Signs & Science: No ilah but Allah لا إله إلا الله

DRAFT

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran 112]

Exploring

The Deen of Allah ﷻ vs the deen of the king of ancient egypt

What the Signs of Moses (Musa عليه السلام) meant in the context of The One Allah versus the pantheon of deities worshipped by the ancient egyptians.

Headings in this post:

Adam's Covenant & Bani Adam's Witness
The Three Day Journey to Sacrifice to The Lord, our God
The True Deen (Religion / Laws of Recompense)
The Deen of The King of Ancient Egypt
The Signs for Pharaoh & his Chiefs
The Parting of The Sea & The Drowning
An Excerpt from Surah Al-A`raf
References & Links

Full Text

40:23 وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِين

40:24 إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَقَارُونَ فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّاب

40:23 And certainly, We sent Musa with Our Signs and an authority clear,

40:24 To Firaun, Haman and Qarun, but they said, "A magician, a liar."

[Al-Quran 40:23-24, Translation]

Adam's Covenant & Bani Adam's Witness

7:102 وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لِأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدٍ وَإِن وَجَدْنَا أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَاسِقِين

7:103 ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِم مُّوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِين

...

7:133 فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ آيَاتٍ مُّفَصَّلَاتٍ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِين

7:134 وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّجْزُ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا الرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيل

7:135 فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْزَ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ هُم بَالِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُون

7:136 فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِين

[Al-Quran 7:102-103, ... 7:133-136]
[Translation of Surah al-A`raf: click on ayat number to compare 50+ english translations]

The Quran mentions the covenant taken from Adam (عليه السلام) before his fall [Q20:115], reminds of the witness and pledge taken from the progeny of the sons of Adam (عليه السلام) [Q7:172-173], and the covenant taken from the Bani Israel [Q7:169-171].

The progeny of Adam (عليه السلام) have witnessed that Allah ﷻ is our Sustainer. There is no other deity. There is no one else worthy of worship. Our nafs is in pledge. Repeatedly, humans have been guilty of breaking their covenant, and worshipping real or mythical creatures. This then opens the way for transgression and corruption. Allah ﷻ has kept sending warners and keeps giving plenty of opportunities to repent. Allah ﷻ shows His Signs to help people realise their error and revert to the true religion:

The Three Day Journey to Sacrifice to The Lord, our God

יחוְשָֽׁמְע֖וּ לְקֹלֶ֑ךָ וּבָאתָ֡ אַתָּה֩ וְזִקְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֗יִם וַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ נִקְרָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה נֵֽלֲכָה־נָּ֞א דֶּ֣רֶךְ שְׁל֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְנִזְבְּחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ:

18And they will hearken to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has happened upon us, and now, let us go for a three days' journey in the desert and offer up sacrifices to the Lord, our God.'

[The Torah, Exodus 3:18]

Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام), the forefather of the Bani Israel, had announced the Hajj for all mankind. As discussed in previous posts*, I think the three day journey including the sacrifice refers to the very Hajj (pilgrimage) which Muslims perform annually.

The three main days are eight, ninth and tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage, and the last month of the lunar hijri calendar:

eighth dhulhijjah: Stay at Mina
ninth dhulhijjah: Spend the day in Arafat, and night at Muzdalifah
tenth dhulhijjah:

Rami: pelt stones at Satan (the obelisks)
Hadi: sacrifice an animal
Halq / Taqsir: cut hair
Tawaf-e-Ziyarah: circumambulate the qibla

[1] The Ancient House
[2] The Quran, the Pharaoh, Exodus and the Promised Day!

The True Deen (Religion / Laws of Recompense)

فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ الْمَلِكِ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَّن نَّشَاءُ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيم

So he began with their bags before (the) bag (of) his brother; then he brought it out from (the) bag (of) his brother. Thus (did) We plan for Yusuf. Not he could take his brother by the law (of) the king, except that willed Allah We raise (in) degrees whom We will, but over every possessor (of) knowledge (is) the All-Knower.

