SPIRIT OF ISLAM NOVEMBER 2019

44 Spirit of Islam Issue 83 November 2019 near this fire, and whoever is around it! Glory be to God, Lord of the universe! (27: 7-8) Moses left Egypt and went to Midian (or Madyan), which was situated on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. He spent eight years there. Then he left along with his wife for Egypt. During this journey, he reached the foot of a mountain which was situated on a peninsula projecting into the Red Sea. This mountain was called Tur in ancient days and is now known as Gebel Moses. It was probably a winter night. Moses saw something, which to him looked like a fire far away on the mountain side. He went towards it. But on drawing near, he found that it was God’s light and not a fire lit by human beings. There is an ancient tree at the place on the mountain where Moses saw the light. It is said that this is the very same tree from which God’s voice was heard by Moses. The Christians subsequently constructed a church and a monastery at this place which till today is a place of pilgrimage. 'O Moses, I am God, the Powerful, the Wise. Throw down your staff.’ But when he saw it moving like a snake, he turned and fled. ‘Moses, do not be afraid! The messengers need have no fear in My presence; as for those who do wrong and then do good after evil, I am most forgiving, most merciful. Now put your hand inside your cloak next to your bosom and it will come out [shining] white, without any blemish. This will be one of the nine signs for Pharaoh and his people: for truly they are a rebellious people. ’But when Our signs came to them in all their clarity they said, ‘This is clearly sorcery!’ And they persisted in rejecting them wrongfully and arrogantly, while in their hearts they were convinced of their truth. Observe, then, how evil was the fate of the evil-doers. (27: 9-14) Moses had gone to the mountain to obtain a burning brand. But after reaching it, he came to know that he had been called there to have prophethood bestowed upon him. When Almighty God blesses any subject of His with a special gift, He gives it suddenly and unexpectedly, so that the recipient may attribute it directly to God and develop in himself the most profound feelings of gratitude towards Him. On the one hand, the community of Moses (the Children of Israel), though a believing community, had degenerated. On the other, Moses had to proclaim the message of God to a tyrant king like Pharaoh. Therefore, Almighty God blessed him with the miracle of the stick at the very beginning of his mission. This stick was an enduring divine