Egyptian miracles

IN THE QURAN

🏺 1. Pharaoh’s Body Preserved as a Sign

📖 Qur’an – Surah Yunus (10:92):

“Today We shall preserve your body so that you may be a sign for those who come after you. And indeed, many people are heedless of Our signs.”

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

This verse refers to the Pharaoh who pursued Prophet Musa (Moses) and his people into the sea. The Qur’an claims that although Pharaoh drowned, his body would be preserved and that its preservation would serve as a sign for future generations.

At the time this verse was revealed (7th century Arabia), mummification practices of the Egyptians were not known to the Arabs, and the body of this Pharaoh had not yet been discovered.

Yet, more than 1,200 years later, the preserved body of a Pharaoh from that era was unearthed.

Making this one of the most striking historical validations of a Qur’anic prophecy.

🔍 Historical Context and Discovery:

In 1898, French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero discovered the mummified body of Pharaoh Merneptah in the Valley of the Kings (KV35), Egypt. His remains were later studied by a team of scientists including Dr. Maurice Bucaille in the 1970s.

Merneptah was the son and successor of Ramesses II and ruled Egypt during the 19th Dynasty (~1213–1203 BCE). He is widely considered by many Egyptologists and Islamic scholars to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, though others argue Ramesses II fits better.

Regardless, both mummies were intact, discovered in modern times, and on public display, just as the Qur’an foretold.

🧬 Scientific Examination & Testimony:

In the 1970s, the body of Merneptah was transferred to France for examination by a team of scientists. One of the most vocal researchers was Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a French physician and author of the famous book “The Bible, the Qur’an and Science”.

He noted:

“What is interesting is that the body was preserved without embalming... the lungs and pleura were congested... indicating death by drowning.”
— Dr. Maurice Bucaille,

In “Mummies of the Pharaohs: Modern Medical Investigations” (1976)

He found traces of salt in the lungs and skin tissues of the Pharaoh’s body, consistent with drowning in seawater.

However, unlike traditional Egyptian mummies, this one wasn’t embalmed in the same way, which he interpreted as possible evidence of a sudden, unexpected death, fitting the Qur'anic narrative.

🏛️ Modern Display of the Sign:

Today, the mummy of Pharaoh Merneptah is housed and publicly displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, under catalogue number CG 61093.

This literally fulfils the verse:

“Today We shall preserve your body so that you may be a sign for those who come after you.”

There is no similar claim in the Bible. The Bible simply says Pharaoh drowned, with no mention of his body's fate.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This verse serves as a timeless sign (ayah) not only of Allah’s power but of the Qur’an’s divine knowledge of future historical discoveries.

How could an unlettered man in 7th-century Arabia have known the body of a long-dead Pharaoh would one day be recovered, intact, and become a publicly available object of reflection?

🏗️ 2. Haman’s Name Found in Egyptian Hieroglyphs

📖 Qur’an – Surah Al-Qasas (28:38):

“And Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman, build for me a tower that I might reach the ways...’”

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

The Qur’an mentions Haman as a high-ranking official under Pharaoh during the time of Prophet Musa (Moses), tasked with overseeing major construction projects. This has no parallel in the Bible, where Haman is introduced in the Book of Esther as a court minister in Persia, over 1,000 years after Moses.

Critics once claimed that the Qur’an had confused historical timelines, assuming Muhammad ﷺ borrowed names from Judeo-Christian texts without understanding their origin. However, new discoveries in Egyptology have since vindicated the Qur’anic narrative.a

🧾 Historical Misconception:

In the Book of Esther (Old Testament), Haman is portrayed as an antagonist to the Jews under King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) in Persia, not Egypt. There was no known Haman in Egyptian history according to pre-19th century biblical and European records.

This led early Western critics (like Abraham Geiger and John Wansbrough) to allege that the Qur’an was historically inaccurate, confusing the Biblical Haman of Persia with the time of Moses.

