18 January 2015 - Visit to the Cinema to watch Exodus: Gods and Kings

18 January 2015 - Visit to the Cinema to watch Exodus: Gods and Kings

Exodus: Gods and Kings – Plot & Spoilers  

(Wikipedia)

In 1300 BCE, Moses, a general and member of the royal family, prepares to attack the Hittite army with Prince Ramses. Ramses' father Seti I tells the two men of a recent prophecy in which one (of Moses and Ramses) will save the other and become a leader. During the attack on the Hittites, Moses saves Ramses' life, leaving both men troubled.

Later, Moses is sent to the city of Pithom to meet with the Viceroy Hegep, who oversees the Hebrew slaves. Upon his arrival, he encounters the slave Joshua and is appalled by the horrific conditions of the slaves. Shortly afterwards, Moses meets Nun, who informs him of his true lineage; he is the child of Hebrew parents who was sent by his sister Miriam to be raised by Pharaoh's daughter. Moses is stunned at the revelation and leaves angrily. However, two Hebrews also overhear Nun's story and reports their discovery to Hegep.

Seti dies soon after Moses' return to Memphis, and Ramses becomes the new Pharaoh (Ramses II). Hegep arrives to reveal Moses' true identity, but Ramses is conflicted about whether to believe the story. At the urging of Queen Tuya, he interrogates the servant Miriam, who denies being Moses' sister. When Ramses threatens to cut off Miriam's arm, Moses comes to her defence, revealing he is a Hebrew.

Although Tuya wants Moses to be put to death, Ramses decides to send him into exile. Before leaving Egypt, Moses meets with his birth mother and Miriam, who refer to him by his birth name of Moishe. Following a journey into the desert, Moses comes to Midian where he meets Zipporah and her father, Jethro. Moses becomes a shepherd, marries Zipporah and has a son Gershom.

Nine years later, Moses gets injured during a rockslide. He comes face to face with a burning bush and a boy called Malak, who serves as a representation of God. While recovering, Moses confesses his past to Zipporah and reveals what God has asked him to do. This drives a wedge between the couple, because Zipporah fears he will leave their family.

After he arrives in Egypt, Moses reunites with Nun and Joshua, as well as meeting his brother Aaron for the first time. Using his military skills, he trains the slaves in the art of war. The Hebrews start attacking the Egyptians, prompting Ramses to execute slaves until Moses gives himself up.

Malak appears to Moses and explains that ten plagues will affect Egypt. All the water in the land turns to blood, and the Egyptians are further afflicted by the arrival of frogs, lice, and flies. Moses returns to confront Ramses, demanding the Hebrews be released from servitude. Ramses refuses to listen, insisting that to free the slaves would be economically impossible.

The plagues of the death of livestock, boils, hail and thunder, locusts, and darkness continue to affect the Egyptians. While conversing with Malak, Moses is horrified at learning the tenth plague will be the death of all firstborn children. The Hebrews protect themselves by covering their doors with the blood of lambs, as instructed to them by Moses. Ramses is devastated over his son's death and relents, telling Moses and the Hebrews to leave.

During the exodus from Egypt, the Hebrews follow Moses' original path through the desert and towards the Red Sea. Still grieving for his son, Ramses decides to go after the Hebrews with his army.

After making their way across the rocky mountains, Moses and the Hebrews arrive at the edge of the sea, uncertain about what to do. Moses flings his sword into the water, which begins to recede. Ramses and his army pursue the Hebrews, but Moses stays behind to confront them. The Red Sea reverts to its normal state, drowning the majority of the Egyptians (crossing the Red Sea).

Moses survives and makes his way back to the Hebrews. Ramses is revealed to have survived, but he is distraught over the destruction of his army. Moses leads the Hebrews back to Midian, where he reunites with Zipporah and Gershom.

At Mount Sinai, after seeing Malak's displeasure at the Hebrews' construction of the Golden Calf, Moses transcribes the Ten Commandments. Years later, an elderly Moses riding with the Ark of the Covenant sees Malak walking with the Hebrews through the desert.

