A Baby in the Water - Prophet Moses

A Baby in the Water - Prophet Moses

Th e lineage of Prophet Jacob is known as the Israelites. Th ey settled and increased in numbers in Egypt aft er Prophet Joseph. Th e Pharoah who governed Egypt treated the Israelites unfairly and made them work as slaves. One day the Pharoah saw a dream where fl ames reduced his throne to ashes. Th ey interpreted this dream as one of the sons of the Israelites bringing the demise of Pharoah’s throne. Th e Pharoah mercilessly ordered that all male children born that year be killed. Moses was one of those babies born that year.

As his mother fl uttered in a state of panic to save her child a divine inspiration came to her from Allah: “When you fear for his safety put him on the river. Do not be upset and do not fear as We are going to return him to you.” Moses’s mother breastfed him. She kissed her beloved baby for the last time as she put him in a wooden cradle and left him on the River Nile in her Lord’s care.

Moses’s sister was still a child. She too quietly watched her brother fl ow away in the wooden cradle on the water. Baby Moses in the cradle was carried to Pharoah’s castle with the fl ow of the river. Pharoah’s wife saw the cradle on the water as she was wondering near the river. When she got to the cradle she pulled the cover and saw a beautiful baby sleeping. She immediately took him into her arms and warmed to him as if he was her own baby. She took the baby to the Pharoah and asked for his life to be spared.

 She managed to convince the Pharoah and from that day on Moses lived in the palace with them as if he were their child. Th ey now needed a foster mother to breastfeed him. However, Moses did not accept anyone’s breast milk. Moses’s sister told them that she knew of someone that he would not reject. As soon as Moses’s mother found out about the situation she came to the palace and told them that she could breastfeed him. Moses accepted his mother’s milk and in this way grew up with his mother in Pharoah’s palace. When Moses grew up he went to Prophet Shu’aib’s country and became a shepherd for a while.


His honesty and good character deeply impacted those around him. He married Prophet Shu’aib’s daughter. Moses and his wife decided to return to Egypt. When they got to Mount Tur he was given the duty of prophethood through divine inspiration. Allah the Almighty wanted him to go to the Pharoah to explain the religion of truth to him.

Moses went to the Pharoah with his brother Aaron, who was also a prophet. Prophet Moses invited him to accept the Oneness of Allah, to only be His servant and asked him to stop mistreating the Israelites. However, Pharoah rejected the invitation. He asked Moses to perform a miracle to prove his prophethood.

 When Moses threw the cane in his hand, it turned into a gigantic snake. Th e Pharoah thought this was magic and called his magicians and said, “Get rid of Moses’s magic immediately.” Th e magicians used all their skills and talents but Moses’s cane undid them all. When the magicians realised that Moses was performing a miracle, not magic, they all believed in Allah. However the Pharoah still did not believe in Allah.

Moses decided to take his people out of Egypt. When Pharoah heard news of this he went aft er them with his army and cornered them on the coast of the Red Sea. Moses prayed for Allah’s help. Allah ordered him to strike the cane in his hand on the water. When Moses did so the Red Sea split in two.

Moses and his people walked to the other coast through the path that had opened for them in the sea. When the Pharoah and his army tried to do the same the sea rejoined and they all drowned under colossal waves. In this way Allah protected the believers from the harm of the disbelievers. Prophet Moses’s lifelong struggle was to have his people believe in Allah alone and not to associate partners with Him.

Moses is our prophet and his life is best explained in the Qur’an.