Pharaoh in Islam

{{Short description|Character in the story of Moses}} {{Original research|table|date=June 2025}} thumb|Islamic depiction of Fir'awn watching a dragon summoned from a staff by Musa devour one of his sorcerers The story of Musa (Moses) includes his interaction with the ruler of Egypt, named '''Pharaoh''' ({{langx|ar|فرعون|Fir'awn}}). The earlier story of Yusuf (Joseph) refers to the Egyptian ruler as a king ({{langx|ar|ملك|Malik}}).<ref>{{cite book|last=al-Tabari|first=Muhammad ibn Jarir (Translated by William Brinner)|title=The History of al-Tabari Vol. 2: Prophets and Patriarchs|year=1987|publisher=SUNY|pages=161–163}}</ref> The story of Pharaoh is revealed in various passages throughout the Qur'an. He is first mentioned in Q2:49: :۝''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.''<ref>Q2:49, George Sale Translation</ref>

In the Qur'an, 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 89:10.

==Islamic literature== 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.<ref name ="Brannon">{{cite book|title=Prophets in the Qur'an, introduction to the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis|author=Brannon .M. Wheeler|page=174|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIDZIep-GIQC&pg=PA174|isbn=9780826449573|year=2002|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|access-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624201333/https://books.google.com/books?id=qIDZIep-GIQC&pg=PA174|archive-date=24 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Therefore, they suggest that male infants should be killed in one year but spared the next.<ref name ="Brannon"/> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Prophets, Their Lives and Their Stories|author=Abdul-Sahib Al-Hasani Al-'amili|page=282|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9YyYS_hjKpEC&pg=PA282|publisher=Forgotten Books|isbn=9781605067063|access-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501214126/https://books.google.com/books?id=9YyYS_hjKpEC&pg=PA282|archive-date=1 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 89:5-13 Unbelievers are warned by the fate of Ád, Thamúd, and Pharaoh.<ref>Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik (translator), Al-Qur'an, the Guidance for Mankind - English with Arabic Text (Hardcover) {{ISBN|0-911119-80-9}}</ref>

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''<ref>Quran 20:50 George Sale translation</ref> :۝''Pharaoh said, what therefore is the condition of the former generations''<ref>Quran 20:51 {{cite quran|20|51|e=52|s=ns}}</ref> 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''<ref>Quran 26:23: [https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/26/23/ Q26:23], 50+ translations, islamawakened.com</ref> [[File:Chester Beatty T 414 fol 88r Harun helping his brother against Pharaoh.jpg|thumb|Pharaoh and his sorcerers are attacked by the dragon summoned by Musa with help of his brother Harun]] 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Affiliations|author=Heribert Husse|page=94|isbn=9781558761445|publisher=Markus Wiener Publishers|year=1998}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Koran For Dummies|author=Sohaib Sultan|chapter=Meeting Pharaoh|page=131|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkbPidh4plUC&pg=PT131|isbn=9781118053980|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|access-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513152231/https://books.google.com/books?id=rkbPidh4plUC&pg=PT131|archive-date=13 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> When the Pharaoh demands to see the signs, Musa throws his staff to the floor, and it turns into a serpent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Heribert Busse|title=Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Afflictions|page=95|publisher=Markus Wiener Publishers|isbn=9781558761445|year=1998}}</ref> He then draws out his hand, and it shines a bright white light. The Pharaoh's counselors advise 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.

In literature, the Pharaoh becomes, due to the Pharaoh's self-deification and stubborn refusal to accept Moses' invitation to Islam, a symbol of ''nafs'' (the egoistic desire) or the Devil.<ref>Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystische Dimensionen des Islam: Die Geschichte des Sufismus. Diederichs, 1992. p. 168 (German)</ref> In this context, Moses' staff is also invoked. Again, the serpent is a symbol of lower desires, but is transformed into something useful, just as the ''nafs'' needs to be made obedient and then transformed into something good.<ref>Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystische Dimensionen des Islam: Die Geschichte des Sufismus. Diederichs, 1992. p. 168 (German)</ref>

==Quranic references== *Moses' life inside the palace: ::۝<ref name="evertype.com">Arabic script in Unicode symbol for a Quran verse, U+06DD, page 3, [http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/09419-encode-koranic.pdf Proposal for additional Unicode characters]</ref> 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<ref>Q26:18, Quran, George Sale Translation</ref> :*'''28:7-8''' Pharaoh's family take up the infant Moses ::*'''9-10''' The anxiety of Moses's mother—his sister watches him ::*'''11-12''' Moses refuses the Egyptian nurse, and his mother is employed<ref>28:8-12{{cite book |last1=Wherry |first1=Elwood Morris |author1-link=Elwood Morris Wherry |title=A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes |date=1896 |publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co |location=London}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> *Returned to his mother: Q28:12-13 *God's revelation to Moses' mother: Q20:38-39, Q28:7-10 *Moses' preaching: Q7:103-129, Q10:84, Q20:24, Q20:42-51, Q23:45, Q26:10-22, Q28:3, Q43:46, Q44:18, Q51:38, Q73:15-17 *Moses met the Pharaoh: Q20:58-59, Q20:64-66, Q26:38-44 *The Pharaoh's magicians: Q7:111-116, Q10:79-80, Q20:60-64, Q26:37-44 *Moses vs. the magicians: Q7:115-122, Q10:80-81, Q20:61-70, Q26:43-48 *Dispute among the magicians: Q20:62, Q26:44-47 *Moses warned the magicians: Q10:81, Q20:61 *Moses and Harun were suspected to be magicians too: Q7:109, Q7:132, Q10:7-77, Q17:101, Q20:63, Q40:24, Q43:49 *Belief of the magicians: Q7:119-126, Q20:70-73, Q26:46 *The belief of Asiya: Q66:11 *Trial to Pharaoh's family: Q7:130-135 *Pharaoh's weakness: Q7:103-126, Q10:75, Q11:97-98, Q17:102, Q20:51-71, Q23:46-47, Q25:36, Q26:11, Q26:23-49, Q28:36-39, Q29:39, Q38:12, Q40:24-37, Q43:51-54, Q44:17-22, Q50:13, Q51:39, Q54:41-42, Q69:9, Q73:16, Q79:21-24 *Moses and his followers went away: Q20:77, Q26:52-63, Q44:23-24 *Moses and his followers were safe: Q2:50, Q7:138, Q10:90, Q17:103, Q20:78-80, Q26:65, Q37:115-116, Q44:30-31 *Pharaoh's belief was too late: Q10:90 *Pharaoh's and his army: Q2:50, Q3:11, Q7:136-137, Q8:52-54, Q10:88-92, Q17:103, Q20:78-79, Q23:48, Q25:36, Q26:64-66, Q28:40, Q29:40, Q40:45, Q43:55-56, Q44:24-29, Q51:40, Q54:42, Q69:10, Q73:16, Q79:25, Q85:17-18, Q89:13 *Believer among Pharaoh's family: Q40:28-45 *The Pharaoh punished the Israelites: Q2:49, Q7:124-141, Q10:83, Q14:6, Q20:71, Q26:22, Q26:49, Q28:4, Q40:25 *The Pharaohs and Haman were among the rejected: Q10:83, Q11:97, Q28:4-8, Q28:32, Q28:42, Q29:39, Q40:36, Q44:31

==See also== *Haman (Islam)#Qur'anic Narrative *Al-Walid ibn Mus'ab, a character identified with the Pharaoh of Moses by Arab historians

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/20/38/ Q20:38], 50+ translations, islamawakened.com {{Quranic people}}

Category:People of the Quran Category:Pharaohs in the Bible Category:Male literary villains