Topics
(S: 3, V: 33-34)
Aaron
belonged to the linage of the second son of Abraham; Isaac. Wife of Aaron
Jochebed was a pious and great lady. She mothered two great prophets of God;
Moses and Aaron. Aaron was elder to Moses by three years. He was born in Egypt
and was raised there. He was very cultured, soft spoken and eloquent in speech.
After
having been appointed a prophet he remained with Moses for the rest of his life
and participated in every effort of Moses to advance the cause of God. He
withstood with his brother in every opposition which the infidels created and
helped him to overcome the obstacles in the path of God.
Pharaoh
was ruling the Egypt. Pharaoh was a cruel ruler and called himself a god. He
punished anyone and killed anybody whom he willed. Israelites were forced to
live a life of slavery. Egyptians could make them do anything what they wanted
and Israelites were obliged to carry their orders at every cost. They were
forced to live a life of humiliation.
When
Moses on his way back to Egypt lose his way near the Mount of Sinai, God
bestowed prophethood upon him, decorate: him with power to perform miracles and
instructed him to go to Egypt and deliver His message to Pharaoh that he should
abstain from claiming to be god, should refrain to be tyrant and free the
Israelites.
Moses submitted to God, “O my lord,
slain a man among them and I fear least they slay me. And, my brother Aaron,
who is more eloquent in speech than I: so send him with me as a helper to
confirm and strengthen me, for I fear that they will accuse me of
falsehood." (S 28, V: 33-34)
His
submission was acceded to and God granted Prophethood to Aaron as well and
appointed him to be the helper of Moses in preaching and spreading the message
of God.
God
said, “We will certainly strengthen thy arm through thy brother and invest you
both with authority, so that he shall not be able to touch you; with our signs
shall ye triumph, you two as well as who follow you. ”
(S:28, V: 35)
And out of
Our Mercy, We granted Moses his brother Aaron; the prophet of God. (S:
19, V: 53)
And, We sent
Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron with him as minister. (S:
25,V: 35)
Upon
reaching Egypt Moses had a meeting with his brother Aaron and took him along to
the court of Pharaoh. They told Pharaoh to abstain from claiming to be a god
and to worship that Lord God who is the creator of the earth and the heavens
and all that exist therein. And, that he should free the Israelites and stop
treating them harshly. Pharaoh refused to listen to them and said that if they
would not acknowledge him their god he would imprison them. Aaron and Moses
repeated the message of God. Pharaoh demanded to see the signs of their
prophethood. Moses showed him the miracles bestowed upon him but Pharaoh
refused to accept them saying that those were merely sorcery and magic.
Despite the
defeat of sorcerers and magicians of the royal court at the hands of Moses and
Aaron, Pharaoh did not mend his ways and increased his harshness against the
Israelites. He ordered to slay the lads of the Israelites and this massacres of
Israelites was carried out throughout the country. This triggered the wrath of
God and Egypt was struck with calamities like famine and drought.
It
is said that the famine prevailed for three years. Finally the People came to
Moses and Aaron and asked for the forgiveness. They forgave them and prayed to
God to have mercy upon them. God graciously acceded to their prayer and their
sufferings came to an end but the Pharaoh and his people remained arrogant and
transgressed beyond limits.
We punished the people of Pharaoh
with years of drought and shortness of crops that they might receive
admonition. But, when good times came they said, “This is due to us.” When
gripped by a calamity, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Moses and
those with him. Behold, in truth the omen of evil are theirs in God’s sight but
most of them do not understand. They said to Moses, “Whatever be the signs thou
brings to work therewith thy sorcery on us, we shall never believe in thee”. So
We sent plagues on them wholesale death, Locusts, lice, frogs and blood. Signs
openly self explained but they were steeped in arrogance, a people given to
sin.
(S:
130-133)
God
inflicted punishments upon Pharaoh and his people for their crimes of
transgression. Moses gave his staff to Aaron and told him to strike the River
Nile with it. When Aaron did so the water of Nile turned into blood. Once Aaron
struck the staff on earth and frogs rained from the sky all over the country.
There were so many frogs that living became miserable. Every time the ‘
people came to Moses and Aaron and asked forgiveness and when they were
pardoned, they would go back to their arrogance and transgressions.
Moses,
according to God’s directives told his people to migrate. Israelites started
preparing for migration. The day when the Israelites started migrating from
Egypt, a strange epidemic gripped the Egyptians. Eldest child of every Egyptian
family started dying, Egyptians in this distress could not
notice Israelites preparing to leave the country. And they came to know
about that only after they had left.
