Prophet Musa (Moses) was one of the messengers of Allah who was sent to the people of Egypt, who were oppressed by the tyrant Pharaoh. Pharaoh claimed to be a god and enslaved the Israelites, who were the followers of Prophet Musa. Allah commanded Prophet Musa and his brother Harun (Aaron) to go to Pharaoh and invite him to worship the true God, the Lord of all creation.

Prophet Musa and Harun went to Pharaoh’s palace and confronted him with courage and confidence. They showed him the signs that Allah had given them, such as turning a staff into a snake and making a hand shine brightly. Pharaoh and his chiefs were astonished by these miracles, but they refused to believe and accused Prophet Musa of being a skilled magician. They also feared that he would take away their power and authority over the land.

Pharaoh challenged Prophet Musa to a contest with the magicians of Egypt, thinking that he could defeat him and expose him as a fraud. Prophet Musa accepted the challenge and faced the magicians on a appointed day. The magicians threw their ropes and sticks, which appeared to be snakes by their magic. Then Prophet Musa threw his staff, which became a real snake and swallowed all the fake ones. The magicians realized that this was not magic, but a sign from Allah. They fell down in prostration and declared their faith in Allah, despite Pharaoh’s threats and anger.

Pharaoh was furious and plotted to kill Prophet Musa and his followers. He ordered his soldiers to pursue them and chase them out of Egypt. Prophet Musa led his people towards the sea, trusting in Allah’s promise of deliverance. When they reached the shore, they saw Pharaoh and his army behind them. They felt trapped and hopeless. But Prophet Musa said: “No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.” (Quran 26:62)

Then Allah inspired Prophet Musa to strike the sea with his staff. The sea parted into two walls of water, leaving a dry path in between. Prophet Musa and his people crossed the sea safely, while Pharaoh and his army followed them. When they reached the middle of the sea, Allah commanded the water to return to its normal state. The waves crashed over Pharaoh and his army, drowning them all. Allah saved Prophet Musa and his people from the tyranny of Pharaoh and granted them victory.

The story of Prophet Musa and Pharaoh is a lesson of faith and courage for all believers. It shows us how Allah supports His messengers and their followers against the enemies of truth and justice. It also shows us how Allah punishes the arrogant and oppressive ones who deny His signs and reject His message.

The Quran states that Musa was sent by God to confront the erstwhile (pharaoh) of ancient Egypt and to guide the Israelites, who were enslaved by the former. The Quran directly validates Musa and Harun as prophets chosen by God: “And mention in the Book, Moses. Indeed, he was chosen, and he was a messenger and a prophet.” (Quran 19:51)

The Quran also narrates the story of how Musa received the revelation from God on Mount Sinai. Allah invited Musa to a meeting of forty nights, during which He gave him the Torah and the Ten Commandments. Musa asked Allah to show him His glory, but Allah told him that he could not bear it. Allah manifested His light on a mountain, which crumbled to dust. Musa fell unconscious and when he recovered, he said: “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.” (Quran 7:143)

However, when Musa returned to his people, he found them worshipping a golden calf that they had made from their ornaments. They had been misled by a man named Samiri, who claimed that he had followed the footsteps of an angel and collected some dust from them. He threw the dust on the calf and it made a lowing sound. The people thought that it was a god and they took it as an idol. Musa was angry and threw down the tablets of the Torah. He rebuked his brother Harun for not stopping them. He also confronted Samiri and cursed him to be an outcast for life.

Musa then asked his people to repent and worship Allah alone. He broke the calf into pieces and threw them into the sea. He also prayed for Allah’s forgiveness for himself and his people. Allah accepted his prayer and pardoned them. He also commanded Musa to choose seventy men from among his people to accompany him to another meeting with Allah.

On the way, they passed by a town where the people were stingy and refused to give them any food. They asked Musa to pray to Allah to bring forth a spring of water from the earth. Musa struck a rock with his staff, and twelve springs gushed forth, one for each tribe of Israel. They drank from them and ate from the manna and quails that Allah provided for them.

When they reached the place of meeting, Allah spoke to Musa and gave him more guidance and wisdom. He also showed him some signs of His power, such as causing an earthquake, thunder, lightning, and clouds. Some of the people who were with Musa were frightened and said: “We will not believe in you until we see Allah plainly.” (Quran 2:55) As a result, they were struck by a thunderbolt and died.

Musa prayed to Allah to revive them, and Allah did so out of His mercy. He also told them to enter a holy land that He had decreed for them, but they refused out of fear of the people who lived there. They said to Musa: “O Musa! We shall never enter it as long as they are there. So go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.” (Quran 5:24) Allah was angry with them and decreed that they would wander in the wilderness for forty years until a new generation would emerge.