[Al-Quran 12:76]

In Surah Yusuf, we encounter the term deen (دِين) twice: 12:40 about the deen that Joseph (Yusuf عليه السلام) follows, in which legislation belongs to Allah ﷻ alone; and in 12:76 explicitly stating that the deen (دِينِ) of the King of Egypt was different than the law of recompense followed by the believers in Allah ﷻ, such that everyone is in pledge for his deeds, and that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

The Deen of The King of Ancient Egypt

This was in sharp contrast to the Ancient Egyptian legal system in which an accused was considered guilty until proven innocent. This explains Joseph (Yusuf عليه السلام) seeking to have his name cleared before he accepts his release from prison (Q12:50); as well as Moses (Musa عليه السلام) running away instead of facing trial, and his future father-in-law's statement that he had been saved from the unjust (Q28:15-25).

The operating principle of ma'at was the basis of the cruel system, which was enforced by the King of Egypt as the representative of their pantheon of gods, and in particular Ma'at, the goddess of order, truth and justice. It seems that the State was consumed with maintaining order to please the gods, tyrannically, and the people suffered the great injustice inflicted thus.

Ma'at was believed to be the daughter of the Sun-god Ra, believed to be the creator and source of life. Deifying the Sun, and his mythical family is the pantheon of many polytheistic religions all over the world.

Snakes feature prominently in many polytheistic religions, including that of ancient Egypt. The Torah, The Bible and The Quran explicitly warn against Iblis, the snake / jinn.

The Signs for Pharaoh & his Chiefs

43:43 فَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِالَّذِي أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيم

43:44 وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُون

43:45 وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُون

43:46 وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين

43:47 فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم بِآيَاتِنَا إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَضْحَكُون

43:48 وَمَا نُرِيهِم مِّنْ آيَةٍ إِلَّا هِيَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أُخْتِهَا وَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُون

43:43 So hold fast to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you (are) on a Path Straight.

43:44 And indeed, it (is) surely, a Reminder for you and your people, and soon you will be questioned.

43:45 And ask (those) whom We sent from before you of Our Messengers; did We make from besides the Most Gracious gods to be worshipped?

43:46 And certainly We sent Musa with Our Signs to Firaun and his chiefs, and he said, "Indeed, I am a Messenger (of the) Lord (of) the worlds."

43:47 But when he came to them with Our Signs, behold! They at them laughed.

43:48 And not We showed them of a Sign but it (was) greater than its sister, and We seized them with the punishment so that they may return.

[Al-Quran 43:43-48, Translation]

Each sign that Moses (Musa عليه السلام) brought was greater than the previous one. The purpose of the punishing signs was to establish the falsehood of their beliefs, the inefficacy of their deities, and to help the people revert to the worship of Allah ﷻ, The Most Gracious. The nine signs were:

1. The Stick that changed into The Snake & The Serpent [Q7:107, Q7:117, Q20:20, Q20:69, Q26:32, Q26:45, Q27:10, Q28:31]
Related Post: The Serpent & The Snake: a Clear Sign

2. The Hand turning White without Blemish [Q20:22, Q27:12, Q28:32]

3. The Hand in the Side to Repel Fear [Q28:32]

Related Post: Protection from (fear of) ar-Rahab

4. The Famine [Q7:130]

5. The Flood / Cyclone (storm going around in circular motion) [Q7:133]

6. The Locusts [Q7:133]
Related Post: Reading The Book

7. The Lice [Q7:133]

8. The Frogs [Q7:133]

9. The Blood [Q7:133]

The mythological deities of ancient egypt, and their sorcerers, were hopelessly unable to repel any of the great signs, clearly establishing that it is Allah ﷻ alone who is the only deity worthy of worship.