Main inaccuracies from Islamic texts:

• The film misses out the birth story except a short narration of it and misses the related miracle of the Nile.
• We don’t see the staff of Moses (except a small scene where he gives it to his son)!
• The (accidental) death of the Egyptian by Moses is wrongly portrayed
• Moses flees Egypt on foot when he is a wanted terrorist but the film exiles him on horse
• Moses spends 10 years in Madian before wanting to return to Egypt with his family. He encounters with the Burning Bush was whilst travelling with the family – all wrong in the film.
• The whole Burning Bush is wrong with no staff-snake, taking off shoes and of course God appearing as a little boy and the boy later being a ‘messenger’
• Joshua (Yusha) is portrayed as a contemporary of Moses in the film whereas he took over as leader of Bani Israel after the death of Musa
• Moses had a speech impediment in Islamic texts
• Moses asks Allah to appoint Harun as his helper not introduced accidentally as his brother when he arrives back in Egypt as in the film
• Moses never trains his people to fight an insurgency against Pharaoh like the film suggests
• The film sees Pharaoh hanging families of Bani Israel but our texts talk about him killing the children of Bani Israel as a punishment
• There is no competition between Moses/Harun and the Pharaoh’s magicians at all.
• The plagues / signs are in the wrong order and are not each time linked to a demand for freeing the slaves
• Missing some signs and the implication that the signs also affected Bani Israel as much as the Egyptians in the film
• The death of the first born is not explicit in the Islamic texts although marking the houses is mentioned
• Moses and Bani Israel leave at night after Moses realises Pharaoh will never change or allow them to leave, not a parade as portrayed in the film
• Parting of the sea was miraculous with the staff not a sword thrown to dry up the river. The ground of the river was dried in Islamic texts
• Pharaoh died in the river as the water collapsed upon him and Moses was safely on the other side with all his people in our texts
• Moses is seen making the Ten Commandments himself but Islam implies they were written by God
• Most of the story of Moses and Bani Israel in the wilderness is missed out (doesn’t matter as the film was about the ‘Exodus’ more than the life of Moses)
• Moses never doubted his mission and his purpose, nor his firm belief in God in Islamic texts

Cinematic issues

Much like some other Ridley Scott films, this is a rather bleak film and has a negative strand throughout the film. Even the victory doesn’t feel like a victory throughout the film! Nevertheless, well shot and the acting is decent, although not great. I’m not sure Bale (Moses) is quite clear of his Batman persona!! Also, Moses is portrayed as an imperfect / flawed hero (possibly charismatic but mad).

Also, written for a secular audience from a secular (non-religious) perspective with the implication that Moses was a mortal man and undertook the actions of himself without guidance from God. It could easily be interpreted that he suffered from hallucinations (following his fall) and was blinded in his vision and wrote the Ten Commandments himself by his own hand following further hallucinations (like a charismatic schizophrenic). Hence, the ‘plagues’ are given a ‘scientific’ interpretation!

Some have also objected to the portrayal of Egyptians and Bani Israel by white Europeans, but this is only partially true. Egyptian art depicts Egyptians as red, Nubians as brown, and Semites (like Jews) as yellow.

There is no foul language. There is no sex in the film but two scenes with kisses (after the marriage and at the end), although there are a number of scantily clad Egyptian women. It is not surprising that the story of the Exodus is violent, but the violence is graphic at times. Moses is engaged in several fights and battles which involve blood and even some gore, but the most graphic scenes involve the director’s envisioning of the plague of blood and other plagues.

Major inaccuracies from Biblical story (from Christian websites):

Set in 1300BCE, the pyramids were built before this and not thought that the Hebrews built the pyramids. Ramses was not the Pharaoh of the Exodus as one Biblical reference places the Exodus almost 150 years before Ramses. This is important because the archaeological evidence supports an Exodus in the 15th century before Christ, but offers no support for an Exodus under Ramses.

Theological points in the Biblical plagues have been removed for the film version, there are fewer than ten plagues in the film, the plagues themselves are of a different nature (alligators, for example), and the Israelites were afflicted by the plagues along with the Egyptians.

