What Musah (AS) teaches us about service to humanity

If a young Muslim man or woman sees a 1-minute reel or post about Musah’s duaa, their first and only inclination may be to incorporate the duaa into their rituals- so they can attain the spouse, the job, etc. But what if they approached it differently?

One of the benefits of social media to the Muslim Ummah is the proliferation of Islamic knowledge. Reels, posts, and other content avenues make it possible to collapse a giant topic into a 1-minute segment that is informative and beneficial to the masses. Like almost everything related to our digital world, this “simplification” of Islamic content into digestible few-minute segments has its pros and cons. One of pros, accessibility of simplified Islamic content, comes at a cost to the Muslim in his or her pursuit of knowledge. In the comfort of accessible surface-level content, Muslims sometimes lose sight of the “behind the scenes” or the broader picture in which the informative tidbits exist. This article delves into how the Muslim can capitalize on reels and posts as windows into Quranic and Prophetic knowledge and wisdom, and not as the de facto source of knowledge.

Arguably, one of the most famous stories of Musah (AS), pre prophethood-wise, is his encounter with 2 young women in Madyan. You have probably heard of this story many times in the context of marriage prep. To rehash, a young Musah escapes Egypt after accidentally committing murder. Tired and weary from a long trip across the desert, he ends up in Madyan. He sees 2 ladies who need help watering their flock, and after helping them, he turns away and calls out to Allah:
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
“My Lord, I am truly in ˹desperate˺ need of whatever provision You may bestow upon me.”
[Al-Qasas 28:24]

Less than 24 hours after making this duaa, Musah (AS) is a married man, with a job, a home, and many other blessings. Subhannallah!

I have seen social media posts encouraging young Muslims grappling with marriage prospects to incorporate Musah‘s duaa into their routines. The biggest takeaway from Musah’s Madyan chronicles, as presented in social media circles, is that if one truly desires marriage, this duaa is the solution. Just like Musah was granted an amazing spouse, a job, a home, among many other blessings, one can count on this duaa to get whatever their heart desires.

The power of Musah’s duaa is indisputable. After all, we see its instant manifestation in his life. That said, I think the narratives on social media miss the bigger picture, and really, the most important point in Musah’s Madyan chronicles.

As you may know already, Musah (AS) was adopted by the Pharaoh and his wife as a baby. So, though he was an Israelite, unlike his clan members who faced hostile conditions of slavery, Musah was raised as Egyptian royalty. Young Musah was a Prince. However, sympathetic to the plights of his tribe, he refused to be a bystander. From his position of privilege and physical strength, he dedicated his afternoons to scouting the city and helping his clan members with their chores and needs. He was able to do that because most folks, including the soldiers and slavemasters, would take a siesta break from the scorching desert sun in the afternoon. Musah took advantage of the minimal surveillance to serve and help his people.

It was during one of Musah’s scouting trips when he accidentally murdered a soldier as he (Musah) tried to defend his fellow clan member, an Israelite who was involved in an altercation with said soldier. In the ayah (28:15), the word that is used is “fastagathahu”, which means the Israelite called out to Musah, “help me!”. Now, Musah is royalty. Why would this Israelite call out to the prince for help immediately he spots him? Hold onto this thought for now.

Fast forward, Musah ends up killing the soldier mistakenly. And instantly, his status flips from royalty to fugitive. He flees Egypt and ends up in Madyan. In the first scene highlighted from Madyan, Musah spots 2 ladies with flock, and he senses that something is off. He is tired, hungry, and weary. But what is his first reaction? “Maa khatbukumaa?” “What is your problem?”, he asks them. When they tell him they have to water their flock by themselves due to their dad’s old age, he helps them out. Musah singlehandedly waters their flock, then he turns away without expecting a thank you, or any sort of acknowledgement. He turns away and makes the duaa:

رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَقِيرٌۭ
“My Lord, I am truly in ˹desperate˺ need of whatever provision You may bestow upon me.”

Moments after making this duaa, Musah is rewarded by the ladies’ dad with a marriage proposal to one of his daughters (who Musah helped), alongside a job offer, and many other perks.
Now, when Musah’s duaa is taken out of context, we see reels and posts encouraging young Muslims to make this duaa in order to attain a spouse. And that is valid advice. Nonetheless, this approach, taken out of context, has some holes. Musah would probably not have attained marriage and job offers if he had not come to the aid of these young ladies. But, he came to their aid because of who he is- a man of service. Which brings me back to the thought on why the Israelite calls out to Musah for help. He seeks out Musah because that is what Musah is known for. He is that person anyone can count on- selfless, generous, and kind. He voluntarily and happily helps those in need with no strings attached. Acts of service is what Allah teaches us about Musah as a young man.

So, because he has done it over and over again, and because service is second nature to Musah, immediately he spots the ladies in need, he helps them. Then he makes the duaa. And Allah answers his duaa by rewarding his act of service.
If a young Muslim man or woman sees a 1-minute reel or post about Musah’s duaa, their first and only inclination may be to incorporate the duaa into their rituals- so they can attain the spouse, the job, etc. But what if they approached it differently? What if beyond the duaa, they became more curious about the man behind the duaa- Musah? What if they sought out the Surah in which the duaa is located- Qasas, and read the story, and sought the tafseer of the story from a reputable source or scholar? Then the reel would be a window into a vast universe of Quranic and Prophetic knowledge and wisdom. Then they would learn the importance of service- to family and to society. Then they would learn that beyond this amazing duaa, they should embody the akhlaq – qualities- of Musah. Then they would understand the importance of service, of agency, of refusing to be bystanders to the plight of humanity. And as Allah has informed us,

Is there any reward for goodness except goodness?
[Ar-Rahman 55:60]

So, I challenge you, dear reader, as I challenge myself to push beyond the bounds of algorithmic reels and posts as the primary source of sustenance for our souls, and nourishment for our thoughts. For each one of us, reels and posts are invitations to intellectually challenge ourselves and seek answers from more robust sources we individually trust. The short, few-minute reels and posts should be inspirations for our curious minds, such that we ask questions about the contents’ topics and seek answers beyond their surface-level tidbits. When we take the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom one question at a time, we take strategic steps in fulfilling the vision we have pertaining to our religion. And as Allah promised in Surah Ankabut [29:69]
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
But as for those who strive hard in Our cause -We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold, God is indeed with the doers of good.