Musa: In the Palace of Phir'oun

The Birth of Musa

What do you think of when you hear the word Egypt? Do you think about the huge pyramids and the Nile River? Or do you remember the story of Prophet Musa عليه السلام and the Bani Isra'eel, or the children of Isra'eel in Egypt? For Muslims, Egypt is important not because of its huge pyramids and sphinx, it is important because Egypt is the birthplace of Prophet Musa.

Prophet Musa was born at the time of Phir'oun. Phir'oun was a ruler who hated the Bani Isra'eel,the descendants of Prophet Ya'qoubor Jacob. Phir'oun humiliated and disrespected the Bani Isra'eel. He made the women and men of Bani isra'eel into slaves, working for very little or no pay at all.phir'oun thought of himself as a god and he wanted his people to obey him and worship him alone.

The Strange Prophecy

One day Phir'oun was told that a boy from the Bani Isra'eel would be born and this boy would destroy his kingdom. When Phir'oun heard this prophecy, he became very worried and couldn't overcome his fear. So, a very evil idea jumped to his wicked head.He ordered that every male childborn to the Bani Isra'eel should be killed. Phir'oun could not stand the thought of someone else having more power than him. Some historians said that Phir'oun killed thousands of children.

The Worried Mother

Loha, Musa's mother, feared for her unborn baby. She did not want her new child to be killed. She had two other kids, a girl, Maryam, and a boy, Haroon. Musa's mother was a very pious and obedient servant of Allah, so she received an inspiration from Allah. Allah said in Al-Qur'an:


"So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Musa: 'Feed (your child), but when you fear about him, cast him into the river, but do not fear nor grieve: for We shall return him to you, and We shall make him one of Our messengers.'" [Surat-ul-Qasas]

Allah ordered Musa's mother to put him into a chest and send it floating down the Nile River. Musa's mother did what Allah commanded her to do. She put Musa into a box and gently slid it onto the waters of the Nile. Then she asked her daughter Maryam to follow the box. She was very sad to let her son go, but she knew for sure that one day he would return back to her and become a prophet as Allah had promised her. She believed truly in her heart that Allah is the best protector of her child and family.

Musa in the Palace of Phir'oun

The box floated down the river and stopped at a riverbank near Phir'oun's palace. The guards of the palace found the baby and swiftly took it to Phir'oun and his wife. Phir'oun's wife, Asiah, instantly fell in love with baby Musa because Allah put in her heart strong love for this baby. Phir'oun's wife was very different from Phir'oun. He was a disbeliever; she was a believer. He was cruel; she was merciful. She was also very sad because Allah had not blessed her with a child of her own. When she saw baby Musa, she picked him up and cried tears of joy. Phir'oun was amazed because he had never seen his wife this happy. She asked him if she could adopt the baby, and Phir'oun agreed.

Musa Goes Back to His Mother

Phir'oun's wife could not breastfeed the baby, so she ordered for nurses to suckle baby Musa. Many nurses were found, but Musa refused to drink from their breasts and kept crying. As you learned earlier, Musa's sister had followed the box floating down the river until it reached Phir'oun's palace. Musa's sister kept roaming around the palace until she learned that Phir'oun's wife and servants were looking for someone Musa could breastfeed from. Musa's sister told them about a person who could feed the baby. They quickly ordered his sister to find the woman she was talking about.when Musa's sister Maryam arrived home, she saw how worried her mother had become.

She wanted to know anxiously what had happened to her baby Musa. Maryam told her mom the good news. As soon as she learned what had happened, her worries subsided, and she quickly went to the palace.

As baby Musa was put to his mother's breast, he instantly started drinking from her milk. SubhanAllah! Once again mother and son were reunited by a miracle from Allah. Musa's mother was appointed by Phir'oun as Musa's nurse. She was now paid good money for breastfeeding her own son. Of course, Phir'oun and his wife did not know that the new nurse was none other than the baby's mother.