The film portrays only nine years between Moses’ exile and his return. Moses is shown killing the guard in self defense. Moses is around 40 years old when he leads the Exodus. Moses is thought to be a true Egyptian by all in the Egyptian court, and a host of others.

Although Moses argued with God in the Bible, the movie clearly portrays Moses’s wrestling with God on a more cynical level. He also tends to shout rather than stutter as Jewish tradition recounts.

Most intriguing is that he only meets Pharaoh twice face to face before the death of the first-born children. In the first encounter, Moses pulls a sword on Ramses and threatens him. He does not say “Let my people go,” but speaks of his own authority as a rebel leader. He spends much of the movie hiding from Pharaoh, and he even tries to lead a military revolt before God intervenes. The depiction of Moses leading a war of attrition against Egypt.

God is portrayed as a little boy. He first appears standing in front of the burning bush and appears at recurring points in the film.

The miracles are made to look more like natural phenomenon

28 December 2014 - The Death of Musa

28 December 2014 - The Death of Musa

The Slander, the Death and the Greatness of Musa* (Moses).
 
The Jews breach the Sanctity of the Sabbath
And ask them (O Muhammad SAW) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel against Allah’s Command (disobey Allah). And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?" (The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah."  So when they forgot the remindings that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel against Allah's command (disobey Allah). So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected." (TMQ 7:163-166)‬
And (O Children of Israel, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious). Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers. And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected." So We made this punishment an example to their own and to succeeding generations and a lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (TMQ 2:63-66)
This relates to Allah sending His torment on the village that disobeyed Him and broke their pledge and their covenant to observe the sanctity of the Sabbath. They began using deceitful means to avoid honouring the Sabbath by placing nets, ropes and artificial pools of water for the purpose of fishing before the Sabbath. When the fish came in abundance on Saturday as usual, they were caught in the ropes and nets for the rest of Saturday. During the night, the Jews collected the fish after the Sabbath ended. When they did that, Allah changed them from humans into monkeys, the animals having the form closest to humans. Their evil deeds and deceit appeared lawful on the surface, but they were in reality wicked. This is why their punishment was compatible with their crime. These people were turned into howling monkeys with tails, after being men and women‬. However, the monkeys and pigs (swine) that exist now are not the descendants of those that were transformed‬! ‫Those who violated the sanctity of the Sabbath were turned into monkeys, then they perished without offspring. Hence, today it is not appropriate for one to call people of the Jewish tradition “pigs and apes” or “sons of pigs and apes” since, besides being extremely rude, it is not correct.

Moses' Suffering
Moses* suffered terribly from his people and endured much for the sake of Allah. Abdullah Ibn Umar narrated: "Once the Prophet Muhammad* distributed something (among his companions). A man said: "This distribution has not been done (with justice) seeking Allah's Countenance.' I went to the Prophet* and told him of that. He became so angry that I saw the signs of anger on his face. Then he said: 'May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses, for he was harmed more (in a worse manner) than this; yet he endured patiently.'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The children of Israel mistreated Moses* a lot. His agony was not limited to mutiny, stupidity, chattering, ignorance, and idolatry; it exceeded this and went as far as inflicting personal harm on him. Almighty Allah commanded: "O you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Moses, but Allah cleared him of that which they alleged, and he was honorable in Allah's sight! (TMQ 33:69). This is explained below:

Allah Clears Moses of False Rumors
Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger Muhammad* said: "Prophet Moses was a shy person and used to cover his body completely because of his extensive shyness. One of the children of Israel hurt him by saying: 'He covers his body in this way only because of some defect in his skin, either leprosy or scrotal hernia, or he has some other defect.'
Allah wished to clear Moses of what they said about him, so one day while Moses was in seclusion, he took his clothes and put them on a stone and started taking a bath. When he had finished the bath, he moved towards his clothes so as to take them, but the stone took his clothes and fled. Moses picked up his stick and ran after the stone saying: 'O stone! Give me my garment!' till he reached a group of children of Israel who saw him naked then, and found him in the best shape of what Allah had created, and Allah cleared him of what they had accused him of. The stone stopped there, and Moses took and put on his garment and started hitting the stone with his stick. By Allah, the stone still has some traces of the hitting, three, four, or five marks. In another narration it is stated that the stone began to cry!