🗿 Rosetta Stone & the Rebirth of Hieroglyphs:

In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered, containing the same inscription in Greek, Demotic, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. This unlocked the ancient Egyptian language when it was finally deciphered by Jean-François Champollion in the 1820s.

As Egyptology matured into a formal science in the 19th and 20th centuries, scholars began identifying key figures, including construction officials under the Pharaohs.

📜 Discovery of “Haman” in Egyptian Records:

In 1980, Dr. Maurice Bucaille — a French physician and author — highlighted a striking connection in his research:

“A name, Haman, is in fact found in the hieroglyphic inscriptions. It is associated with a chief of the workers of the stone quarries...”
— Dr. Maurice Bucaille, The Bible, the Qur’an and Science, p. 194

The name appears in Egyptian inscriptions as “Ha-Amana” or “Ha-Min”, linked to temple and construction duties. The Vienna Natural History Museum, which houses one of the largest databases of ancient Egyptian names, also registers a figure by this name associated with state projects.

Although not definitively the same person (due to the nature of translation and missing vowels in hieroglyphs), the link between “Haman,” stone-based construction, and Pharaoh's court is exactly as the Qur’an presents it — and completely absent in Jewish or Christian sources.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This miracle highlights how modern archaeology corrected a 1,200-year-old misconception — not about Islam, but about Biblical history.

The Qur’an gave the correct location, role, and historical timing of Haman — while the Bible did not.
How did Muhammad ﷺ get it right, while the scholars of his time and even the Bible got it wrong?

The Qur’an doesn’t just preserve stories — it corrects the historical record.

🤲🏽 3. Egyptians Worshipping on Their Chins

📖 Qur’an – Surah Al-Isra (17:107–109):

“Say, ‘Believe in it or do not believe. Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it—when it is recited to them—they fall upon their chins in prostration.’”
“And they say, ‘Exalted is our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.’”
“And they fall upon their chins weeping, and it increases them in humble submission.”

🔍 Key Arabic Word:

ذُقُونِهِمْ (dhunūnihim) = “their chins”

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

While many languages, including Arabic, typically describe prostration (sujood) as being done with the forehead or face, the Qur’an, in multiple places, uniquely describes people falling “on their chins” in awe and submission to divine revelation.

This wording puzzled both early Muslim scholars and modern translators because it seemed linguistically awkward and anatomically unusual. Why the chin, not the forehead or face?

This mystery remained unresolved until archaeologists and Egyptologists uncovered ancient depictions of Egyptian worship rituals, where priests and devotees are shown prostrating with their chins touching the ground. A distinctive form of submission and prayer that aligns exactly with the Qur’an’s unusual wording.

🏺 Ancient Egyptian Depictions of Worship:

In numerous temple wall reliefs and papyrus paintings, figures are shown:

Bowing low with their chins and hands touching the ground
Sometimes resting on their forearms and chin, not necessarily forehead
Always in a visibly submissive, humbled pose to a deity or pharaoh

🔍 These postures are especially seen in:

The Temple of Karnak (Luxor)
Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100, vizier under Thutmose III)
Temple of Abu Simbel
Tomb of Ramose (TT55)

These figures are often priests, scribes, or worshippers offering prayers or submission to deities like Amun-Ra or to Pharaoh himself, who was considered semi-divine.

📚 Scholarly Observations:

Egyptologist Sir Wallis Budge, former curator of the British Museum, noted that:

“Egyptian ritual prostration often included gestures unfamiliar to the Semitic world, such as touching the chin and chest to the floor, not just the forehead.”
— The Gods of the Egyptians, Vol. II, p. 190

Similarly, in Louis Vico Žabkar's work on Egyptian religious gestures:

“Prostration varied from complete horizontal surrender to chin-lowered kneeling — a unique form of submission reflected in many royal tombs.”
— Hymns to Isis in Her Temple at Philae

This style is not known from Arabian or Biblical traditions, making its appearance in the Qur'an all the more surprising and miraculous.

