Ep.6 : Story of Musa (AS) and life design - The Shepherd's path.. 

This Ayah marks the beginning of a new phase in the life of prophet Musa, 
Very uneventful phase, no major activity if want to measure it from 'hustle culture' perspective.

But it was a needed preparation for what to come next.. 
In this phase, prophet Musa got introduced to the most 'boring tool' ever: his staff! 

What is in a staff? nothing: 'lean on it, use it to control the sheep' ...

The staff resembles the path that many professionals take to learn new skills, build new habits, etc. but they keep asking themselves: what am I going to use these skills for? how can I help the umma with my skills?

Check the episode (link below) for more insights on this phase in the life of prophet Musa (AS)

#muslimlifedesign  
#LifeDesign  
#StoryofprophetMusa  
#QuranicLifeDesign  

Wa iyyakom, 
we are all students of this great book!


I have seen many beautiful reflections of scholars on these ayaat. But i am sharing my favourite one here. Allah SWT is asking Musa Alayhis salam about what he is holding in his right hand. Answer to this question is rather simple, 'a staff' and that's it, right?. But this is not an ordinary conversation and Musa alayhis salam is not an ordinary man. He doesn't stop at merely answering the question rather he goes on to add the benefits of his staff and says that he leans on it, it helps him get leaves for the sheep and there are other benefits of it too. It is as though he is acknowledging the staff and expressing his appreciation of it. A deeper look at this answer reveals that Musa alayhis salam had such a profound sense of gratitude that he is even making mentions of something as dull and mundane as a staff! 
What happens next is really interesting and it gives me goosebumps every time i think about it. Allah makes that very staff a miracle for Musa alayhis salam. It's no longer an ordinary stick now. Through this staff, Allah allows him to beat all the skillful magicians of Egypt. Then, while leaving Egypt, right when Pharaoh and his army are going to catch them, Allah orders Musa alayhis salam to strike the same staff on the sea. The water splits and there is a pathway for Musa alayhis salam and Bani Israel to cross the Red sea. 
After that when they are in need of water, Musa AS strikes it on a stone and twelve springs of water come out of that stone. 
 
We all have something in our life which we take for granted. Be that some sort of skill, potential, a talent, a comodity or anything else. My takeaway from these ayat is that, if we start recognising those little things, be cognizant of their presence, cultivate gratitude for what we have, foster the habit of appreciating ordinary things which make our life easy in some capacity, Allah Ash-Shakur can make them extraordinary for us. Those little things can become our superpowers. Allah has the might to turn that ordinary staff of Musa AS into miracle. He can change our mundane into magnificent if only we appreciate what we have and be grateful to Allah, like Musa AS did.

#Allah'sFavoritePeople
#MusaAS

Stalling. 
When you know your time with your beloved is limited; every question is answered with lots of details just to prolong those precious moments spent together.

In his dialogue with Allah SWT, Musa AS was stalling. Not only did he reply to the question but he gave details which could have been omitted. We did not need to know what a staff is used for. Allah SWT in His Infinite Wisdom added these details to be preserved till the Day of Judgement. SubhanALLAH. 

I have been gifted the 5 solahs a day to be in Allah's SWT presence. 
I can choose to recite short surahs and get my solah over and done with.
Or I can recite longer surahs after the prescribed Al Fatehah; and just like Musa AS, I will have a longer time with Allah SWT.

This, necessarily, will spur me to memorise longer surahs. There are many reasons why people memorise the Quran. For me, there are a myriad of reasons too but the one that keeps me going is to have a new surah to recite in solah. Memorising also gives me the blessed privilege to meticulously choose which surah I want to recite.

As dawn opens a new day I want to glorify and thank Allah.
As I get busy with my day, I want to be reminded of my purpose.
As I wind down my evening, I want peace in my family and home.
As night approaches, I want to remind myself of His Glory and His Might in the alternating of day and night.
As I close my day, I want a blessed ending in remembrance of Him SWT and thankfulness to Him SWT.

5 times a day that can take mere minutes or a prolonged conversation with my  Beloved Creator.

May we treasure each and every moment we are given, aamiin

~ inspired by lessons fr  MyQuranTime;
TV AL Hijrah, Malaysia

ShpendFejzullahu
Aamiin! Wa alaikum assalaam!
Please don apologise. I like reading about life experiences. I see you have gone through hard times and maybe you still are. May Allah reward you for your efforts to fight injustice, aamiin. 
I understand wat you say about judging others. 
Its not what Islam is about. Let’s just be the ones who invite to Islam with our good behaviour with our Prophet SAW as our role model.  That’s the best way to spread positivity, in sha Allah.
I wish you well, brother. Again, I encourage you to write and share your thoughts in a reflection on the Quran.

These verses embody for me a beautiful conversation between Allah (SwT) and Prophet Musa peace be upon him, whereas Allah asks Musa about his stick before asking him to throw it away. 

He (SwT) in His majesty, connected with Musa before giving him a command, asking him about his stick and why it matters to him. 