When Musa grew up, his mother was allowed the privilege of visiting him in the palace. Allah had granted Musa good health, strength, knowledge, and wisdom.

Surat Al kasas

﴿وَنُريدُ أَن نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذينَ استُضعِفوا فِي الأَرضِ وَنَجعَلَهُم أَئِمَّةً وَنَجعَلَهُمُ الوارِثينَ۝وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُم فِي الأَرضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرعَونَ وَهامانَ وَجُنودَهُما مِنهُم ما كانوا يَحذَرونَ۝وَأَوحَينا إِلى أُمِّ موسى أَن أَرضِعيهِ فَإِذا خِفتِ عَلَيهِ فَأَلقيهِ فِي اليَمِّ وَلا تَخافي وَلا تَحزَني إِنّا رادّوهُ إِلَيكِ وَجاعِلوهُ مِنَ المُرسَلينَ۝فَالتَقَطَهُ آلُ فِرعَونَ لِيَكونَ لَهُم عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا إِنَّ فِرعَونَ وَهامانَ وَجُنودَهُما كانوا خاطِئينَ۝وَقالَتِ امرَأَتُ فِرعَونَ قُرَّتُ عَينٍ لي وَلَكَ لا تَقتُلوهُ عَسى أَن يَنفَعَنا أَو نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُم لا يَشعُرونَ۝وَأَصبَحَ فُؤادُ أُمِّ موسى فارِغًا إِن كادَت لَتُبدي بِهِ لَولا أَن رَبَطنا عَلى قَلبِها لِتَكونَ مِنَ المُؤمِنينَ۝وَقالَت لِأُختِهِ قُصّيهِ فَبَصُرَت بِهِ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُم لا يَشعُرونَ۝وَحَرَّمنا عَلَيهِ المَراضِعَ مِن قَبلُ فَقالَت هَل أَدُلُّكُم عَلى أَهلِ بَيتٍ يَكفُلونَهُ لَكُم وَهُم لَهُ ناصِحونَ۝فَرَدَدناهُ إِلى أُمِّهِ كَي تَقَرَّ عَينُها وَلا تَحزَنَ وَلِتَعلَمَ أَنَّ وَعدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلكِنَّ أَكثَرَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ۝وَلَمّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاستَوى آتَيناهُ حُكمًا وَعِلمًا وَكَذلِكَ نَجزِي المُحسِنينَ﴾ [القصص: ٥-١٤]

translation

5:And We wished to be gracious to those who were being oppressed in the land, to make them leaders (in Faith) and make them heirs,

6:To establish a firm place for them in the land, and to show Phir'oun, Haman, and their hosts, at their hands, what they were taking precautions against.

7: So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Musa: "Feed (your child), but when you fear about him, cast him into the river, but do not fear nor grieve: for We shall return him to you, and We shall make him one of Our messengers."

8:Then the people of Phir'oun picked him up (from the river): (It was intended) that (Musa) should be to them an adversary and a cause of sorrow: for Phir'oun and Haman and (all) their hosts were men of sin.

9: The wife of Phir'oun said: "(Here is) joy of the eye, for me and for you: Do not kill him. He may be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not (what they were doing)!

10: And there came a void in the heart of the mother of Musa: She almost disclosed his (case), had We not strengthened her heart (with faith), so that she would stay a (firm) believer.

11: And she said to the sister of (Musa), "Follow him." Then she (the sister) watched him from a distance and they did not notice. And they knew not.

12:And We decided that he refused suck at first, until (his sister came up and) said: "Shall I point out to you about the people of a house that will feed and raise him up for you and truly care about him?"

13: Thus did We return him to his mother, that her eye might be comforted, that she might not grieve, and that she would know that the promise of Allah is true: but most of them do not understand.

14: When he reached full age, and became a man, We granted him wisdom and knowledge: and that is how We reward those who do good.

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