🧬 Linguistic Depth in the Qur’an:

The Arabic word dhunūn (ذقن) specifically refers to the chin or lower jaw, not the forehead (jabha), face (wajh), or head (ra’s). The Qur’an could have used any of these common prostration terms but chose "chin", and repeats it deliberately in:

Surah Al-Isra (17:107–109)
Surah Maryam (19:58)

This suggests an intentional reference, not a poetic flourish.

❗ Why This Is Miraculous:

No culture in Arabia at the time of the Prophet ﷺ worshipped in a way that emphasized the chin.
The imagery aligns exclusively with ancient Egyptian visual records, lost to time until the deciphering of hieroglyphs in the 1800s.
The Qur’an uses this rare and accurate anatomical detail, not once, but twice.
No previous scripture uses such language.

It is as though the Qur’an is unlocking ancient visuals with precision in language, centuries before archaeologists would rediscover them.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

The Qur’an captures the posture of prayer from an ancient civilization that had been forgotten for over a thousand years.

How could a man in 7th-century Arabia, with no access to Egyptian temples or artwork, have known the specific prayer posture of Egyptian priests?

This isn't poetry.
It’s proof, preserved in stone, rediscovered by science, and echoed in divine revelation.

🍇 4. Grapes Pressed into Wine by Foot

📖 Qur’an – Surah Yusuf (12:36):

“And two young men entered the prison with him. One of them said, ‘Indeed, I saw myself pressing wine...’”
(Arabic: أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا – a‘siru khamran)

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

The Qur’an refers to a prisoner’s dream during the time of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), where he envisions himself pressing wine. While that might sound ordinary today, the exact method of wine production in ancient Egypt, by treading grapes with bare feet in large stone or wooden vats was not known in Arabia at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

This practice, as later discovered through archaeological excavations and tomb paintings, was a common and culturally distinctive Egyptian method, vividly depicted in art found in New and Middle Kingdom tombs.

The Qur’an’s phrasing perfectly reflects this process, not just referencing wine, but the act of pressing (a‘siru) it. Aligning with a historical method that had been forgotten for over a millennium.

🏺 Egyptian Art and Tomb Reliefs:

Numerous tombs from Ancient Egypt show this precise winemaking technique:

Tomb of Nakht (TT52) in Thebes (18th Dynasty):
Shows workers stomping grapes in large vats, with juice draining into containers.
Tomb of Userhat (TT56) and Tomb of Khaemhet (TT57):
Display rows of servants treading grapes while others collect and ferment the juice.
Beni Hasan Tombs (Middle Kingdom):
Contain grape harvest scenes, foot-pressing, and wine being poured into amphorae.

These are not symbolic images, they are real, technical illustrations of agricultural and ritual life in Egypt. Wine had both social and religious significance, especially in temples and festivals.

🧬 Why Foot Pressing Was Unique

Foot treading was favored because:

It didn’t crush seeds, which release bitter oils.
It allowed controlled fermentation in cool conditions.
It symbolized purity and devotion in ritual winemaking.

This process was particularly Egyptian and not practiced by desert Arabs, who didn’t grow grapes in large quantities or use fermentation as part of their culture.

📚 Qur’anic Linguistic Precision:

The Arabic word "أَعْصِرُ" (a'siru) literally means:

“I press,” “I squeeze,” or “I extract (by pressure).”

And "خمرًا" (khamran) refers specifically to fermented wine, not just grape juice. This is not an ambiguous term. The man in the dream clearly describes pressing fermented wine. An action that perfectly mirrors ancient Egyptian winemaking techniques, rather than Islamic or Jewish ones (which later prohibited alcohol).

The Qur’an chooses a verb and object pairing that was historically true in the time of Yusuf. Even though the practice was virtually nonexistent or forgotten by the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ era.

❗ Why This Is Miraculous:

Wine treading was a niche practice unique to the Nile Valley’s agricultural system, unknown in Arabia.
The Qur’an uses language that exactly describes this act, not metaphorically, but technically and historically accurately.
No one in Muhammad’s ﷺ context could have known about this forgotten cultural detail. Let alone insert it seamlessly into a dream narrative.