The Death of Harun* (Aaron)
Aaron* died shortly before Moses*. His people were still wandering in the wilderness when he died.
 
The Death of Musa* (Moses)
Abu Hurairah narrated: "The Angel of Death was sent to Moses*. When he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye. The Angel returned to his Lord and said: 'You have sent me to a slave who does not want to die.' Allah said: 'Return to him and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox and for every hair that will come under it, he will be granted one year of life.' Moses said: 'O Lord! What will happen after that?' Allah replied: 'then death.' Moses said: 'Let it come now!' Moses then requested Allah to let him die close to the Holy Land so that he would be at a distance of a stone's throw from it." Abu Hurairah added: "Allah's Messenger* said: 'If I were there, I would show you his grave below the red sandhill on the side of the road.'" (Sahih Al Bukhari)
An-Nawawi said: "It is also possible that Allah did not send the angel of death when he wanted to terminate his life. It might have been only a test. Prophet Musa might have slapped the man because he was a stranger who got into his house without his consent, ignoring that he was in fact the angel of death. It is lawful in Sharia to take out the eye of the person who looks inside your house without your consent. It is known that the angels came in the form of men to Prophets Ibrahim* and Lut* and they did not recognize them. Prophet Ibrahim* presented them something to eat before they told him who they were. Prophet Musa* also might not have recognized the Angel. But when he come the second time with his eye in its place Prophet Musa* recognized him and submitted himself to Allah's Will.
It is also suggested that Prophet Musa* was wanting to fulfil his mission to take his people to the Promised Land and so felt unfulfilled and honestly believed he would be given the honour to take them there. But then he realised that is was not Allah’s plan so he accepted Death on his second visit.
Moses*, Prophet of Allah and the one to whom Allah spoke to directly, met his death with a contented soul and a faithful heart that looked forward to righteousness and made haste to meet with Him Who bore tidings of peace.
We also talked about the virtues and greatness of Prophet Musa* and how we should, as Muslims, respect and honour all Prophets. Although our Prophet is the greatest we should not enter into competitions with other people about who is the best Prophet in case they say bad about our Prophets, or they become tribal and don’t listen to reason.

Isra and Mi'raj
During his Night Journey, Prophet Muhammed* is known to have led Musa* along with Jesus*, Abraham* and all other prophets in prayer. Musa* is mentioned to be among the prophets which Prophet Muhammed* met during his ascension to heaven (Mi'raj) alongside Jibreel. Musa* and Prophet Muhammed* are reported to have exchanged greeting with each other and he is reported to have cried due to the fact that the followers of Prophet Muhammed* were going to enter Heaven in greater numbers than his followers. When Allah enjoined fifty prayers to the community to Prophet Muhammed* and his followers, Prophet Muhammed* once again encountered Musa, who asked what had been commanded by Allah. When Musa* was told about the fifty prayers, he advised Prophet Muhammed* to ask a reduction in prayers for his followers. When Prophet Muhammed* returned to Allah and asked for a reduction, he was granted his request. Once again he met Musa, who again inquired about the command of Allah. Despite the reduction, Musa* again urged Prophet Muhammed* to ask for a reduction. Prophet Muhammed* again returned and asked for a reduction. This continued until only five prayers were remaining. When Musa* again told Prophet Muhammed* to ask for a reduction, Prophet Muhammed* replied that he was shy of asking again. Therefore, the five prayers were finally enjoined upon the Muslim community.

