Like unto the Pharaoh
The Quran is replete with lessons from the confrontations between Moses (Musa
عليه السلام) and the Pharaoh, and so is the Torah / Bible. The Quran explicitly states that we have been sent a Messenger witness upon us, just as a Messenger was sent to the Pharaoh (
Q73:15). Pharaoh disobeyed and was ruined (
Q73:16). A terrible day is approaching which we will not be able to ward off, if we disbelieve and do not heed to the Message and the Messenger (
Q73:17-
18).
From Adam's story in the scriptures, we are familiar with the evil Satan who caused Adam's fall.
Serpents feature not only in Egyptian mythology, but also is several mythologies all over the world. In fact, serpents and snakes are perhaps the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols in the world. In Surah al-Mulk (The Kingdom), we read:
أَفَمَن يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّن يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيم
But then, is he that goes along with his face close to the ground better guided than he that walks upright on a straight way
[Al-Quran
67:22, Translation: Muhammad Asad]
Snakes & Jinn
The Quran mentions snakes not just in relation to Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' stick, but throughout the text. Since we do not translate the word الْجِنِّ as the snake, but rather just transliterate as the jinn, thus we do not realise that the subject has been mentioned in detail. The noun jinn (جِنّ) occurs twenty-two times, and the active participle jānn (جَآنّ) occurs seven times in The Quran. We even have a surah titled al-Jinn.
[Related post: جَانٌّ (Snake || Jinn) ]
Adam's Fall
The Jewish and Christian scriptures mention the serpent and the snake in the story of Adam. According to The Quran, Adam was expelled from The Garden when he heeded to his sworn enemy, Iblis, the snake, and disobeyed Allah ﷻ . The disobedience was in pursuit of a change of state. The devil was able to persuade Adam to try to achieve immortality and a kingdom that never decays. In obeying the snake, Adam degraded himself instead. As discussed in several previous posts, Adam lost his natural clothing by taking the medicine prescribed by Iblis even though Allah ﷻ had prohibited eating from that particular tree. We have repeatedly been warned about taking instructions from Satan:
أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِين
وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيم
Children of Adam, did I not make a covenant with you not to worship Satan, who is clearly your enemy,
and that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path.
[Al-Quran
36:60-
61, Translation: Safi Kaskas]
Mythology
In the mythological pantheons of gods and goddesses, the concept of a divine family keeps emerging, with different names, but many similarities. The Quran, Surah al-Jinn, quotes the jinns (snakes) themselves stating that the divine family is a lie:
وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدً
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ شَطَطً
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً
And exalted be the glory of our Lord! He never had a spouse nor a child.
But the fools among us had been saying outrageous things about God
although we had thought that no human or jinn would dare tell a lie about God.
[Al-Quran
72:3-
5, Translation: Safi Kaskas]
In Surah an-Nisa`, the unforgivable sin of association of partners with Allah ﷻ is explained:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدً
إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا إِنَاثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَانًا مَّرِيدً
لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً
Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right)
(The Pagans), leaving Him, call but upon female deities: They call but upon satan the persistent rebel
Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off
[Al-Quran
4:116-
118, Translation: Yusuf Ali]
Wikipedia, and other resources on the internet, contain details about the symbolism and belief systems which revere the serpent, and snakes:
Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]:
The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to mankind[1][2] and represent dual expression[3] of good and evil.[4]
Excerpt from Snake worship [Quote dated January 3, 2021]:
Snake worship is devotion to serpent deities. The tradition is present in several ancient cultures, particularly in religion and mythology, where snakes were seen as entities of strength and renewal.
Excerpt from Snakes in mythology [Quote dated January 2, 2021]:
In most cultures, snakes were symbols of healing and transformation, but in some cultures snakes were fertility symbols.
In Surah an-Nisa`, we further read:
لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينً
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورً
Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off
"I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest
Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but satan's promises are nothing but deception
[Al-Quran
4:118-
120, Translation: Yusuf Ali]
The Quran contains examples of some diseases and mentions some cures. However, the few cases of fertility issues it mentions about the pious people, the common theme is that they await patiently for Allah
ﷻ 's blessing. They do not seem to be actively seeking fertility treatments. More on these at:
Disease & Cure. Quoting Prophet Abraham from Surah ash-Shu`ara`:
Healers & The Symbol of Modern Medical Science
Shamans are believed to be religious healers.
Excerpt from Shamanism [Quote dated December 31, 2020]:
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner who is believed to interact with a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance.[1][2] The goal of this is usually to direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or some other purpose.[1]
On the Alternative Medicine page of Wikipedia, there is criticism of a list of methods that are not based on modern medical science. However, the snake is the symbol of modern medicine as well.
Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]:
Modern medicine[edit]
Snakes entwined the staffs both of Hermes (the caduceus) and of Asclepius, where a single snake entwined the rough staff. On Hermes' caduceus, the snakes were not merely duplicated for symmetry, they were paired opposites. (This motif is congruent with the phurba.) The wings at the head of the staff identified it as belonging to the winged messenger Hermes, the Roman Mercury, who was the god of magic, diplomacy and rhetoric, of inventions and discoveries, and the protector both of merchants and that allied occupation, to the mythographers' view, of thieves. It is however Hermes' role as psychopomp, the escort of newly deceased souls to the afterlife, that explains the origin of the snakes in the caduceus, since this was also the role of the Sumerian entwined serpent god Ningizzida, with whom Hermes has sometimes been equated.