After the duel of the first miracle, when Moses (Musa عليه السلام)'s stick became a Serpent and swallowed all that Pharaoh's sorcerers had conjured, those sorcerers prostrated and believed in Moses (Musa عليه السلام)'s Lord as the only deity, and abandoned sorcery immediately, even in the face of the threat of crucifixion. They embraced Islam when they saw The Lord's clear signs! [Q7:112-126, Q20:63-76]

Yet, instead, the Pharaoh and his people continued to call Moses (Musa عليه السلام) a great sorcerer, while turning to him to invoke relief for them from his Lord:

43:49 وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَ السَّاحِرُ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهْتَدُون

43:50 فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُون

43:51 وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي قَوْمِهِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِي مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَٰذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِي أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُون

43:52 أَمْ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَٰذَا الَّذِي هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِين

43:53 فَلَوْلَا أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِين

43:54 فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِين

43:55 فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِين

43:56 فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْآخِرِين

43:49 And they said, "O [the] magician! Invoke for us your Lord by what He has made covenant with you. Indeed, we (will) surely be guided."

43:50 But when We removed from them the punishment behold! They broke (their word).

43:51 And called out Firaun among his people; he said, "O my people! Is not for me (the) kingdom (of) Egypt and these [the] rivers flowing from underneath me? Then do not you see?

43:52 Or am I better than this, one who - he (is) insignificant and not hardly clear?

43:53 Then why not are placed on him bracelets of gold or come with him the Angels accompanying (him)?"

43:54 So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient.

43:55 So when they angered Us, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them all.

43:56 And We made them a precedent and an example for the later (generations).

[Al-Quran 43:43-48, Translation]

The Parting of The Sea & The Drowning

Eventually, Pharaoh claimed to be the great lord himself:

79:24 فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَى

79:25 فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَى

79:26 إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

79:24 Then he said, "I am your Lord, the Most High."

79:25 So seized him Allah (with) an exemplary punishment (for) the last and the first.

79:26 Indeed, in that surely (is) a lesson for whoever fears.

[Al-Quran 79:24-26]

The Pharaoh who claimed to be god was drowned, and his body preserved as a sign for future generations.

As Pharaoh and his troops were pursuing the Bani Israel, Allah ﷻ parted the sea for Moses (Musa عليه السلام) and those with him to safely cross it, and then the same waters came crashing down on Pharaoh and his troops. Soon after, the body of this human who claimed to be أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَى was preserved by Allah ﷻ as a sign of the falsehood of this claimant, who couldn't even save or sustain himself, let alone others.

In Surah Yunus (Jonah), the moments of Pharaoh's death are recorded thus:

10:90 وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين

10:91 آلْآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِين

10:92 فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُون

10:90 And We took across (the) Children (of) Israel - the sea, and followed them Firaun and his hosts (in) rebellion and enmity, until when overtook him the drowning, he said, "I believe that (there is) no god except the One, Whom believe in the Children (of) Israel, and I am of the Muslims."

10:91 "Now? And verily, you (had) disobeyed before and you were of the corrupters?"

10:92 So today We will save you in your body, that you may be for (those) who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the mankind of Our Signs (are) surely heedless."

[Al-Quran 10:90-92, Translation]

Ancient Egypt at that time was probably the greatest civilisation in the world. There came to them warners, yet their arrogance prevented them from embracing the truth in spite of the clear signs. Eventually, the Pharaoh and his army were drowned, and his repentance not accepted.

On the contrary, Prophet Jonah (Yunus عليه السلام) was also thrown in the sea, trapped in the belly of a (monstrous?) fish, and then saved from being eaten by the fish, from being drowned, and then, he was brought safely back on land, and cured. Subsequently, he was sent to what was probably the greatest city of that era, steeped in sin, yet they responded to his warning, and repented, and were thus saved (Q10:98). More on this in Anger, Anguish & The Repentance.

...

An Excerpt from Surah Al-A`raf (click here for Arabic text)

7:104 And said Musa, "O Firaun! Indeed, I am a Messenger from (the) Lord (of) the worlds

7:105 Obligated on that not I say about Allah except the truth. Verily, I (have) come to you with a clear Sign from your Lord, so send with me (the) Children (of) Israel."

7:106 He said, "If you have come with a Sign, then bring it if you are of the truthful."

7:107 So he threw his staff, and suddenly it (was) a serpent, manifest.

7:108 And he drew out his hand and suddenly it (was) white for the observers.

7:109 Said the chiefs of (the) people (of) Firaun, "Indeed, this (is) surely a magician - learned.