The caravan of Israelites left Egypt
under the leadership of Aaron. Moses left Egypt after the caravan was
out of the city limits.
Next
day Pharaoh along with his army went after the caravan and reached them near
the shores of Red Sea. Moses struck his staff upon the waters of Red Sea upon
inspiration from God, A dry passage was made in the sea and Israelites led by
Moses and Aaron crossed the sea through that passage. While Pharaoh in his
pursuit tried to cross the sea, the sea melted back and Pharaoh was drowned in
the sea along with his army.
After
the drowning of Pharaoh, Moses led the caravan towards Mount Sinai. This caravan,
on its way to Mount Sinai was passing by people who practiced idolatry. When
the Israelites saw them worshipping idols, they demanded Moses to fashion a god
for them. On this occasion Mosses said, “Surely you are a people without
knowledge. As to these folk, the cult they are in is but a fragment of a ruin
and vain is the worship what they practice. Shall I prepare a god other than
the true God, when it is God who has endowed you with gifts above the nations.”
When
Moses went up the Mount of Sinai to witness the Beatific Vision of God, he
appointed Aaron his vicegerent and deputy. Aaron performed his duties
diligently, before leaving Moses instructed Aaron in these words: “Act for me
amongst my people, do right and follow not the way of those who do mischief.”
Samiri, a person in the caravan of Israelites, tricked them and
molded their ornaments into a calf. This idol was installed with a bell in it,
which emitted the sound of a calf. Presenting this calf to them, Samiri said,
“We do not know where Moses have gone in search of God, here is your god.” So
they started worshipping that calf. Aaron tried to stop them from this false
practice saying; "O my people! Ye are being tested in this; for verily
your Lord God, the most Gracious so follow me and obey my command.' But
the Israelites refused to listen to him and turned against him.
When
Moses returned from the mount and he came to know of their calf worshipping he
got angry and reprimanded them. People pleaded that Samiri had misled
them. Moses grabbed Aaron from the hair
of his head and beard and asked him, “O Aaron! What kept thee back when you saw
them doing Wrong, Aaron explained the whole situation to Moses.
Moses prostrated before God and prayed for forgiveness, saying; “O my
Lord, forgive me and my brother. Admit us to Thy Mercy for Thou art the Most
Merciful of those who show mercy.”
God commanded Moses to journey
towards Palestine. Moses led his people towards Palestine. The caravan halted
and stayed near the Palestinian boundary. Moses sent a contingent of twelve men
to Palestine to survey the situation prevailing in Palestine. The delegation on
their return reported that the people of Palestine were very courageous and
brave so we cannot confront them. Moses tried to boost their moral and
told them that God favors them and they would certainly succeed. But Israelis
expressed their cowardice and refused to take part in any battle.
As
a punishment God disallowed their entrance into Palestine for 40 years and they
were made to stray in the wilderness for all that period of time. Moses and
Aaron kept on performing their duties of imparting guidance and training to
enable them to see the paths of God. During their wandering in the wilderness
they encountered Aamilkas, Edomies, Amorites, and Madaynites, which almost
destroyed the Israelis.
When
the caravan of Israelis reached near the peak of mount Hoor, Aaron’s time to
leave this world approached. He went up the peak with Moses and started
worshipping God, the Lord of the World. In that state his soul left "his
carnal body of flesh and bones. He lived for 123 years. He had four sons. Two of
them died young and two were present at the time of his death.
And, We bestowed Our favors on Moses and Aaron, and We delivered
them and their people from their Great Calamity and We helped them so they
overcame. And, We gave them the Book that helps to make things clear and
We guided them to the. Straight Path. We left their name in the generations to
come.
Peace
and salutations to Moses and Aaron. Thus indeed do We reward those who do good,
for they were two of Our believing Servants.
(S: 37, v: 114-122)
Believing
is of two types.
1.
Verbal acceptance of belief.
2.
Believing wholeheartedly.
In
the story of Israelis, we have this lesson that if a person is expressing his
faith only verbally, he can go astray any time but if once the faith takes its
roots in the heart of a person, that person seldom goes astray from the right
path. Having Faith actually purports to have that thinking paradigm, which was
that of the prophets and to have that strong and established spiritual
understanding, which could enable a person to think care of God.
There
are two types of people.
1.
Who have firm belief in God and in His apostles
2. Those who merely say verbally that
they have faith but faith does not affect their hearts.
People whose hearts remain devoid of faith; always tend to be a
prey of uncertainty and stray from the right path. And, those whose hearts are
enlightened with the light of the thinking pattern of prophets; they are the
one who are successful.
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