Confidence in God
We inspired Moses' mother: "Nurse him, and when you fear for his life, throw him into the river without fear or grief. We will return him to you, and will make him one of the messengers."

Moses was the messenger God sent to Pharaoh and his elders, to call them to the Lord of the universe and to demand that they free the Children of Israel (7:103-105, 20:47). He is the messenger to whom God spoke directly (4:164). God gave him the scripture and the Statute Book "that you may be guided" (2:53, 28:43), and appointed his brother Aaron as his assistant (25:35).
He was born while Pharaoh was slaughtering the sons of a persecuted people. God inspired his mother to nurse him and, when she feared for him, to put him in the river. Pharaoh's own family picked him up, and Pharaoh's wife asked them not to kill him. Because the infant would not accept any other nursing mother, his sister was able to bring him back to his own mother (28:4-13). As a grown man, he stepped into a fight between a Hebrew and an Egyptian and killed the Egyptian with a punch. He asked God's forgiveness and was forgiven. When he was warned that people were plotting to kill him, he fled to Midyan. There he watered the flocks of two women, worked for their father, and married one of the daughters (28:15-28). On the way back toward Egypt with his family, he saw a fire on Mount Sinai. At the burning bush God called to him, gave him the staff and the white hand as proofs, and, at his request, sent Aaron with him (28:29-35).
Pharaoh dismissed the signs as magic and summoned his best magicians. Moses' staff swallowed what they had produced, and the magicians fell prostrate, believing in "the Lord of Moses and Aaron." They held firm even when Pharaoh threatened to crucify them (7:106-126). Then came drought, flood, locusts, lice, frogs and blood. Each time a plague hit, Pharaoh's people promised to believe, and each time it was lifted, they broke the promise (7:130-135). At last Moses led the Israelites out. When Pharaoh's army caught up with them at the sea, Moses said, "My Lord is with me; He will guide me." God told him to strike the sea with his staff, the sea parted, the believers crossed, and the pursuers drowned (26:61-66). As he drowned, Pharaoh declared his belief, but he was told it was "Too late!" God preserved his body as a lesson for later generations (10:90-92). Dr. Khalifa notes in his footnote that Pharaoh's mummified body is on display at the Cairo Museum.
After the crossing, God summoned Moses for forty nights. During that meeting Moses asked to see God. God revealed Himself to a mountain instead, the mountain crumbled, and Moses fell unconscious. He then received the tablets of teachings (7:142-145). While he was away, the Samarian led the people to worship a golden calf that made a calf's sound. Moses came back angry, confronted Aaron, banished the Samarian, and burned the idol (7:148-150, 20:85-97). Later his people refused to enter the holy land out of fear of its powerful inhabitants. They told him to go fight with his Lord while they sat where they were, so the land was forbidden to them for forty years of wandering (5:20-26). The Quran also tells of Moses seeking out a servant of God who had been given knowledge from God, so that he could learn from him (18:60-66).
The Quran draws several lessons from his story. God compensates the oppressed and makes them inheritors, and He gives tyrants "a taste of their own medicine" (28:5-6). His promise can be trusted even when obeying it looks frightening, as it did for a mother putting her baby in a river (28:7, 28:13). Belief must come before it is too late (10:90-91). The Israelites had seen miracle after miracle and still asked for idols (7:138), which shows that miracles alone do not make people believe. Above all, the story keeps returning to its central point: "Your only god is GOD; the One beside whom there is no other god" (20:98).
Verses
SubmissionAI can make mistakes. Check the sources.
We inspired Moses' mother: "Nurse him, and when you fear for his life, throw him into the river without fear or grief. We will return him to you, and will make him one of the messengers."
Pharaoh's family picked him up, only to have him lead the opposition and to be a source of grief for them. That is because Pharaoh, Hãmãn, and their troops were transgressors.
Pharaoh's wife said, "This can be a joyous find for me and you. Do not kill him, for he may be of some benefit for us, or we may adopt him to be our son." They had no idea.
The mind of Moses' mother was growing so anxious that she almost gave away his identity. But we strengthened her heart, to make her a believer.
She said to his sister, "Trace his path." She watched him from afar, while they did not perceive.
We forbade him from accepting all the nursing mothers. (His sister) then said, "I can show you a family that can raise him for you, and take good care of him."
Thus, we restored him to his mother, in order to please her, remove her worries, and to let her know that GOD's promise is the truth. However, most of them do not know.
When he reached maturity and strength, we endowed him with wisdom and knowledge. We thus reward the righteous.
Once he entered the city unexpectedly, without being recognized by the people. He found two men fighting; one was (a Hebrew) from his people, and the other was (an Egyptian) from his enemies. The one from his people called on him for help against his enemy. Moses punched him, killing him. He said, "This is the work of the devil; he is a real enemy, and a profound misleader."
He said, "My Lord, I have wronged my soul. Please forgive me," and He forgave him. He is the Forgiver, Most Merciful.
He said, "My Lord, in return for Your blessings upon me, I will never be a supporter of the guilty ones."
In the morning, he was in the city, afraid and watchful. The one who sought his help yesterday, asked for his help again. Moses said to him, "You are really a troublemaker."
