Who was Prophet Harun? His life and story

Full story

1. 1

   Chosen as Musa's helper

   When Allah sent Musa (peace be upon him) to Pharaoh, Musa prayed to his Lord: "My Lord, expand for me my chest, ease my task for me, and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech. And appoint for me a minister from my family: Harun, my brother. Strengthen my back through him and make him share my task" (Ta-Ha, 25-32).

   Allah accepted this supplication: "O Musa, you have been granted your request" (Ta-Ha, 36). In this way Harun (peace be upon him) became both a helper and a Prophet alongside his brother.

2. 2

   An eloquent tongue and a shared mission

   Harun (peace be upon him) was clear and fluent in speech. Musa acknowledged this, saying: "My brother Harun is more eloquent than me in speech, so send him with me as a helper to confirm me" (Al-Qasas, 34).

   The two brothers went together to Pharaoh and called him to Allah with gentle words. Harun stood by Musa throughout this difficult mission and supported him.

3. 3

   Remaining at the head of the people and the affair of the calf

   When Musa (peace be upon him) went to Mount Tur to meet his Lord, he left his people in Harun's (peace be upon him) charge and said: "Take my place among my people, set things right, and do not follow the way of those who cause corruption" (Al-A'raf, 142).

   In Musa's absence some people made a calf out of gold and began to worship it. Harun tried to prevent them from this: "O my people, you are only being tested by this. Your Lord is the Most Merciful; so follow me and obey my command" (Ta-Ha, 90). But they did not stop until Musa returned.

4. 4

   His relationship with Musa

   When Musa (peace be upon him) returned and saw that his people had worshipped the calf, he became angry and turned to his brother. Harun (peace be upon him) explained that he had tried to restrain them, but they had seen him as weak and had nearly killed him; he had also been reluctant to cause division among the people (Ta-Ha, 92-94).

   Harun was blameless and had carried out the duty placed upon him as he should have. This event is a beautiful example of brotherhood, responsibility, and defending the truth with restraint.

5. 5

   Allah's honoring of Harun

   Allah states in the Quran that He honored Musa and Harun (peace be upon them) together: "We showed favor to Musa and Harun. We saved them and their people from the great distress... And We left for them a good name among later generations: peace be upon Musa and Harun!" (As-Saffat, 114-120).

   On the night of the Miraj, when our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was raised through the heavens, he saw Harun (peace be upon him) in the fifth heaven; Harun greeted him with the words "Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous Prophet" (Sahih Bukhari).

Harun (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Quran almost always together with his brother Musa (peace be upon him). His appointment as a Prophet is narrated in Surah Ta-Ha (29-36) and Surah Al-Qasas (34), and his role in the affair of the calf in Surah Ta-Ha (90-94) and Surah Al-A'raf (142-150). The Quran presents him through his eloquent speech and his loyalty to Musa.

• A trustworthy helper on the path of truth is one of a person's greatest supports.
• Allah makes His servants helpers to one another according to their capacities and abilities.
• In defending the truth, one must show restraint and wisdom and avoid dividing the community.
• Not fleeing from responsibility even when the burden grows heavy is a quality of the Prophets.

This page is based on Quran verses and authentic hadith sources.

• QuranSurah Ta-Ha, 29-32

  Musa's (peace be upon him) supplication for Harun to be appointed as his minister appears in these verses.

• QuranSurah Al-Qasas, 34

  This verse states that Harun (peace be upon him) was more eloquent than Musa and was sent as a helper.

• QuranSurah Ta-Ha, 90

  Harun's attempt to prevent the people from worshipping the calf is narrated in this verse.

• QuranSurah As-Saffat, 114-120

  These verses state that Allah honored Musa and Harun (peace be upon them) and sent peace upon them.

• HadithSahih Bukhari, 3207

  This hadith narrates our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) seeing Harun (peace be upon him) in the fifth heaven on the night of the Miraj.

• Classical sourceTDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, "Hârûn"

  Referenced for scholarly information about Prophet Harun's shared mission with Musa and his life.

Other Prophets connected with this story.

• Prophet Musa

  The Prophet who stood against Pharaoh and received the Torah (Kalimullah)

• Prophet Yusuf

  Interpreter of dreams, the honored one of Egypt, an example of patience and forgiveness

Common questions about this Prophet.

• Who was Prophet Harun?

  Harun (peace be upon him) is the elder brother and helper of Prophet Musa. Through Musa's supplication he was appointed as minister and Prophet; he was known for his eloquent speech (Ta-Ha, 29-36).

• How is Prophet Harun related to Musa?

  Harun (peace be upon him) is Musa's brother. Before going to Pharaoh, Musa asked Allah to appoint him as his helper, and the two of them called Pharaoh to Allah together (Al-Qasas, 34).

• What was Prophet Harun's role in the affair of the calf?

  When Musa went to Mount Tur, Harun remained at the head of the people and tried to prevent those who worshipped the calf, but they did not stop until Musa returned (Ta-Ha, 90-94). Harun was blameless.

• Where was Prophet Harun seen on the night of the Miraj?

  On the night of the Miraj, when our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was raised through the heavens, he saw Harun (peace be upon him) in the fifth heaven, and Harun greeted him as a brother and a Prophet (Sahih Bukhari).