Morals from the Life of Hazrat Moosa (a.s.) and Event of Bal’am bin Ba’oora
1- The human being gets affected with the circumstances which he or she does not like but by fulfilling the duties of God ultimately brings that person success. Hazrat Moosa a.s to save his life from the wrath of Firaun, left Egypt . But at last he was appointed by God to move towards Egypt and he went through many disputes with Firaun and invited him towards the truth. The compliance with God and submission to Him is the cause of progress and perfection in a man. Therefore Hazrat Moosa a.s practically gave the lesson to the people.
2- Trust in God and self confidence lead Moosa a.s towards such an act that he never got affected with the doubts and demurs in his life. Thorough believe in God and wholly relying upon the perfect faith made Moosa a.s stand firmly on his word. Being opposed by the mighty and powerful enemy he never accepted them and never been instable.
3- Firaun was claiming himself God and Moosa was nurtured in his palace. But he was certain and never refrained from the accomplishment of his duties. Everybody was proclaiming that he was sorcerer however he was revealing the words of truth and describing the fact.
4- The truth and facts never get vanished, they are constant and only the support of God is enough for a person who face every risk in this cause. Translation of a Farsi couplet If my protector is the one whom I know, One who protects the glass near the stone.
5- The joys of a strong believe leads one towards the way of success and endure in the person, the strength to bear every suffering. When he is successful he enjoys it and get enthusiastic, forgets his fatigue and feels the sweetness of accomplishment.
6- Patience in the calamity and thanks in the prosperity. The Human must be patient in the diversity of life and consequently he or she will reach the holy destiny. Hence Hazrat Moosa a.s was triumphant in spite of profound revolutions.
7- Being tolerant and humane upon the ignorance and extravagance of the people. The calf worshipping of Bani Israil increased the toleration and leniency of Moosa a.s though he got anguished extremely but faced the hardships with perseverance and forbearance. He performed his duty confidently and firmly.
8- He educated people the manners, morals and excellence in his invitation of truth and never asked its reward. He remitted everything for the sake of God.
Morals from the life of Moosa Kalimullah a.s (who conversed with God)
The writer of the Prophets stories expressed his views: I observed the Quran is relating the sensitive points of the prophecy of the Moosa a.s. The birth of Moosa a.s, his upbringing in the palace of Firaun, the trial of Moosa on various periods of time, the migration of Bani Israil from Egypt, a brief description of the land geography concerning Moosa a.s and their activities, his tending of herds and taking them for grazing, his service to Prophet Hazrat Shueb a.s, his spiritual power and perfection in preaching and guiding the people, reaching to the Prophecy in the Holy Valley, sighting the sparkle of the light of Lord and instructions of miracles from God.
9- Return of Moosa a.s to Egypt, inviting Firaun towards the Lord and struggling with him for the amendment of the people’s life, the migration of Moosa and his people from Egypt, Firaun and his army chasing Moosa a.s and drowning in the river, and the floating up of the Firaun and his army’s dead bodies on the water.
The most sensitive part of the Moosa life was his term on the Mount Sinai and dispossession of his selected people and the calf worshiping of Bani Israil then encounter with Qaarun to execute the divine law, selection of 12 counsellors for the survival of the elementary and supplementary divine doctrines and indicating the importance of the status of Harun a.s.
All these movements became a perfect pattern in the Islam .Each of the stages presents a lesson of forewarning. Quran narrated those salient features for the Muslims to distinguish the result of every act that happened in the past and what should be done in the future.
The vast nd boundless nation of Jews, Christians and the nation of Islam became aware of the piety of Hazrat Moosa a.s and the Jews divine laws and from the outstanding decisive state of circumstances, utilized to the last extent. The scholars and wise of Islam admitted and acknowledged those prominent visages. In the future too they will extract and derive morals, security and prosperity from the story of Moosa a.s.
The Event of Bal’am bin Baoora
Bal’am Baoora was an ascetic and devout person. He worshipped God for two hundred years and he was the contemporary of Moosa a.s. By his revere he got such a status that whenever he was rising up his head, because of the purity of his conscious he was able to view the empyrean and the divine throne and all of his supplications were reaching to the acceptance of God.
When the people got enlightened with the advent of Moosa a.s the king of Jordan got alarmed. Arjanaba the king of Urdan (Jordan) with his ministers visited Bal’am Baoora. And requested him to cast away the calamity of Moosa a.s from their heads, to which Bal’am replied: The presence of prophets is the sign of the benevolence and kindness of God. The mark of their footsteps brings blessings and I will not beseech the God for you. They got distressed with the Bal’am Baoora and sought out another way for the solution and they brought a large sum of money and gems to his wife and pleaded her: Tell your husband that Moosa a.s must not create any disturbance in the country of certain king.
The wife accepted their request and attempted to make her husband to supplicate for the king. Bal’am refused: O wife I cannot pray. The wife caught hold of the sleeve of him, emphasised and insisted him rigidly, to pray for the king that Moosa a.s must not cause any perturbation for him.
Bal’am Baoora who was very fond of his beautiful wife and begotten many children from her, he forcibly accepted her claim. He went to his place of worship; there he came across a lion that was ready to charge on him. He returned back and told her: You leave this matter so that I should not pray.
The wife insisted: Impossible, the people of Moosa a.s will kill us.
Bal’am ascertained: The one who brings faith in God nothing will happen to him.
The wife reiterated and he refused, at last the matter reached to such an extent that she demanded: Divorce me or perform supplication for the safety of king.
