plan to the carpenter and said that she was from the Children of Israel and she needed the box for her newborn son to hide him in it. The carpenter intended to inform the event to the cruel informers. When he went to them he became dumb because of the horror he felt in his heart. He wanted to communicate the matter to the informers by only making signs, but they took his deeds as a mockery and, beating him, drove him away.
When the carpenter came out he found himself to be all right. He went again to the informers and the previous event happened to him once more. Then he was convinced that there was a Divine secret in it, and he made the box for Moses’ mother and gave it to her. Perhaps it was in the early morning, when the people of Egypt were still asleep, that the mother of Moses brought her baby with the box beside the Nile River. She sucked him for the last time, and then she put him in that special box and let it move on the water like a ship.
Soon the waves of the River took the box far from the bank. The mother was standing there, watching the scene. In a short moment she felt that as if her heart was separated from her and was moving on the waves. Had not the grace of Allah made her heart calm, she would have cried and every thing was disclosed! Now, we may see what happened in the palace of Pharaoh as stated in the news. The only child Pharaoh had was a young daughter. She was suffering from a serious sickness. He wanted the physicians to cure her, but he got no result from them. He betook to the soothsayers.
They said:
“O Pharaoh! We have foresighted that from the inside of this sea there will come a human into this castle that if the body of this patient be rubbed with his saliva, she will be cured.”
Pharaoh and his wife, ’Asiyah, were waiting for such an event. One day suddenly a box, which was moving on the waves of the River, attracted their attention. He ordered his men to go immediately toward the box and take it and bring it to him to see what was inside it. The mysterious box was put in front of Pharaoh. Those who were around him could not open it. Yes, the box of the safety of Moses should be opened by the hand of Pharaoh himself, and so it happened.
When the eyes of Pharaoh’s wife were faced with the eyes of the baby, a light brightened the depths of her hearts and all those who were there, and Pharaoh’s wife in particular, heartily loved him; and when the saliva of this newborn baby caused the sick person to be cured, this love was increased.25 The rest of this story is shortly explained by the Holy Qur’an, which we refer to in the following pages.
Footnotes