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Pharaoh in Islam

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Pharaoh watches a serpent devour a demon in the presence of Moses; from a manuscript of Qisas al-Anbiya, c. 1540.

The story of Moses in Islam includes his interaction with the ruler of Egypt, named Pharaoh (Arabic: فرعون, romanized: fir'aun). The earlier story of Joseph in Islam refers to the Egyptian ruler as a king (Arabic: ملك, romanized: malik).[1] The story of Pharaoh is revealed in various passages throughout the Quran. He is first mentioned in Q2:49:

۝[2]Remember when we delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who grievously oppressed you, they slew your male children, and let your females live: Therein was a great trial from your Lord.[3]

In the Quran, Pharaoh drowned, but God said that he preserved the pharaoh's body as an example for generations to come (or made an example for coming generations). Pharaoh is last mentioned in Q89:13.

Islamic literature

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Mohammad Asad in his commentary on Quran "The message of the Qur'an" reports that pharaoh and Haman were the titles of king of Egypt and high priest of Amon of the kingdom respectively at both Moses' birth story and at the Exodus of Egypt story 80 years later. Islamic literature states when the Awshaf is informed that one of the male children would grow up to overthrow him, he orders the killing of all newborn Israelite males in order to prevent the prediction from occurring. Pharaoh's court advised him this would result in loss of manpower.[4] Therefore, they suggest that male infants should be killed in one year but spared the next.[4] Musa's (Moses') brother, Harun, was born in the year when infants were spared, while Musa was born in the year when infants were to be killed.[5] In Q89:5-13 Unbelievers are warned by the fate of Ád, Thamúd, and Pharaoh[6]

When Moses ('Musa') and Aaron ('Harun') arrive in court of Pharaoh, the Pharaoh begins questioning Musa about the God he follows. The Quran narrates Musa, answering the Pharaoh:

۝He answered, our Lord is he who giveth all things: He hath created them, and directed them by his providence[7]
۝Pharaoh said, what therefore is the condition of the former generations[8]

and Musa answers that knowledge of the previous generations is with God.

The Quran also mentions the Pharaoh questioning Musa:

۝ Pharaoh said, and who is the Lord of all creatures [9]

Musa replies that God is the lord of the heavens, the earth and what is between them. The Pharaoh then reminds Musa of his childhood with them and the killing of the man he has done.[10] Musa admits that he has committed the deed in ignorance, but insists that he is now forgiven and guided by God. Pharaoh accuses him of being mad and threatens to imprison him if he continues to proclaim that the Pharaoh is not the true god. Musa informs him that he has come with manifest signs from God.[11] When the Pharaoh demands to see the signs, Musa throws his staff to the floor, and it turns into a serpent.[12] He then draws out his hand, and it shines a bright white light. The Pharaoh's counselors advises him that this is sorcery, and on their advice he summons the best sorcerers in the kingdom. The Pharaoh challenges Musa to a battle between him and the Pharaoh's magicians, asking him to choose the day. Musa chose the day of a festival.

Quranic references

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  • Moses' life inside the palace:
۝[2] And when they had delivered their message, Pharaoh answered, have we not brought thee up among us, when a child; and hast thou not dwelt among us for several years of thy life [13]
  • 28:7-8 Pharaoh's family take up the infant Moses

See also

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References

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  1. ^ al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir (Translated by William Brinner) (1987). The History of al-Tabari Vol. 2: Prophets and Patriarchs. SUNY. pp. 161–163.
  2. ^ a b Arabic script in Unicode symbol for a Quran verse, U+06DD, page 3, Proposal for additional Unicode characters
  3. ^ Q2:49, George Sale Translation
  4. ^ a b Brannon .M. Wheeler (2002). Prophets in the Qur'an, introduction to the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 174. ISBN 9780826449573. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  5. ^ Abdul-Sahib Al-Hasani Al-'amili. The Prophets, Their Lives and Their Stories. Forgotten Books. p. 282. ISBN 9781605067063. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  6. ^ Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik (translator), Al-Qur'an, the Guidance for Mankind - English with Arabic Text (Hardcover) ISBN 0-911119-80-9
  7. ^ Quran 20:50 George Sale translation
  8. ^ Quran 20:51 Quran 20:51–52
  9. ^ Quran 26:23: Q26:23, 50+ translations, islamawakened.com
  10. ^ Heribert Husse (1998). Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Affiliations. Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 94. ISBN 9781558761445.
  11. ^ Sohaib Sultan (2011). "Meeting Pharaoh". The Koran For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 131. ISBN 9781118053980. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  12. ^ Heribert Busse (1998). Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Afflictions. Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 95. ISBN 9781558761445.
  13. ^ Q26:18, Quran, George Sale Translation
  14. ^ 28:8-12Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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  • Q20:38, 50+ translations, islamawakened.com
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