Bal’am Baoora helplessly rose up and again started to proceed towards his temple to pray for the king. There he sighted a snake that was ready to charge on him; he retreated and referred his wife all about the incident. The third time upon the stress of his wife he laid his head for prostration and prayed: Stop the Moosa a.s and his people there and protect us from their nuisance. His supplication was accepted by the Lord. Moosa a.s and his people for forty days remained in the desert of Tiya and confined there.
The people of Moosa a.s as much as much as they went forward in their journey, but in the night they were on the same place from where they had started in the morning. They complained Moosa a.s, he said: I will recite invocation to God. When again same thing happened to them Moosa put forth his petition: O Lord you are aware that I have no other aim except your obedience. Separate us from the offensive people.
He was addressed by the God: O Moosa a.s do not bother about the unmannerly people. Bal’am Baoora begged to make this land a prison for your people. Moosa a.s pleaded: O Lord Bal’am prayed against your messenger and you did not refused him. If I pray for Bal’am will you accept me? God addressed him: O Moosa whatever wish you solicit I will certainly give my consent to you.
Moosa a.s raised his hands and prayed: My Lord the noblest blessing is faith; you snatch away the faith of Bal’am Baoora. The voice of God reached Moosa a.s: I had received your plead and when you reach the city, the first man that you come across, tell him: The pains and hardships of worship which you went through these years and for its reward, God will accept three wishes by you. Let it be worldly wish or it is for the day of Judgement.
7:175 And tell them what happens to him to whom We vouchsafe Our messages and who then discards them: Satan catches up with him, and he strays, like so many others, into grievous error.
O Muhammad SAVA narrate the story of Bal’am Baoora to your people who was blessed with the knowledge of my Great nameاسم اعظم. I told him: whenever you wish and whatever you need you ask me, I will fulfil it. He followed his wife for the sake of his lust. I too snatched away his faith and he became adherent to the devil and followed the Satan.
7:176 Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog. He became like a dog.
When Moosa a.s related about the city of Bal’am Baoora to the Bani Israil, 17 men of Bani Israil went to his city. Returning back from there they described like that: 5:22 (Asad) They answered: "O Moses! Behold, ferocious people -dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart therefrom; but if they depart therefrom, then, behold, we will enter it."
These people are of very strong race and even we seventeen men at a time could not knock down a single person from them. They are tall and powerful people. Moosa a.s replied: 5:23 And in God you must place your trust if you are [truly] believers!"
O people be reliant upon the God. If you have strong faith, the God Almighty will support and assist the faithful human beings. Al-Ma'idah [5:24] 5:24 [But] they said: "O Moses! Behold, never shall we enter that [land] so long as those others are in it. Go forth, then, thou and thy Sustainer, and fight, both of you! We, behold, shall remain here!"
The Bani Israil stated: You with Harun a.s go and fought with them. We will sit and wait for you here.
Moosa a.s and Harun a.s went to the city of Urdan ( Jordan ). The people of that city welcomed them and brought faith in Moosa a.s. Bal’am Baoora was leading the assemblage to receive the Moosa a.s and honour him. The messenger of God told him: O Bal’am Baoora you prayed a wish for me and I too prayed a wish for you: May God snatch away the faith from you and I am conferring you a glad tiding too that in the reward of your worshipping whatever three desires you plead, you surely will attain them.
Bal’am felt disappointed and went to his wife and expressed: Did not I tell you: It is not admissible to plead a wish against a prophet and God had ousted me from the faith.
The wife enquired: Since two hundred years you worshipped, did not He bestow you anything?
Bal’am replied: Yes God gave me permission to ask for three wishes and promised to fulfil them all. Bal’am said: If I ask these wishes for the blessings in the judgement day instead of this worldly desires, it will going to be better for me. I will receive salvation from the torment of the hell fire.
The wife uttered: Beseech God a wish for me, to grant me such a beauty that the rest of my life I may live mirthfully. Bal’am refused and said: You are most beautiful in the world.
His wife insisted: Any how you must ask this wish to God, for me. Bal’am wished and prayed for her and the Almighty God granted her such a beauty that the entire community got attracted to her and she began to feel Bal’am as an ugly man and she was sighting lewdness on his face. And she left her home.
Seeing this Bal’am got infuriated and in the fit of anger he cursed his wife to become a dog and his prayer was accepted she transformed into a dog .Bal’am Baoora tied her to the doorstep of his house.
She was crying in the separation of her children and her children were weeping for being departed from her. Bani Israil and the people of the city gathered and said: It is not allowed for the mother of your children to live in the bodily form of a dog. Anyhow the lady had served you.
At last Bal’am Baoora wished for his wife and she transformed into her initial face and returned to her house. Likewise the three worldly wishes of Bal’am Baoora were fulfilled. He remained in the same loosed condition and faithless and forgotten the names of God. The man who does not accept the commands of desires and fancies, his life and hereafter will not get damaged by the whims of a woman and the satanic temptations.
Thus the Quran relates: 79:40 But unto him who shall have stood in fear of his Sustainer's Presence, and held back his inner self from base desires, 79:41 paradise will truly be the goal!
The conclusion
From this story we acquire the outcome that the Almighty God tried Bal’am in the test.It is a worst quality of a man to gives the reign of his wisdom in the hands of a woman and nominate his senses and perceptions under the desires of the woman. In the critical moments of the life the wise people seek advice from the elderly people and they must not lose the best chance befalls them.
From unwise and ignorant people one must not seek advice in the matter of the Almighty’s creations and the outcome of life else he or she will be drowned in the dark well of non existence. Hence Bal’am Baoora in spite of owning the knowledge and worshipping God wholeheartedly, on the advice of an ignorant wife lost the honour of life and hereafter.