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The historical miracles of the Quran PROPHET MUSA (AS) AND SEA'S SPLITTING IN TWO The kings of Egypt-known as "Pharaohs" (or "Fir'awn" in the Arabic of the Qur'an)-re garded themselves as divine in the polytheistic, superstitious religion of ancient Egypt. At a time when the people of Egypt favored a superstitious belief system over a divine belief system-the same era in which when the Children of Israel were enslaved-Allah sent the Prophet Musa (as) as a messenger to the tribe of Egypt. However, Pharaoh and his court, and the people of Egypt in general, almost universally refused to abandon their idolatrous beliefs when the Prophet Musa (as) called them to divine religion and the Oneness of Allah. The Prophet Musa (as) revealed to Pharaoh and his courtiers that they should avoid false worship, warning them of Allah's wrath. In response to this, they rose up and slandered the Prophet Musa (as): They accused him of being mad, of being a sorcerer and of falsehood. Pharaoh and his people refused to submit to the Prophet Musa (as) even though many troubles were visited upon them. They refused to accept Allah as the only God. They even held the Prophet Musa (as) responsible for what had befallen them and sought to exile him from Egypt. In the Qur'an, Allah makes this reference to the Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him: We revealed to Musa: "Travel with Our servants by night. You will certainly be pursued." Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: "These people are a small group and we find them irritating and we constitute a vigilant majority." We expelled them from gardens and springs, from treasures and a splendid situation. So it was! And We bequeathed them to the tribe of Israel. So they pursued them towards the east. (Qur'an, 26:52-60) The map shows the rou 1 / 2

The Historical Miracles of the Quran

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The historical miracles of the Quran

PROPHET MUSA (AS) AND SEA'S SPLITTING IN TWO

The kings of Egypt-known as "Pharaohs" (or "Fir'awn" in the Arabic of the Qur'an)-regarded

themselves as divine in the polytheistic, superstitious religion of ancient Egypt. At a time when

the people of Egypt favored a superstitious belief system over a divine belief system-the same

era in which when the Children of Israel were enslaved-Allah sent the Prophet Musa (as) as a

messenger to the tribe of Egypt.

However, Pharaoh and his court, and the people of Egypt in general, almost universally refused

to abandon their idolatrous beliefs when the Prophet Musa (as) called them to divine religion

and the Oneness of Allah. The Prophet Musa (as) revealed to Pharaoh and his courtiers that

they should avoid false worship, warning them of Allah's wrath. In response to this, they rose up

and slandered the Prophet Musa (as): They accused him of being mad, of being a sorcerer and

of falsehood. Pharaoh and his people refused to submit to the Prophet Musa (as) even though

many troubles were visited upon them. They refused to accept Allah as the only God. They

even held the Prophet Musa (as) responsible for what had befallen them and sought to exile

him from Egypt. In the Qur'an, Allah makes this reference to the Prophet Musa (as) and the

believers with him:

We revealed to Musa: "Travel with Our servants by night. You will certainly be pursued."

Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: "These people are a small group and we find them

irritating and we constitute a vigilant majority." We expelled them from gardens and springs,from treasures and a splendid situation. So it was! And We bequeathed them to the tribe of

Israel. So they pursued them towards the east. (Qur'an, 26:52-60)

The map shows the rou

1 / 2

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The historical miracles of the Quran

te taken by the Prophet Musa (as) after leaving Egypt and the estimated location of the sitewhere the sea divided.The diagram shows the shallow and deeper areas. It is at this point that the Sinai Peninsula andArabia approach each other most closely.As revealed in the Qur'an, the two communities met at the edge of the sea following this pursuit.Allah divided the sea and saved the Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him, destroyingPharaoh and his people. This aid from Allah is revealed thus:So We revealed to Musa, "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like atowering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Musa and all those whowere with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that yet most of them arenot believers. Truly your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 26:63-68)In connection with this subject, the following account has recently been found in papyruses fromthe time of Pharaoh:From Amenamoni, head of the protective books of the white room of the palace, to the scribePenterhor:When this letter reaches you and has been read point by point, surrender your heart to thesharpest pain, like a leaf before the storm, when you learn of the sorrowful disaster of thedrowning in the whirlpool…Calamity struck him suddenly and inescapably. Depict the destruction of the lords, the lord ofthe tribes, the king of the east and the west. The sleep in the waters has made somethinghelpless out of something great. What news can compare to the news I have sent you?202This miracle, experienced by the Prophet Musa (as) and the Children of Israel as they crossedthe Red Sea, has been the subject of many studies. Archaeological investigations haveestablished not only the path taken to the Red Sea after leaving Egypt, but also that the placewhere Pharaoh and the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe met was one surrounded by mountains.(Allah knows best.)

The mountain known as Jabal-al Musa is generally regarded as being in the Sinai Peninsula.However, recent findings have shown that it is actually on the Arabian shore of the Red Sea.

Following a long and difficult journey for the Prophet Musa (as) and the Israelites, a passageout betwee n the mountains could be seen. 

That part of the Sinai Peninsula opening onto the Gulf. Following a great deal of study and investigation taking this as the starting point,scientists ca metostriking conclusions with regard to how the sea was divided into two. These conclusions are infull agreement with those revealed in the Qur'an.The way that historical events described in the Qur'an are today illuminatedbyhistoricalrecordsis without doubt an important miracle of the book of Islam.

Pharaoh’s royal chariot is on display in a museum in Egypt. A similar example wasfound duringexcavations in the location where the sea divided. Naum Volzinger and Alexei Androsov, two Russian mathematicians, proved that the ProphetMusa (as) could indeed have parted the sea. Unlike those scientists who concentrated on theprobability of such a miracle, the Russian mathematicians investigated the conditions that mighthave led to the miracle. In turn, this led to the confirmation of the miracle itself.According to the study which was published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences,there was a reef, which was close to the surface in the Red Sea at that time. From there, thescientists set about establishing the speed of the wind and the strength of the storm needed toleave the reef high and dry at low tide. As a result, it became apparent that a wind speed of 30metres per second would have caused the sea to retract, leaving the reef exposed. NaumVolzinger, of the Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that "ifthe [east] wind blew all night at a speed of 30 metres per second then the reef would be dry."He also said that "it would take the Jews-there were 600,000 of them-four hours to cross the 7kilometre reef that runs from one coast to another… then, in half an hour, the waters wouldcome back."203 In addition, Volzinger said that he and his colleague Androsov studied theissue strictly from Isaac Newton's point of view. As he put it, "I am convinced that God rules theEarth through the laws of physics."204It must not be forgotten that there is always a possibility of this natural phenomenon takingplace. If Allah so desires, this miracle can take place again when the requisite conditions-suchas windspeed, time and place-are met. However, the truly miraculous aspect here is the factthat these events took place just when the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe were about to bevanquished. The fact that the waters withdrew just as the Prophet Musa (as) and the communitywith him were about to cross them-not to mention the way that the waters returned just asPharaoh and his army were crossing-is a clear example of the aid that Allah gives to the faithful.Indeed, the way that the Prophet Musa (as) relied on and trusted in Allah is an example of themost pleasing moral values:And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Musa's companions said, "We willsurely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Qur'an,26:61-62) 202. British Museum, Egyptian Papyri No.6.203. Galina Stolyarova, "City Scientists Say Red-Sea Miracle Can Be Explained," The St.Petersburg Times, 20 January 2004, www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/936/top/t_11445.htm;Galina Stolyarova, "Mathematicians Dissect a Miracle," The Moscow Times, 21 January 2004,www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/01/21/003.html.204. Ibid.Source: http://www.miraclesofthequran.com 

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