Fir'awn was a cruel king in Egypt who thought he was a god. He was afraid of the Children of Isra'il, so he ordered his soldiers to kill their baby boys.
When Musa (AS) was born, his mother was very worried. Allah inspired her: "Feed your baby, and if you are afraid for him, put him in a box and place it in the river. Don't be afraid or sad. We will bring him back to you and make him a messenger."
So she placed baby Musa in a little box and gently set it on the river Nile. She told Musa's sister, "Follow him." The sister walked along the bank, watching the box from a distance.
The box floated right up to Fir'awn's palace! Fir'awn's wife picked up the baby and loved him at once. She said, "He will be a joy for me and for you. Don't kill him. Maybe he will be useful to us, or we can adopt him as our son."
The baby was hungry, but he would not feed from any of the nurses they brought. Then Musa's sister stepped forward and said, "Shall I show you a family who will look after him well?" She took them to Musa's own mother! Musa was returned to his mother's arms. She was happy and no longer sad, and she knew that Allah's promise is always true.
Where this story comes from
Qur'an 20:38–40 · Ṭaa Haa
إِذۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ 38 أَنِ ٱقۡذِفِيهِ فِي ٱلتَّابُوتِ فَٱقۡذِفِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ فَلۡيُلۡقِهِ ٱلۡيَمُّ بِٱلسَّاحِلِ يَأۡخُذۡهُ عَدُوࣱّ لِّي وَعَدُوࣱّ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَلۡقَيۡتُ عَلَيۡكَ مَحَبَّةࣰ مِّنِّي وَلِتُصۡنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيۡنِيٓ 39 إِذۡ تَمۡشِيٓ أُخۡتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَن يَكۡفُلُهُۥۖ فَرَجَعۡنَٰكَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَۚ وَقَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسࣰا فَنَجَّيۡنَٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّٰكَ فُتُونࣰاۚ فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِينَ فِيٓ أَهۡلِ مَدۡيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرࣲ يَٰمُوسَىٰ 40
Read and listen in the surah →
Qur'an 28:3–13 · Al-Qaṣaṣ
نَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَىٰ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِقَوۡمࣲ يُؤۡمِنُونَ 3 إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ عَلَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهۡلَهَا شِيَعࣰا يَسۡتَضۡعِفُ طَآئِفَةࣰ مِّنۡهُمۡ يُذَبِّحُ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيِۦ نِسَآءَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ 4 وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنَجۡعَلَهُمۡ أَئِمَّةࣰ وَنَجۡعَلَهُمُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثِينَ 5 وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَحۡذَرُونَ 6 وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَرۡضِعِيهِۖ فَإِذَا خِفۡتِ عَلَيۡهِ فَأَلۡقِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحۡزَنِيٓۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيۡكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ 7 فَٱلۡتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمۡ عَدُوࣰّا وَحَزَنًاۗ إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُواْ خَٰطِـِٔينَ 8 وَقَالَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ قُرَّتُ عَيۡنࣲ لِّي وَلَكَۖ لَا تَقۡتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوۡ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدࣰا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ 9 وَأَصۡبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَٰرِغًاۖ إِن كَادَتۡ لَتُبۡدِي بِهِۦ لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ 10 وَقَالَتۡ لِأُخۡتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِۖ فَبَصُرَتۡ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبࣲ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ 11 ۞ وَحَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبۡلُ فَقَالَتۡ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِ بَيۡتࣲ يَكۡفُلُونَهُۥ لَكُمۡ وَهُمۡ لَهُۥ نَٰصِحُونَ 12 فَرَدَدۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّهِۦ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَ وَلِتَعۡلَمَ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣱّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ 13
Read and listen in the surah →
💬 What did you learn?
Talk about these together. There is no right or wrong answer.
- Musa's mother was afraid but did what Allah told her. What happened in the end?
- How did Musa's sister help? How can you help your brothers and sisters?