Before he attempted to strike their common enemy, he said, "O Moses, do you want to kill me, as you killed the other man yesterday? Obviously, you wish to be a tyrant on earth; you do not wish to be righteous."
A man came running from the other side of the city, saying, "O Moses, the people are plotting to kill you. You better leave immediately. I am giving you good advice."
He fled the city, afraid and watchful. He said, "My Lord, save me from the oppressive people."
As he traveled towards Midyan, he said, "May my Lord guide me in the right path."
When he reached Midyan's water, he found a crowd of people watering, and noticed two women waiting on the side. He said, "What is it that you need?" They said, "We are not able to water, until the crowd disperses, and our father is an old man."
He watered for them, then turned to the shade, saying, "My Lord, whatever provision You send to me, I am in dire need for it."
Soon, one of the two women approached him, shyly, and said, "My father invites you to pay you for watering for us." When he met him, and told him his story, he said, "Have no fear. You have been saved from the oppressive people."
One of the two women said, "O my father, hire him. He is the best one to hire, for he is strong and honest."
He said, "I wish to offer one of my two daughters for you to marry, in return for working for me for eight pilgrimages; if you make them ten, it will be voluntary on your part. I do not wish to make this matter too difficult for you. You will find me, GOD willing, righteous."
He said, "It is an agreement between me and you. Whichever period I fulfill, you will not be averse to either one. GOD is the guarantor of what we said."
When he had fulfilled his obligation, he traveled with his family (towards Egypt). He saw from the slope of Mount Sinai a fire. He said to his family, "Stay here. I have seen a fire. Maybe I can bring to you news, or a portion of the fire to warm you."
When he reached it, he was called from the edge of the right side of the valley, in the blessed spot where the burning bush was located: "O Moses, this is Me. GOD; Lord of the universe.
"Throw down your staff." When he saw it moving like a demon, he turned around and fled. "O Moses, come back; do not be afraid. You are perfectly safe.
"Put your hand into your pocket; it will come out white without a blemish. Fold your wings and settle down from your fear. These are two proofs from your Lord, to be shown to Pharaoh and his elders; they have been wicked people."
He said, "My Lord, I killed one of them, and I fear lest they kill me.
"Also, my brother Aaron is more eloquent than I. Send him with me as a helper to confirm and strengthen me. I fear lest they disbelieve me."
He said, "We will strengthen you with your brother, and we will provide you both with manifest authority. Thus, they will not be able to touch either one of you. With our miracles, the two of you, together with those who follow you, will be the victors."
After (those messengers,) we sent Moses with our signs to Pharaoh and his people, but they transgressed. Note the consequences for the wicked.
Moses said, "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the universe.
"It is incumbent upon me that I do not say about GOD except the truth. I come to you with a sign from your Lord; let the Children of Israel go."
He said, "If you have a sign, then produce it, if you are truthful."
He threw down his staff, and it turned into a tremendous serpent.
He took out his hand, and it was white to the beholders.
The leaders among Pharaoh's people said, "This is no more than a clever magician.
They said, "Respite him and his brother, and send summoners to every town.
"Let them summon every experienced magician."
The magicians were gathered at the appointed time, on the appointed day.
The people were told: "Come one and all; let us gather together here.
"Maybe we will follow the magicians, if they are the winners."
When the magicians came, they said to Pharaoh, "Do we get paid, if we are the winners?"
He said, "Yes indeed; you will even be close to me."
Moses said to them, "Throw what you are going to throw."
They threw their ropes and sticks, and said, "By Pharaoh's majesty, we will be the victors."
Moses threw his staff, whereupon it swallowed what they fabricated.
The magicians fell prostrate.
They said, "We believe in the Lord of the universe.
"The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
We summoned Moses for thirty* nights, and completed them by adding ten.* Thus, the audience with his Lord lasted forty* nights. Moses said to his brother Aaron, "Stay here with my people, maintain righteousness, and do not follow the ways of the corruptors."
*7:142 The manner in which these numbers are mentioned is significant. As detailed in Appendix 1, all the numbers mentioned in the Quran add up to 162146, 19x8534.
When Moses came at our appointed time, and his Lord spoke with him, he said, "My Lord, let me look and see You." He said, "You cannot see Me. Look at that mountain; if it stays in its place, then you can see Me." Then, his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, and this caused it to crumble. Moses fell unconscious. When he came to, he said, "Be You glorified. I repent to You, and I am the most convinced believer."
He said, "O Moses, I have chosen you, out of all the people, with My messages and by speaking to you. Therefore, take what I have given you and be appreciative."
We wrote for him on the tablets all kinds of enlightenments and details of everything: "You shall uphold these teachings strongly, and exhort your people to uphold them—these are the best teachings. I will point out for you the fate of the wicked."
When Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed, he said, "What a terrible thing you have done in my absence! Could you not wait for the commandments of your Lord?" He threw down the tablets, and took hold of his brother's head, pulling him towards himself. (Aaron) said, "Son of my mother, the people took advantage of my weakness, and almost killed me. Let not my enemies rejoice, and do not count me with the transgressing people."
(Moses) said, "My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy. Of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful."