DARUl - ummah

STORY OF PROPHET MUSA AND HARUN (AS) Part 11.

 

 

They went out in search of such a cow. The only one that matched the description was the one owned by the orphaned youth. They met him on the way and asked the price for which he would sell his cow. He told them he would have to consult his mother first, so they accompanied him to his house and offered her three gold coins. She refused their offer, saying that the cow was worth much more.

 

They were on increasing their offer and the mother kept on refusing. Finally the urged the son to speak to his mother to be reasonable. He told them: "I will not sell the cow without my mother's approval, even if you offered me its skin filled with gold!" On hearing this, his mother smiled and said: "Let that be the price: its skin filled with gold." They realized that no other cow would do; they had to have it at any price. They agreed to buy the cow and paid with its skin filled with gold.

 

Allah the Almighty narrated: And remember when Moses said to his people: "Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow."

 

They said: "Do you make fun of us?"

 

He said: "I take Allah's Refuge from being among Al Jahileen (the ignorants or the foolish)."

 

They said: "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!"

 

He said: "He says, 'Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but it is between the two conditions, so do what you are commanded."

 

They said; "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its color."

 

He said: "He says, 'It is a yellow cow bright in its color, pleasing to the beholders.'"

 

They said: "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily to us all cows are alike, and surely, if Allah wills, we will be guided."

 

He (Moses) said: "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no other color except bright yellow.'"

 

They said: "Now you have brought the truth." So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it.

 

Aremember when you killed a man and fell into dispute among yourselves to the crime. But Allah brought forth that which you were hiding. So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow)." Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.

 

Then after that your hearts were hardened and became as stone or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them stones which fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (Ch 2:67-74 Quran).

 

 

One day Moses (pbuh) delivered such an impressive sermon that all who heard it was deeply moved. Someone in the congregation asked: "O Messenger of Allah, is there another man on earth more learned than you?" Moses replied: "No!", believing so, as Allah had given him the power of miracles and honored him with the Torah.

 

However, Allah revealed to Moses that no man could know all there is to know, nor would one messenger alone be the custodian of all knowledge. There would always be another who knew what others did not. Moses asked Allah: "O Allah, where is this man? I would like to meet him and learn from him." He also asked for a sign to this person's identity.

 

Allah instructed him to take a live fish in a water filled vessel. When the fish disappeared, he would find the man he sought. Moses set out on his journey, accompanied by a young man who carried the vessel with the fish. They reached a place where two rivers met and decided to rest there. Instantly, Moses fell asleep.

 

While he was asleep, his companion saw the fish wriggle out of the vessel into the river and swim away. However, he forgot to relate the incident to Moses. When he awoke, they continued their journey until they were exhausted and hungry. Moses asked for his morning meal. Only then did his companion recall that the fish they had brought with them had gotten away. Hearing this, Moses exclaimed: "This is exactly what we are seeking!"

 

They hurriedly retraced their steps to the place where the rivers met and where the fish had jumped out. There they found a man, his face partly covered with a hood. His bearing showed he was a saintly man. He was Al-Khidr, the guide.

 

Allah the Almighty narrated: And remember when Moses said to his boy servant: "I will not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or until I spend years and years in traveling."

 

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel. So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Moses said to his boy servant: "Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey."

 

He said: "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the dock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange way!"

 

Moses said: "That is what we have been seeking." So they went back retracing their footsteps.

 

Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.

 

Moses said to him (Khidr) "May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance, and true path) which you have been taught by Allah?"

 

He (Khidr) said: "Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?"

 

Moses said; "If Allah will, you will find me patience, and I will not disobey you in aught."

 

He (Khidr) said: "Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you."

 

So they both proceeded, till, when they were in the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Moses said: "Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have done Imra- a Munkar (evil, bad, dreadful) thing."

 

He (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?"

 

Moses said: "Cal me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair with you."

 

Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Moses said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have done Nukra a great Munkar (prohibited, evil dreadful) thing!"

 

Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?"

 

Moses said: "If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me."

 

Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. Moses said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it!"

 

Khidr said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.