“…make us a trial for the wrongdoing people. And, by Your mercy, deliver us from the disbelieving people.” (Yūnus 85–86)

He commanded them to rely on Allah, seek His aid, and take refuge in Him; they obeyed, and Allah granted them relief and a way out of their plight.

“We revealed to Moses and his brother: ‘Assign dwellings for your people in Egypt, make your houses places of worship, establish the prayer, and give glad tidings to the believers.’” (Yūnus 87)

The Exalted revealed to Moses and his brother Aaron—peace be upon them both—that they should set aside houses for their people, distinct from the houses of the Copts, so that they would be ready to depart whenever commanded and so that each could recognize the home of the other.

Regarding His words, “make your houses qiblah,” some said it means: turn them into mosques. Others held that it means: pray frequently therein. This was the view of Mujāhid, Abū Mālik, Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, al-Rabīʿ, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, Zayd ibn Aslam, his son ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, and many others.

According to this understanding, they were to seek help for the hardship, distress, and straitened circumstances they faced by multiplying their prayers, as the Almighty says, “Seek help through patience and prayer” (al-Baqarah 45). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, whenever something pressed upon him, would turn to prayer.

Another explanation is that they were then unable to display their worship openly in their gatherings and sanctuaries, so they were instructed to pray in their homes instead of publicly manifesting the symbols of the true religion during that time, out of fear of Pharaoh and his nobles. The first opinion is stronger, however, because of the phrase “and give glad tidings to the believers,” though it does not preclude the second. Allah knows best.

Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said that “make your houses qiblah” means: facing one another.

“Moses said: ‘Our Lord, surely You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world so that they may lead people astray from Your path. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they behold the painful punishment.’ He said: ‘Your prayer has been answered; so keep to the straight course and do not follow the way of those who do not know.’” (Yūnus 88–89)

This was a momentous supplication by Allah’s Interlocutor, Moses, against Allah’s enemy Pharaoh—out of zeal for Allah—because of Pharaoh’s arrogance in rejecting the truth, his hindrance of others from Allah’s path, his obstinacy, rebellion, persistence in falsehood, and brazen denial of the manifest, clear, tangible, and rational proof. Thus he said: “Our Lord, surely You have given Pharaoh…”