The story of Pharaoh with Moses (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel.

The Shaykh : As for the topic of this evening's meeting, it is the story of Pharaoh. Pharaoh was a tyrannical, stubborn king who was given power over the people of Egypt, especially the Children of Israel. He used to slaughter their sons and keep their women alive. He kept them alive, he kept them alive, meaning he preserved them. Do you know why? To humiliate the people of the Children of Israel, because when the men of a people are gone, the women remain. And to use the women in the houses of the Copts. So the purpose was two things. The first? The first is, oh...?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : The humiliation of the Children of Israel, because when the men of a nation are gone, the nation is humiliated.
And the second: using the women of the Children of Israel.
Some scholars said that Pharaoh was given power over the Children of Israel by slaughtering the sons and keeping the women alive twice. Once when it was said to him that a man would be sent among the Children of Israel through whom your kingdom would be destroyed, and this was before the sending of Moses.
And once after Moses was sent. Allah knows best. But the man was arrogant, tyrannical, and haughty, may Allah protect us. And the amazing thing, my brothers, the amazing thing is that Moses, whom Allah made the destroyer of Pharaoh and his kingdom through his hand, where was he raised? He was raised in Pharaoh's lap. He was raised in his lap. Glory be to Allah. O Allah, there is no one who can prevent what You have given, and no one who can give what You have withheld. This man was raised in his lap because Allah inspired the mother of Moses to nurse him. So when she feared for him, she cast him into the sea. She put him in a chest, meaning a box, and cast it into the sea. And this indicates the perfection of her faith, because a mother casting her son into the sea is a great matter and the situation is severe. Who can cast their son into the sea where the fish will eat him? But Allah protected him. She cast him into the sea, and the family of Pharaoh picked him up to be an enemy and a cause of grief for them. The lam in His saying I want the people of grammar to explain its meaning? O Allah, stand up.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : It means the lam of the result. Okay, the lam is not for the cause here, because they did not pick him up to be an enemy for them, but they picked him up and raised him, and so he became an enemy and a cause of grief for them. Things happened, and Moses called Pharaoh, but he debated him with a malicious debate in which he resorted to force. Read the verses of the chapter of the Poets. When Moses called him to Allah, Pharaoh said to him: Who is the Lord of the worlds? And this question is for denial, meaning as if he is saying there is no Lord for people except him, meaning Pharaoh. Moses said to him: Is this a correct answer or not? It is a correct answer. So Pharaoh said to those around him: Is he mocking Moses? Do you not hear this statement? What did Moses answer with? Meaning He is your Lord who created you from nothing, and the Lord of your first fathers who perished. Just as your fathers perished, you will perish, and you are not lords, because the Lord remains and does not die. So Pharaoh returned to what? To disparagement. He said: What? He judged him to be insane and confirmed this judgment with the conjunction and the lam, and said mockingly: Meaning the one who claims he was sent to you, and he does not appear to believe he is the messenger. So Moses said to him: What? And you, O Pharaoh, what have you possessed? What did you possess? Did you possess the East and the West, or did you possess a small part of the land? The second one, or the first? The second. And this was a mockery by Moses of the family of Pharaoh and of Pharaoh, that they are the insane ones, not Moses. Meaning if you are people of intellect, then your Lord who has the East is the Lord of the East and the West. Then he resorted to threats. He resorted to threats, and threats are the weapon of the incapable. So he said to him, come with us, oh group. Look at the threat, may Allah protect us. I will make you one of the imprisoned. And he did not say "I will imprison you" in order to terrify him. He says that in the prison there are thousands of groups. If you take a god other than me, I will make you one of them. And this is a type of fragmentation, as they call it, in order to terrify Moses and make him afraid. I will make you one of the imprisoned. After that,
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : The one who says who is Moses says: Do you say this? And if I brought you something clear, what would you do? He said: Bring it, if you are among the truthful. And this was a challenge from Pharaoh to Moses. So he brought it. He threw his staff. And where did the staff come from, brother? Where did his staff come from? Stand up. Yes, stand up. Where did the staff come from?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : From the tree, so it was a piece of wood. Okay, the staff of the incapable. He threw his staff, and behold, it was a clear serpent. A serpent means a great snake that terrifies. And he pulled out his hand, meaning he put it in his pocket like this and pulled it out from it, and behold, it was white, differing in color in an instant. From where? From his pocket. And what after? What after this sign?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh :
