The Angel of Death and Moses
Traditions say that when the Angel of Death visited Moses and told him that his time of departure from this world had come, Moses struck him with such force that he lost an eye. The Angel returned to God and complained that His servant had refused to go with him. God restored his sight and told him to return to Moses and say that if he placed his hand upon a sheep, he would be granted as many additional years of life as the number of hairs that came under his hand.
The Angel came again and conveyed this. Moses asked, “And after that?” The Angel replied, “You will still have to depart.” Moses then said, “If the ultimate end of life is death, then let it be now.” He prayed to God to bring him closer to the Holy Land.
At the time of his passing Moses was one hundred and twenty years old.
The traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) highlight the greatness of Moses as a prophet of God.
God said: “O Moses, I have chosen you above all men, by the mission I have given you and the words I have spoken to you.” (Surah al-A‘raf 7:144)
The Holy Prophet (PBUH), as reported in Bukhari and Muslim, said: “Do not prefer me over Moses, for on the Day of Judgment when everyone will fall unconscious from fear of God, I will be the first to recover and will see Moses standing near the Throne. I cannot say whether he will recover before me, or whether he was already exempted because of his fainting on Mount Sinai.”
God also says: “Of some messengers We have told you the story, of others We have not, and to Moses God spoke directly.” (Surah al-Nisa 4:164)
And: “We bestowed Our favor upon Moses and Aaron. We delivered them and their people from their great calamity, We helped them and they overcame, We gave them the Book to make things clear, and We guided them to the Straight Way. We left this blessing for them among later generations. Peace and salutations to Moses and Aaron. Thus We reward those who do right, for they were among Our believing servants.” (Surah al-Saffat 37:114, 122)
And: “O you who believe, be not like those who hurt and insulted Moses. God cleared him of what they alleged, and he was honorable in the sight of God.” (Surah al-Ahzab 33:69)
The story of Moses and Pharaoh is not a legend but a lesson. It shows the ongoing struggle between good and evil, justice and tyranny, and the destruction that pride, stubbornness, ingratitude, and selfishness bring.
- When a person perseveres with patience, God rewards him abundantly.
- When a person truly depends on God, He assists him in times of difficulty.
- When one strives for truth and righteousness, even former opponents eventually stand with him.
- Oppression and slavery are a disgrace for humanity.
- Those who rely on God rise to the highest stations.
- No matter how powerful evil becomes, righteousness prevails in the end.
- Disobedience is faithlessness.
- Self-deception leads people to excuse disobedience, and many nations suffered God’s wrath because of it.
- No one can claim to know everything.
In the story of Moses and Khidr, two branches of knowledge are revealed: the Religious Code of Life and the Administrative System of Nature. Moses was given the Religious Code, but through Khidr God showed him that there is another kind of knowledge beyond his own.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH), the beloved of God, was entrusted with both. God is the Lord of the worlds who creates resources for His creatures, and the Prophet (PBUH) is the divinely appointed vicegerent who oversees their distribution under God’s command.
God gave Moses two miracles to prove his prophethood: when he cast his staff it became a dragon, and when he placed his hand under his arm it emerged glowing with radiant light.
Every creation of the heavens and earth is wrapped in the Light (Noor) of God. These waves of Light are woven together like the threads of fabric, forming the foundation of existence.
Man’s true essence is also this Light, shining like a blazing lamp. Physical consciousness cannot endure it and faints, but the spiritual consciousness can perceive it. Moses, as an exalted prophet, was aware of his soul. When he drew its energy into his hand, it glowed with overwhelming brightness, astonishing those around him.
Spiritual knowledge is of two kinds: sorcery (istidraj) and divinely presented knowledge (‘ilm-e-huzuri). Sorcery is gained through evil methods and is used for worldly gain, while true knowledge is bestowed by God and aims only at His pleasure.
Pharaoh gathered his sorcerers to challenge Moses. They cast their ropes and staffs which appeared as snakes and dragons. God commanded Moses to throw his staff; it became a great dragon and devoured their illusions. Thus, Moses prevailed.
The difference is clear: sorcery is temporary and fades, while miracles endure because they are rooted in truth.
God gave the Torah to Moses, inscribed on stone tablets, as lasting guidance.
In reality, matter itself is a form of light. The soul uses the body as a shell to display its powers. When the soul withdraws its light, the body disintegrates, and this state is called death.
Two types of consciousness operate in every person: the individual consciousness and the collective consciousness of the species. This exchange of thoughts and impressions between the two keeps the universe in motion.
This era is the peak of evolution and scientific progress. Yet thought itself remains the seed of invention. Just as a tree lies hidden within a seed, knowledge and discovery lie hidden within thought.
Human beings can also receive the waves of heavenly beings, which inspire research and new discoveries. All sciences exist in the realm of Light, and those who access it bring forth inventions.
True knowledge reveals that the universe itself is woven from threads of Light and Noor.
When Moses cast down his staff, the elements of the dragon became active within the wood, and it turned into a dragon. When he struck the sea, God separated the waters and opened a path for his people.
The Quran says: “We created man from resounding clay and breathed into him from Our Spirit.” (Surah al-Isra 17:85)
And: “When He wills a thing, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:82)
Man is a vessel; the soul is within it, and the soul itself is the decree of God.
Moses, close to God and entrusted with the Book, understood the workings of creation. Prophets of God are granted access to the Great Soul and witness its Lights and Beatific Visions. Their bodies shine with that light.
When Moses placed his hand under his arm and withdrew it, the flow of energy in his body surged, and his hand radiated light with extraordinary brilliance.