The Father of Moses (Peace Be Upon Him)
Scholars have identified the father of Moses – peace be upon him – as Imran, son of Qahith, son of Levi, son of Jacob (peace be upon him). His father, Qahith, was among those who immigrated to Egypt with Jacob. Imran, the father of Moses, was born in Egypt. He had his first son Aaron when he was seventy-three years old, and he became the father of Moses at the age of eighty, with some reports indicating that Moses was born a year after Aaron. Regarding Moses’ mother, there are several names mentioned in various accounts, though their authenticity is uncertain. Some of the names include Yochabed, Paduah, and Aiarcah, among others.
The Relationship between Mary, Aaron, and Moses
In the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Imran discusses the story of the family of Imran. It is apparent that the verses intend to refer to the family of Mary (peace be upon her) rather than to the father of Moses and Aaron, both of whom are named Imran. Scholars indicate that there is a span of eighteen hundred years between the families of Mary and the lineage of Imran, the father of Moses (peace be upon him).
The Birth of Moses (Peace Be Upon Him)
It is well-documented by scholars that Moses – peace be upon him – faced numerous trials throughout his life, with challenges beginning even at the moment of his birth. He was born during a time when Pharaoh routinely ordered the execution of the male infants from the Children of Israel, fearing that one might rise to challenge his reign. His mother experienced intense fear, yet Allah – the Exalted – inspired her to nurse her son and then place him in the river, trusting in God’s promise of protection and care. Pharaoh’s soldiers eventually found him and brought him into the palace of his enemy, Pharaoh. By divine will, Moses rejected all nursing mothers until Allah facilitated his return to his mother, allowing her to nurse him once more, this time in Pharaoh’s palace. It was in this environment that he spent his childhood, all under the watchful protection and care of God. This was a fulfillment of God’s promise stated in the verse: “(And We ordained that he should be brought up under Our eye.).”