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.



Where is your Staff? 🥢

Bismillah 

In Surah Al Baqarah ayah 60 Allah said to Musa (as),' Strike with your staff on the stone'
 
In Surah Al Araf ayah 117 Allah says, 'We inspired to Moses, 'Throw your staff,' and at once it devoured what they were falsifying.

In Surah As Shura ayah 63 Allah says to Musa,' strike with your staff the sea ..and it parted and each portion was like a great towering mountain '

In the all above situation what do u see in common? 

عصاى. /Staff

Is this a special staff / stick ? Is it with Musa ( as) all along ? Yes it was with Musa ( as ) all along . As Musa ( as) himself says in sura Taha ayah 18 'It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep and I have therein other uses.'


So whenever Musa (as)needed help of Allah he did dua and Allah told him to hit the stone with staff to get water , to hit the sea to make a way etc. When we need anything in our life we need to ask Allah , work hard and keep our Tawakkul in Allah and Allah will open ways . They may not look something special. But that’s our staff and we need to recognize where Allah is leading us to. In Ramadan we ask so many stuff like Ya Allah guide me , make me understand Quran and don’t expect in one night you will wake up and you are a scholar . Our staff is you look at the flyer of a new class or new course. And by enrolling in it  you are making an effort to come close to Allah.

It was easy for Allah to say Be and it will happen but in all above ayahs we see how Allah commanded musa  to use staff and hit rock or sea etc so  the learning point is this stick isn’t magic wand nor powerful stick . It swallowed the other snakes with the command of Allah.
In order for us to derive blessings from ordinary routine stuff we need to turn to Allah. 

May Allah grant us the ability to recognize the blessings in day to day stuff and grant  us success .Ameen 

BārakAllāhu Fēkum

الحمد لله May Allah Al Aleem grant us the ability to recognize blessings .Ameen

I am fascinated by this ayah:

'But when they ˹finally˺ reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away ˹wondrously˺.' 18:61

A dead fish came to life and made its way into the sea wonderously! It makes me think about how Musa (A) himself made his way into a body of water wonderously 2 times as well- 

One time when he was a baby and was cast into the river by his mother, and another time when the army was behind him and Allah parted the sea for him. 

When I think of this dead fish that came to life, it also reminds me of how the staff of Musa (A) came to life. Allah knows best the meaning behind these events.

Some of the lessons I learned by reflecting on these events are:

1) What appears to us to be a basic tool or resource can turn into a very valuable resource when Allah blesses it for us. Don't feel that your resources are too limited to do amazing things in your life for the sake of Allah. For example, imagine if this is all a person has:  

A) A basket
B) A dead fish
C) A lifeless staff

From a worldly standpoint, these don't seem to be tools that could:

A) Carry a helpless infant (who would otherwise be murdered) to the exact place that would allow his life to be saved.
B) Become a sign and a placemarker that would lead a seeker to find the knowledge they are seeking.
C) Become a tool that saves ones life, and the lives of others, when facing a very dire and deadly situation. (The staff also swallowed up the illusions of the magicians)

But with full trust in Allah, and with His blessings, these seemingly basic resources become extremely valuable. 

2) Never feel that you are not good enough or too weak to accomplish amazing things or to change the world. If Allah can use a basket, a dead fish, and a lifeless staff to do these amazing things- imagine what He can do with you! A living, breathing human being who bears witness to His Oneness! 

3) Another lesson is about persistence. Musa (A) was resting when the miracle of the fish occured, but once he discovered where he needed to go to seek knowledge, he immediately turned around and sought out the opportunity that he had missed. Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves for making mistakes that it weakens us. Or we become very critical of others who make mistakes or forget (like Musa's assistant). But I didn't read any ayahs where Musa (A) chastised himself or his servant for this missed opportunity (Allah knows best). He remained focused on getting to the place that he was seeking for the sake of Allah. This made me think about how we are supposed to react if we accidentally miss a salah - we pray immediately upon remembering it. Or if we accidentally eat or drink something while fasting - we immediately resume our fast.

So don't waste any time. Don't blame others. Don't become hopeless and give up on yourself either. Just get up, dust yourself off and get back on track.

4) Another lesson is that we should never lose hope in Allah's Mercy. When they were waiting for the sign of the fish, Musa (A) was resting and his servant was tricked by shaytan. Allah could have easily made Musa (A) and his servant continue to wander longer or to close the door of opportunity to meet the righteous servant of Allah whom they were seeking. But Allah had Mercy on them and they were reminded soon after and Musa (A) was still able to meet the righteous servant of Allah.

Have you ever experienced moments where you missed out on something important, but then Allah opened the doors of opportunity for you again? Allah is so Merciful, Alhamdullilah! 

