أخطر مكان في مصر كلها كان قصر فرعون. وهناك بالضبط، بين يدي الرجل الذي كان يقتل الأطفال، ربّى الله الطفل الذي سيقف في وجهه يومًا. كيف يحدث هذا؟
كان فرعون قد استعبد بني إسرائيل: ﴿إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَائِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ﴾. وفي هذا الزمن بالذات وُلد موسى. فأوحى الله إلى أمّه بأمر عجيب: ﴿أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾ — إن خفتِ عليه فألقيه في الماء.
فألقته في اليمّ، فالتقطه آل فرعون: ﴿فَالْتَقَطَهُ آلُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا﴾. ورفض الطفل أن يرضع من أيّ امرأة، حتى دلّتهم أخته على امرأة ترضعه — وهي أمّه. ﴿فَرَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ أُمِّهِ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ﴾. فصارت ترضع ابنها وتأخذ على ذلك أجرًا، في بيت الرجل الذي كان يقتل الأطفال. ثم كبر موسى، وخرج من مصر بعد حادثة وقعت له، وعاش في مَدْيَن سنين، ثم رجع. وفي طريق رجوعه، في وادٍ مقدّس اسمه طُوى، ناداه الله.
وآتاه الله آيتين — العصا واليد — ثم أمره بأصعب أمر: ﴿اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ﴾. فقال موسى: ﴿رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي * وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي * وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي * يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي﴾، وسأل أن يكون معه أخوه: ﴿وَاجْعَل لِّي وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِي هَارُونَ أَخِي﴾. فأعطاه الله ذلك كلّه. ثم انتبه إلى الوصية التي خرجا بها إلى أطغى رجل في الأرض: ﴿فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ﴾. قولًا ليّنًا — لفرعون.
وذهبا. فجُمع السحرة ليغلبوا موسى، فلمّا رأوا الحقّ سجدوا وقالوا: ﴿آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ — الذين جاءوا ليهزموه صاروا أوّل من آمن به. ثم خرج موسى ببني إسرائيل ليلًا، فتبعهم فرعون بجيشه حتى صاروا بين البحر أمامهم والجيش خلفهم. فقال أصحابه: ﴿إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ﴾. فقال: ﴿كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ﴾. ﴿فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ﴾ — انشقّ البحر حتى صار كل جزء منه كالجبل. فعبروا، وأدرك فرعونَ ما كان يفرّ منه.
يقول الله تعالى آمراً سيدنا موسى أن يأخذ أخاه معه: {اذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَأَخُوكَ بِآيَاتِي وَلَا تَنِيَا فِي ذِكْرِي}.
إذا اشتدّ بك الأمر حتى لا ترى مخرجًا، فالمخرج عند الله لا عندك.
قال أصحاب موسى: إنّا لمدركون، وقال هو: إنّ معي ربي سيهدين. وكلاهما يرى نفس البحر ونفس الجيش. فما الذي كان مختلفًا بينهما؟
إذا واجهك اليوم أمرٌ تظنّه مستحيلًا، فقل قبل أن تبدأ: «إنّ معي ربي سيهدين»، ثم ابدأ فيه.
القرآن الكريم، سورة طه، والقصص: 1-46، والشعراء: 10-68
المولد والتابوت والعصا وفرعون وفلق البحر، كله بنص الآيات.
The most dangerous place in all of Egypt was Pharaoh's palace. And it was there exactly, in the house of the man who was killing the children, that Allah raised the child who would one day stand before him. How does that happen?
Pharaoh had enslaved the Children of Israel: {Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their sons.} And it was in exactly that time that Musa was born. So Allah inspired his mother with an astonishing instruction: {Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him one of the messengers.} When you fear for him — put him in the water.
She placed him in the river, and Pharaoh's household picked him up: {And the family of Pharaoh picked him up so that he would become to them an enemy and a source of grief.} The baby refused to nurse from any woman, until his sister pointed them to a woman who could nurse him — his own mother. {So We restored him to his mother that she might be content and not grieve.} She nursed her own son and was paid for it, in the house of the man who was killing children. Then Musa grew up, left Egypt after an incident, lived in Madyan for years, and then returned. And on his way back, in a sacred valley called Tuwa, Allah called to him.
Allah gave him two signs — the staff and the hand — and then commanded the hardest thing: {Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.} Musa said: {My Lord, expand for me my breast. And ease for me my task. And untie the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my speech.} And he asked for his brother: {And appoint for me a minister from my family — Harun, my brother.} Allah gave him all of it. Then notice the instruction they set out with towards the most tyrannical man on earth: {And speak to him with gentle speech, that perhaps he may be reminded or fear Allah.} Gentle speech — to Pharaoh.
They went. The magicians were gathered to defeat Musa, and when they saw the truth they prostrated and said: {We have believed in the Lord of the worlds} — the ones brought to beat him were the first to believe in him. Then Musa left with the Children of Israel by night, and Pharaoh followed with his army until they were between the sea ahead and the army behind. His companions said: {Indeed, we are to be overtaken.} He said: {No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.} {And it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.} They crossed — and what Pharaoh had been chasing caught him instead.
When things close in until you can see no way out, the way out is with Allah, not with you.
Musa's companions said "we are to be overtaken," and he said "with me is my Lord; He will guide me." Both were looking at the same sea and the same army. What was different?
If you face something today you think is impossible, say before you start: "with me is my Lord; He will guide me" — then start.
The Quran, Surah Ta-Ha, Al-Qasas: 1-46, Ash-Shu'ara: 10-68
The birth, the basket, the staff, Pharaoh and the parting of the sea are all in the verses.