The Qur’an

“The Birth of Moses”

Sura 28

The Narratives

7. And We revealed to Musa’s mothers, saying: Give him suck, then when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve; surely We wi!l bring him back to you and make him one of the apostles.
8. And Firon’s family took him up that he might be an enemy and a grief for them; surely Firon and Haman and their hosts were wrongdoers.
9. And Firon’s wife said: A refreshment of the eye to me and to you; do not slay him; maybe he will be useful to us, or we may take him for a son; and they did not perceive.
10. And the heart of Musa’s mother was free (from anxiety) she would have almost disclosed it had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be of the believers.
11. And she said to his sister: Follow him up. So she watched him from a distance while they did not perceive,
12. And We ordained that he refused to suck any foster mother before, so she said: Shall I point out to you the people of a house who will take care of him for you, and they will be benevolent to him?
13. So We gave him back to his mother that her eye might be refreshed, and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true, but most of them do not know.
14. And when he attained his maturity and became full grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge; and thus do We reward those who do good (to others).

The Bible

“The Birth of Moses”

Exodus

Chapter 2

1. And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
4. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
7. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
9. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

Acts

Chapter 7

15. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
16. And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17. But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18. Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19. The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:
21. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Hebrews

Chapter 11

23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

COMMENTARY

In the Qur’an:

1. God warned the mother of Moses about his future as a prophet and directed her to save her baby’s life by casting him into the river.

2. The mother of Moses was about to “disclose his (case)”, but God “strengthened her heart” and she sent Moses’ sister to follow him.

3. Pharaoh’s people picked him up from the water and the “wife of Pharaoh” asked them not to kill the baby, but to let her adopt him.

4. Baby Moses “refused suck at first”, according to divine arrangement, until his sister showed up and offered the “wife of Pharaoh” to find a nursing mother for Moses from among the Jews.

In the Bible:

1. The mother of Moses “saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.” It was her decision.

2. She decided to preserve him by placing Moses into a well-protected basket and put it into the river, while Miriam, the sister of Moses, watched over him to see what would happen.

3. The “daughter of Pharaoh” came to the river, saw the basket and ordered her maiden to fetch it. When she saw the crying baby, “she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children”. She decided to adopt the baby.

4. Moses’ sister came unto her and offered to find a nurse for the baby. The “daughter of Pharaoh” ordered Moses’ own mother to nurse the baby herself and offered a good payment for her job.