What Persecuted Minority Ought To Do
Qur’aanic Verse 10.87:
Transliteration:
87 Waawhayna ila moosa waakheehi an tabawwaa liqawmikuma bimisra buyootan waijAAaloo buyootakum qiblatan waaqeemoo alssalata wabashshiri almumineena
Translation:
87. And We told Moses and his brother, “Prepare some houses in Egypt as spiritual centres for your people and establish prayer. And give good tidings to the believers.”26
Study Note:
26. This Verse is best understood in the context of Verses preceding and following it. One may not understand it fully, if it is read in isolation. And it has also to be read in the context of the historical situation the Children of Israel were in at that time. They had come to Egypt when Prophet Joseph had come to acquire a position of considerable authority with the then rulers of that country. As years passed, although the community increased in numbers, they lost their political clout after the passing away of Prophet Joseph. And at the time of Moses, they were reduced to the status of a persecuted minority – relentlessly persecuted by the ruling clan of the Pharaohs. Moses came to deliver the Children of Israel from the cruel clutches of the Pharaoh, but he wouldn’t let them go. So they had to remain a persecuted minority in Egypt for some more time. It was during this continued period of persecution that Moses asked them to have trust in Allah (Verse 84 above). They reiterated their trust in Him and prayed for their delivery from Pharaoh’s oppression (Verses 85 and 86). It was in this context that in this Verse 86, Allah Ta’ala asked them to earmark some houses as spiritual centres and establish prayers there. This, in fact, should serve as the divine mantra for any persecuted Muslim minority anywhere in the world today. If they just pray sincerely to Allah and have trust in Him, they are sure to be delivered from their ignominious position today, as the Children of Israel were from Pharaoh’s persecution. But, alas, the Muslims today exhibit their lack of trust in Allah by resorting to dubious other means, which only help make their position worse.
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The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXII It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXI already published and freely available thereon.
Mohammad Shafi
June 6th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
from the Quran I have understood that Jerusalam is a land for the jews, moses made the exodus wth the children of israel the sooner we muslims accept this means that we believe in the quran & submit our false claims to Allah, both the books also beware the jews not to evict peoplle from their homes, we must both meet half way or the fate of both is never going to be peaceful.