And prophet Musa responds as if he is speaking with a close friend (and to Allah belongs the utmost example of perfection). 

Once Allah asks Musa to throw this stick, Musa throws it instantly although it has several uses for him. He didn't question Allah, asking why Allah ? And Allah showed Him His signs and returned it to Him.

Sometimes we are led to 'drop' certain things in our lives or they are removed from our lives - whether they be people, places, opportunities, health, wealth, etc. And sometimes that removal is temporary so Allah can show us His signs and return them to us when are ready to hold them again, and sometimes they are replaced with that which is better, in His Infinite Wisdom. 

Musa's stick was a tool and Musa trusted Allah when he was asked to throw it because He had a strong relationship with Allah.  The tool is temporary but the bond of trust between Him and Allah is eternal.

And once again Musa embodies this trust when Allah asks him to go to the Pharoah. With such a great task ahead, Musa doesn't question Allah, or say to Allah I am not the right person for the job ! He first asks Allah to uplift his heart, make his task easy and remove the impediment from his speech - which are all his personal resources. Then he asks Allah for external help too - to send His brother with him so he can help him and so they can Glorify and thank Allah often.  The key here wasn't just accomplishing the mission of going to the Pharoah but of also remembering and glorifying Allah often.

We can learn from this that when we have a difficult task ahead of us we can also make the dua prophet Musa made asking Allah for internal help and also ask for the external help we need. 

If you find yourself with a difficult task ahead, trust Allah can provide the tools you need to achieve it with His will or make a way out for you.  Ask of Him what you need. 

He's always been and always will watch over us, like he did with Prophet Musa.

بسم اللّٰہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

I have shared my thoughts on this incident of Musa alayhis salam before, but today I want to reflect on it from a different angle. 
When Allah SWT asked,  
'And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?' 

Instead of giving a to-the-point answer, Musa alayhis salam went on to add some extra details too. 
He replied, 

'It is my staff! I lean on it, and with it I beat down ˹branches˺ for my sheep, and have other uses for it.'

This expression reveals so much about him being mindful of blessings around him, and a profound sense of gratitude for having even little things like a staff, which ordinarily aren't even noticed by people, or given much importance.  
So Musa alayhis salam mentioned the benefits of his staff without being asked about it, and it is a sign of his gratefulness for having it. 
What intrigues me is the ayaah next to his answer. When Musa alayhis salam expressed his reliance on his staff, Allah SWT said, 
'Throw it down, O Moses!' 

For me it means to throw down all the 'reliance on resources' which we have and to return to Allah and increase our reliance on Him, the One Who has blessed us with everything. No doubt Musa alayhis salam knew his blessings are from none other than Allah SWT, but this impression here is a powerful reminder of that. 

This incident also made me think about Musa alayhis salam's obedience to Allah SWT and through it I extracted another lesson. It is symbolic. 
Musa alayhis salam 'threw' away his staff when he considered it 'beneficial' for him and on which he used to 'lean', why? Because Allah commanded him to do so. As he threw it, it became a serpent, and Musa alayhis salam 'took it' into his hand when he was 'afraid' of it, why? Because Allah SWT commanded him to do so. He didn't question, he submitted completely to Allah's will. Allah helped him with his fears and increased him in His blessings.

#RelianceOnAllah

After Moses AS lists all the benefits that he derives from his staff, he is asked by Allah SWT to let go of it.

And after seeing his staff turn into an intimidating snake, he is asked by Allah SWT to not only approach it, but to grab it.

What better way to show Moses AS that all benefit and harm is solely in the Hands of Allah SWT than by having him let go of what he views as beneficial, and approach that which he deems to be harmful.

Who else can turn what is seemingly beneficial into something harmful, or make something that is seemingly harmful become harmless other than Allah?

Who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who are certain? (5:50)

*Taken from a khutbah by Sh Kareem Khashab in Staten Island, NY.

The next time you recite Surah Al Taha in your Salah especially, or outside of it. Imagine yourself to be Musa ( Alayhi Assalaam) and replace your life story with his life story, 
Outside of Salah pretend to have that conversation and reflect and see how your Lord Has favored you and chosen you, and shaped you for who you are and then take on life with in mind.
I speak to myself with this reflection. May Allah Grant Wisdom to appreciate His favors upon us.

When Allah asked Musa(AS); 'And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?'
Musa(AS) responded; 'This is my staff, whereon I lean, and wherewith I beat down branches for my sheep, and wherein I find other uses.'

A lowly stick. A stick merely to lean on, to beat down branches for sheep, for small uses.  Musa(AS) stopped focusing on the means(the stick) and dropped it. Then he picked it up, with trust in Allah this time around. He picked it up, with knowledge of Allah this time around. 

And when he picked it up with Tawakkul, he stuck it down. And when he struck his staff, we heard echoes of 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain'

The moment you draw your strength from Allah, you will split the sea with your staff, and the Quran does not lie to you or me. Don’t look at your staff. Look at Allah. Believe in Allah. This is what it means for you and I to believe. The strength does not come from the staff, it comes from Allah.