In Late Antiquity, as the arcane study of alchemy developed, Mercury was understood to be the protector of those arts too and of arcane or occult "Hermetic" information in general. Chemistry and medicines linked the rod of Hermes with the staff of the healer Asclepius, which was wound with a serpent; it was conflated with Mercury's rod, and the modern medical symbol—which should simply be the rod of Asclepius—often became Mercury's wand of commerce. Another version is used in alchemy where the snake is crucified, known as Nicolas Flamel's caduceus. Art historian Walter J. Friedlander, in The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine (1992), collected hundreds of examples of the caduceus and the rod of Asclepius and found that professional associations were just somewhat more likely to use the staff of Asclepius, while commercial organizations in the medical field were more likely to use the caduceus.
Excerpt from The spread of the cult of Asclepius in the context of the Roman army ... [copied November 20, 2022]:
Asclepius was one of the most popular healing deities of the Greco-Roman world. Originally from Greece, the cult of this mythical son of Apollo was officially invited to Rome in 293 BCE and became firmly rooted in Roman society as a patron deity of health [1–5]. The uniqueness of Asclepius’ cult, when compared to other Graeco-Roman cults, lies in 1) the promise of a close relationship between the god and his supplicant, because the supplicant expected to meet the god in their dreams during the temple rituals of incubation; 2) the patients’ deep expectation of being healed; and 3) a non-exclusive membership for people across socio-economic groups [1, 3, 6]. A potential fourth point argued here is that the cult of Asclepius could have had a special appeal among Roman soldiers, as they were often in the need of medical care due to combat wounds or inhospitable environments at the border provinces of the Empire.
...
Serpent on a Pole
Moses (Musa عليه السلام) is dated to have walked the Earth approximately a thousand years before Asclepius. So, this symbol of serpent on a pole was not original to Asclepius in particular, or even to the Greeks in general.
The first of the clear signs sent to the Pharaoh was a serpent. After the Exodus, a serious problem involving snakes and serpent happens. The following is an excerpt is from The Bible, Numbers 21:4-9:
The Bronze Serpent
4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey 5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.
7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.
8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
Later on, it seems the people started revering the serpent on the pole. Hezekiah destroyed it. We find the following in The Bible, 2 Kings 18:4
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6 He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.
7 And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.
Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) preached the worship of the one true God whom Moses (Musa عليه السلام) worshipped. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also endorsed The Torah and attested to its truth. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also attested to himself being a human, a servant and a worshipper of Allah ﷻ, and not a god or a relative of God. The Quran confirms that Allah ﷻ does not have any family or relations, and also informs us clearly that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was not crucified, but rather someone else. In Surah an-Nisa` we read:
4:157 And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain
4:158 Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise
4:159 And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness
As the Christians believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was crucified, and they have a passage in John comparing the raising of the serpent by Moses (Musa عليه السلام) to the raising of the son of man, thus there is speculative literature about what the comparison means. This is perhaps a better example of a Christian comparison of the Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' serpent on a pole with the Rod of Asclepius.
Listening Posts & Space Travel
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَان
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان
يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَان
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان
O company of the jinn and humankind, in case you are able to penetrate through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! You will not penetrate except with an all-binding authority
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies
Against you (both) will be sent flares of fire, and (molten) brass; then you will not vindicate yourselves
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies
[Al-Quran
55:33-
36, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali]
The space race to gather more and more information, and the dreams of travelling to and colonising other planets, is not only a modern initiative, but we find mentions of such things in ancient mythologies as well. From The Quran, we know that Pharaoh commissioned the building of something which would allow him access to the heavens (skies) to meet the Lord of Moses (Musa عليه السلام) [Q28:36-42, Q40:35-37]. More on this at: Pyramids || The Mighty Ancients!
From Surah al-Jinn (The Snakes), we also learn that those who lie about Allah ﷻ among humans and snakes have been collaborating, and trying to gather information earlier also:
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقً
وَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا كَمَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ أَحَدً
وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبً
وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّصَدً
وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدً
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدً
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ اللَّهَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُ هَرَبً
And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie
And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden
And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger]
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course
And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight
[Al-Quran
72:5-
12, Translation: Sahih International]
The Moving Creature from The Earth
وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُون
And when the saying fell on them, We will bring out a moving creature for them from the earth that will speak to them, that: Humanity had not been certain of Our signs.
[Al-Quran
27:82, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]
Surah an-Naml (The Ant) recounts the story of Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' staff becoming a snake, then goes on to mention Solomon's army which includes birds and snakes, and their ability to speak with each other. Then, the Queen Ant warning her ants; the Hoopoe who goes on a reconnaissance mission; the Sun-worshipping Queen of Saba; Solomon's warning letter demanding submission to the true religion; the throne of Saba being transported in the blink of an eye to Solomon's court; the Queen of Saba realising how she had been wronging her nafs, and consequently accepting the true religion; and then it flashes back to the Samood: the nine groups in the city plotting to kill their Messenger of Allah ﷻ :
وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُون
And there had been nine groups of persons in the city who make corruption in the earth and make not things right.
[Al-Quran
27:48, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]
The surah continues with a brief mention of the destruction of the Samood; and then an overview of the impurity-loving people to whom Messenger Lot had been sent to, and how they were also destroyed.
After a few pertinent questions establishing Allah ﷻ as the only true ilah (god), the surah foretells the emergence of the moving creature from the Earth who will speak with humans!
The Book of Revelation also mentions a creature will emerge from the Earth:
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.
Note: 666 or 616 Wikipedia
Many mythologies expect the return of the serpent as the saviour of the world.
The Abrahamic faiths expect the false messiah (the Anti-Christ || the Dajjal) to appear during end times. It is going to be a time of great tribulation.
Abrahamic faiths also await the true Messiah as the saviour. While the Jews still await a Messiah from the line of David, Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) is the promised Messiah who will return to Earth. He will defeat the false messiah, and usher in the peaceful Days of Allah ﷻ when the humble shall inherit the Earth.
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Last updated on: November 20, 2022
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