بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
THE PRESERVATION OF PHARAOH'S BODY
As
we shall see later on, Pharaoh regarded himself as a deity and responded
with slanders and threats to Prophet Musa's (as) calls for him to
believe in Allah. This arrogant attitude lasted until he was faced
with the threat of death through drowning. The Qur'an relates that
Pharaoh immediately turned to belief when faced with Allah's punishment:
We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he [Pharaoh] said: "I believe that there is no god but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believes. I am one of the Muslims." (Qur'an, 10:90)
However, this last-minute conversion was not accepted, for it was not sincere. According to the Qur'an, Allah exclaimed:
"What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today we will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs." (Qur'an, 10:91-92)
The information that Pharaoh's corpse would serve as a sign for later generations may be regarded as an indication that his body would not decay. On display in the Royal Mummies Chamber of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a mummified body believed to be that of this tyrant. In all likelihood, Pharaoh's body floated to shore after being drowned, was found and mummified by the Egyptians, and then carried to a previously prepared burial chamber." (“Archaeology,” www.angelfire.com/az/miracles/Archaeology.html)
PROPHET MUSA (AS) AND SEA'S SPLITTING IN TWO
The kings of Egypt-known as "Pharaohs" (or "Fir'awn" in the Arabic of the Qur'an)-regarded themselves as divine in the polytheistic, superstitious religion of ancient Egypt. At a time when the people of Egypt favoured a superstitious belief system over a divine belief system-the same era in which when the Children of Israel were enslaved-Allah sent the Prophet Musa (as) as a messenger to the tribe of Egypt.
![]() |
However,
Pharaoh and his court, and the people of Egypt in general, almost
universally refused to abandon their idolatrous beliefs when the
Prophet Musa (as) called them to divine religion and the Oneness
of Allah. The Prophet Musa (as) revealed to Pharaoh and his courtiers
that they should avoid false worship, warning them of Allah's wrath.
In response to this, they rose up and slandered the Prophet Musa
(as): They accused him of being mad, of being a sorcerer and of
falsehood. Pharaoh and his people refused to submit to the Prophet
Musa (as) even though many troubles were visited upon them. They
refused to accept Allah as the only God. They even held the Prophet
Musa (as) responsible for what had befallen them and sought to exile
him from Egypt. In the Qur'an, Allah makes this reference to the
Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him:
We revealed to Musa: "Travel with Our servants by night. You will certainly be pursued." Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: "These people are a small group and we find them irritating and we constitute a vigilant majority." We expelled them from gardens and springs, from treasures and a splendid situation. So it was! And We bequeathed them to the tribe of Israel. So they pursued them towards the east. (Qur'an, 26:52-60)
|
As revealed in the Qur'an, the two communities met at the edge of the sea following this pursuit. Allah divided the sea and saved the Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him, destroying Pharaoh and his people. This aid from Allah is revealed thus:
So We revealed to Musa, "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Musa and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that yet most of them are not believers. Truly your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 26:63-68)
In connection with this subject, the following account has recently been found in papyruses from the time of Pharaoh:
From Amenamoni, head of the protective books of the white room of the palace, to the scribe Penterhor:
When this letter reaches you and has been read point by point, surrender your heart to the sharpest pain, like a leaf before the storm, when you learn of the sorrowful disaster of the drowning in the whirlpool…
Calamity struck him suddenly and inescapably. Depict the destruction of the lords, the lord of the tribes, the king of the east and the west. The sleep in the waters has made something helpless out of something great. What news can compare to the news I have sent you? ( British Museum, Egyptian Papyri No.6)
This miracle, experienced by the Prophet Musa (as) and the Children of Israel as they crossed the Red Sea, has been the subject of many studies. Archaeological investigations have established not only the path taken to the Red Sea after leaving Egypt, but also that the place where Pharaoh and the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe met was one surrounded by mountains. (Allah knows best.)
![]() |
The mountain known as
Jabal-al Musa is generally regarded as being in the Sinai
Peninsula. However, recent findings have shown that it is
actually on the Arabian shore of the Red Sea. |
![]() |
Following a long and
difficult journey for the Prophet Musa (as) and the Israelites,
a passage out between the mountains could be seen. |
![]() |
That part of the Sinai
Peninsula opening onto the Gulf. |
Following a great deal of study and investigation taking this as the starting point, scientists came to striking conclusions with regard to how the sea was divided into two. These conclusions are in full agreement with those revealed in the Qur'an. The way that historical events described in the Qur'an are today illuminated by historical records is without doubt an important miracle of the book of Islam.
![]() Pharaoh’s royal chariot is on display in a museum in Egypt. A similar example was found during excavations in the location where the sea divided. |
Naum Volzinger and Alexei Androsov, two Russian mathematicians, proved that the Prophet Musa (as) could indeed have parted the sea. Unlike those scientists who concentrated on the probability of such a miracle, the Russian mathematicians investigated the conditions that might have led to the miracle. In turn, this led to the confirmation of the miracle itself.
According to the study which
was published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
there was a reef, which was close to the surface in the Red Sea
at that time. From there, the scientists set about establishing
the speed of the wind and the strength of the storm needed to leave
the reef high and dry at low tide. As a result, it became apparent
that a wind speed of 30 metres per second would have caused the
sea to retract, leaving the reef exposed. Naum Volzinger, of the
Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated
that "if the [east] wind blew all night at a speed of 30 metres
per second then the reef would be dry." He also said that "it would
take the Jews-there were 600,000 of them-four hours to cross the
7 kilometre reef that runs from one coast to another… then, in half
an hour, the waters would come back." (Galina Stolyarova, "City Scientists Say Red-Sea Miracle
Can Be Explained," The St. Petersburg Times, 20 January 2004,
www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/936/top/t_11445.htm; Galina Stolyarova,
"Mathematicians Dissect a Miracle," The Moscow Times,
21 January 2004, www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/01/21/003.html)
In addition, Volzinger said that he and his colleague Androsov studied the issue strictly from Isaac Newton's point of view. As he put it, "I am convinced that God rules the Earth through the laws of physics." (Ibid)
It must not be forgotten that there is always a possibility of this natural phenomenon taking place. If Allah so desires, this miracle can take place again when the requisite conditions-such as windspeed, time and place-are met. However, the truly miraculous aspect here is the fact that these events took place just when the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe were about to be vanquished. The fact that the waters withdrew just as the Prophet Musa (as) and the community with him were about to cross them-not to mention the way that the waters returned just as Pharaoh and his army were crossing-is a clear example of the aid that Allah gives to the faithful. Indeed, the way that the Prophet Musa (as) relied on and trusted in Allah is an example of the most pleasing moral values:
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Musa's companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Qur'an, 26:61-62)
by
Abdul Hakkeem .R
BLOG: The Message Of ISLAM
GROUP: Tamil ISLAM
FOLLOW BLOG : Click Here