The story of Prophet Musa (Moses)

The story in short

Arabic name

موسى

English name

Moses

Named in the Quran

136 times

Sent to

Pharaoh and his chiefs in Egypt, and the Children of Israel

Main surahs

Al-Qasas, Taha, Al-Araf

In the list of 25

14 of 25 · one of the Ulul Azm

In short: Musa was born when Pharaoh was killing the boys of the Children of Israel. His mother put him in the river, and he was raised in Pharaoh's own house. As a man he fled to Madyan, married, and on his way back Allah spoke to him at a fire on Mount Tur and sent him to Pharaoh with signs: the staff and the shining hand. Pharaoh refused. Allah parted the sea for Musa and his people and drowned Pharaoh. In the wilderness Musa received the Tawrah, faced the golden calf, and learned humility from al-Khidr.

The story of Musa

A baby on the river

Pharaoh had divided the people and was killing the sons of the Children of Israel (28:4). Allah inspired Musa's mother: "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him of the messengers" (28:7). Pharaoh's family picked him up. Pharaoh's wife said: "A comfort of the eye for me and for you. Do not kill him" (28:9). He refused every wet nurse until his sister guided them to his own mother, "that she might be content and not grieve" (28:13). The Prophet ﷺ named Pharaoh's wife as Asiyah and counted her among the most perfect of women.¹

Flight to Madyan

As a young man Musa struck an Egyptian who was fighting a man from his people, and the man died. Musa repented at once: "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me", and Allah forgave him (28:15-16). Warned that the chiefs were plotting to kill him, he fled to Madyan. There he watered the flock of two women, then sat in the shade and said: "My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need" (28:24). Their father invited him, and Musa married one of the daughters, working for him for eight or ten years (28:27-28).

The fire and the call

Travelling back with his family, Musa saw a fire by Mount Tur and went to it. He was called: "Indeed, I am your Lord, so remove your sandals. Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance" (20:12-14). His staff became a moving snake and his hand came out shining white (20:17-22). He asked: "My Lord, expand for me my chest and ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my speech", and asked for his brother Harun as a helper (20:25-32).

Pharaoh and the magicians

Allah told Musa and Harun: "Speak to him with gentle speech, that perhaps he may be reminded or fear" (20:44). Pharaoh called Musa a magician and gathered his best magicians on a festival day. They threw ropes and staffs that seemed to move. Musa threw his staff and it swallowed what they had made. The magicians fell in prostration and said: "We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses" (20:70). Pharaoh threatened to cut off their hands and feet, and they answered: "Decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life" (20:72). Allah then sent Egypt the flood, locusts, lice, frogs and blood (7:133), and each time Pharaoh broke his promise.

The sea

Musa led his people out by night and Pharaoh pursued them. At the sea, the people said: "Indeed, we are to be overtaken!" Musa said: "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me" (26:61-62). Allah told him to strike the sea with his staff, and it parted, each part like a great mountain (26:63). The believers crossed, and Pharaoh and his army drowned. As he drowned, Pharaoh said he believed, too late, and Allah said: "Today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign" (10:90-92). When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah he found the Jews fasting Ashura because Allah saved Musa on that day, and he said: "We have more right to Musa than you", and fasted it and told Muslims to fast it.²

In the wilderness

Allah gave the Children of Israel manna and quails and shade of clouds (2:57), and twelve springs from a rock struck by Musa's staff (2:60). Musa went to meet his Lord for forty nights and was given the Tawrah on tablets (7:142-145). While he was away, al-Samiri made a golden calf and many worshipped it (20:85-97). Later they argued about a cow they were told to slaughter (2:67-73), and when they refused to enter the holy land, they were made to wander for forty years (5:21-26).

Musa and al-Khidr

Musa was once asked who was the most knowledgeable person and said "I am". Allah told him that a servant at the meeting of the two seas knew more.³ Musa travelled to find him (18:60-65) and asked to follow him. Al-Khidr made a hole in a boat, killed a boy and rebuilt a wall without payment, and Musa could not stay silent. Al-Khidr then explained the wisdom behind each act, and said: "I did it not of my own accord" (18:79-82).

His death and the Miraj

When the angel of death came to Musa, Musa struck him. Allah sent the angel back to offer him a long life, and Musa chose to die then, asking to be brought within a stone's throw of the holy land. The Prophet ﷺ said that if he were there he would show them Musa's grave beside the road, by the red sand dune.⁴ On the Night Journey the Prophet ﷺ saw Musa praying in his grave,⁵ and met him in the sixth heaven. It was Musa who urged him to go back and ask for the fifty daily prayers to be reduced, until they became five.⁶

Key verses

Lessons from the story

• Allah protects in ways no one expects: the baby was raised in the house of the man hunting him.
• A mistake can be followed by sincere repentance and a new start.
• Ask Allah for what you need, small or great: "I am, for whatever good You send me, in need."
• Speak gently even to the worst tyrant, as Musa was told to speak to Pharaoh.
• Certainty: "With me is my Lord; He will guide me", with the sea in front and the army behind.
• However much you know, someone knows more. Allah's wisdom is behind what we do not understand.

Where it is in the Quran

The main passages about Musa, with links to read and listen to each surah:

• Surah Al-Qasas 28:3-46
• Surah Taha 20:9-98
• Surah Al-Araf 7:103-162
• Surah Ash-Shuara 26:10-68
• Surah Al-Baqarah 2:49-74
• Surah Al-Kahf 18:60-82

What is authentic, and what is not

The story that Musa burned his tongue on a coal as a child, causing his difficulty in speech, comes from a long report attributed to Ibn Abbas, which scholars consider weak or taken from Isra'iliyyat. The Quran mentions only "the knot from my tongue". The identity of Pharaoh with a particular king such as Ramesses II is a modern guess; the Quran calls him only Fir'awn. Whether al-Khidr was a prophet or a righteous servant is discussed by scholars. Many held he was a prophet, since he acted by revelation (18:82).

We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.

Questions

Sources

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 3411; Sahih Muslim 2431.
2. Sahih al-Bukhari 2004; Sahih Muslim 1130.
3. Sahih al-Bukhari 122; Sahih Muslim 2380.
4. Sahih al-Bukhari 1339; Sahih Muslim 2372.
5. Sahih Muslim 2375.
6. Sahih al-Bukhari 349; Sahih Muslim 162.
7. Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Musa, and his tafsir of Surahs Taha, Al-Qasas and Al-Kahf.
8. Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).

The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.