Moses in Islam
is a prominent prophet and messenger of God and is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Quran, with [|his name being mentioned 136 times] and his life being narrated and recounted more than that of any other prophet. Apart from the Quran, Moses is also described and praised in the Hadith literature as well. He is one of the most important prophets and messengers within Islam.
According to the Quran, Moses was born to an Israelite family. In his childhood, he is put in a basket which flows towards the Nile, and is eventually discovered by Pharaoh's wife, who takes Moses as her adopted son. After reaching adulthood, Moses then resides in Midian, before departing for Egypt again to threaten the Pharaoh. During his prophethood, Moses is said to have performed many miracles, and is also reported to have personally talked to God, who bestows the title 'Speaker of God' upon Moses. The prophet's most famous miracle is dividing the Red Sea, with a miraculous staff provided by God. After Pharaoh's death, Moses and his followers travel towards the Promised Land and the prophet dies within sight of the land. Moses is reported to have met Muhammad in the seven heavens following his ascension from Jerusalem during the Night Journey. During the journey, Moses is said by Muslims to have repeatedly sent Muhammad back, and request a reduction in the number of required daily prayers, originally believed to be fifty, until only the five obligatory prayers remained.
Moses is viewed as a very important figure in Islam. According to Islamic theology, all Muslims must have faith in every prophet and messenger of God, which includes Moses and his brother Aaron. The life of Moses is generally seen as a spiritual parallel to the life of Muhammad, and Muslims consider many aspects of the two individuals' lives to be shared. Islamic literature also describes a parallel relation between their people and the incidents that occurred in their lifetimes; the exodus of the Israelites from ancient Egypt is considered to be similar in nature to the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina as both events unfolded in the face of persecution—of the Israelites by the ancient Egyptians, and of the early Muslims by the Meccans, respectively. His revelations, such as the Ten Commandments, form part of the contents of the Torah and are central to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Christianity. Consequently, Jews and Christians are designated as "People of the Book" for Muslims and are to be recognized with this special status wherever Islamic law is applied. Moses is further revered in Islamic literature, which expands upon the incidents of his life and the miracles attributed to him in the Quran and hadith, such as his direct conversations with God.
Generally, Moses is seen as a legendary figure by biblical scholars, some of whom consider it possible that Moses or a Moses-like figure existed in the 13th century BCE.
Life
Childhood
In Islamic tradition, Musa was born into a family of Israelites living in Egypt. Of his family, Islamic tradition generally names his father Imran, corresponding to the Amram of the Hebrew Bible, traditional genealogies name Levi as his ancestor. Islam states that Moses was born in a time when the ruling Pharaoh had enslaved the Israelites after the time of the prophet Yusuf. Islamic literature states that around the time of Moses's birth, the Pharaoh had a dream in which he saw fire coming from the city of Jerusalem, which burned everything in his kingdom except in the land of the Israelites. Another version says that the Pharaoh dreamed of a little boy who caught the Pharaoh's crown and destroyed it, although there is no authentic Islamic reference to whether the dreams actually occurred. When the Pharaoh is informed that one of the male children would grow up to overthrow him, he orders the killing of all newborn Israelite males in order to prevent the prediction from occurring. Experts of economics in Pharaoh's court advise him that killing the male infants of the Israelites would result in loss of manpower. Therefore, they suggest that male infants should be killed in one year but spared the next. Moses's brother, Aaron, was born in the year when infants were spared, while Moses was born in the year when infants were to be killed.Incident of the Nile
According to Islamic tradition, Jochebed, Moses's mother, suckled him secretly during this period. When they were in danger of being caught, God instructed her to put him in a wicker basket and set him adrift on the Nile. She instructs her daughter to follow the course of the ark and report back to her. As her daughter follows the ark along the riverbank, Moses is discovered by the Pharaoh's wife, Asiya, who convinces the Pharaoh to adopt him. When Asiya ordered wet nurses for Moses, Moses refuses to be breastfed. Islamic tradition states that this is because God forbade Moses from being fed by any wet nurse in order to reunite him with his mother. His sister worries that Moses has not been fed for some time, so she appears to the Pharaoh and informs him that she knows someone who can feed him. After being questioned, she is ordered to bring the woman being discussed. The sister brings their mother, who feeds Moses, and thereafter, she is appointed as the wet nurse of Moses.Prophethood
Test of prophecy
According to Isra'iliyat hadith, when Moses is on the Pharaoh's lap in his childhood, he grabs the Pharaoh's beard and slaps him in the face. This action prompts the Pharaoh to consider Moses as the Israelite who would overthrow him, and the Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses. The Pharaoh's wife persuades him not to kill him because he is an infant. Instead, he decides to test Moses. Two plates are set before young Moses, one containing rubies and the other glowing coals. Moses reaches out for the rubies, but the angel Gabriel directs his hand to the coals. Moses grabs a glowing coal and puts it in his mouth, burning his tongue. After the incident, Moses suffers a speech defect, but is spared by the Pharaoh.Escape to Midian and Marriage
After having reached adulthood, according to the Quran, Moses is passing through a city when he comes across an Egyptian fighting with an Israelite. The Israelite man is believed to be Sam'ana, known in the Bible to be a Samaritan, who asks Moses for his assistance against the Egyptian who is mistreating him. Moses attempts to intervene and becomes involved in the dispute. Moses strikes the Egyptian in a state of anger, which results in his death. Moses then repents to God, and the following day, he again comes across the same Israelite fighting with another Egyptian. The Israelite again asks Moses for help, and as Moses approaches the Israelite, he reminds Moses of his manslaughter and asks if Moses intended to kill the Israelite. Moses is reported, and the Pharaoh orders Moses to be killed. However, Moses flees to the desert after being alerted to his punishment. According to Islamic tradition, after Moses arrives in Midian, he witnesses two female shepherds driving back their flocks from a well. Moses approaches them and inquires about their work as shepherds and their retreat from the well. Upon hearing their answers and about the old age of their father, although his identity is contested, generally accepted to be Prophet Shuaib, Moses waters their flocks for them. The two shepherds return to their home and inform their father of Moses. They then invite Moses to a feast. At that feast, their father asks Moses to work for him for eight years in return for marriage to one of his daughters. Moses consents and works for him for ten years.Preaching
Call to prophethood
According to the Quran, Moses departs for Egypt along with his family after completing the contracted time period. During their travel, as they stop near At-Tur, Moses observes a large fire and instructs the family to wait until he returns with fire for them. When Moses reaches the Valley of Tuwa, God calls out directly to him from the right side of the valley from a tree, on what is revered as Al-Buq‘ah Al-Mubārakah in the Quran. Moses is commanded by God to remove his shoes and is informed of his selection as a prophet, his obligation of prayer and the Day of Judgment. Moses is then ordered to throw his rod, which turns into a snake, and later instructed to hold it. The Quran then narrates Moses being ordered to insert his hand into his clothes and when he revealed it, it shines a bright light. God states that these are signs for the Pharaoh, and orders Moses to invite Pharaoh to the worship of one God. Moses expresses his fear of Pharaoh and requests God to heal his speech impediment and grant him Aaron as a helper. According to Islamic tradition, both of them state their fear of Pharaoh, but are assured by God that He would be observing them and commands them to inform the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Therefore, they depart to preach to the Pharaoh.The Quran states that Moses was sent by God to confront the erstwhile of ancient Egypt and to guide the Israelites, who were enslaved by the former. The Quran directly validates Moses and Aaron as prophets chosen by God:
Because he is the only Prophet to be directly spoken to by God, whereas the others would communicate through Angel Gabriel, Moses is titled Kaleem Allah.