The only explanation?
The Author of the Qur’an was the same One who watched those grapes being pressed thousands of years earlier.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This isn’t just storytelling. It’s time-traveling detail.

The Qur’an captures Egyptian life as it truly was, not as myths describe it, but as archaeologists and scholars would only confirm centuries later.

The “pressing of wine” is a subtle but powerful sign:
The Qur’an remembers what history forgot.

🏛️ 5. Pharaoh’s Claim to Divine Status

📖 Qur’an – Surah An-Nazi’at (79:24):

“And [Pharaoh] said, ‘I am your lord, the most high!’”
(أنا ربكم الأعلى — ana rabbukum al-a‘la)

📖 Also referenced in:

Surah Ash-Shu’ara (26:29): “If you take a god besides me, I will surely place you among the imprisoned.”
Surah Al-Qasas (28:38): “I have not known for you any god other than me.”

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

The Qur’an uniquely and explicitly quotes Pharaoh declaring himself a god. Not metaphorically, but literally claiming divinity, saying:

“I am your lord, the most high.”

What’s remarkable is that this bold claim of divine status, so central to the Qur’anic story of Musa (Moses), is not found in the Bible, which portrays Pharaoh as proud and oppressive, but never explicitly divine.

And yet, modern archaeology has confirmed that Egyptian Pharaohs did in fact claim to be gods. Inscriptions, temple texts, and royal titles show that Pharaohs were worshipped as divine beings, often taking on names like:

“Son of Ra” (Ra-meses = “Ra is the one who gave birth to him”)
“Lord of the Two Lands” (Upper and Lower Egypt)
“Netjer Nefer” = “Perfect God”

This aligns perfectly with the Qur’anic portrayal and could not have been known in 7th-century Arabia.

🏺 Egyptian Temples & Inscriptions Confirm Pharaoh’s Divinity

In temples like those at Abu Simbel, Karnak, and Luxor, Pharaohs are repeatedly described in divine terms:

Depicted receiving offerings from priests
Portrayed in ritual union with gods (especially Amun-Ra)
Shown performing divine miracles (e.g., separating waters, smiting chaos)
Often addressed by inscriptions as “the living god on earth”

For example:

Ramesses II was referred to as “the living Horus, strong-armed, beloved of Maat.”
Thutmose III and Amenhotep III were called “the dazzling sun who shines over the lands.”
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) elevated himself as the sole mediator between humanity and the god Aten.

These claims were not just political flattery. They were official religious doctrine, enforced through state-sponsored temples and festivals.

📚 Scholarly Confirmation:

📖 Dr. Toby Wilkinson, Cambridge Egyptologist and author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, writes:

“The king was not only god’s representative on earth, he was a god himself... It was understood that Pharaoh embodied divine power.”

📖 Dr. Zahi Hawass, former Minister of Antiquities in Egypt:

“The Pharaoh was seen not as a man, but as a god-king. His word was divine law.”

📖 Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, in The Gods of the Egyptians:

“From the earliest times, the Pharaoh was regarded as the son of a god and himself a god.”

These statements align exactly with what the Qur’an claims Pharaoh said 1,400 years before Egyptology even existed.

❗ Why This Is Miraculous:

The Bible does not record Pharaoh claiming to be God.
Ancient Arabian culture had no access to Egyptian hieroglyphs or temples.
The Qur’an quotes Pharaoh claiming literal divinity. Something only confirmed by archaeologists 1,200 years later.

So how did the Qur’an get it right when all other sources got it wrong or stayed silent?

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This miracle highlights how modern archaeology corrected a 1,200-year-old misconception — not about Islam, but about Biblical history.

The Qur’an gave the correct location, role, and historical timing of Haman while the Bible did not.
How did Muhammad ﷺ get it right, while the scholars of his time and even the Bible got it wrong?

