What Is the Meaning Behind the Supplication of Moses (PBUH)?
ما سر هذا الدعاء الذي دعا به موسى ربه عز وجل؟
After Allah the Almighty commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh to call him to worship Allah alone and to send the Children of Israel with Moses to take them to Jerusalem, Moses PBUH supplicated his Lord, Exalted and Sublime be He.
“My Lord! Uplift my heart for me,” which means expand it and open it, so that I may bear verbal and physical harm, and my heart may not become distressed by that, and my chest may not become constricted. If the chest becomes narrow, it will not enable its owner to guide the creation and call them to worship Allah. Regarding this fact, Allah the Almighty said to His Prophet Muhammad PBUH, “It is out of Allah’s mercy that you ˹O Prophet˺ have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you.” Aal Imran 3:159. May the people accept the truth with leniency and openness of heart.
“And make my task easy” means, make my task easy for me and grant me assistance to accomplish it, for it is difficult and arduous.
“And remove the impediment from my tongue”: The knot in his tongue is his inability to utter some letters, and the reason for his tongue knot was the ember that he had thrown in his mouth by the arrangement of Allah the Almighty, when Pharaoh decided to kill him after Moses seized Pharaoh’s beard and plucked it while he was on his lap. As a result, Pharaoh got angry, but Asiyah said to him, “He is irrational in his behaviour because of his young age.” She went on, “Test him by putting jewels in a plate and coals in a bowl, and we will present them to him. If he chooses to take the jewels, he is rational and he knows very well what he is doing. In that case, do whatever you wish to him. But if he takes the coal, he is irrational, and so do not take his deeds seriously.” When Pharaoh presented both the plate and bowl, Moses chose to take the coal due to Allah’s arrangement, and it was the reason for his tongue knot.
Moses asked his Lord to loosen it from his tongue, so that he would make his words clear when he addressed Pharaoh, and would convey his Message. Pharaoh insulted the Prophet of Allah, Moses, by referring to the knot, when he said, “Am I not better than this nobody who can hardly express himself?”
“And grant me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother, strengthen me through him, and let him share my task”: Moses PBUH asked Allah the Almighty to make his brother Harun (Aaron) his supporter in conveying the Divine Message and bearing its burdens. “Strengthen me through him” means let him back me, because man is stronger when he is with others than when he is alone. “And let him share my task” by making Harun a Prophet with Moses.
“So that we may glorify You much, and remember You much”: When Allah’s Prophet Moses knew that Allah the Almighty likes to be glorified and remembered, he explained the reason why he wanted his brother Harun to be his supporter, saying that they would glorify and remember Him a lot. Doing this is actually the main purpose of all acts of worship. The greatest purpose of calling others to worship Allah is glorifying Allah the Almighty and exalting Him over all things, and having a group of people who are obedient to Allah and remember Him a lot helps a person remember Allah and glorify Him.
“For truly You have ˹always˺ been overseeing us”: You know our condition, our weakness, our helplessness, and our desperate need of You in all matters. Also, You know our situation more than we do, and You are More Merciful upon us than we are, so accept our plea and respond to our supplication.
(Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed ˹all bounds˺. Moses prayed, “My Lord! Uplift my heart for me, and make my task easy, and remove the impediment from my tongue, so people may understand my speech, and grant me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother, strengthen me through him, and let him share my task, so that we may glorify You much, and remember You much, for truly You have ˹always˺ been overseeing us.”) Ta-Ha 20:24-35
(And my brother Aaron is more eloquent than I, so send him with me as a helper to support what I say, for I truly fear they may reject me. Allah responded, “We will assist you with your brother and grant you both authority, so they cannot harm you. With Our signs, you and those who follow you will ˹certainly˺ prevail.”) Al-Qasas 28:34-35
بعد أن أمر الله تعالى موسى بالذهاب إلى فرعون ليدعوه إلى عبادة الله وحده وإرسال بني إسرائيل مع موسى ليذهب بهم إلى أرض المقدس، دعا موسى عليه السلام ربه عز وجل.
“رب اشرح لي صدري”: وسعه وأفسحه، لأتحمل الأذى القولي والفعلي، ولا يتكدر قلبي بذلك، ولا يضيق صدري، فإن الصدر إذا ضاق، لم يصلح صاحبه لهداية الخلق ودعوتهم. قال الله لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم: “فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ” (آل عمران 3: 159)، وعسى الخلق يقبلون الحق مع اللين وسعة الصدر وانشراحه عليهم.