14 December 2014 - Musa and al-Khidr

14 December 2014 - Musa and al-Khidr

The Prophet Musa* and al-Khidr
(A Wise Man)
 
Another story about the Prophet Musa* is related in the Surat al-Kahf. At the beginning of the story, Allah relates a journey the Prophet Musa* makes with his young assistant:

Who is the most Knowledge?
Ibn Abbas said that the Prophet* said: "Once Moses stood up and addressed Bani Israel. He was asked who was the most learned man amongst the people. He said: "I." Allah admonished him as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So, Allah said to him: "Yes, at the junction of the two seas there is a slave of Mine who is more learned than you." Moses said; "O my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah said: "Take a fish and put it in a large basket and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish."
Moses took a fish and put it in a basket and proceeded along with his servant boy, Joshua (Yusha Ibn Nun), till they reached the rock where they laid their heads (lay down). Moses slept, and the fish, moving out of the basket, fell into the sea. It took its way into the sea straight as in a tunnel. Allah stopped the flow of water over the fish and it became like an arch (the Prophet pointed out this arch with his hands). They travelled the rest of the night, and the next day Moses said to his boy servant: "Give us our food, for indeed, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey of ours." Moses did not feel tired till he crossed that place which Allah had ordered him to seek after. His boy said to him: "Do you know that when we were sitting near that rock, I forgot the fish, and none but Satan caused me to forget to tell you about it, and it took its course into the sea in an amazing way?" So there was a path for the fish and that astonished them. Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after." So both of them retraced their footsteps till they reached the rock. There they saw a man lying covering with a garment.
 
Moses Talks to Al-Khidr
Moses greeted him, and he replied saying: "How do people greet each other in your land?" Moses said: "I am Moses." The man asked: "Moses of Bani Israel?" Moses said: "yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me from those things which Allah has taught you." He said: "O Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught me and which you do not know, you have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught you and which I do not know." Moses asked: "May I follow you?" He said: "But you will not be able to remain patient with me, for how can you be patient about things which you will not be able to understand?" Moses said: "You will find me, if Allah so will, truly patient, and I will not disobey you in aught."

The Boat, The Boy and The Wall
So both of them set out walking along the seashore. A boat passed by them, and they asked the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khidr, so they took them on board without fare. When they were on board the boat, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice into the sea. Al Khidr said to Moses: "O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." Then suddenly Al Khidr took an axe and pulled up a plank, and Moses did not notice it till he had pulled up a plank with the axe. Moses said to him: "What have you done? They took us on board charging us nothing; yet you have intentionally made a hole in their boat as to drown its passengers. Verily, you have done a dreadful thing." Al Khidr replied: "Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?" Moses replied: "Do not blame me for what I have forgotten, and do not be hard upon me for my fault." So the first excuse of Moses was that he had forgotten.
When they had left the sea, they passed by a boy playing with other boys. Al Khidr took a hold of the boy's head and plucked it with his fingertips as if he were plucking some fruit. Moses said to him: "Have you killed an innocent person who has not killed any person? You have really done a horrible thing." Al Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you could not remain patient with me?" Moses said: "If I ask you about anything after this, don't accompany me. You have received an excuse from me."
Then both of them went on till they came to some people of a village, and they asked its inhabitants for food but they refused to entertain them as guests. Then they saw therein a wall which was just going to collapse and Al Khidr repaired it just by touching it with his hands. Moses said: "These are the people whom we have called on, but they neither gave us food, nor entertained us as guests, yet you have repaired their wall. If you had wished, you could have taken wages for it."
Al Khidr said: "This is the parting between you and me, and I shall tell you the explanation of those things on which you could not remain patient."

The Explanation
“As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them, who seized every ship by force.” – These were believers and poor and would have suffered greatly if the king confiscated their boats. So the damage was just enough for the king to reject them but small enough for them to fix.
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.” – This boy would have grown up to oppress his parents and may have become a disbeliever and Allah wanted to replace him with a better son because the parents were strong believers.
"And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord.” – Again, the parents were strong believers and Allah wanted to look after the children because of the belief of the parents by protecting their wealth. This wealth would have been taken by selfish and ungrateful people had the wall not been fixed. Hence, if parents want to protect their children they should be strong believers.
“And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which could not hold patience.” – Finally, al-Khidr was acting under orders and doing as he was commanded. This was his gift / knowledge and he was not doing it of his own accord otherwise he would have been subject to the Law of Moses.
The Prophet* added: "We wish that Moses could have remained patient by virtue of which Allah might have told us more about their story." (Sufyan, the sub-narrator, said that the Prophet* said: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses! If he had remained patient, we would have been told further about their case." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
As related in the above story, there is good and wisdom behind these events ordained by Allah, which are neither obvious nor immediately comprehensible. People should think about the good inherent in everything that befalls them in their every-day lives. Behind many events considered to be evil by people in our day, there are surely Divine purposes created by Allah. If a person remains patient and strives sincerely to grasp their Divine purposes, Allah may well make him comprehend their hidden meanings.

