Ashura: Allah’s Victory Against the Pharaoh

Ashura: Allah's Victory Against the Pharaoh

Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. Come to success. Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.

Learning from the Stories of the Quran

Remember, my dear brothers and sisters, these ayat were revealed more than 1400 years ago — more than 1400 years ago — about stories that happened thousands of years ago. And still Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: I am telling you these stories so you will learn from them.

Brothers and sisters, Allah says it is not a fake tale — that is a real story. And what is the purpose of it? So that you know what Allah says about the past could happen again in the future. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will make it come true. What happened in the past can be made to happen in the future as well. Giving details to everything — guidance, mercy — for those who have faith.

And especially in times of hardships and difficulties, when the ummah is low and we are looking for examples, people start looking around: where can we find a moment of relief? Where can I find guidance? We go back to the Qur'an. We go back to the stories that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has mentioned in the Qur'an. We find many examples for us.

The Day of Ashura

Brothers and sisters, it is coinciding today that we are talking about a very important event in the history of the ummah, as well as the history of the past — the day of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram.

When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to Medina, as was mentioned by al-Bukhari and Muslim, Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam noticed that the Jewish community in Medina was fasting on that day. So he asked: what are you fasting for? They said: this is the day on which Allah saved Moses from Pharaoh. That is a day of victory — Allah's victory that He gave to Moses against the Pharaoh, the tyrant of all times. That is why Moses fasted, and we are fasting it.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: I have more right in Moses than you do. So he fasted that day and he ordered others to fast. Then he said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: if I would live and survive until the next year, I shall fast the 9th and the 10th.

These days are coming up insha'Allah, this weekend. Brothers and sisters, there is so much khair beside that story in fasting that day. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 6, Hadith 2603 — on the authority of Abu Qatada al-Ansari)

O Muslim, the 10th of Al-Muharram — if you fast that day, I hope that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will expiate the sins of the past year. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala purify us from our sins.

Lessons from the Story of Musa and Fir'aun

Brothers and sisters, as we fast this day and commemorate this day, I want you to remember the story of Musa alayhis salam that happened thousands of years ago — a day of victory that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has shown us in the past as to what could happen in the future against all the tyrants of all time. So let us see what lessons we learn from this insha'Allah.

Lesson One: Tawheed — Turning Back to Allah in Times of Difficulty

The first thing we learn from the story of Musa and Fir'aun is lessons of Tawheed — how to believe in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in times of difficulty. Instead of running away from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you should be running back to Allah azza wa jal. That is a moment of thabat — when you find that firmness in your iman and on your feet as well, metaphorically and physically.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us the story of Musa alayhis salam. After Musa came to Fir'aun and asked him one thing — I want Bani Israel taken out, that is all his mission — when Fir'aun refused, Musa alayhis salam was given instruction. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala told him in the Quran:

And We inspired to Musa alayhis salam: take My servants — take Bani Israel — out of Egypt at night, secretly. And there were thousands of people. Take them towards the sea, and make sure that they strike the sea, and they shall find a path there.

Fir'aun, with his arrogance, said: no way — I am not going to let this happen. He chased after them. And he ended up drowning, becoming an example of tyranny and of how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala deals with such people throughout the history of mankind.

The Arrogance of Fir'aun

Brothers and sisters, to understand the tyranny of this man, Fir'aun, I want you to understand this: no matter how the tyrants of our time behave, no matter how high they think they are, how strong, how invincible they think they are, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent prophets at times that were worse than our times. Because their tyrants required to be faced by prophets. So He sent someone like Musa alayhis salam. Ours — no matter how much they think they are great — wallahi, they cannot come close to Fir'aun.

Fir'aun, as Allah described him in the Quran, he says:

"I am your Lord, the Most High." Can you imagine the arrogance of someone calling himself God, even though he knows where he came from? He knows that after he eats, he has to go to the bathroom. He still calls himself: أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ — "I am your Lord, the Most High."

Some people today, they may not say that with words, but they act like such. They think they hold the destiny of people in their hands. They behave without any accountability. And they say to the world: أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ — I am your Lord, the Most High.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala even mentioned what else he was saying:

He says: I do not know any god for you besides me. Now notice the statement Allah mentioned — to show how ignorant he was — because he said "I don't know." What kind of God is that who doesn't have knowledge of anything else? So he says: I am your Lord, I am your God, so worship me.

At the Sea: The Moment of Thabat

So what happened? Bani Israel left with Musa alayhis salam towards the sea. And Musa arrives at the sea. Now subhanAllah, the condition of the Ummah resembles what Bani Israel were going through back then. As Musa was taking them out and they started seeing Pharaoh chasing after them, and they saw that they had been blocked by the sea, what were they telling Musa?

That is it, we are ruined. You came to us and ruined our lives. We had a peaceful life — we were eating and drinking, we had homes, nothing to worry about. Yes, but they were slaves. They were followers. They were not leaders. They were under oppression all this time. But for them, that was better than a life of freedom. They said: no, no, we were fine — you came and ruined everything for us.