“ويسر لي أمري”: أي سهل مهمتي عليَّ وارزقني العون عليها فإنها صعبة شاقة.
“واحلل عقدة من لساني”: العقدة في لسانه هي عدم قدرته على النطق ببعض الحروف، وسبب عقدة لسانه، الجمرة التي ألقاها في فمه بتدبير الله عزّ وجلّ، حيث عزم فرعون على قتله لما وضعه في حجره يلاعبه فأخذ موسى بلحية فرعون ونتفها فغضب، فقالت له آسية إنه لا يعقل لصغر سنه، وقالت له تختبره بوضع جواهر في طبق وجمر في طست ونقدمهما له، فإن أخذ الجواهر فهو عاقل ودونك افعل به ما شئت، وإن أخذ الجمر فهو غير عاقل فلا تحفل به. فمد يده إلى الطست بتدبير الله فأخذ جمرة فكانت سبب هذه العقدة.
فسأل موسى ربه أن يحلها من لسانه ليفصح إذا خاطب فرعون ويبين فيفُهم قوله، وبذلك يؤدي رسالته. وقد عيّر فرعون نبي الله موسى بهذه العقدة كما في قوله: “أَمْ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ هَذَا الَّذِي هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ”.
“وَاجْعَلْ لِي وَزِيرًا مِنْ أَهْلِي. هَارُونَ أَخِي. اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي. وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي”: هذا طلب من الله تعالى أن يجعل له من أخيه هارون معيناً على تبليغ الرسالة وتحمل أعبائها. “اشدد به أزري” أي قو به ظهري، فإن الإنسان مع الجماعة أقوى منه لوحده. “وأشركه في أمري” وذلك بأن يجعل الله هارون نبيًا مع موسى.
“كي نسبحك كثيراً. ونذكرك كثيراً”: لما علم نبي الله موسى أن الله يحب أن يسبح ويعظم ويذكر، علل سؤاله بهذا السبب، وهو الإكثار من التسبيح والتهليل، ويدخل في ذلك سائر العبادات لأن التسبيح والتهليل هو مقصدها الأعظم. من أعظم مقاصد الدعوة إلى الله تعظيم الله وتسبيحه، ووجود الجماعة من الناس الطائعين لله الذاكرين له تعين الإنسان على ذكر الله وتعظيمه.
“إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا”: تعلم حالنا وضعفنا وعجزنا وافتقارنا إليك في كل الأمور وأنت أبصر بنا من أنفسنا وأرحم، فمُنَّ عَلَيْنَا بما سألناك، وأجبنا فيما دعوناك.
(اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي وَاجْعَل لِّي وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِي هَارُونَ أَخِي اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا) طه 20: 24-35
(وَأَخِي هَارُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانًا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِيَ رِدْءًا يُصَدِّقُنِي إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِآيَاتِنَا أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَالِبُونَ) القصص 28: 34-35
1. “Expand My Chest,” Requested Before Any Practical Help | “اشرح لي صدري” قبل أي عونٍ عملي
Musa’s very first request is not for eloquence or protection but for emotional and spiritual capacity, the ability to absorb hostility from Pharaoh’s court without becoming embittered. Scholars connect this directly to Allah’s later description of Prophet Muhammad’s own leniency in Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:159, treating an open, patient heart as a prerequisite for anyone calling others to truth.
أول طلب لموسى ليس فصاحة أو حماية، بل سعة نفسية وروحية، القدرة على تحمل عداء بلاط فرعون دون أن يمتلئ مرارة. ويربط العلماء هذا مباشرة بوصف الله لاحقا للين النبي محمد نفسه في آل عمران 3: 159، معاملين القلب المنشرح الصبور شرطا مسبقا لأي داعية إلى الحق.
2. “Ease My Task,” a Direct Admission of Difficulty | “يسر لي أمري” اعترافٌ مباشر بالصعوبة
Musa asks plainly for the mission to be made easier, openly naming it as difficult and arduous rather than presenting false confidence. This straightforward request models honest reliance on Allah’s help rather than an assumption that his own strength alone would be sufficient.
يطلب موسى بوضوح تيسير المهمة، معترفا علنا بأنها صعبة وشاقة بدلا من التظاهر بثقة زائفة. ويجسد هذا الطلب المباشر اعتمادا صادقا على عون الله بدلا من افتراض أن قوته الخاصة وحدها كافية.