Allah the Almighty narrated in Surah Kahf:
"And remember when Moses said to his boy servant: "I will not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or until I spend years and years in traveling." But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel. So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Moses said to his boy servant: "Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey." He said: "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the dock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange way!" Moses said: "That is what we have been seeking." So they went back retracing their footsteps. Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.
Moses said to him (Khidr) "May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance, and true path) which you have been taught by Allah?" He (Khidr) said: "Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?" Moses said; "If Allah will, you will find me patience, and I will not disobey you in aught." He (Khidr) said: "Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you." So they both proceeded, till, when they were in the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Moses said: "Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have done Imra- a Munkar (evil, bad, dreadful) thing." He (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?" Moses said: "Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair with you."
Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Moses said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have done Nukra a great Munkar (prohibited, evil dreadful) thing!" Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?" Moses said: "If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me."
Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. Moses said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it!" Khidr said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.
"As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them, who seized every ship by force. "And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy. "And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which could not hold patience. (TMQ 18:60-82)

30 November 2014 - Musa and the Cow, Causes of an Evil ending

30 November 2014 - Musa and the Cow, Causes of an Evil ending

Musa (Moses) - The Story of the Bani Israel and the Cow

The Pious Man and His Son

It was said that among the children of Israel there lived a pious man. He was poor but very careful about how he earned his living; it had to be honestly earned. Everything that he did was done for the sake of Allah, never for selfish gain. On his deathbed his last words were: "O Allah, I place my wife, my little son, and my only possession, a calf, in Your care." Strangely, he asked his wife to lead the calf to the forest and leave it there. He did this because he did not trust the children of Israel, for they were a selfish and greedy folk.

After a few years when the boy had grown up, his mother told him: 'Your father has left you a calf in the trust of Allah. It must have grown into a cow by now." The son was surprised. He did not know of any calf all these years and asked his mother where it was. She replied: "Be like your father and say: 'I trust in Allah,' then go look for it."

With a rope in his hand, he went to the forest and prostrated himself before Allah: "O Allah, Lord of Abraham and Jacob and Job, return to me my father's trust." As he raised his head, he saw a cow coming towards him. It stopped submissively beside him. He tied the rope around its neck and led it to his house. The cow would not allow anyone else come near it except the young man.

The youth was as pious as his father. He earned his living by cutting wood. Whatever he earned he divided into three equal portions: one he gave to his mother, one he used for his needs, and the last he gave as charity. His nights, too, were divided into three parts: during the early part of the night he helped his mother, the middle part he devoted to the worship of Allah, and during the last part he rested.

A rich man dies and Bani Israel Ask Questions About a Cow

About this time a wealthy man died, leaving behind an only son, who inherited his father's wealth. His cousins envied his good fortune and secretly killed him so that they could inherit it. The dead boy's other relatives came to the Prophet Moses and asked his help in tracing the boy's murderer. Moses instructed them to slaughter a cow, remove part of it and place it on the corpse. This would reveal the murderer, he told them. They accused Moses of joking. He replied: "Allah forbid that I be foolish!" They questioned him about the type of cow they should slaughter, and he said: "This cow is neither young nor mature, but in between the two conditions, so do as you have been commanded." Instead of following his direction, they asked him more questions. "What colour must it be?" He replied: "Verily, it is yellow in colour." They still were not satisfied with his answer and asked for more details. Moses replied: "It is an unyoked cow; it does not plough the soil nor water the tilth, and is entirely without marks."

Moses's People Find the Right Cow

They went out in search of such a cow. The only one that matched the description was the one owned by the orphaned youth. They met him on the way and asked the price for which he would sell his cow. He told them he would have to consult his mother first, so they accompanied him to his house and offered her three gold coins. She refused their offer, saying that the cow was worth much more.

