Prophet Moses' Mother
MAHJUBAH. Vol. 8 (147), Dec.1996

One of the women the Glorious Qur'an makes mention of, is Jochebed, mother of Prophet Moses, Allah' interlocutor. She was a Unitarian who in the abyss of polytheism, was among those nearest to Allah.

After the demise of Jacob, the children of Israel were under the leadership of Joseph whom the Egyptians loved very much. The Jews procreated and grew in number and lived in grandeur, but this was short-lived. When Joseph passed away, the Jews were humiliated and oppressed by the Egyptians. The ever-increasing Jewish population had horrified the Egyptian pharaohs who had mounted the throne after Joseph; therefore they oppressed and slew the Jews. The worst of them was the pharaoh in whose reign Moses was born.

The Qur'an says:
"And (remember) when We did deliver you from pharaoh's folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women. That was a tremendous trial from your Lord," (2:49).
Elsewhere the Qur'an says:
"And We desired to show favour unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them examples and to make them the inheritors." (28:5)
Some historians say that Jewish new-born sons were killed because Pharaoh had dreamed a hideous dream which was interpreted to mean that an Israeli boy would be born that would strip him of his throne (Qassassul - Anbia Tba'alabi, pp.174-4).

Pharaoh was terrified and ordered all midwives to kill every Israeli boy as son as he was born.

But Allah Willed Moses should be born and deliver his people, the Israelis, from the oppression of Pharaoh and his fold. Moses, mothers, Jochebed, bore and brought up her son. Moses was born in hiding.

The Qur'an says:
"And We inspired the mother of Moses, saying: "Suckle him and when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him back unto thee and shall make him (one) of our messengers,"(28:7)
Elsewhere the Qur'an says:
When We sent to thy mother that which is inspired

Saying: Throw him into the ark, and throw it into the river, then the river shall throw it on to the bank, and there an enemy to Me and an enemy to him shall take him. And I endued thee with love from Me that thou mightest be trained according to My will,

When thy sister went and said: Shall I show you one who will nurse him? and we restored thee to thy mother that her eyes might be refreshed and might not sorrow. And thou didst kill a man and We delivered thee from great distress, and tried thee with a heavy trial. And thou didst tarry years among the folk of Midian. Then camest thou (hither) by (My) providence, O Moses,

And I have attached thee to Myself. (20:38-41).
With peace of mind, Moses mother did what Allah had ordered, and three days later the baby was restored to her.

Imam Mohammad Baqir (AS) was quoted as having told the story as follows:

"One day Assia, daughter of Muzahim and wife of Pharaoh had gone to the river bank and saw a strange looking basket floating among the reeds and sent her maid to get it."

The Qur'an says:
"And the family of Pharaoh took him up, that he might become for them an enemy and a sorrow. Lo! Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were ever-shinning,"(28:8).

"And the wife of Pharaoh said: "He will be a consolation for me and for thee. Kill him not. Peradventure he may be of use to us, or we may choose him for a son. And they perceived not. (28:9).
Pharaoh and Assia decided to get a foster mother to suckle the baby. But Allah had forbidden this.

The Qur'an says:
And We had before forbidden foster-mothers for him, so she said: Shall I show you a household who will rear him for you and take care of him?

So We restored him to his mother that she might be comforted and not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of them know not.

And when he reached his full strength and was ripe, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the good. (28:12-14)