On the Day of Ashurah, Muslims around the world fast in gratitude for a moment of divine justice that echoes through millennia. It is the day Allah saved Prophet Musa and the Children of Israel from the tyrant Pharaoh, drowning him and his armies in the sea. But this is more than a history lesson. It is a living testament to the principle that no oppressor, no matter how powerful, escapes the reckoning of the Almighty.
The story begins with a nursing infant. The mother of Musa, fearing Pharaoh’s decree to slaughter all newborn boys, placed her son in a basket and cast him into the Nile. Allah’s plan was already in motion. The basket drifted to the palace of Pharaoh himself, where his wife Asiyah, a woman of deep faith, adopted the child. Musa grew up in the very house of the tyrant he would one day confront.
Pharaoh had claimed divinity. He enslaved the Children of Israel, killed their sons, and spared their women for servitude. When Musa, now a prophet, called him to worship the One God, Pharaoh responded with arrogance. He gathered his magicians to discredit Musa, but when they saw the staff turn into a serpent and swallow their tricks, they fell in prostration. “We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,” they declared, even as Pharaoh threatened to crucify them.
The tyrant’s rage only grew. He killed his own wife, Asiyah, for her faith. He tortured the believers. But Musa, trusting in Allah’s promise, led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Pharaoh pursued them with his army, cornering them at the Red Sea. The sea was before them, the enemy behind. The people cried out in fear, but Musa said, “Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.”
At that moment, Allah commanded Musa to strike the sea with his staff. The waters parted, creating dry paths. The Israelites crossed safely. When Pharaoh and his army followed, the sea closed over them, drowning every last one. Allah says in the Quran, “And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.”
This event, commemorated on the 10th of Muharram, holds profound lessons. Tyranny, no matter how entrenched, is temporary. Allah’s promise to support the believers is unbreakable. The Prophet Muhammad, upon arriving in Madinah, saw the Jews fasting on Ashurah. When asked why, they said it was the day Allah saved Musa. The Prophet replied, “I have more right to Musa than they do,” and he fasted, commanding his followers to do the same.
Fasting on Ashurah is a sunnah that expiates the sins of the previous year. It is recommended to also fast on the 9th of Muharram to distinguish Muslims from the Jews. The entire month of Muharram is sacred, with the Prophet saying, “The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram.”
The story of Pharaoh is not just a relic of the past. It is a warning to every tyrant and a comfort to every oppressed believer. Allah’s aid comes in many forms: the destruction of enemies, the granting of victory, or even martyrdom leading to Paradise. As the Quran says, “Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.”
So, as we fast on Ashurah, let us reflect on the fate of Pharaoh. Let us remember that no matter how dark the night, the dawn of justice will come. And let us pray for the oppressed everywhere, that Allah may grant them relief and victory.
