Pharaoh’s Dead Body [Quran Aur Science 10]

Pharaoh’s Dead Body [Quran Aur Science 10]

When brothers of Prophet Yousuf threw him in well. It was the turning point for the sons of Yaqoob a.s. His sons also sold their brother to people of a caravan. They sold Yousuf in Egypt.

Fir’awn was a mighty tyrannical ruler who greatly persecuted the Bani Israel (Children of Israel). Musa (عليه السلام) was sent to invite him towards the truth but he rejected his teachings, considering himself to be God. Musa (عليه السلام), accompanied by his brother Harun (عليه السلام) and Yusha (عليه السلام) led the Bani Israel out of Egypt, Fir’awn and his army pursued them but were drowned in the Red Sea.

There is great debate as to the identity of the Pharoah in the time of Musa (عليه السلام) with some identifying him as Merneptah. However, most of the evidence backed up by verses of the Holy Quran point towards him being Rameses II. The Quran and the Bible [Exodus 14:21-30 and Exodus 15:19-21] state that the Pharaoh was drowned in the sea. However, the Qur’an differs from the Bible and it makes a very unique statement that the body of the drowned Pharaoh was saved as a sign for future generations.

The Quranic statement about rescuing Pharaoh’s body would be in total agreement with the fact that the body of Rameses II has survived in a mummified form. It was discovered in 1881 among a group of royal mummies that had been removed from their original tombs for fear of theft. Priests of the 21st Dynasty had reburied them in a cache at Deir al-Bahari on Luxor’s west bank. Nothing whatsoever was known at the time of the revelation of the Quran about the mummy of Rameses II.

And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his hosts pursued them in rebellion and transgression, till, when the (fate of) drowning overtook him, he exclaimed: I believe that there is no Allah save Him in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender (unto Him).

What! Now! When hitherto thou hast rebelled and been of the wrong-doers?

But this day We save thee in thy body that thou mayst be a portent for those after thee. Lo! most of mankind are heedless of Our portents.

The body of Pharaoh was discovered in 1898, but the Quran revealed it nearly 1400 years ago. It is almost impossible for a man to predict what happened in the ancient past. It is also impossible for a man who can make a connection with how it would be in the future. So it is crystal clear that the Quran is the words of the God who is the Lord of this universe. The Lord who knows very well about everything in this universe.