7:110 He wants to drive you out from your land, so what (do) you instruct?"

7:111 They said, "Postpone him and his brother, and send in the cities gatherers.

7:112 They (will) bring to you [with] every magician learned."

7:113 So came the magicians (to) Firaun. They said, "Indeed, for us surely (will be) a reward if we are (we) the victors."

7:114 He said, "Yes, and indeed you surely (will be) of the ones who are near."

7:115 They said, "O Musa! Whether [that] you throw or Whether [that] we will be (we) the ones to throw?"

7:116 He said, "Throw." Then when they threw, they bewitched (the) eyes (of) the people, and terrified them and came (up) with a magic great.

7:117 And We inspired to Musa that, "Throw your staff," and suddenly it swallow(ed) what they (were) falsifying.

7:118 So was established the truth, and became futile what they used to do.

7:119 So they were defeated there and returned humiliated.

7:120 And fell down the magicians prostrate.

7:121 They said, "We believe in (the) Lord (of) the worlds

7:122 Lord (of) Musa and Harun."

7:123 Said Firaun, "You believed in him before [that] I give permission to you. Indeed, this (is) surely a plot you have plotted it in the city so that you may drive out from it its people. But soon you will know.

7:124 I will surely cut off your hands and your feet of opposite (sides). Then I will surely crucify you all."

7:125 They said, "Indeed, we to our Lord (will) return.

7:126 And not you take revenge from us except that we believed in (the) Signs (of) our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord! Pour upon us patience and cause us to die (as) Muslims."

7:127 And said the chiefs of (the) people (of) Firaun, "Will you leave Musa and his people so that they cause corruption in the earth and forsake you and your gods?" He said, "We will kill their sons and we will let live their women, and indeed, we over them (are) subjugators."

7:128 said Musa to his people, "Seek help from Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth (belongs) to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the end (is) for the righteous."

7:129 They said, "We have been harmed from before [that] you came to us and from after [what] you have come to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord [that] will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the earth, then see how you will do."

7:130 And certainly, We seized (the) people (of) Firaun with years (of famine) and a deficit of [the] fruits, so that they may receive admonition.

7:131 But when came to them the good they said, "For us is this." And if afflicts them bad, they ascribe evil omens to Musa and who (were) with him. Behold! Only their evil omens (are) with Allah but most of them (do) not know.

7:132 And they said, "Whatever you bring us therewith of (the) sign so that you bewitch us with it, then not we (will be) in you believers."

7:133 So We sent on them the flood and the locusts and the lice and the frogs and the blood (as) signs manifest, but they showed arrogance and they were a people criminal.

7:134 And when fell on them the punishment, they said, "O Musa! Invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised to you. If you remove from us the punishment surely, we will believe [for] you and surely, we will send with you (the) Children (of) Israel."

7:135 But when We removed from them the punishment till a (fixed) term (which) they were to reach [it], then, they broke (the word).

7:136 So We took retribution from them and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our Signs, and they were to them heedless.

7:137 And We made inheritors the people those who were considered weak - (the) eastern (parts) (of) the land and the western (parts) of it, which We blessed [in it]. And was fulfilled (the) word (of) your Lord - the best for (the) Children (of) Israel because they were patient. And We destroyed what used to make Firaun and his people, and what they used to erect.

7:138 And We led across (the) Children (of) Israel the sea. Then they came upon a people devoted to idols of theirs. They said, "O Musa! Make for us a god like what they have gods. He said, "Indeed, you (are) a people ignorant.

7:139 Indeed these, destroyed (is) what they (are) in it and vain (is) what they used to do."

7:140 He said, "Should other than Allah I seek for you a god, while He has preferred you over the worlds?"

7:141 And when We saved you from (the) people (of) Firaun who were afflicting you (with) worst (of) torment, they were killing your sons and letting live your women. And in that (was) a trial from your Lord great.

[Al-Quran, Surah al-A`raf, Translation]

The Quran extensively discusses Moses (Musa عليه السلام)and the signs sent through him to Pharaoh (Firaun) and his people, the liberation of the Bani Israel, the chosen people, and then their gratitude and ingratitude.