They went on increasing their offer and the mother kept on refusing. Finally they urged the son to speak to his mother to be reasonable. He told them: "I will not sell the cow without my mother's approval, even if you offered me its skin filled with gold!" On hearing this, his mother smiled and said: "Let that be the price: its skin filled with gold." They realized that no other cow would do; they had to have it at any price. They agreed to buy the cow and paid with its skin filled with gold.

Lesson

In total disregard for the easy and clear nature of the religion, Bani Israel mindlessly rendered it complicated and difficult to practice. Their tendency of some people among the Bani Israel to needlessly complicate the religion is best explained in a story related in the Surat al-Baqara. As related in the above account, some people constantly raised objections against the commands of Allah. Only when the command became almost non-practicable, due to the petty details they begged for, they relented. In fact, the command was quite plain: sacrifice a cow. Hence, when we hear commands in Islam we should obey to the best of our ability and not look for easy ways out or search loopholes.

The People are Asked to Slaughter a Cow - Qur'anic Verses

Allah the Almighty narrated: And (remember) when Moses said to his people: "Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow.

They said: "Do you make fun of us?"

He said: "I take Allah's Refuge from being among AlJahileen (the ignorants or the foolish)."

They said: "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!"

He said: "He says, 'Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but (it is) between the two conditions; so do what you are commanded."

They said: "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its color."

He said: "He says, 'It is a yellow cow bright in its color, pleasing to the beholders.

They said: "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily to us all cows are alike, and surely, if Allah wills, we will be guided."

He (Moses) said: "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no other color except bright yellow.

They said: "Now you have brought the truth." So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it.

And (remember) when you killed a man and fell into dispute among yourselves as to the crime. But Allah brought forth that which you were hiding. So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with apiece of it (the cow)." Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.

Then after that your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (TMQ 2: 67-74)

Main Topic: Death and the AfterLife

Reasons for Evil Ending: Asbab su-al khaatimah

• Al-Fasaad fil al-’Itiqaad - corruption and defect in the belief (Aqeeda).
• Al-Istiqaamah - Diversion from the straight path.
• Alisraaru ’ala al ma’aasiyy (insistence on sinning)
• Daiful Imaan (weak faith)

The Prophet* said: “Oh Allah, make the best of my deeds, the last deeds.”

The Prophet* said: “One of you would do the deeds of the people of Paradise until only one foot [a short distance] is between you and paradise, and then in the end he would do the deeds of the people of hell fire and he would die and he would enter into hell fire.” And the opposite can happen to – you do the deeds of the people of hell all of your life and then you do the deeds of the people of jannah in the end and enter jannah.

Don’t be complacent about your Islam and that you will enter Jannah automatically, and we always need to be vigilant about protecting our Islam (lessons from the Story of Barsissa last week).

We ask Allah for a blessed ending - Ameen

Al-Fasaad fil al-’Itiqaad - corruption and defect in the belief (Aqeeda).

5 Pillars of Action: Testament of Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Zakat, Hajj

6 Core Beliefs of Aqeeda: Belief in Allah (Tawhid), The Angels, The Books of Allah, The Messengers of Allah (Muhammed* is the final one), Day of Judgement, and Divine Fate & Destiny

In times of real difficulty and stress that Allah may put people through (despite knowing that Allah doesn’t burden a soul more than it can bear) in situations outside our direct control, we may start to question Allah, or blame Allah or slip into disbelief (rather than patience) if we are not fully convinced of our core beliefs.

Just like these TV programmes that take cars or gadgets to the limits to see if they still function. Likewise, we may be tested to see if we still believe and have patience in Allah. This is where cracks in belief can appear unless we are certain and have a hard intellectual conviction in Allah.

Allah says: “Say (O Muhammad SAW): Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds.” (18:103-104)

Al-Istiqaamah - Diversion from the straight path.

(Linked to story of Barsissa)

Do not take a wrong turn that will lead to our eventual destruction!

We should follow Islam and the path of Islam without deviation. We should adapt our life for Islam and not change or modify Islam to suit us and our whims.

