Prof. Dr. Faid Mohammed Said
Among the Qur’anic narratives that profoundly reshape human consciousness and establish a new way of thinking in moments of helplessness is the story of Moses (peace be upon him) leaving Egypt for Midian. This journey stands as a central lesson in the philosophy of the “impossible”—the kind of impossibility that transforms into a gateway of relief when the servant is stripped of all personal power and fully entrusts himself to the Lord of all means.
At first glance, the story may appear to be a historical account of a young man fleeing under turbulent circumstances. Yet, in its deeper structure, it reveals a precise divine design—one that teaches the believer how God creates a path for those who trust Him, even when that path lies at the very heart of the unknown.
- The Moment When the Qur’anic Narrative Begins
The Qur’an does not begin this story with strength, but with brokenness.
Moses leaves Egypt fearful and vigilant.
The Qur’anic expression here is remarkably precise:
fear that constricts the chest,
anticipation that drains the nerves,
and a reality that offers no human solutions.
Forced to flee Egypt after the accidental killing of the Egyptian, Moses became a man pursued by the greatest political power of his time. Here, the Qur’an teaches its first profound lesson: relief may begin with defeat rather than victory, and with compulsion rather than choice.
Moses departs alone—
no wealth,
no provisions,
no plan,
no support.
Just a young man on the run, carrying a restless heart and a fragile hope of survival. And yet, this very man would later become one of the greatest messengers of resolute determination.
- The Road to Midian: A Path Without an Apparent End
Moses reaches the outskirts of Midian after an exhausting journey of unknown geography—a journey we know only as the path of a hungry, weary fugitive.
Strikingly, the Qur’an does not describe the road itself, but rather the impact of the road upon the heart.
Moses enters Midian as a complete stranger:
he knows no one,
no one knows him,
and he possesses nothing to sustain himself.
Throughout history, people of faith have learned that exile is not merely the absence of homeland or family, but the loss of all capacity. The true stranger is the one who has lost every means and has nothing left but God.
Here begins the first lesson of the “impossible solution”:
when all tools of control are stripped away, divine care begins.
- The Scene at the Well: When the Heart Is Tested Before Relief Is Granted
Moses arrives at the well of Midian and encounters a profoundly human scene: shepherds forcefully watering their flocks, while two weak women stand aside, unable to compete with the men.
Moses’ sense of dignity is stirred—not because he possesses power, but because he possesses a living heart.
He does what no one else does: he waters their flock for them alone.
Here, a secret of divine power is revealed: God does not open the doors of relief until the heart demonstrates what merits divine grace.
Moses was not at the height of his strength at that moment; he was at his weakest. Yet he offered service without expectation of return.
When he finished, he neither boasted nor waited for gratitude. Instead, he withdrew quietly to a place unseen.
Allah says:
“Then he withdrew to the shade.” (Qur’an 28:24)
Those who perform good solely for the sake of God are the ones for whom doors open beyond imagination.
- The Supplication That Opened the Door of the Impossible
The most profound moment of the story now unfolds.
Moses sits alone beneath the shade of a tree—exhausted, hungry, thirsty, homeless, and without any plan for tomorrow.
In a moment of pure sincerity, he raises his gaze to the heavens and says:
“My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You send down to me, in absolute need.” (Qur’an 28:24)
This supplication is not merely words.
It is a complete confession of helplessness, and a complete acknowledgment of the heart’s dependence upon God.
He does not ask for anything specific:
not shelter,
not wealth,
not marriage,
not security.
He asks only for goodness—and leaves its form entirely to God.
Here lies the difference between one who seeks a need and one who seeks the Lord of all needs.
- The Divine Response: When Destiny Begins to Move
Immediately after this supplication, a sequence of events unfolds that can only be understood as direct divine orchestration:
One of the two women approaches him modestly.
She invites him to meet her elderly father.
Moses recounts his story.
The father reassures him, saying:
“Do not fear.”
It is as though destiny itself declares: the era of fear has ended.
The man then offers Moses employment—and subsequently marriage to one of his daughters—an immense blessing for someone who had, just days earlier, been a homeless fugitive.
Thus, the “impossible solution” materializes:
A stranger gains a family.
A hunted man gains security.
A hungry soul gains provision.
A man without a future gains work, home, and companionship.
And thereafter… he is prepared for prophethood.
How did this transformation occur?
Not through power.
Not through intelligence.
Not through planning.
Not through status.
But through sincere poverty before God.
This story is not narrated to recount history, but to shape a way of thinking.
- The Greatest Lesson: Relief Comes When All Hope Is Cut Off Except from God
Moses did not reach relief until he reached absolute zero:
no homeland,
no wealth,
no support,
no plan,
living in fear,
uncertain of the next hour.
Yet when he said sincerely:
“My Lord, I am in absolute need of whatever good You send down to me,”
the heavens began to script a new destiny for him.
The lesson addresses those who believe their lives depend solely on their own efforts. It declares:
The One who causes means to exist may suspend them—so that you may know He alone is the true Planner.
The paths that appear closed may, in truth, be the widest paths—if seen through the eye of faith.
- Why Does the Qur’an Narrate This Scene?
Because human life inevitably passes through moments resembling “Midian”:
exile,
loneliness,
loss of solutions,
financial constraint,
fear of the future,
a sense of disorientation.
And because the Qur’an seeks to tell you:
There is no dead end with God.
And what you call “the impossible” may be the beginning of a new chapter written especially for you.
God sometimes leads you to the depths of helplessness so that you may witness with clarity the meaning of His words:
“Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” (Qur’an 94:6)
- Moses in Midian: A Model of the Human Being at the Peak of Trial
Had Moses been strong, firmly holding all means, the door of relief might not have manifested in this way.
But God seeks from His servant:
weakness followed by sincerity,
sincerity followed by trust,
and trust followed by divine opening.
This is the equation:
Need + Trust = Divine Opening.
And this is the essence of the series When the Solution Is the Impossible.
- Relief Is Not Measured by Time, but by Sincerity
The Qur’an does not specify how long Moses sat beneath the tree, nor how much time passed before relief arrived.
Because the Qur’an wants your focus to be on the heart, not the clock—
on sincerity, not waiting.
Relief is not a temporal equation, but a spiritual one.
- Conclusion: The Path of the Impossible Begins with Two Steps
From the story of Moses in Midian, a great Qur’anic principle emerges:
First step: Look honestly at your weakness.
Do not pretend strength.
Do not cling to absent means.
Do not deceive yourself with illusions of control.
Confess to God your poverty.
Second step: Say from your heart,
“My Lord, I am in absolute need of whatever good You send down to me.”
At that moment, destiny begins to move.
The Qur’an tells you:
If you reach a moment like Moses beneath the tree—rejoice.
For that moment is precisely when the impossible begins.
Final Reflection
The story of Moses’ departure to Midian is not a lesson in history, but a lesson in life.
It speaks to every exhausted soul, every heart searching for an exit, every spirit overwhelmed by closed doors:
Relief may be delayed—but it never fails to arrive.
Logic may disappear—but God never does.
What is possible may collapse—but the impossible rises when God wills it.
And with every article in this series, we will continue to discover that in the Qur’an, the impossible is not the end of the road—
It is its beginning.
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