About six months ago, I had just finished praying Fajr (dawn prayer) and decided to recite some Qur’an. Craving attention and appreciation from the right place this time, I remembered reading somewhere that the angels witness morning recitation. I gently flipped through the pages of my Qur’an and started recitation from where I left off but it wasn’t long until I felt my voice crack and eyes blur. I was crying…again! I embraced the Qur’an open and wept silently till the dawn. Exhausted, I carefully placed The Holy Qur’an on the table in front of me, took a deep breath and began recitation again.
“And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed, we are to be overtaken!’ [Moses] said, ‘No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’” (Qur’an 26:61-62)
I paused and reflected. It wasn’t the first time I had heard this story but like the new dawn, that day, it brought a whole new meaning into my life. Standing in front of the Red Sea, Musa `alayhi as-salam (peace be upon him) had nowhere to go; I too had nowhere to go. But Prophet Musa’s unwavering faith in the face of such great difficulty touched the depths of my heart and I finally realized why Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) narrates His miracles to us. Prophets were people like us. Allah chose them to deliver His message and through them, the Almighty is enlightening us of how to believe in Him.
Allah (swt) has a plan for us, and sometimes what we are most afraid of is what happens. We find ourselves asking, “Why me?” These emotions of utter despair and hopelessness swamp all aspects of our lives and it becomes almost impossible to keep any hope. Take a moment and reflect. Don’t be afraid, for this is merely a test, a test of your faith. Prophet Musa (as) stood firm in front of the Red Sea and without a doubt believed Allah will make a way, and so He did.
These extraordinary stories from the Qur’an are checkpoints of faith: Where do you and I stand? Al-Mu’min (the Inspirer of faith) unfolds the story of Musa (as), so that we may be inspired and sow seeds of unflinching faith within our hearts. Faith produces miracles, and what was impossible becomes possible.
As I reflected upon the beautiful words of Prophet Musa (as), I wiped my tears and smiled. Humbled, I quickly took the Qur’an in my arms once again. I found peace and tranquility where I had never imagined. I found solace in Allah (swt).
“Don’t look at the Red Sea, look at the One who can split it in two.”—Yasmin Mogahed
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