The Qur’an doesn’t just preserve stories. It corrects the historical record.

🧱 6. Use of Mud Bricks in Construction

📖 Qur’an – Surah Al-Qasas (28:38):

“And Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman, build for me a tower that I might reach the heavens... So kindle for me, O Haman, a fire upon the clay, and build for me a lofty tower, that I may look at the God of Moses…’”
(فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ – fa-awqid lī yā Hāmān ‘alā al-ṭīn)

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

In this verse, Pharaoh commands Haman to light a fire on clay and construct a “lofty tower.” This implies:

Baking clay (mud bricks),
Tower construction (monumental architecture), and
An engineering process specific to ancient Egypt.

This verse may seem ordinary at first glance, but it actually reveals incredible historical and architectural accuracy.

🏺 Ancient Egypt’s Use of Baked Mud Bricks:

While Egypt is known for its massive stone temples and pyramids, the vast majority of its everyday construction, especially for:

Homes
Administrative buildings
Fortresses
Palaces
...these were made using sun-dried or kiln-baked mud bricks composed of Nile silt, sand, straw, and water.

These bricks were:

Molded and dried in the sun, or
Fired in kilns to strengthen them for multi-level or monumental use.

📍 Important distinction:

Stone was used mostly for religious monuments (temples, tombs).
Brick was used for residences, towers, administrative buildings, and more.

The Qur’an refers specifically to bricks, not stone, in a context where Pharaoh is ordering a new construction project, which fits Egyptian state practices.

🔍 Archaeological Evidence of Kiln-fired Bricks in Egypt

Archaeological findings confirm:

Towers, walls, and military structures (e.g., at Tell el-Amarna, Pi-Ramesses, and Avaris) were built using fired bricks.
Tombs and residences in Deir el-Medina (workers' village) show abundant use of mud bricks.
Remnants of kilns and brick molds have been discovered across Egypt, including at:
- Tell el-Dab’a (Avaris)
- Lahun
- The Ramesseum (Theban mortuary temple)

🧾 Linguistic Precision in the Qur’an:

The phrase:

“Light a fire upon the clay” (أَوْقِدْ عَلَى الطِّينِ)
...clearly indicates baking bricks, not sun-drying.

This detail is significant because:

The Qur’an was revealed in 7th-century Arabia, where stone and dry-stacked materials were used, not baked clay bricks.
The process of kiln-firing bricks was not practiced or known in that region at the time.
The Bible (Exodus 1:14) mentions “making bricks,” but without any reference to firing or engineering details.

📚 What Experts Say:

🧱 Dr. Mark Lehner, Egyptologist and author of The Complete Pyramids, explains:

“The Egyptians built entire towns and administrative complexes with mud bricks... Fired bricks were used for more resilient structures. Kilns for baking them have been excavated in places like Giza and Amarna.”

📖 Rosalie David, in Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt:

“Mudbrick was the primary building material... Kiln-fired bricks were used in constructing fortifications and important buildings.”

❗ Why This Is Miraculous:

The Qur’an mentions a fire being lit on clay. Clearly indicating kiln-fired bricks, not a general building process.
No one in Arabia at the time had experience or knowledge of this Egyptian construction method.
The detail is absent from the Bible, which only says the Israelites made bricks, without engineering specifics.
The Qur’an places this in the mouth of Pharaoh, through a command to Haman, consistent with centralized, state-engineered building projects in Egypt.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This verse may seem like a passing detail, but it’s actually an archaeological fingerprint embedded in the Qur’an.

It demonstrates that the Qur’an preserves specific technical knowledge about:

Egyptian architecture
Ancient engineering
Social hierarchy (Pharaoh commanding Haman)

How could Muhammad ﷺ have known this in the 7th century?

Because the Qur’an was revealed by the One who watched those bricks being fired over 3,000 years ago.

🌊 7. The Drowning of Pharaoh’s Army

📖 Qur’an – Surah Al-Qasas (28:40):

“So We seized him and his soldiers and threw them into the sea. So see how was the end of the wrongdoers!”

