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Who was Musa?
The Story of Musa is the ninth book in Stories of the Prophets (Qisas al-Anbiya) by Imam Ibn Kathīr, the 14th-century scholar known for the history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah and his commentary on the Qurʾan. Ibn Kathīr notes that Allah mentions Musa in many places in the Qurʾan, sometimes at length and sometimes briefly, and sets out to present his life story from beginning to end through the Book and the Sunnah, together with what was transmitted from the Israelites. The book answers who Musa, peace be upon him, was and what happened between him, Pharaoh, and the Children of Israel.
It opens with Musa's lineage: the son of Imran, son of Koth, son of Azar, son of Levi, son of Yaqub, son of Ishaq, son of Ibrahim, peace be upon them all. Then comes the verse from Surah Maryam: he was chosen, a messenger and a prophet, called from the side of the mount and brought near, and granted his brother Aaron as a prophet. From there Ibn Kathīr turns to the verses that begin Ta-Sin-Mim: Pharaoh exalted himself in the land, divided its people into factions, and slaughtered their sons while keeping their females alive. The story of Musa and Pharaoh unfolds from this point.
Ibn Kathīr keeps the Qurʾan first and the commentary second. He says at the outset that he will draw on the Book and the Sunnah and on what the predecessors passed down from the Israelites, and that his trust and reliance are in Allah. At about 5 hours, the book gives the full arc of Musa's life rather than a summary of it.
Is there an English audiobook of The Story of Musa?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Story of Musa as an English audiobook (about 5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It is the story of Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, from Ibn Kathīr's Qisas al-Anbiya, drawn from the Qurʾan and authentic traditions.
Is it free to listen?
The whole library is open to everyone. Every member gets five hours of listening free each month; Joyful+ removes the time limit.
How long is it?
About 5 hours. It follows Musa, peace be upon him, from his lineage and the verses of Surah Maryam through Pharaoh's oppression of the Children of Israel and the rest of his life, as told in the Qurʾan and the Sunnah.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Inside the book.
Chapters
Word-synced with the narrator.
The first three minutes are transcribed here. In the app, the Living Manuscript scrolls through the entire book in rhythm with the audio — Arabic alongside English.
Living Manuscript
Listen to the full book in the app for the complete Living Manuscript.
The full, word-synced transcript in Arabic and English is in the app.