Allah says: “And recite to them the story of him to whom we gave our ayaat, but he threw them away so shaytaan followed him up and he became of those who became astray. And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith, but he clung to the earth and followed his own vein desires.”

This man received the ayaat (Signs) of Allah, but he detached himself from the ayaat of Allah and followed his own desires. This person had the knowledge, but he was misguided because of his attachment to dunya because he followed his own desires. This is contrary to Islam. Islam is submission to Allah. You submit to Allah, even if it’s against your own will and desires. You give up your desires for Allah. We do not custom make Islam to serve us. We change ourselves to fit into Islam. We change our own characters to fit Islam. Islam is COMPLETE submission. Submission to Allah. This man had the knowledge, but it didn’t do him any good because he followed his own desires.

Alisraaru ’ala al ma’aasiyy (insistence on sinning)

A person may be commiting a small sin, but the ulema (scholars) say that insisting on a small sin makes it a big sin. When you keep on doing it again and again, it becomes a major sin.

Some examples given by scholars from centuries ago are:

• There was a man who was obsessed with chess. They kept on telling him to say ‘la ilaaha illallah’, but he couldn’t. At the end, he kept on repeating, “Checkmate, checkmate” until he died.
• Another man who kept saying, “Give me the bottle.” Because he was obsessed with drinking and he kept asking for that.
• There was another man who was an accountant and he just kept saying, “ten, eleven, twelve” and he kept saying numbers.
• A man who they told to say ‘la ilaaha illallah’, but he said, “I can’t.” He didn’t have a problem with his tongue; he could speak fluently. He couldn’t say ‘la ilaaha illallah’, because Allah didn’t give him the permission.
• Recent examples of visiting a man who was dying and everyone in the house was listening to loud Umm Kulthum music (a singer). The tape recorder was high. The shaykh told them to switch it off and put on the Qur’an instead. When the old man heard the Qur’an, he said, “Turn that off and turn Umm Kulthum back on because she soothes my heart!” And he died.

The analogy is that when you go to bed you’ll dream at night about the things you obsessed with during the day. Death is similar to sleep. Sleep is called “the minor death.” That is why the thoughts that are on one’s minds are most likely going to show up in the last moments of life.

We always think that we can live how we want and sin as much as want. Then, five minutes before we day, we will take the shahaadah and be guaranteed Jannah. It’s not that easy. You are making a plot against Allah. Because you are making the intention to not worship Allah until the last moments of your life. Allah is telling us to worship Him day and night. We are saying that we want to outsmart Allah and make tawbah in the end. “They are plotting and Allah is planning and Allah is the best of planners.”

When you grow up on something, you are going to die on that thing. If you are constantly in Prayer and cleanliness Allah will likely protect that in your last moments. We pray Allah makes us of those protected – Ameen.

Daiful Imaan (weak faith)

When Mu’aadh ibn Jabal was passing away. He said, “Welcome to death. I have been waiting for you for a long time. I have been waiting for the Promise of Allah to me. Welcome to death.” He said, “O death, don’t think that I ever wanted to live in this dunya because the love of this world. The reason I wanted to live in this world was to fast in the hot summer days and pray in the long, cold winter nights. So as long as it is time for me to leave, I welcome you. Take my soul.” He wants to meet Allah, so Allah will want to meet him.

Scholars have said, if somebody has the love of the world at heart, then just before their death – when the person realizes they are leaving dunya for akhirah – they will become attached to the thing he loves (to dunya). And then that person will start hating Allah because Allah is the One who wants to take him away.

Finally

The Prophet* said, “Every Prophet, before he dies, is shown his place in Paradise and then he is given the choice to stay in this world or die.”

Ayesha narrates: When the Prophet* was dying, he had his head on my lap, she said. Then he fell unconscious, then he woke up. He started staring at the sky and he said, “O Allah, with the highest companion. (Allah).” Ayesha said that she knew at that moment that the Prophet was being given the choice, and he was not choosing us. The Prophet* was given the choice by the Angel of Death, and the Prophet* was saying that he wanted to be with Allah. And that was the last thing he said. [Bukhari]