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Yes. He said, “From Pharaoh to the nobles around him.” And the nobles mean the aristocrats, because Pharaoh’s companions were the aristocrats of his people. [To] a knowledgeable sorcerer [who] claimed that the turning of the staff into a serpent and the hand coming out of the pocket white was magic, because magic in Pharaoh’s time was common and widespread. But magic does not have an effect except by Allah’s permission, as He, Mighty and Majestic, said. And He said in another verse. The important thing is the result; the story is long, but we will mention the summary. When Musa (peace be upon him) overcame the sorcerers and the sorcerers saw something that was not magic, they believed. And it did not say, “And the sorcerers prostrated,” as if, due to the intensity of what they saw and their astonishment, they threw themselves down prostrating without choice, due to the intensity of what they saw of the signs. Glory be to Allah! They were sorcerers and disbelievers at the beginning of the day, and they were believers and righteous at the end of the day, because they witnessed the truth; they witnessed what they had no power to withstand and no capacity to bear, and what happened happened. Then Pharaoh was enraged by that and threatened the sorcerers. He said, [what did they say?] They said the words of the certain one, meaning, “Do what you want; do what you wish. If you want to kill us, and if you kill us, then you are only cutting off [this life]. What is this worldly life?” So Allah was pleased with these sorcerers who believed this faith and declared it and defied Pharaoh. Pharaoh was enraged and sent gatherers through the cities. What does “gatherers” mean? Collectors; they collect people in order to destroy Musa and his people. Every household of Pharaoh came and gathered with him in Egypt, and they went out to destroy Musa and his people. And Allah, the Exalted, commanded Musa and his people to leave Egypt, heading toward the Holy Land, the land of Sham. And when they were heading from Egypt to Sham, what would be in front of them? The Red Sea, called the Sea of Qulzum. When they reached the sea—pay attention, my brother, pay attention, yes—when they reached the sea, and Pharaoh with his soldiers and all his preparations was behind them, and the sea was in front of them, they were certain of destruction, because if they stood still, who would catch them? Pharaoh and his people. And if they advanced? They would drown in the sea. So the companions of Musa said to Musa, [look at the sentence; it is emphasized by what? By “in” and the lam.] He said, “No, it is not possible that we will be caught.” And this, by Allah, is certainty in times of hardship; a person does not know [anything] except the Creator. He said, [Allah, the Exalted, revealed to him] to strike the sea with his staff. And what is the measure of Musa’s staff for the Red Sea? Answer, everyone. Nothing. A staff with which he struck the sea, and the sea split from its width to its width and became twelve paths, because the Children of Israel were twelve tribes. The sea became, with one strike, twelve paths. There remained a problem: if the water receded from the land, it would become mud and slippery. But immediately, the Creator, Mighty and Majestic, dried it. Allah is the Greatest. So the water, which is flowing, became like mountains. Allah is the Greatest. Like mountains, it does not flow. And the land, which was saturated with water, became dry. And they crossed; they crossed, meaning Musa and his people, until they reached the eastern shore. And Pharaoh and his people were behind them. When Musa and his people were completely out of the sea, and Pharaoh and his people were completely entering the sea, the Lord of Majesty and Honor commanded the sea to return to its state. Allah is the Greatest. So the sea closed over whom? Over Pharaoh and his people. When drowning overtook him, he believed. When he knew that he had died, when he knew that he had died, he believed. When drowning overtook him, he said, [O rhetoricians, if you are people of rhetoric, why did he not say “I believe in Allah,” but rather said “I believe in what the Children of Israel believe in”? In order to humble himself until he admits that he is now a follower of the Children of Israel. Look at the rhetoric of the Qur’an; the rhetoric of the Qur’an is wondrous. He believed that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Israel believe, and He is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And in this is his admission that he is a follower of the Children of Israel. This is the ultimate humiliation. Yesterday he was slaughtering their sons and taking their women captive, threatening them and intimidating them. Now he has become a slave following the Children of Israel. But if he had purified himself before, what? It would not have benefited him, but now it does not benefit him. So it was said to him, [Now, with a long “alif” or without a long “alif”? Yes, with a long “alif.” If there is a question, it means “Do you believe now when you saw the wave?”] Meaning, his faith did not benefit him; his repentance did not benefit him. Why? Because death overtook him, and one who does not repent except when death overtakes him has no repentance. Then Allah, Exalted and Exalted, by His grace upon the Children of Israel and His mercy for them, saved his body; He saved his body, meaning he did not go to the bottom of the sea and be eaten by the fish, but he appeared on the surface of the water. And for this reason He said to him, Allah, the Exalted, said, [Who among the Children of Israel?] Because the Children of Israel, my brothers, the Children of Israel, had been terrified by Pharaoh to the utmost terror. If Allah had not shown them his body, they would have had the possibility that the man was alive and that he had been saved. Is there not a possibility? Often ships sink and some people are saved. But in order to reassure the Children of Israel, Allah showed the body of this stubborn disbeliever, and they saw it. And for this reason He said, [Who among the Children of Israel who were saved?] Meaning, a proof that Pharaoh and his people perished. All the stories of the Qur’an are good; all are admonition; all are a lesson. But heedlessness takes hold of us, and most people have no concern with the Qur’an except to complete the surah or the hizb they were reading before. And I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him that this happens sometimes for many people."Al-Mala'" means the nobles, because Pharaoh's courtiers were the nobles of his people. A knowledgeable sorcerer claimed that the transformation of the staff into a serpent and the emergence of the hand from the pocket white was magic, because