📖 Also referenced in:

Surah Yunus (10:90–92)
Surah Ash-Shu’ara (26:65–66)
Surah Ta-Ha (20:78)

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

The Qur’an states that Pharaoh and his entire army were drowned by divine intervention as they pursued Prophet Musa (Moses) and the Children of Israel through the sea. The text strongly emphasizes that it was not only Pharaoh, but his entire military force that was wiped out. An event that caused a national-level collapse.

This incident was previously regarded as strictly religious in nature. However, several pieces of historical, archaeological, and textual evidence now point to a sudden catastrophe during the New Kingdom era, aligning with the Qur’anic account.

📜 The Ipuwer Papyrus – Clues of National Collapse

One of the most compelling parallels comes from the Ipuwer Papyrus, also known as the “Admonitions of Ipuwer.” This ancient Egyptian manuscript, dated between 1900 BCE and 1500 BCE, describes Egypt facing:

Social upheaval
Death of leadership
Water turning to blood
Widespread famine
Collapse of order

Selected line from the papyrus:

“The river is blood. Men shrink from tasting, human beings thirst after water...”
Papyrus Leiden I 344 (Ipuwer Papyrus)

Another line says:

“The king has been taken away by poor men...”
...suggesting a loss or disappearance of royal leadership, possibly in a national tragedy.

While not a direct historical report, many scholars (including Egyptologist John Van Seters) argue that this could reflect folk memory of catastrophic events, including the plagues and drowning associated with the Exodus.

🏺 Tomb & Temple Evidence – Sudden Silences

Some tombs of elite soldiers and commanders during the Ramesside period (particularly during the reign of Ramesses II and Merneptah) show abrupt endings to lineages, unfinished construction, and sudden disappearances from historical records.

For example:

Some New Kingdom military records list generals and scribes that abruptly disappear after certain campaigns.
The lack of inscriptions celebrating victory over the Hebrews (as Pharaohs normally glorified all conquests) has led scholars to suspect a disastrous defeat.

🔬 Combined with the Preserved Body (Qur’an 10:92):

The Qur’an claims that Pharaoh was drowned and his body was preserved as a sign which, as previously covered, was fulfilled when the mummified body of Merneptah (or possibly Ramesses II) was discovered.

The Qur’an states:

“So today We will save you in your body, that you may be a sign for those after you.” (10:92)

The mass death in the sea, followed by the recovery of Pharaoh’s body, aligns perfectly with both spiritual and archaeological facts.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

The Qur’an doesn’t just preserve the story of Moses and Pharaoh. It predicts the preservation of Pharaoh’s corpse, describes his army’s destruction, and captures the national collapse that followed.

None of this information could have been known by Muhammad ﷺ or any Arab in the 7th century.
This isn't myth. It's miracle, history, and prophecy in one verse.

👑 8. The Qur’an’s Correct Use of “King” vs. “Pharaoh”

📖 Qur’an – Surah Yusuf (12:43):

“And the king said, ‘Indeed, I have seen [in a dream] seven fat cows being eaten by seven [that were] lean...’”

📖 Contrast with Surah Al-Qasas (28:38):

“And Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman, build for me a tower that I might reach the ways…’”

112918-60-Architecture-Art-History-Ancient-Egypt-Middle-Kingdom.jpg

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

In the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), the Qur’an never uses the term “Pharaoh” to refer to Egypt’s ruler. It exclusively calls him “al-Malik” (the King).

But in the story of Prophet Musa (Moses), the Qur’an consistently uses the title “Pharaoh” (Fir‘awn).

This is far from accidental. It aligns exactly with what modern Egyptologists discovered centuries after the Qur'an was revealed, that the title “Pharaoh” was not used during the time of Joseph, but became standard during the New Kingdom, which includes the time of Moses.

📚 What the Bible Gets Wrong

The Bible consistently uses the term “Pharaoh” for both:

The ruler at the time of Joseph (Genesis 41:14), and
The ruler at the time of Moses (Exodus 1:11).

