7. ولقدْ مننّا على موسى وهارون
8. ونجّیْناهما وقوْمهما من الْکرْب الْعظیم
9. ونصرْناهمْ فکانوا هم الْغالبین

“Certainly We favoured Moses and Aaron,”

“And delivered them and their people from the great agony,”

“And We helped them so that they became the victors.”

Last week, we elaborated on how God Almighty, after tests and divine tribulations, rewarded Prophet Abraham and blessed him with a long line of prophets in his progeny, with such virtuous figures as Joseph, Moses, Solomon, David, Zachariah, John the Baptist, and Jesus in the offspring of his younger son Isaac, while the line of descent of his elder firstborn son, Ishmael was crowned with the Last and
Greatest Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), and the Twelve Infallible Imams.

The ayahs that we recited to you now speak of God’s favours to Prophet Moses and Aaron, and how He delivered them and their followers from the grave sufferings they endured at the hands of the tyrannical Pharaoh. It was Divine Help that made the monotheistic and virtuous Israelites victorious over their infidel and sinful enemies.

Pharaoh, the oppressive and bloodthirsty ruler of Egypt used to enslave men by subjecting men to hard labour in cutting huge boulders and moving them to build pyramids, while the women were forced to work as servants. On learning from soothsayers of the imminent birth amongst the Israelites of a boy, who will deliver them from oppression and be the cause of the king’s death, the Pharaoh ordered the killing of all boys born to the Israelites that year. In such a dire situation, the birth of Prophet Moses was not just kept secret by his parents, but on Divine Inspiration his mother put him in a box and set him afloat in the River Nile, whose waters took the infant to the palace of the Pharaoh, whose monotheist but childless wife, Asiya bint Muzahem, decided to adopt him as her son.

Thus, it was one of the greatest divine blessings that Moses grew up in the palace of his mortal enemy, the Pharaoh whom God made powerless against the Prophet and finally made him drown in the sea, thus enabling the liberation from bondage of the Israelites.

As reward for monotheism and faith in Divine Messengers, God Almighty granted victories to the Israelites against pagans and sinners, and as a trial, blessed them with power and properties, which later they misused.   

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The mention of Divine Favours to the previous prophets is intended to encourage believers to firm up their faith, and thank God Almighty.
2. Triumph over grief, physical torture and psychological pressures, are indeed among the blessings of God.
3. Prophets and divine leaders dedicate their efforts to the deliverance of the oppressed sharing with them their grief and suffering.

Now we listen to ayahs 117 to 119 of Surah Saaffaat:

7. وآتیْناهما الْکتاب الْمسْتبین
8. وهدیْناهما الصّراط الْمسْتقیم
9. وترکْنا علیْهما فی الآخرین

“We gave them the illuminating scripture”

“And guided them to the straight path,”

 “And left for them a good name in posterity.”

These ayahs speak of the granting of heavenly scriptures to the Prophets, especially the Torah to Prophet Moses for the guidance of the Israelites to the right path, and certainly those who kept their covenant with God, were amply rewarded, both in this world and in afterlife, with their good name guaranteed fame in posterity.

Since societies cannot be efficiently governed except by divine leaders and through heavenly scriptures that guide the masses to the straight and unwavering path of God, the Torah, with its set of laws, was revealed to Prophet Moses.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1.  The heavenly scriptures are the constitution of mankind, and not the manmade laws that confuse societies and lead to exploitation of human beings by those in power.
2. God has praised His messengers in the holy Qur’an and ensured lasting name for them to serve as models of virtue for all generations.

Now we listen to ayahs 120 to 122 of Surah Saaffaat:

7. سلامٌ على موسى وهارون
8. إنّا کذلک نجْزی الْمحْسنین
9. إنّهما منْ عبادنا الْمؤْمنین

“Peace be to Moses and Aaron!”

“Thus indeed do We reward the virtuous.”

“They are indeed among Our faithful servants.”

In these ayahs God salutes Prophet Moses and Aaron ensuring lasting peace for them for having diligently carried out His commandments in the face of great hardships. He refers to the rewards He has reserved for the virtuous, and says that without the least doubt Moses and Aaron are amongst the faithful and obedient servants of God Almighty.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. God Almighty Himself salutes His virtuous servants, by greeting them and sending peace upon them, so as to teach us the Islamic etiquette in being polite and courteous with each other, without being arrogant.
2. Moses and the other prophets of God serve as models for all those aspiring to be virtuous persons and faithful servants of God.

Now listen ayahs 123 to 126 of Surah Saaffaat:

7. وإنّ إلْیاس لمنْ الْمرْسلین
8. إذْ قال لقوْمه ألا تتّقون
9. أتدْعون بعْلا وتذرون أحْسن الْخالقین
10. اللّه ربّکمْ وربّ آبائکم الأوّلین

 “And indeed Ilyās was one of the prophets,”

“When he said to his people, ‘Will you not be Godwary?”

“Do you invoke Baal and abandon the Best of creators,”

“Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers?”

These ayahs refer to Prophet Ilyas and his preaching among the people to become cognizant of God, heed His laws, and desist from sins, including worship of idols. He means to admonish the idolaters by saying: How can you worship these imaginary manmade deities, such as the idol Baal, which you have crafted with your own hands, while you have become oblivious of the One and Only God, the Creator of the whole universe, Who gave you the gift of life and granted you blessings?

In other words, idols have no power. They can neither respond to your please nor have they created you, your parents and ancestors. Only God is your Creator and the Creator of your forefathers.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. All messengers of God invite people to the worship of the One and Only Creator of the entire universe, while rejecting the worship of idols and imaginary deities.
2. The foundation of all perfections is virtue and piety, which means becoming Godwary and desisting from sins, vices, and idolatry.
3. The Prophets spoke with the people in simple and clear languages, with a polite tone, in order to awaken their conscience.

Now we listen to ayahs 127 to 129 of Surah Saaffaat:

7. فکذّبوه فإنّهمْ لمحْضرون
8. إلاّ عباد اللّه الْمخْلصین
9. وترکْنا علیْه فی الآخرین

“But they belied him (that is, Ilyas); so they will indeed be arraigned [before God”

“— [All] except Allah’s exclusive servants.”

“We left for him (Ilyas) a good name in posterity.”

These ayahs mean to say that the people to whom Ilyas was sent, belied him and his mission, by rejecting his admonitions and refusing to see the harm they were doing to their souls by worshipping idols, instead of worshipping the One and Only God of the whole universe. As a result of such unpardonable sins, the wrongdoers will be subjected to divine punishment, while only the virtuous servants of God, will be rewarded. And indeed Ilyas who was a devout servant of God has been ensured a lasting name in posterity.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The criterion of success is not the blessings of worldly life, but the quality of their work with sincere intention for the sake of God.
2. The true believers have been promised paradise, while hell is the lot of the unrepentant sinners.