Assalaamu Alaikum,

Masha'Allah, your reflection on the story of Musa (AS) and his staff is truly inspiring. You beautifully captured the essence of trust in Allah and the power of Tawakkul. Your connection between Musa (AS)'s staff and the strength that comes from Allah is profound. Keep up the great work in reflecting on the Quran and sharing these insightful thoughts with the community. Jazak Allah Khair for your contribution to QuranReflect.

Thank you for being a part of our community.



What is in your hand oh Musa?

It’s my staff. 

What power can a simple stick can hold?? Not that much. But if Allah wills He can turn it into a living snake.

Oftentimes we failed to see what is in our hand and most importantly we failed to rely on His power. We keep on making excuses. We are ready great at making excuses. 

When we think of doing something even worldly jobs, we make a list of 'what we don’t have' to accomplish the job. We try hard to make our laziness justified.

What was Musa (pbuh) at that time?? A man who was coming back from abroad after a long time. When Allah assigned him against faraun, he didn’t make excuses, rather he asked couple of things from Allah so that his mission became easier. 

If we are in a particular situation, it is not by chance. Allah has planned this for us, He assign us the job and He has the power to turn our staff into a snake. 

What is our usual reaction??? 
I never did this ever?
I don’t have this, I don’t have that.
I am nothing in front of giants in this field. And so on. 

But it should be..
Ok Allah I know you are the almighty. Give me this, give me that. 
 
Changing our list of our excuses-'I don’t have this and I don’t have that', to Dua with an optimistic heart , 'Ya Allah give me this, give me that', is a sunnah of Musa.


So, what is in your hand??? What is your staff???

Subhannallah! My hand holds confidence that The Almighty will give me the best outcomes as He answers my prayers, Subhannallah. 

How do I know that my failure is because I am doing something wrong or because it is the will of Allah? 

In the 10th-11th years of the prophecy, prophet Mohammad SAAW went through the toughest times of his life. He lost his uncle and his wife. He was isolated for 2-3 years, he got no more protection and no wife to support him and heal his scars. He was at risk and he had to find a place just to at least stay alive in. 
All what he went through SAAW was by the will of Allah, not as a punishment or because he was doing wrong, his relationship with Allah was good so it was a test. A heavy one. 
So i feel like when my relationship is good with Allah, when i extend my efforts to the extreme and nothing is left to be done and i still fail, all i could remind my self is 

‎وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Allah only made it a message of hope, and to set your hearts at rest. Victory comes only from Allah. Allah is Mighty and Wise. 

Victory only comes from Allah, so i gotta wait for it with All pleasure and patience. 

On the other hand, on the battle of Uhud,
Archers violate the command of the Prophet SAAW. The archers thought that the polytheists would not return after they saw their flight, and a number of them went down to seek the spoil, and they violated the Prophet’s command not to leave their places, despite the reminder of their Emir, but they insisted on leaving their sites, and Khaled Bin Al-Walid hinted that the gap was, and it was At the time among the polytheists, he wrapped behind the mountain with a squad of Quraish's knights, and killed the remaining archers on the mountain, and the back of the Muslim army was revealed to Khaled, so they surprised them from the back, their ranks were disturbed, and the killing occurred, and the army of polytheists returned and surrounded Muslims from all directions, They began to withdraw from the battlefield, and the victory achieved turned into a great setback. 

So you see there? They did something wrong, they didn’t follow the rules they just followed what they wanted to do most and there was consequences. If i don’t pray for example, don’t practice and don’t do anything and something goes wrong, and i question it.... well of course something is going to go wrong! Like what am I doing to deserve the goodness to be in my life you know? The further you walk away from Allah, the hardest it will become for you to breath. If you walk away further, your chest will get tighter and tighter on you and things will go from bad to worse than ever. 

Have hope in Allah and everything but don’t let that hope destroy you and keep you lying to yourself that if you do nothing Allah will give you whatever you ask for. 

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
who turns away from My remembrance, he shall surely lead a straitened life. And (what is more,) We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.'

How do I know that my failure is because I am doing something wrong or because it is the will of Allah? 


May Allah reward you with goodness for these words. We can do many actions such as striving, doing everything, thinking about it day and night to reach a single result. But what if we do not have the will of God within us while taking these steps?  If there is a result, we should actually be afraid. Because if you do not seek the consent of Allah, you will be following the path of Satan.If God doesn't give you love. Let's see it this way, you made your intention for the sake of Allah, you worked day and night with the help of Allah and there was no result, thank God after years, it was a good thing it didn't happen. The issue is only and only whether events are in accordance with Allah's will or not? What is my intention? What does my ego want? Am I doing it with Allah's permission or am I on the path of Satan? In fact, the accounting of the Self must be done for these. Asceticism, self, knowing one's intentions, Now I say alhamdulillah for whatever is not there. It is good that it was not there because I did not seek the pleasure of Allah.We should pray a lot. Oh God, let me do things that please you. The power comes only from you. If we understand the sovereignty of God over us, everything becomes easier.

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