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Musa ben `Imrân (Moses ben Amram) (PUH)
He is Moses ben Amram ben Waheeb ben Lâwi (Levi) ben Jacob ben Isaac
ben Abraham (PUH) [Waheeb might be equivalent to the name of Kohath in
Torah], and some said that he is Moses ben Amram ben Yas-hor ben Fâhib
ben Levi ben Jacob..etc, and the mother of him and of Hârun (Aaron)
was Yukhâbid (Jochebed), and some said that her name was Afâhiyyah.
Moses was born in Egypt at the time of the tyrant pharaoh Al-Waleed ben
Mos`ab ben Mu`âwiyah ben Abi-Nameer ben Al-Hilwâs ben Layþ
ben Harrân ben `Umar ben `Imlâq [I grow suspecious about such
a name for an Egyptian pharaoh but anyway this is the author's own point
of view and his own tracing], and he was the fourth pharaoh for Egypt,
and his age grew longer and his body grew greater and the children of Israel
were turned into slaves after the death of Joseph the righteous (PUH) and
the adversities upon them increased, and they say they were people of cattles
and they were known as "the shepherds" and used to live in the desert to
the north of Egypt by a recommendation from Joseph (PUH), and then the
priests and astrologers and magicians told the pharaoh that there will
be a child that will be born and remove his kingdom and do great things
in the lands of Egypt, and so the pharaoh got afraid and scared and ordered
to kill the children, and as for Moses, it was as God ordered his mother,
to throw him into the water and so she did and it was the Nile, as it is
mentioned in Muruj Al-Ðahab (PUH), and more to come in details so just
wait.
They say that the pharaoh had a dream, and saw that a great fire was
coming from Jerusalem and got into Egypt and burnt everything except of
the children of Israel, and the pharaoh was so scared so he called for
the priests and interpreters and they said that a man will be born among
the children of Israel and your end with the kingdom's end will be done
by his hands, and so then he ordered to kill the children of Israelites.
They say that Moses lived for two hundred and forty years, and the time
period between him and Abraham was five hundred years, and the period between
Moses and Jesus was one thousand and eight hundred years, and the period
between Abraham and Shem ben Noah was around eight hundred years, and Abraham
lived for one hundred and seventy five years, and the total of years in
the period starting from Shem ben Noah until our time in this year (1971AD)
is five thousand and three hundred years almost, and only God knows.
It is mentioned by the prophet (PUH): God chose from the prophets four
for the sword: Abraham Moses David and me, and chose from the families
four so He said: Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham
and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. They were descendants
one of another. Allah is Hearer, Knower(Âl `Imrân:33-34). This
speech will be mentioned else where by God's will with some additions later
on.
As mentioned by Al-Sâdiq (PUH) that God inspired to Moses saying:
O Moses, do you know why I chose you from among My creation and chose you
for My words? He said: no my Lord, so then God inspired to him: I looked
to earth and I found no one like you being so humble towards Me, and then
Moses fell prostrating and put his cheeks into the ground as a humiliation
to his Lord, so then God inspired to him: O Moses, lift up your head and
expand your hand to the position of your prostrating and pass over your
face and body for it is a cure for every illness and disease and handicap.
And as attributed to Al-Bâqir (PUH) he said: God inspired to Moses:
do you know why I chose you? Then said Moses: no my Lord, so then God said:
O Moses I looked into My servants and I did not find anyone like you in
humiliation for Me, O Moses, you put your cheeks into the dust when you
pray.
It is said that whenever Moses comes to pray he never finished unless
he put his cheeks into the ground, and it is not something to hide that
prostrating on the dust and putting the forehead and the cheeks into the
ground is something allowed and adorable for us (Shiite muslims), and it
is mentioned that it is adorable during the pray and after praying and
when receiving the great gifts and when pushing back the adversities is
desired, and it is the prostrating position that is called "prostration
of praising," and such prostration is adorable in whatever condition for
every faithful believer, because the faithful man do not ever stop thinking
about the greatness of God from time to time and about His gifts and mercy
towards himself from the beginning of his life until the end: And if ye
would count the favour of Allah ye cannot reckon it(Al-Nahl:18). What do
you want me to mention about the gifts of God? Would the mind of a thoughtful
man be able to reckon it? Whatever human being you are you are still unable
to count them, and if it was only the gift of being alive, then that would
be enough for you as a great gift that can not be rewarded in exchange
even if you would fall prostrating on live coal instead of the ground,
and the greatest gift after being alive is the gift of being guided and
have faith in Him and believing in His prophets and His viceroys and obeying
His commands by His own guidance, and not to mention the other gifts of
apparent senses the hidden ones and that amazing expanding world. The prince
of believers (`Ali ben Abi Tâlib) (PUH) said:
Do you claim you are a small planet
And within you the great world did hide
And whatever gift you might see, you can thank for it even you spent your
life time in one prostrating or spent your life time fasting at the daytime
and praying at night, for the prostrating of praising in such moments is
one of the most honorable worshipping duties and the best of all offerings
for Him, and it is allowed as we pointed out and the Imams and the Household
of the prophet (PUT) kept on doing it in their lives, and the people of
the house know better what is inside. [The last phrase is a proverb-like
sentence in Arabic].
It is mentioned that Al-Sâdq (PUH) was once asked about wether
Aaron or Moses died first, so he said: Aaron died before Moses, and he
was asked also who was older, so he said: Aaron, and Aaron had two sons,
one of them is called Shubbar and the other was called Shubair [notice:
in Torah, Aaron is said to have four children: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar]
and in Arabic they are called Al-Hasan and Al-Husain. It is attributed
to the prophet (PUH) that he said: I saw Abraham and Moses and Jesus, and
as for Moses he was a long man for they were known for their height and
bravery with nobility and one man of them was like a lion, and as for Jesus
he was a red man with a curly hair, then he went silent and they said to
him: O prophet of God what about Abraham? He said: then look to your fellow,
meaning himself (PUH).
Next: The Birth of Moses (PUH)