magic was very common and widespread in Pharaoh's time. However, magic has no effect except by Allah's permission, as He the Mighty and Majestic said. And he said in another verse The important thing is the result. The story is long, but we will mention the summary: when Musa (peace be upon him) overcame the magicians and the magicians saw something that was not magic, they believed. And it did not say, "And the magicians prostrated," as if, due to the intensity of what they saw and their astonishment, they fell down involuntarily because of the severity of the signs they witnessed; they fell down prostrating. Glory be to Allah! In the morning they were disbelieving sorcerers, and by the end of the day they were believing, righteous people, because they witnessed the truth. They saw something beyond their capacity and beyond their ability to handle, and so it happened. Then Pharaoh became enraged by this and threatened the sorcerers. He said, What did they say? They said the words of one who is certain. That means, do whatever you want, do as you please. If you want to kill us, and if you kill us, you are only ending what is this worldly life? Allah was pleased with these magicians who believed this faith and declared it, and they defied Pharaoh. Pharaoh was enraged and sent gatherers into the cities. What does "gatherers" mean? Collectors who gather people in order to destroy Musa and his people. All of Pharaoh's clan came and gathered with him in Egypt, and they set out to destroy Musa and his people. Allah the Exalted commanded Musa and his people to leave Egypt, heading toward the Holy Land, the land of Sham. And as they were heading from Egypt to Sham, what was in front of them? The Red Sea, called the Sea of Qulzum. When they reached the sea — pay attention, my brother, pay attention, yes, that is right — when they reached the sea, there was Pharaoh with his soldiers and all his preparations behind them, and the sea in front of them. They were certain of destruction, because if they stood still, who would catch them? Pharaoh and his people. And if they moved forward? They would drown in the sea. So the companions of Musa said to Musa: Look, the sentence is emphasized by what? By *in* and the *lam*. No, it is not possible for us to be overtaken. And this, by Allah, is certainty in times of hardship; a person does not know anything but the Creator. He said: Allah the Exalted revealed to him that he should strike the sea with his staff. What was the size of Musa's (peace be upon him) staff for the Red Sea? Answer, everyone. It was nothing but a staff. He struck the sea with it, and the sea split from one side to the other, becoming twelve paths, because the Children of Israel were twelve tribes. The sea became twelve paths with a single strike. There remains a question: if the water receded from the land, it would become mud and slippery. But immediately, the Creator (Mighty and Majestic) dried it. Allahu Akbar. So the water, which was flowing, became like mountains, Allahu Akbar, like mountains that do not flow. And the land, which was saturated with water, became dry. And they crossed, they crossed, meaning Musa (peace be upon him) and his people, until they reached the eastern shore. And Pharaoh and his people were behind them. When Musa (peace be upon him) and his people had completely exited the sea, and Pharaoh and his people had completely entered the sea, the Lord of Majesty and Honor commanded the sea to return to its state, Allahu Akbar. So the sea closed over whom? Over Pharaoh and his people. When drowning overtook him, he believed. When he realized that he was dying, when he realized that he was dying, he believed. When drowning overtook him, he said: O you rhetoricians, if you are among the people of rhetoric, why did he not say, “I have believed in Allah,” but rather said, “The One in whom the Children of Israel believed”? It is to humble himself so that he admits that he is now a follower of the Children of Israel. Look at the eloquence of the Qur'an; the eloquence of the Qur'an is wondrous. He said, “I have believed that there is no god but the One in whom the Children of Israel believed, and He is Allah, Mighty and Majestic.” In this is his admission that he is a follower of the Children of Israel. This is the ultimate humility. Yesterday he was slaughtering their sons, taking their women captive, threatening them, and intimidating them. Now he has become a slave following the Children of Israel. But if he had purified himself before, what would it have availed him? But now it does not avail him. So it was said to him: Now, with the elongation or without the elongation? Yes, with the elongation, if there is a question, meaning: "Do you now believe when you saw the wave?" What good did his faith do him? What good did his repentance do him? Why? Because death had overtaken him, and one who does not repent until death overtakes him has no repentance. Then, by His grace toward the Children of Israel and His mercy for them, Allah saved his body; He saved his body, meaning it did not go down to the bottom of the sea to be eaten by the fish, but rather it appeared on the surface of the water. For this reason He said to him—Allah the Exalted said— any of the Children of Israel because the Children of Israel, my brothers, the Children of Israel, were terrified of Pharaoh to the utmost degree of terror. Had Allah not shown them his body, they would have had the possibility that the man was alive and that he had escaped. Is there not a possibility that ships often sink and some people survive? But in order to reassure the Children of Israel, Allah showed the body of this stubborn disbeliever, and they saw it. For this reason, he said any of the Children of Israel who were saved as a sign that Pharaoh and his people perished. All the stories in the Qur'an are good; all of them are a warning, and all of them are a lesson. But heedlessness takes hold of us, and most people have no concern with the Qur'an except to complete the surah or the hizb they were reading before. I seek Allah's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance that this happens sometimes to many people.