If you missed out on an opportunity to seek knowledge and feel regretful - have hope in Allah's Mercy and TRY AGAIN! 

(This is the ayah I chose for the #bestfriend challenge: https://quranreflect.com/posts/4513 You are welcome to join anytime and use the #bestfriend when you write your reflection!)

In the name of Allah, the Most merciful,

A reflection for Ashura:

Let us all deeply contemplate about the journey and mission which Musa AS undertook, 

Musa AS was scared but he didn’t refuse to undertake his mission. The more he followed Allah, the more he found Allah with him, to the point at the most difficult time at the sea. When others thought they would be destroyed. Musa AS undertook a journey in which he found Allah’s help. From worry, but obedience and with obedience he found Allah’s help in every step. 

Think about the times Allah took us out of a difficulty;  one after another. Surely reflecting on this should allow us to trust Allah, He was always with us and He will be at the most difficult point. Keep your obedience and you will find Him with you even when things seem their bleakest.

Today, let us think how much Allah helps us, that whatever is worrying and troubling us if you are with Him, He will be with you. Whatever your difficulties and no matter how hopeless the situation seems Allah can part the sea for you the way He parted the sea for Musa AS. 

Musa AS expressed his vulnerability, we should express ours and ask Allah for His help by making much Dua. 

True it is - faith+ obedience +faith ( sustained) is the basic formula for success. Of course Musa A.S. and even other prophets were tested much more rigorously but we all must adhere to this simple formula to be successful in our lives. And like me everyone must have experienced these times of test in our life where we came out of those hard times by holding on to Allah Swt. Come what may - obedience and trust should never be given up. May Allah give all Muslims guidance and the strength to hold on to it. Aameen.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

I am currently studying Surah Ash shu’ara (the poets) a beautiful surah containing stories of many of the blessed prophet peace be upon them all. 

The first story the reader and reflector encounters is the story of Prophet Moses peace and blessings be upon him. My heart paused and reflected upon ayats 10-17 and then later ayats 60-67.

If we compare the first set which I have mentioned, here Moses (pbuh) is worried, filled with anxiety which is natural and human. He has escaped from Egypt after the accidental killing of an Egyptian. He is worried to go back to Egypt. Allah subana  wala tala reassures Musa AS:

”He replied My Lord!  I fear that they will reject me. And so my heart will be broken and my tongue will be tied.. So send Aaron as a Messenger.” 26:12-13

”Also they have a charge against me, so I fear they may kill me!” 26:14

Notice how vulnerable Musa AS feels, how honest he is about his vulnerability and fears. Allah assures him and Musa responds with obedience despite his fears:

”Certainly not! So go, both of you with Our signs. We will be with you listening.” 26:15

We learn through the Surah more details regarding the confrontation Musa AS has with firawn. 

It is human to feel anxious, we are vulnerable because we are human and we have experienced various difficulties and circumstances. Yet, reading these ayats we know Allah is listening and can see everyone of us. 

Now compare Musa AS’s anxiety to ayats 26:60-67.

Musa AS has completely transformed! He has obeyed Allah’s commands with firawn and he knows Allah has always been with him, he knows that Allah will not leave him and during the most difficult and fierce near confrontation with a massive army behind him:

”When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out ‘we are overtaken for sure.’” 

“Moses reassured them “Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me - He will guide me.”  26:61-62

This doesn’t seem the same Musa AS that we saw at the beginning of the Surah? he has no idea what will occur but he knows Allah will help him and the Bani Is’rail. 

Our Lord is the Lord of Moses, the Lord of everything, we all have our weaknesses, our fears, times when we feel even more fragile. How does one build themselves up? They follow Allah and His messenger peace be upon him with sincerity, even though one might feel weak, Allah builds that person up, He guides that person, that person understands that Allah is with them and the best gift is to receive His guidance. Allah is always with everyone, if a person acknowledges that Allah is with them and watching as well as listening. The human being might have little power but Allah has power over everything. The human who follows Allah comes to realise this. With Allah right with you, a sea can be split for you, obstacles can be moved away or overcome but we must follow Allah for that and He will inspire your heart with tawwakul and you will become beautifully unrecognisable and strong. 

If myself and the ummah do our utmost best to follow Allah and His Messenger peace be upon him we will find Allah with us , thus victorious. 





Beautiful reflection Sister Zahra!

May Allah swt bless you and preserve you.

Ameen

Ep12. The Exodus: The Drowning of Pharaoh | Life Design & Musa  

Big moment in history: when Prophet Musa's staff became the direct recipient of a huge miracle: splitting the sea. The same staff that seemed to have a very minor role in his earlier life... 
However, when you design your life around what pleases Allah SWT, the ordinary becomes extraordinary!

This also invites us to reflect deeply on how much do we 'factor' into our life design the expectation that Allah is truly the changemaker?

