Lessons on power and oppression from Moses 3

God! There is no deity but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names. Has the story of Moses reached thee? (Qur'an 20:8-9)

I would like continue the series on power and oppression. Links to the previous blogs on this series are below:

Lesson 1
Lesson 2

Moses, upon him peace, went from being like a prince, experiencing privilege and prestige to now a fugitive running away from a tyrant out to slay him, to the land of Midian. The land of Midian was inhabited by Arabs, and some commentators say that the Arab Prophet, Shuaib was in the town, while others say it was the esteemed believer, known in the Bible as Jethro or Yathra in Arabic.

When Moses arrived to Midian, he was traveling for eight days, exhausting himself to the very end, reaching a point of starvation with his feet bleeding from walking tirelessly without food or water, except what he can find on the trees. He came near a well and fell underneath the shade of trees for shelter. He had completely nothing with him, and fully exhausted himself - to the very depth of his body and soul in pursuit of survival. It is not an easy experience - but in that state - what does he do?

Some would commit suicide, others go on shooting rampage, and others on drugs to numb their feelings or escape from the pain, fear and a whole new reality. He just experienced and accepted the event. He surrendered to the new reality he was in as this is where God brought him to. Then, in a state of dire need and exhaustion, he saw two women who had a need. Instead, of being absorbed with his need and his near starvation and exhaustion, he got up and approached them, asked a clarifying question, then addressed their need. He asked them for nothing in return. He made no assumptions or ugly accusations about their standing with their flock instead of a male relative. Afterwards, he turned to God and put forth his prayer asking for "whatever good that You bestow on me."

In this blog, I would like to reflect on the following names of God:

So, people who go to strip joints, and then shoot Charlie Hebdo or Boko Haram who kidnap girls to abuse them, are not reformers.

A leader or reformer does not violate the boundaries of another human being, does not manipulate, does not hype others, does not overpower others for selfish motives and is open to embracing and receiving wisdom and knowledge from others. He does not look down at other cultures or embrace xenophobia or bigotry. He does not fear learning "Western education" and encourages Western societies not to fear "Eastern education."

Like Prophet Muhammad, Moses, upon them peace and blessings, was not a tribal leader or promoted tribalism or racism. He was able to live amongst Arabs in Midian and embrace other cultures - and appreciate them.

Another important point to note is that the woman hinted to her dad, her desire to marry Moses. The relationship among them was a deep loving relationship of father and daughter. This was not a forced marriage, the father merely facilitated the process.

Like all reformers, Moses was given the gift of insight and awareness. He was made to observe and witness the negatives and ugly consequences of what Pharaoh and his soldiers were doing. He surrendered to God's will and accepted the way things are, and was nurtured by his new family of faith that there is a higher wisdom, yet outside his grasp.

During his time in Midian, Moses was a shepherd, like many of the prophets. Some argue, that people are like sheep, and to guide people and nurture them, the prophets were trained by attending to sheep. If you talk to a shepherd, this is not an easy job. Like humans, sheep, in particular, are weak animals requiring constant care and attention. A shepherd must be constantly on alert for their safety and wellbeing. The whole flock must be attended to and the shepherd must pull them back if they stray. His new profession increased him in knowledge, wisdom and insight, and one can speculate, allowed him to heal.

After the ten years of service, Moses, gathered his family together and made the long journey back to Egypt, but he got lost and was looking for guidance and how to find his way.

The call to prophethood

He walked towards the fire, and as he did, he heard a voice.

Throughout his whole stay in Midian, he was under the watchful Eyes of God, being nurtured and prepared for prophethood. Now that he was trained and nurtured, he was ready to change the oppression he witnessed and liberate the Israelites. His next task was to train and nurture his people, so he could liberate them. I will discuss this in the following blog.