Friday Sermon: Allah Muharram, Ashurah and how Allah destroys the tyrant leader pharaoh (Fir’aun)!, By Murtadha Gusau

Friday Sermon: Allah Muharram, Ashurah and how Allah destroys the tyrant leader pharaoh (Fir’aun)!, By Murtadha Gusau

All praise be to Allah, who saves us from great afflictions with His mercy, and removes severe hardships with His kindness. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah exalt and send blessings to him, his family, and his companions. To proceed:

Dear brothers and sisters! There’s a believing nation, weakened, oppressed and ruled by a tyrannical corrupt leader, Fir’aun (Pharaoh), who enslaves people, slaughters children, and spares women. The Mighty and Wise Allah wants to bestow favour upon the believers. Is there anyone who can command anything besides Allah? Allah decrees what He wills, preparing the means and determining the measures, not according to human expectations and methods, but according to His hidden kindness. Allah writes destruction for whom He wills and salvation for whom He wills, on one of Allah’s days that He has immortalised, made a lesson for the worlds, and prescribed gratitude for the believers on it. It is the day of Ashurah.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on Ashurah. He asked them about it, and they said:

“This is a great day. It is the day when Allah saved Musa and drowned the people of Pharaoh. So, Musa fasted out of gratitude to Allah.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “I have more right to Musa than they do.” So he fasted on that day and ordered fasting on it. [Bukhari and Muslim]

What is the story of this great day?

The story of salvation begins with a nursing infant. Allah Almighty says:

“Indeed, Fir’aun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters. And We wanted to confer favour upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors. And establish them in the land and show Fir’aun (Pharaoh) and Haman and their soldiers through them that which they had feared. And We inspired to the mother of Musa, “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.”‘ [Surah Al-Qasas: 4-7]

Respected brothers and sisters! Wallahi, humanity has never known a tyrant leader like Pharaoh (Fir’aun). He was deceived by his power and kingdom, and the rivers flowing beneath his palaces, and by his soldiers who transgressed in the land and spread corruption. He saw himself as self-sufficient, so he transgressed and became arrogant. He and his soldiers oppressed the Children of Israel with humiliating torment. He claimed to be a god, even boastfully saying:

“I do not know of any god for you other than me.” [Surah Al-Qasas: 38]

Then he persisted in his tyranny, saying:

“I am your lord, the most high.” [Surah An-Nazi’at: 24]

Have you seen tyranny like that? Enslaving people through deceit and coercion, killing children, crushing men, corrupting people, and belittling the masses. A king and his soldiers, power and influence, but Allah does what He wills.

A righteous woman from the Children of Israel carries a fetus in her womb, anticipating the moment her child will see the light of life, but she fears for him the brutality of the criminal (Pharaoh) whose heart is devoid of mercy.

Here, Allah inspired her to place her child in a basket, then cast it into the river, and commanded her not to fear or grieve, for he is under Allah’s watchful eye.

The basket cleaves through the water until it reaches the house of the tyrant Pharaoh, to be cared for by him personally! By Allah’s might, not by Pharaoh’s cunning.

Days pass, and Musa, son of Imran, grows up. Allah gives him the message and commands him to call Pharaoh and his chiefs to Allah.

As soon as the tyrant heard “There is no god but Allah,” he became enraged, sensing that his kingdom was vanishing and his claimed divinity was dissipating. He and his soldiers refused and became arrogant without right

He tried to overcome the power of faith with argument, but Allah returned him disgraced and weary. How can falsehood withstand the projectiles of truth? He gathered the magicians to intimidate Musa and all the people, but the magic backfired on the magician, and the magicians believed in the Lord of the worlds (Allah).

At that point, he filled the world with torture and punishment, burning, killing, and crucifying. He killed the magicians, cut off their hands and feet, and crucified them on palm trunks.

He killed his believing wife, Asiyah, may Allah be pleased with her.

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates:

“Pharaoh drove four stakes into his wife’s breasts and legs. When they left her, the angels shaded her. She said: ‘My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people.’ Then her house in Paradise was unveiled to her.” [Narrated by Abu Ya’ala and authenticated by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah]

Then his torment intensified against the believers among the Children of Israel, but Musa (Peace be upon him), commanded them to be patient, saying:

“Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the best outcome is for the righteous.” [Surah Al-A’raf: 128]

He gave them glad tidings of salvation and empowerment, saying:

“Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do.” [Surah Al-A’raf: 129]

He commanded them to rely on Allah alone, so they said:

“Upon Allah do we rely. Our Lord, make us not objects of trial for the wrongdoing people. And save us by Your mercy from the disbelieving people.” [Surah Yunus: 85-86]

The tyrant Pharaoh decided to exterminate the oppressed, so he sent emissaries into the cities to gather forces and equipment.

Here, Musa and those with him from the Children of Israel leave, seeking salvation. The tyrant Pharaoh proceeds in his arrogance and pride towards his destruction and demise. When he caught up with the Children of Israel, and thought he had trapped them, and they thought they were doomed, and all worldly means were cut off, Musa (Peace be upon him), cried out to them, trusting in his Lord and relying on his Protector and Helper: ‘No!’ – meaning, it is not as you and they think – ‘Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’

Musa (Peace be upon him), did not know how this would happen, nor did any worldly calculations indicate it, but this was faith and certainty.