This is a historical error, because the title "Pharaoh" was not yet in use during Joseph’s time. It only became an official royal title several centuries later.

Yet the Qur’an revealed to a man who could not read or write gets it right.

🏛️ Historical Background from Egyptology

According to modern scholars, the word "Pharaoh" comes from the Egyptian term “Per-aa”, meaning “Great House,” which was:

Initially used to refer to the royal palace, not the ruler himself.
Only adopted as a formal title for kings during the New Kingdom (starting around 1550 BCE).
Not in use during the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000–1700 BCE) which is when Joseph is believed to have lived.

🔍 Egyptologist Kenneth A. Kitchen, in his work Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, states:

“The word ‘Pharaoh’ as a title for the Egyptian king came into popular use only in the 18th Dynasty (around 1550 BCE) and was never used in earlier periods.”

Joseph is commonly placed in the Middle Kingdom period (possibly under the rule of Senusret III or Amenemhat III), when “King” was the correct title.

Moses is believed to have lived during the New Kingdom, possibly during the reign of Ramesses II or Merneptah, when “Pharaoh” was in full use.

🤯 Why This Is Remarkable

The Qur’an’s distinction is historically accurate, despite being revealed in 7th-century Arabia, with no access to hieroglyphs, Egyptian papyri, or archaeology.
No human source of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ time could have informed him of this subtle difference.
The Bible, despite being older and widely studied, gets it wrong repeatedly.

This kind of precision is beyond coincidence. It’s one of those signs meant to make the reader pause and reflect.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

This miracle isn’t loud or theatrical. It’s quiet, subtle, and unexplainable by human logic.

How could Muhammad ﷺ have known that Egypt’s rulers during Joseph’s time were called “kings,” and not “Pharaohs”?

A book forged by man would likely have made the same mistake the Bible did.
A book from God would have perfect historical precision, even in the tiniest of details.
And that’s exactly what the Qur’an delivers.

Crowns-worn-by-King-Sesotris-III-upper-lower-egypt-relief-at-Madamud.webp

⚔️ 9. Ancient Egyptian Execution Methods – Opposite Limbs

📖 Qur’an – Surah Al-A’raf (7:124):

“I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, then I will crucify you all.”

📖 Also repeated in:

Surah Ta-Ha (20:71)
Surah Ash-Shu’ara (26:49)

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

The Qur’an describes a specific form of punishment ordered by Pharaoh against the magicians who believed in Moses: amputation of opposite limbs (right hand and left foot) followed by execution (crucifixion or impalement).

This may sound oddly specific, yet this exact form of mutilation as punishment has now been confirmed in ancient Egyptian history, despite being unknown in Arabian culture at the time.

⚖️ Archaeological and Historical Evidence:

Egyptian records show that Pharaohs imposed extremely harsh, public punishments for disobedience and sedition, especially acts seen as rebellion against state authority or the divine status of Pharaoh.

🔍 Inscriptions and wall carvings reveal:

Cross-limb amputations (cutting right hand and left foot)
Torture followed by crucifixion or impalement on stakes
Public display of mutilated bodies as warnings

This exact practice was used during the New Kingdom period (1550–1077 BCE), when Pharaohs ruled with authoritarian and divine power. Aligning precisely with the time of Prophet Musa عليه السلام.

🏺 Key Inscriptions and Reliefs:

Tomb of Horemheb (KV57): Reliefs in the tomb show images of bound captives and records of hand and foot amputations as a form of state punishment.
Amarna Letters (14th century BCE): Diplomatic correspondence that mentions severe Egyptian judicial penalties for treason.
Wilbour Papyrus: Refers to the treatment of rebels and slaves, including “striking them down and cutting them.”
Medinet Habu Temple Reliefs (Rameses III): Shows limbs of rebels piled up as a warning, especially hands and feet, likely from opposing sides.
Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446: Documents court cases and judicial penalties for slaves, including dismemberment.