3. “Loosen the Knot in My Tongue”: A Childhood Test With Hot Coals | “احلل عقدة من لساني”: اختبارٌ في الطفولة بالجمر
The tafsir traces Musa’s speech difficulty back to a childhood incident in Pharaoh’s palace: after young Musa pulled Pharaoh’s beard, Asiyah proposed testing whether the child understood his actions by offering him jewels or hot coals, and Musa, by Allah’s arrangement, reached for the coal and burned his tongue. Pharaoh later mocked this very impediment, calling Musa “this nobody who can hardly express himself,” making Musa’s request to have it loosened directly relevant to facing that same insult again.
يعيد التفسير صعوبة كلام موسى إلى حادثة في طفولته داخل قصر فرعون: فبعد أن جذب موسى الصغير لحية فرعون، اقترحت آسية اختبار فهم الطفل لفعله بعرض جواهر أو جمر عليه، ومد موسى يده، بتدبير من الله، إلى الجمر فأحرق لسانه. وسخر فرعون لاحقا من هذا العيب نفسه، واصفا موسى بـ”هذا الذي لا يكاد يبين”، مما يجعل طلب موسى حل هذه العقدة مرتبطا مباشرة بمواجهة الإهانة نفسها مجددا.
4. A Helper From His Own Family: Harun | معينٌ من أهله: هارون
Musa specifically requests his brother Harun, reasoning that a person is stronger accompanied than alone. In Surah Al-Qasas 28:34, he adds a practical justification too, that Harun is more eloquent, directly addressing the very difficulty just described in his own speech.
يطلب موسى تحديدا أخاه هارون، مستدلا بأن الإنسان أقوى برفقة من وحده. وفي القصص 28: 34، يضيف مبررا عمليا أيضا، أن هارون أفصح لسانا، معالجا مباشرة الصعوبة نفسها الموصوفة للتو في كلامه.
5. Sharing the Task, Not Simply Assisting | “أشركه في أمري” مشاركةٌ لا مجرد مساعدة
Musa asks for Harun to “share” his task, understood as a request for Harun to be made a prophet alongside him, not merely an aide carrying out instructions. This distinction matters, Harun’s role in the mission to Pharaoh would carry independent prophetic authority, not delegated assistance alone.
يطلب موسى أن “يُشرك” هارون في أمره، وهو ما يُفهم طلبا بأن يُجعل هارون نبيا معه، لا مجرد مساعد ينفذ التعليمات. ولهذا التمييز أهميته، فدور هارون في رسالة فرعون سيحمل سلطة نبوية مستقلة، لا مساعدة مفوضة فقط.
6. The Real Purpose Named Last, and an Immediate, Reassuring Response | الغاية الحقيقية تُذكر أخيرًا وجوابٌ فوري مطمئن
Musa closes his own request by explaining why he wants Harun’s support at all, so that together they may glorify and remember Allah abundantly, framing every practical request in the dua around this ultimate purpose. Allah’s response is immediate and generous, promising to strengthen him through his brother and granting them both authority so that Pharaoh’s people could not harm them, with victory assured for whoever followed them.
يختتم موسى طلبه بشرح سبب رغبته في دعم هارون أصلا، ليسبحا الله ويذكراه كثيرا معا، مؤطرا كل طلب عملي في الدعاء حول هذه الغاية النهائية. ويأتي رد الله فوريا وسخيا، واعدا بتقويته بأخيه ومنحهما سلطانا فلا يصل إليهما قوم فرعون، مع ضمان الغلبة لمن اتبعهما.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did Moses ask Allah for before facing Pharaoh?
An open heart, an eased task, a loosened tongue, and his brother Harun as a helper and fellow prophet.
Why did Moses have a knot in his tongue?
According to the tafsir tradition, from a childhood test where he took hot coals instead of jewels after pulling Pharaoh’s beard, burning his tongue.
Why did Moses specifically request his brother Harun?
Because a person is stronger with company than alone, and Harun was more eloquent, directly addressing Moses’s own speech difficulty.
What did Moses mean by asking Harun to “share” his task?
That Harun be made a prophet alongside him, not simply an assistant.
How did Allah respond to this dua?
He promised to strengthen Moses through his brother and grant them both authority, so Pharaoh’s people could not harm them.