To many, it seemed that the Pharaoh was in full control, he got it all: The military power, the political lobbies, the media outlets, the magicians, the narrative, complete dominance of all aspects of his oppression.

Maybe even the Israelites themselves thought they deserved to be enslaved, persecuted, and subjugated. Their dreams and urban legends about liberation started disappearing, and stories about fear, divisiveness, and despair filled their community gatherings and discussions. The only news to share and predictions to make were about the next child to be murdered, the next girl to be enslaved, the next family to lose their home… it was a matter of WHEN, not IF … The following Ayah captures the complete dominance that the Pharaoh had in Egypt:

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“Indeed, Pharaoh ˹arrogantly˺ elevated himself in the land and divided its people into ˹subservient˺ groups, one of which he persecuted, slaughtering their sons and keeping their women. He was truly one of the corruptors.” [28:4]

Another Plan in the Making  

Allah had a different plan for the Israelites, as He wishes for all of his righteous servants: to live with dignity and honor, free from any oppression. In fact, Allah’s plan involved turning them to leaders and inheritors of all of this kingdom:

“But it was Our Will to favor those who were oppressed in the land, making them models ˹of faith˺ as well as successors;
and to establish them in the land; and through them show Pharaoh, Hamân,1 and their soldiers ˹the fulfilment of˺ what they feared.” [28:5-6]

To the doubtful, this Ayah may seem like wishful thinking, dreams and aspirations, a figment of the believers’ imaginations, an illusion that they hold on to, an opium to the masses, etc. . Regardless, Allah’s plan was already decreed, and His decision is the ultimate one.

The last phrase in the previous Ayah could be very surprising to the doubtful voices at the time: “feared”! they may say! What would the pharaoh be fearful from?

Only later we learn that the eyes of oppressors rarely enjoy a full night’s sleep. The souls of the oppressed haunted the pharaoh in his sleep, despite being in the most safeguarded place of the time. He committed himself to an endless loop of murder right after the first crime took place. After that, he kept seeing in his dreams how his kingdom perished at the hands of a boy from the children of Israel. That dream caused him to escalate his murders and oppression, assuming that he can escape the plan of Allah and the decree of Allah.   

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What Would You Do if you Were There?
Hey, the intention of this post is not just another narration of the story of Musa, as you can read that in the Quran (See chapters 20 and 28 for a detailed account). In fact, even the Quran does not aim at providing mere anecdotes, stories, or historical events. Instead, it instigates in its reader a very fundamental question: What would you do if you were there? Which side would you choose? How would you see events, think about them, and react to them? this bias-to-reflection-then-action is consistent throughout the last revelation that Allah sent to mankind:

“So, narrate ˹to them˺ stories ˹of the past˺, so perhaps they will reflect.” [A’raf 7:176]

The Actors, and the Spectators
The story of Musa, peace be upon him, was filled with many actors who were the instruments that brings Allah’s vision to reality.

See, we all know that Allah works in mysterious ways in this universe. We don’t fully comprehend how or why it happens, since we only see the pixels not the big picture. But in the same token, we do know that an element of Allah’s plan involves assigning some tasks to His creations. Such actions, in turn, become the individualized and customized test of life: 

“So will it be. Had Allah willed, He ˹Himself˺ could have inflicted punishment on them. But He does ˹this only to˺ test some of you by means of others.” [Muhammad 47:4]

As the story of prophet Musa unfolds in the Quran, we start seeing many characters who assumed their role and fulfilled their duty. Instead of being just another spectator, they act with full determination to move the needle and fulfill the purpose of their creation. Eventually, such actors were honored by an eternal mention in the Quran, which is the biggest legacy any human being could dream of having:

The mother of Musa (it all starts with our mothers):

We inspired the mother of Moses: “Nurse him, but when you fear for him, put him then into the river, and do not fear or grieve. We will certainly return him to you, and make him one of the messengers.”[ Qasas 28:7]

The pharaoh’s wife (AKA Musa’s second mother):

 Pharaoh’s wife said ˹to him˺, “˹This baby is˺ a source of joy for me and you. Do not kill him. Perhaps he may be useful to us or we may adopt him as a son.” They were unaware ˹of what was to come˺.” [28:9]

Musa’s sister (Another Muslimah with a leading role):

“And she said to his sister, “Keep track of him!” So she watched him from a distance, while they were unaware.” [Qasas 28:11]

Harun, the public speaker

“And my brother Aaron is more eloquent than I, so send him with me as a helper to support what I say,” [Qasas 28:34]

So many characters to inspire us towards assuming our role in this life. But like every real-world story, Musa was surrounded with the bystanders, the spectators, who contributed in their own way to the demise and the struggles of Bani Israel:

The Bystanders

While the Quran does not mention any name (which by itself has a great implication), the Quran did mention many of their negative statements and attitudes:

They doubted Musa’s commands and ridiculed them:  

And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, “Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.”¹ They replied, “Are you mocking us?” Moses responded, “I seek refuge in Allah from acting foolishly!” [2:67]

 They complained endlessly about their situation:  

They complained, “We have always been oppressed—before and after you came to us ˹with the message˺.” He replied, “Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the land to see what you will do.” [7:129]

They showed blind attachment to paganism even after seeing a miracle in front of their own eyes: 

We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and they came upon a people devoted to idols. They demanded, “O Moses! Make for us a god like their gods.” He replied, “Indeed, you are a people acting ignorantly! [7:138]

So much to reflect on through the story of prophet Musa, which spanned 29 out of 30 Juz in the Quran. It taught us endless lessons about human behavior and how we embrace guidance and change or resist them. Think about other characters: Qarun, Haman, Al-Samereyy, the magicians, etc. and what they represented and the legacy they left. In fact, there is a very important character in the whole story, which is often times ignored or neglected. That character is the reader, yes! It is YOU reading these lines.

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What About your story?

Remember that Allah is narrating this story to you, and He elected specific events to be shared in this timeless message of the Quran. The discussion on actors vs. spectators should invite us to look deep inside, especially as we see the genocide in Gaza unfolding in real time. These should strike each one of us with the very essential questions of our purpose and our role in life: 

• What is my legacy?
• How can I leave my mark in this world and help those who are struggling?
• How can I discover what I am really good at, and use that to the benefit of our umma (global Muslim community)?
• How can I leverage all of Allah’s blessings upon me: my career capital, my network, my connections, etc. to 10X my impact?
• Are there more effective ways to promote the causes I care deeply about?
• How can I find like-minded and like-hearted individuals who will support my legacy project, the way Harun (AS) supported Musa’s mission and impact?

These questions have been haunting me for a while, and that led me on a journey to collect the 40 Hadith on Community Service and Activism, which is meant to be a Muslim’s handbook to change the world. If these questions resonate with you, you may be interested in signing up for my upcoming Muslim Activism Bootcamp, a training and coaching program to empower Muslim activists and changemakers with the required tools, mindsets, and resources towards an everlasting legacy inshaAllah.

May Allah allow us to use His blessings in a way that pleases Him and Him only.

May Allah allow our small actions to cause a butterfly effect that will shake the thrones of the oppressors, and shade His servants with mercy and goodness

May Allah allow us to be in service to His creations, all creations, until the last moment of our lives.

Yours,

Brother Mohannad Hakeem

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