The story of Musa AS is the longest story of a Nabi (Messenger) in the Quran. It is mentioned in more than 30 chapters, over 129 times. There are many reasons for this.

Musa AS was one of the leading Prophets AS who was sent to the Bani Israel. The king during this time was the notorious Firaun (Pharoah). The story of Firaun is important to know because Firaun is the symbol of oppression and tyranny in the Quran, and we have suffered in this ummah from a reign of dictators and oppression for a very long time.

إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَائِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

Verily, Firaun exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (Children of Israel) among them, killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the Mufsidun (those who commit great sins and crimes, oppressors, tyrants, etc.). [Al Qasas 28: 4]

In this way Allah has described the political situation of the time in the Quran. Firaun was the only figure of power in the lives of these people and had declared himself God, and forbade the worship of anyone but him. No one stood up to dispute his claim. He made classes and tribes among the people of Egypt, of which Bani Israel were at the lowest level, as they were slaves and servants. Their numbers were huge, but the division and oppression left them powerless and unable to function as a unit, therefore unable to help themselves or even think about how to escape the tyranny they faced.

Then one day, as this story begins, Firaun saw a dream. This dream was interpreted by Firaun’s advisors to mean that there would be a child born among the children of Israel, Bani Israel, who would take away his kingdom. In response to this dream, Firaun ordered the death of all new-born males. The extent of his power and the amount of control he had over the lives of people is obvious from this. If a modern day leader was to issue the mass killing of all baby boys within the country, there would be some form of resistance, and the action would be condemned and stated as a breach of human rights and called a crime against humanity itself. Yet history itself is witness that no one did anything to stop this murder of newborn, innocent baby boys from happening. Or if anyone did, they were utterly powerless and their attempts fruitless and unnoticeable.

The mother of Musa AS became pregnant but managed to conceal her pregnancy by the will of Allah. Only Allah has the power to hide such things from the eyes of people. If Allah wishes to reveal something nothing can stop him and if he wishes to hide something, no one holds any power to find out. Another point that should be mentioned is that no matter how strong the security forces are, they are always going to miss something through human error. In this case they missed the fact that this woman was pregnant.

However, when Musa AS was born, it became harder for her to hide that fact. So Allah inspired his mother, through a different type of inspiration called ilhaam saying,

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

‘And We inspired the mother of Musa, (saying): “Suckle him, but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of (Our) Messengers.”.’ [al-Qasas 28: 7]

This has to be a strong inspiration because no mother would throw her child into a flowing river, especially not one as strong as the Nile.

To our limited minds, putting a baby, who is only a few days old, into a box, and throwing him into the river would mean throwing him to his death. However as this was an order from the Allah this righteous mother was able to suppress her protective motherhood and care for the child and entrust her baby to Allah, with such belief that Allah will care for him and protect him more than she could.

This was a very big trial for the mother of Musa AS. She gave birth to a baby, she fed him, she put him in a wooden box, put the box in the Nile river and she, in front of her eyes, let this child go, just to fulfil this inspiration that he will be returned and he will be a Messenger.

The mother of Musa AS did this even though it was going against the very nature Allah has placed in a mother. She was the mother of a child a few days old and yet she did it.

Hers is a perfect example of how Allah honours those who have faith upon him and how Allah fulfils his promise to you above and beyond all expectations.