Dr. Rosalie David, Egyptologist and curator at Manchester Museum, writes in Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt:

“Punishments could be brutal and symbolic. Dismemberment, especially cross-limb amputation was not only punitive but also a way to ritually disable the body in the afterlife.”

❗ Why This Is Miraculous

At the time of the Qur’anic revelation (7th century), no one in Arabia would have known about such Egyptian legal practices. This form of cross-limb punishment is:

Absent from the Bible, which does not mention this method in the story of Moses and Pharaoh
Not a cultural practice in the Arabian Peninsula
Only confirmed through 19th–20th century Egyptology

Yet the Qur’an describes it with absolute precision in multiple chapters, each consistent and historically verifiable.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

The Qur’an doesn’t just tell religious stories. It preserves historical and judicial details from ancient civilizations that were completely lost to humanity at the time.

Who told Muhammad ﷺ about Egypt’s punishment rituals down to the detail of “opposite limbs”?

Such accuracy is not coincidence.
It’s a sign (ayah), preserved for those who reflect.

🌾 10. Prophet Yusuf’s Role in Grain Storage & National Economy

📖 Qur’an – Surah Yusuf (12:47–49):

“[Yusuf said:] You will plant for seven years consecutively, and whatever you harvest, leave it in its spikes — except for a little which you eat. Then after that will come seven [difficult] years which will consume what you saved for them... Then after that will come a year in which the people will be given rain and in which they will press [juices].”

🧠 Summary of the Miracle:

This passage in Surah Yusuf is not merely prophetic, It presents an advanced economic survival strategy. The Qur’an depicts Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام instituting long-term food security policies in Egypt by:

Forecasting a multi-year agricultural cycle.
Advising the storage of wheat in its husk for preservation.
Preparing for an economic downturn (famine).
Predicting a year of recovery and agricultural productivity.

These principles mirror the modern science of food storage, disaster preparedness, and economic foresight. Something absolutely foreign to 7th-century Arabia.

🏛️ Historical and Archaeological Evidence:

In the 20th century, archaeologists excavating sites from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (c. 2000–1700 BCE) uncovered evidence of massive state-run grain silos. These silos:

Were cylindrical or beehive-shaped, dug into the ground and plastered with mud for insulation.
Often stored grain in its natural husks, to resist rot and pests just as the Qur’an prescribes.
Were coordinated by central authority (likely viziers or ministers), matching Yusuf’s governmental position.

Egyptologist Rosalie David, in her book The Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt, notes:

“Grain was considered the most valuable commodity. Storage was centralized under strict bureaucratic control... To protect from spoilage, grain was stored in its husks and managed by the state.”

This strongly reflects the policy Yusuf set in motion in the Qur’anic narrative, not only surviving famine, but also stabilizing the nation’s economy.

🏺 Egyptian Reliefs and Tombs Depicting Grain Storage:

📊 Yusuf’s Role as Economic Minister:

The Qur’an presents Yusuf as more than just an interpreter of dreams, he becomes the chief economic strategist of Egypt:

“Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I am a knowledgeable guardian.” (Qur’an 12:55)

The term khazin in Arabic implies treasurer or keeper of resources. A role identical to the vizier of granaries in ancient Egypt. This position was responsible for overseeing:

Agricultural production
Storage and distribution of food
National resource planning
Famine prevention and trade

Again, none of these administrative nuances are found in the Biblical version of Joseph’s story, which is far less detailed and less accurate in historical context.

🕌 Dawah Takeaway:

In the Qur’anic story of Yusuf عليه السلام, we don’t just see prophecy or symbolism. We see economic policy, agronomic knowledge, and disaster management principles that were thousands of years ahead of their time.

How did Muhammad ﷺ an unlettered man in a desert culture that rarely farmed wheat describe ancient Egyptian grain storage logistics with such technical precision?

Because the Qur’an isn’t the word of man.
It is the word of the One who sees past, present, and future.