II. Reading . Develop your reading skills: As you read, try to find the information you listed above in the text.

In the Palace of the Pharaoh.

One day a servant from the palace of the Pharaoh saw a chest floating in the river. She waded out to take a closer look. She was surprised to find a baby boy inside. She took it to the palace and showed it to the Pharaoh. The queen, whose name was Asiah, looked at the baby and immediately fell in love with it. She wanted to protect it. She asked the Pharaoh, “Please let me keep the baby, Sire. It can do no harm here. We can bring it up here in the palace as an Egyptian prince”.

The Pharaoh reluctantly agreed to her request. She named the baby Moses.

Moses (AS).

Moses grew up with many servants, plenty of jewellery, and fine clothes to wear. One day, he got into a fight with an Egyptian. The Egyptian was beating an Israelite. He told the Egyptian to stop, but he would not. In the struggle, Moses killed the Egyptian. Terrified, Muses ran away to the Midianite Arabs in the Sinai desert.

Moses (AS) Returns.

Many years later, Moses returned to the palace. He had become a prophet of Allah (SWT). He told the Pharaoh about Allah (SWT). Moses said that there was -only one God and that He created everything. The Pharaoh was angry because he thought he was a god. When Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt he refused. The Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses, but God protected Asian's adopted son.

The Magicians. The Pharaoh called his magicians. He wanted them to show Moses their magical powers. The magicians changed some ropes and rods into snakes.

Allah (SWT) then spoke to Moses. "Take your stick and throw it onto the floor." Moses obeyed. Suddenly his stick changed into a giant serpent. Everybody was surprised. The serpent attacked all the snakes and swallowed them.

The magicians were surprised. They asked Moses to tell them about his God. This made the Pharaoh angry. He did not want them to worship Allah (SWT). He ordered his soldiers to kill the magicians. Then he said to Moses, “If you do not stop talking about this God, I will kill you, too!”

Suddenly, a man named Ezekiel spoke up. Like Moses, he also believed in the One True God. “Would you kill a man who says Allah (SWT) is his God?"

This made the Pharaoh even angrier. Immediately, he ordered his soldiers to take out their swords and kill Ezekiel.

Ezekiel and His Family.

Ezekiel was a pious man. He told his wife about Allah (SWT) and she believed in Him also. His wife was an important person in the Pharaohs court. She was the Royal Comber. She combed the hair of the Pharaoh's daughter.

Asiah knew Ezekiel and his wife. She often talked with them about Allah (SWT). Soon Asiah also believed in the One True God. However, she did not tell the Pharaoh about this. She was afraid of him.

After the Pharaoh killed Ezekiel, Asian often visited Ezekiel’s wife and children. Haman, the Chief Minister, told him about her visits. “The Royal Comber is a dangerous woman. Sire”, he said. “She believes in this One God, like her husband did”.

The Pharaoh’s Cruelty.

The Pharaoh called the Royal Comber to his palace. “Who is your God?'' he asked her, "Is it your Pharaoh?"

The woman was afraid as she said, “No. Sire. It is not you. It is Allah (SWT)”.

The Pharaoh tried to make her change her mind. He ordered his soldiers to put a large copper oven in the courtyard. He told them to heat it up. Then he ordered his strongest soldier to pick up one of her children. Even though Asiah asked the Pharaoh to stop, he wouldn’t. He told the soldier to throw the child into the oven. The Pharaoh continued to have all of the woman’s children thrown into the oven – even her baby. Finally, the Pharaoh killed the woman as well.

The Death of Asiah.

After he had killed the woman, the Pharaoh went to Asiah, who was weeping. He couldn't understand why she was crying.“May Allah’s (SWT) wrath be upon you!” she shouted.

The Pharaoh was surprised. He ordered the soldiers to take her to her room. Then he called her mother. “Your daughter has gone mad. She believes in another God, If you don’t make her believe that 1 am her god, she will die”. The mother tried hard to persuade Asian to stop believing in Allah (SWT), but Asiah refused. “I would rather die”, Asiah told her mother. “I cannot live happily without my God”.

Finally the Pharaoh lost patience and decided to execute his queen. He ordered his soldiers to take her to the courtyard. He told them to tie her arms and legs and whip her. It was very painful for her. Finally she died. This brave woman was the first martyr of the Abrahamic Faith. Asian is referred to in the Quran in Surat Al-Tahrim: 11: And Allah gives the example of the wife of the Pharaoh who said: Oh, Lord, build me a place in Heaven near You, and save me from the wicked Pharaoh and all wrong-doers”.

III. Meaning Focus. a) True/False Statements. Read the text quickly and look at the following statements. Do you agree with these agreements? Why\ Why not?

1. Moses ran away from the palace after killing an Egyptian.

2. The Pharaoh summoned his magicians to show Moses their magical powers.

3. Moses’ stick turned into a serpent, which killed all the magicians.

4. The Pharaoh killed Ezekiel’s wife because she did not believe that he was a god.

5. Asian was the first martyr of the Abrahamic Faith.

b) Information Search.

Answer the questions using information from the text.

1. Why did Moses kill the Egyptian? Because the Egyptian….

• had many privileges.

• ran away.

• was beating an Israelite.

• was terrified.

2. Who protected Moses when he returned to the palace?

• The Pharaoh

• The Pharaoh’s soldiers

• The magicians

• God

3. Why did the Phafaoh order his soldiers to kill the magicians?

4. How did the Pharaoh kill the children of the Royal Comber?