And Musa alayhis salam, with the thabat, with that confirmed iman in his heart, said:

"Never! Indeed my Lord is with me; He will guide me." And instantly, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave him the command: it is time — strike the sea. And that is when everything split. They had a very paved, dry, and clean path to go across. And as they were walking through, they saw the miracles of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with their own eyes.

But Pharaoh, as he came through — he thought he could do the same. If they could do it and they are the slaves, then I am entitled to this as well. With his arrogance, he went through. And you know what happened to him? He drowned. He drowned while the people of Bani Israel were watching him drown.

But these people were so much immersed in the lifestyle of slavery and feeling always down, accepting oppression against themselves — they just accepted that kind of lifestyle. That even after they passed through, they could not believe he had died. How could he die? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala brought the body of Pharaoh up to the surface of the water so they could see him. And that is when they said: oh, so he is dead. So he can die.

Like many of us today — people think, subhanAllah, how can he change the world? How is it possible that you can make any dent in this stronghold of this world? But why not? With just a simple effort made in a positive direction, against all the trends of this world, wallahi, you can bring miracles. Especially in times when people are lost. They have lost that moral compass. They have no guidance anymore, unfortunately.

You go to many, many people — even, unfortunately, among the Muslims. You see trends on social media, all these so-called spiritual heroes coming out, because no one right now can believe that salah can benefit them anymore. People start looking for wonders just to find some sort of spiritual peace. And wallahi, as an ummah, we have the structure for it. We have the discipline for it. And Musa alayhis salam was the example for us.

Lesson Two: Victory Requires Patience and Effort

My dear brothers and sisters, when we look at the story of Musa alayhis salam and the victory that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave him, we know and we understand that it requires patience — it does not come easy. These anbiya are the most noble people Allah sent to mankind. They are the most noble people to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That is why Allah elevated their status among the world and among the nations.

However, even these most noble people — Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not give them victory without any effort from them. They had to go through difficulties and hardships. The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was threatened, was almost killed, almost assassinated. They went after him even when he went to Medina. He had to go through that.

The lesson for all of us: it does not come without effort. If you are just going to be sitting down there complaining and criticizing and doing nothing, just keep quiet. Let those who work, work. Those who believe that they can change things — let them do it. If you are not going to help, do not be an obstacle in the way.

But it requires patience. That thabat — being firm — requires also consistency. That is something you are going to have to believe in and keep going with, insha'Allah Ta'ala. Just like Musa alayhis salam had to go forward with Bani Israel.

And we know that subhanAllah, even when Musa had just crossed the sea and Bani Israel saw some people worshipping other gods, what did they say to Musa alayhis salam?

"Make for us a god just as they have gods." That looks cool. What kind of mindset is this? You just saw miracles, and you still want to go back to the old ways. They always want to go back to those old ways. That is why they did not deserve to receive the victory that Allah promised Musa alayhis salam. Because that generation was not worthy of it. They had to be lost in the desert for 40 years before that victory was granted — with the generation that came after.

Brothers and sisters, we can be that generation that perishes before victory comes. Or we can be that generation that delivers it — with the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the consistency of doing the right thing in society and elsewhere.

Lesson Three: Allah Will Reset the Balance of Justice

Brothers and sisters, from the example of Ashura and Bani Israel with Musa alayhis salam, we learn that at the end of the day, no matter how high these tyrants can go, no matter how strong they think they are, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will reset the balance of justice. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala promised that He will. That is called Al-Mudafa'a.

If Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not push people against each other — evil against good and good against evil — to always balance it, the whole society would be completely destroyed. We see that waves of sin, unfortunately, and corruption are prevailing these days. But with good news, with good optimism, you realize that does not last forever. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is going to bring that victory back, just like He gave it to Bani Israel against Pharaoh and to Musa alayhis salam against Pharaoh. And as we see tyranny today all over the world, you will see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will bring back that balance of justice.

Allah azza wa jal even mentioned about Bani Israel — what is the purpose for them to prevail? He said subhanahu wa ta'ala:

It is Our will that We show favor to those who have been considered weak and oppressed in this land, and We will make them examples of leadership. SubhanAllah — nowadays we sometimes see, like what has happened in Gaza, average people becoming an inspiration to others. Those who have nothing sometimes become the inspiration to those who have everything. Why? Because we lack that spiritual compass, that spiritual strength and power, that we all seek in this life.

So what we learn from this day is:

Victory comes with consistency, with patience, and of course with having the right moral compass in this life, insha'Allah Ta'ala.

Second Part of the Khutbah

Victory is Through Faith, Not Lineage

My dear brothers and sisters, what we learn from the story of Fir'aun and Musa is that when it comes to salvation and victory, it does not come through lineage. If you were going to compare between Musa and Fir'aun, Fir'aun had a long line of royal bloodline — you could say he was more entitled to that victory. But it was not about that. It was about faith — believing in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and consistency in that faith. That is how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave victory to Bani Israel against their tyrants. And that is how it is always going to be, even today and in the future.