Harun (alayhi as-salam) is one of the prophets in the Qur’an who is mentioned most of the time in tandem with his brother Musa (alayhi as-salam). A little bit of detail about Harun (alayhi as-salam) that we find in different narrations and different sources, is that Harun (alayhi as-salam) was the actual biological brother of Musa (alayhi as-salam). Also, a lot of narrations mentions that he was probably older than Musa (alayhi as-salam).
When Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala spoke to Musa (alayhi as-salam), and granted him prophethood, Musa (alayhi as-salam) made this powerful dua to Allah that is mentioned in the Qur’an.
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى وَيَسِّرْلِى أَمْرِى وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةًمِّن لِّسَانِى,
(rabbi ishrah lee sadree, wayassir lee amree, wahlul AAuqdatan min lisanee, yafqahooqawlee).
It’s a very powerful, beautiful dua. But, he goes on to say, وَاجْعَل لِّى وَزِيرًامِّنْ أَهْلِى (WajAAal lee wazeeran min ahlee). He says, “Oh Allah, give me an aid. Give me a helper from my family. Somebody I can trust.” هَرُونَ أَخِى (Haroona akhee), my brother Harun would be great. اشْدُدْبِهِ أَزْرِى (Oshdud bihi azree), strengthen my back. Strengthen me through him. Provide him to me as a support. Allah have entrusted me with. وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِى أَمْرِى (Waashrik-hu fee amree). Make him a partner in this mission of mine. كَىْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا (Kay nusabbihaka katheera), so that we may glorify You abudndantly. وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا (Wanathkuraka katheera), and we will remember you abundantly. إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَابَصِيرًا (Innaka kunta bina baseera), and You are watching over us.
So Musa (alayhi as-salam) appeals to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to appoint Harun (alayhi as-salam), his brother, also as a prophet alongside of him, and make him a partner in this mission that he is being sent on. A lot of times we talk about a sign of manlihood and being a tough guy is saying things like, “I work alone!” “I don’t work with any partners.” “I’m a lone wolf.” Well, Musa (alayhi as-salam) is a prophet of Allah, and he’s even described as being a prophet who is very strong. A man’s man, a tough guy, and he’s asking for help. He’s asking for support, he’s asking for a partner on this mission. So it goes to show you, identifying the task ahead, and realizing what you’re going to need in your task, is intelligence.
Now another place in the Qur’an, in Surah al-Qasas, surah number twenty-eight. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us about Musa (alayhi as-salam) making this request to Allah. Ayah numbers 34 & 35 in surah number 28. He says, وَأَخِى هَرُونُ (Waakhee haroonu), why does he specifically ask for Harun (alayhi as-salam)? Obviously, he’s the brother of Musa (alayhi as-salam), so he says وَزِيرَ مِن أَحْلِى (wazeera min ahlee), I need somebody I can trust. وَأَخِى هَرُونُ (Waakhee haroonu), he says, my brother Harun, هُوَأَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَل نًَا (huwa afsahuminnee lisanan), he is a lot more eloquent in speech than I am. He is a lot more well spoken than I am. فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِىَ (faarsilhu maAAiya), so he says, “Oh Allah, so send him with me.” يُصَدِّقُنِى (yusaddiqunee), he will help me communicate and make my point. He will back me up. إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّ بُونِ (innee akhafu an yukaththiboon), because I’m afraid these people might not listen to me. They might try to call me a liar, and try to reject me.
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said, سَنَشُدُْعَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ (sanashuddu AAadudakabi-akheeka). “We will strengthen your arm through your prophet.” Meaning, We will give you the support that you need in order to carry out your task through your brother. We will make your brother your support. وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَاسُلْطَنًا (wanajAAalu lakuma sultanan), and We will give both of you authority. We will appoint both of you as prophets of Allah. فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا (falayasiloona ilaykuma), and they won’t be able to get to you.
So Harun (alayhi as-salam) was very mature, very intelligent, very devout, and also extremely eloquent and well spoken. He was like a preacher.
The lesson that we take from this is that, anybody who is working for the deen, anyone striving to make the world a better place, it’s not so much about admitting what you can’t do, but it’s very important to understand, identify, and recognize the talents that others have. You can’t be too arrogant to admit that somebody else is good at something that you’re not good at. That’s very important. Then when you find people who have talents and abilities, and can contribute something valuable, identify it, admit it, praise them for it, recruit them based on it. We have to understand that at the end of the day, we are not in competition with each other. We’re all on the same team. The team of Islam. The team of Allah. The team of the Messenger of Allah. The team of the Qur’an, so we don’t have any of these petty conflicts and arrogance and insecurities. We embrace each other’s talents and abilities. We facilitate people to be able to contribute and really be able to take the mission further through their talents and abilities. We see a great prophet of Allah, Musa (alayhi as-salam), identify that in his brother Harun.
Harun (alayhi as-salam), if we take a look at those narrations that say he’s older than Musa (alayhi as-salam), that means this is his younger brother. But he’s not threatened by that. Musa (alayhi as-salam) is obviously the one in charge. The one who leads, the one who’s holding the staff, the one who creates all the miracles, the one who goes to communicate with Allah on the mountain of Tur. But Harun (alayhi as-salam) is not intimidated by all of that. He’s not looking to undercut him, but he understands that he has a contribution because we’re all working for the same goal at the end of the day; to please Allah, to serve the ummah of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa salam), and to take this deen further.
So this is a story of the great Prophet Harun (alayhi as-salam) who Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentioned by name, multiple times. When the magicians fell into sujood and stated their iman in Allah in Surah Taha, they said رَبِّهَرُونَ و مُوسَى (rabi haroona wa musa). They said we believe in the Lord, the Master, the Raab of Harun and Musa. They said Harun before Musa.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala allow us to be more like the great prophets and messengers of Allah.
If any of this information was good and true, know that it comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. If there are mistakes we ask for Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy.
The Story of Prophet Dawud

Prophet Dawud (David, peace be upon him) is one of the Messengers whom Allah has sent to the children of Israel. He was given both Prophethood and kingship. He is from the descendants of Judah, son of Ya`qub (Jacob, peace be upon him) and was mentioned 16 times in the Qur’an which stressed his high status among other Prophets. Almighty Allah says,
And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. (Al-Israa’ 17:55)
Almighty Allah sent him to the children of Israel to invite them to the worship of God Alone and to urge them follow God’s commandments. Allah revealed upon Dawud a divine book called “Az-Zabur” [Psalms] which included many pieces of wisdom, warnings and remembrances. Almighty Allah has blessed Dawud with special miracles as He made the mountains and birds repeat the remembrances of Allah with Dawud, and made the iron pliable to him. God says,
And We certainly gave David from Us bounty. [We said], “O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well].” And We made pliable for him iron. [Commanding him], “Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing.” (Saba’ 34:10-11)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) praised Prophet Dawud for his incessant diligence in offering worship, specially prayer and fasting as well as his boldness during the wars. `Abdullah ibn `Amr reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The best fasting with Allah is that of (Prophet) Dawud, and the best prayer with Allah is that of Dawud (peace be upon him) for he would sleep half of the night and stand for prayer for the third of it and (then) would sleep sixth part of it; he observed fast one day and leave off the other. He would not flee on meeting the enemy”. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Enjoy watching this video which touches on some of the sides of the Prophet Dawud’s life and tells us about amazing stories in his life.