When we think about challenges in our journey, we often tend to over-exaggerate the challenges, and ignore or forget that the help from Allah comes from very unlikely places. 

A lot to learn from this pivotal moment in the life of prophet Musa and bani Israel.
check the link to the episode in the comments section:

#muslimlifedesign  
#LifeDesign  
#StoryofprophetMusa  
#QuranicLifeDesign  

We often become so focused on our problems that we fail to envision the solution. But Allah, the best of planners, Al Hakeem (the wise) and Al-Qadir (the All-Powerful), is in control. Everything we plan, either succeed or failed is according to His will, and He knows both our successes and our failures. Even after countless efforts, when we feel trapped in the depths of our problems, like sinking deeper into quicksand, we must remember that the path we are on is leading us towards the solution. We may sometimes walk, crawl, or run down this road, often with tears and heartache, but we are moving forward.

Take comfort in the reminders from Allah’s help 

How He saved Ibrahim a.s. from the fire,
How He cleared Yusuf a.s. of false accusations,
 How He save Musa as from firon 
How He protected the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the cave of Thawr.

Allah says in the Qur’an about this moment in the cave:

'If you do not help him (Muhammad), Allah has already helped him when those who disbelieved had driven him out, and he was the second of two. When they were in the cave, he said to his companion, 'Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.' And Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.'
[Al-Tawbah 9:40]

This verse vividly describes how, even when the Prophet (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (RA) faced danger, Allah's help arrived, bringing peace and support.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

Are we truly with Allah? 

Are we willing to be patient for Allah?

Are we willing to take that difficult step for Allah?

Are we ready to bite our lip for Allah?

Are we ready to speak for the sake of Allah?

Are we ready to give for the sake of Allah?

Are we ready to accept whatever Allah has placed before us with acceptance and trust upon Allah?

If we are with Allah, then surely Allah who is even more Merciful than what He has made Merciful is with each and everyone of us. The difficult circumstances might last for a period of time but it will never be everlasting. Have hope and not only hope but complete reliance the way Musa AS had at the sea which eventually drowned one of the greatest and seemingly powerful tyrants.

Wherever you are, whatever you are facing, whatever the world is facing; the one true to Allah, the One who is always conscious of Allah being with them - will find Allah always with them.

So let us be like Musa Alahis salaam despite  all the turbulence. Allah is enough to create a path of ease, to come to your aid, to take you somewhere even better and rescue you from every kind of darkness.

JazakAllah kheir for this reflection, beautiful Allahumabarik 

Sometimes when I open up my Quran and the book splits into two sides, with the binding in the center, I reflect upon the splitting of the sea and how this Quran in front of me is a miracle too!

We recognize that the splitting of the sea was a great miracle, but do we truly recognize the miracle that sits right in front of us? 

This Quran has the ability to change your life, and the lives of those who journey through it with a receptive heart. 

Imagine having the sea split in front of you, but never bothering to move forward to save yourself. That's like having access to the Quran but never bothering to develop a relationship with it.

Read it, listen to it, reflect upon it, learn about it, love it, live it, share it, memorize it. This Quran will change your life if you let it.

'If there were a recitation that could cause mountains to move, or the earth to split, or the dead to speak, ˹it would have been this Quran˺.' 13:31

When you feel overwhelmed and overtaken by the circumstances of life, reflect upon the ayat of the splitting of the sea and open up the miracle that sits right there on your bookshelf:

'When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out, 'We are overtaken for sure.' Moses reassured ˹them˺, 

'Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me - He will guide me.'


So We inspired Moses: 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain.' Ash-Shu'araa 26: 61 - 63

Alhamdullilah. May Allah accept and may Allah bless you too, dear Maryam

Tawwakul is the word that comes to mind when i read this verse. With all the trying circumstances Musa had growing up and in his life in general, he has clearly never been in a situation like this before. Even if we say he had experience with trials,surely this one was nothing compared to his life journey. Standing in front of the deep sea and having unwavering faith that Allah will make a way for him is just mind blowing! Masha Allah..Unwavering faith..The true meaning of Tawwakul. We really need to think about this situation to understand ,we probably will never fully be able to get it but our imagination can help. To top it up,he was surrounded by naysayers, who were convinced that they were doomed. But Prophet Musa stood firm,he was convinced, he was unshaken in his resolve that Allah will come through. It is just so beautiful to think of and such a great scene to imagine. We truly have been given the best of examples and the best incidents and the best history and the true icing on the cake is Allah's mercy. He has gifted us with his mercy knowing that even though we may turn out to be ungrateful creatures or doubting Thomases, he has blessed with his mercy that we can always turn back to. May the Almighty increase in Tawwakul and bless with unwavering faith in all situations.