Surah al-Qasas [ The Story ] ,.28..Moses, Messenger of God

Recitation surah al-Qasas, from ayat 32 - ayat 61, by Shaykh Tawfique as-Sayegh,

Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his housefolk, he saw in the distance a fire and said unto his housefolk: Bide ye (here). Lo! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence, or a brand from the fire that ye may warm yourselves. (29)

This fire was the beacon that was to lead him to greatness. 

And when he reached it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed field, from the tree:' O Moses! Lo! I, even I, am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds;' (30)

This was another great turning point in Moses' life for, having been working as a humble shepherd, he now became a messenger of God with a mission to free a whole nation from slavery and lead them to glory. At this moment Moses remebered what had happened to him in Egypt and so asked God to provide him with manpower for support. God said: " We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and We will give unto you both power so that they cannot reach you for Our portents. Ye twain, and those who follow you, will be the winners. "(35)

Moses went back to Egypt, and, as we learn in more detail in al-A'raf, Ta Ha and al-Shuara', spectacularly prevailed over the Pharaoh's sorcerers in the famous public duel that took place between them. The surah affirms that: "But when Moses came unto them with Our clear tokens, they said: This is naught but invented magic. We never heard of this among our fathers of old. "(36)

The surah also relates another confrontation between Moses and the Pharaoh. The latter ordered his chief right -hand man, Haman to help him find the God to whom Moses had referred:

And Pharaoh said:' O chiefs! I know not that ye have a god other than me, so kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake the mud; and set up for me a lofty tower in order that I may survey the God of Moses; and lo! I deem him of the liars.' (38) 

The foolish Pharaoh believed that God resided in the sky or somehow sat above the clouds. Although this notion may sound comical or silly, it is a belief still held surprisingly by some people today. On returning from a space voyage, a Soviet cosmonaut was quoted saying that he had looked for God in space but had not found Him. The only thing  he had seen was his fellow cosmonaut ! How can people be so naive and absurd ? Who has claimed that God is restricted to the heavens or the skies ? God is the Creator and Governor of the while universe, and His power and signs are evident everywhere for all to see. The Pharaoh and his like, who deny the existence of God shall: "And We made them patterns that invite unto the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped. (41) And We made a curse to follow them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the hateful. "(42) 


" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1998 ]











Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Arafat Elashi at Umar Mosque, Hamilton, Canada :

Part 10,

1:05    looking for son-in-laws?.....look for strength of character and honesty

6:10    if you want to be leader or PM ?...you need two additional qualifications: knowledge 
           and wisdom
9:00    it is treachery to Allah for Muslims to choose the wrong leader.......



Part 11,

01:00     Muslims and the political process....