Moses (Musa): The One Who Spoke With God

If you open the Qur’an at almost any point, there is a good chance you will meet Moses (peace be upon him). He is mentioned by name more often than any other prophet, and his story is told again and again from different angles — each time with a new lesson. Jewish readers will recognise much of it; some details may be new.

A baby in the river

Moses was born in Egypt at a terrible time. Pharaoh had raised himself up as a god, divided the people and was killing the newborn sons of the Children of Israel (Qur’an 28:4). Moses’ mother was afraid. Then God inspired her with an instruction that must have seemed impossible:

وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِى وَلَا تَحْزَنِىٓ ۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٧﴾

And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "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."

She placed her baby in the river, and the water carried him right into Pharaoh’s household. Pharaoh’s wife — a believing woman whom the Qur’an praises elsewhere — loved the child at once and pleaded for his life (Qur’an 28:9). Baby Moses refused every nurse, until his sister suggested a family who could care for him. So God returned him to his own mother, to nurse him in safety and to see that His promise was true (Qur’an 28:12-13).

Flight, the burning fire and a calling

Moses grew up strong in Pharaoh’s palace. One day, trying to break up a fight, he struck an Egyptian who died — something he had not intended. He immediately turned to God and asked for forgiveness, and God forgave him (Qur’an 28:15-16). Fearing for his life, he fled to the land of Madyan, where he married and worked as a shepherd for years.

On the journey back, travelling with his family on a dark night, he saw a fire on the side of a mountain. When he approached, he was called: God spoke to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa, told him to remove his sandals, and chose him as a messenger (Qur’an 20:9-14). This is the honour that gives Moses his title in Islam:

وَرُسُلًۭا قَدْ قَصَصْنَٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًۭا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ وَكَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًۭا ﴿١٦٤﴾

And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech.

Muslims call him Kalim Allah: the one to whom God spoke. Moses felt the weight of his task. He asked God to open his heart, ease his mission and loosen the knot from his tongue, and to send his brother Aaron with him as a helper (Qur’an 20:25-32). God granted his request.

Gentle words to a tyrant

Then came one of the most striking instructions in the Qur’an. Moses and Aaron were sent to Pharaoh — a man who had murdered children and claimed divinity. Yet they were told how to speak to him:

ٱذْهَبَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ ﴿٤٣﴾ فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوْلًۭا لَّيِّنًۭا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ ﴿٤٤﴾

⁴³Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed. ⁴⁴And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]."

If even Pharaoh deserved gentle words and a chance to reflect, Muslims learn, then anyone they invite to faith deserves kindness. Moses brought clear signs: his staff that became a serpent and his hand that shone white. Pharaoh’s magicians, who knew real magic when they saw it, recognised that this was something else and fell down in prostration, declaring their faith in the Lord of Moses and Aaron (Qur’an 20:70). Pharaoh, however, refused and grew more cruel.

The parted sea

At last God commanded Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt by night. Pharaoh pursued them with his army, and the people found themselves trapped between the soldiers and the sea:

فَلَمَّا تَرَٰٓءَا ٱلْجَمْعَانِ قَالَ أَصْحَٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ ﴿٦١﴾ قَالَ كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ ﴿٦٢﴾ فَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنِ ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْبَحْرَ ۖ فَٱنفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍۢ كَٱلطَّوْدِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ﴿٦٣﴾

⁶¹And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are to be overtaken!" ⁶²[Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." ⁶³Then We inspired to Moses, "Strike with your staff the sea," and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.

Moses’ calm reply — that his Lord was with him and would guide him — has comforted believers in every age. The sea opened, the Children of Israel crossed safely, and Pharaoh and his army were drowned.

This rescue still matters to Muslims. When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he found the Jewish community fasting on the tenth day of Muharram to remember it:

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina and saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them about that. They replied, "This is a good day, the day on which Allah rescued Bani Israel from their enemy. So, Moses fasted this day." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "We have more claim over Moses than you." So, the Prophet fasted on that day and ordered (the Muslims) to fast (on that day)

To this day, many Muslims fast on that day, known as Ashura, in gratitude for God’s rescue of Moses and his people — a beautiful thread connecting Muslims and Jews.

The Torah: guidance and mercy

After the rescue, God called Moses to the mountain and gave him the Torah, written on tablets (Qur’an 7:145). The Qur’an speaks of this scripture with great respect:

ثُمَّ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ وَتَفْصِيلًۭا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ لَّعَلَّهُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٥٤﴾

Then We gave Moses the Scripture, making complete [Our favor] upon the one who did good and as a detailed explanation of all things and as guidance and mercy that perhaps in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord they would believe.

Muslims believe in the Torah as it was revealed to Moses, and the Qur’an describes it as containing guidance and light (Qur’an 5:44). The Qur’an also recounts the struggles that followed — the golden calf, the years in the wilderness — not to mock anyone, but as lessons for every community of believers, including Muslims themselves.

What Moses teaches

The story of Moses is a story of God’s care at every stage: a baby saved by the river, a man forgiven for his mistake, a hesitant speaker given a helper, an oppressed people rescued. It teaches courage before tyranny, gentleness even with enemies, and trust that God is near when there seems to be no way out. To see how his story connects with the other prophets, read The Prophets in Islam, or explore what Muslims and Jews share in Islam and Judaism.