Qur’an Cover-to-Cover: Day 16 (“The Story”)
Today we return (again) to the story of Moses and encounter some notable differences between the Qur’an and the account found in the Hebrew Bible…
Surah 28 – “The story” (Al-Qasas)
We open again with the assertion that the Qur’an is “a clear Book”.
We jump to Egypt and are told about the Pharaoh who persecuted the Children of Israel. The Qur’an describes this rather strangely, saying that “[Pharaoh] made [the people of the land] into factions, oppressing a sector among them”. This “sector” is assumed to be the Israelites. However, things get weirder still. We are told that one of Pharaoh’s ministers is a man called “Haman”. Now, there is a man in the Old Testament by that name, who was indeed a government minister and who also sought the downfall of Israel. However, this man lived in a different land and in a different time period, when the Children of Israel were saved by the intercession of Queen Ester. It should also be noted that the when baby Moses is brought into the royal household, it is Pharaoh’s wife, not his daughter, who is his principal saviour.
We fastforward through time until Moses is a grown man and kills one of the Egyptians. In the Biblical narrative, this happens when Moses sees a soldier beating an Israelite slave. However, in the Qur’an, we are told that Moses sees “two men fighting”, the Israelite (the “one from his faction”) calls for help and Moses “[unintentially] killed [the other man]”. Moses declares this to be “from the work of Satan”, he repents and we are told that Allah forgives him.
In the Old Testament account, what happens next is that Moses comes upon two Israelites arguing and, when he tries to broker peace between them, one of them discloses that he knows that Moses had previously killed an Egyptian. In the Qur’an it’s a little different. The Israelite whom Moses helped on the previous day has yet another altercation with another Egyptian. Moses has harsh words for the Israelite, calling him a “[persistent] deviator”. In response, the Israelite (or possibly the Egyptian – the grammar is unclear) asks if Moses is going to kill him as he did the previous Egyptian. Then an unnamed man comes “from the farthest end of the city” to warn Moses that “the eminent ones are conferring…[intending] to kill you”. As a result, Moses flees to Midian.
At Midian, Moses waters the flocks of two women he meets. These women petition their father to hire him, but he goes a step further and tells Moses he wants to marry him off to one of his daughters, but only on the condition that he works for him for either eight or ten years (rather reminicent of the story of Jacob). We’re not told which daughter he marries or for how long her works. However, after Moses has “completed the term” he encounters the burning bush. That story is then repeated, but no new information is given in this retelling.
Moses then goes to Pharoah. In this version of the story, the king’s response to Moses is a little odd. Once again, Pharaoh makes claims of magic on the part of Moses, but what’s odd is that he goes on to say that “we have not heard of this [religion] among our forefathers”. If the religion of Moses is the same religion as Jacob and his sons, I find it hard to believe that Pharaoh could be completely ignorant of it. Perhaps he just means that it’s not a native Egyptian religion? Pharaoh also says that “I have not known you to have a god other than me”. This is also a strange thing to say, given that the Egyptians were polytheists (worshipping Isis, Horeb, Seb, …). Pharoah then tells Haman, in a manner reminicent of the Tower of Babel, to build for him a “tower” so that he may “look at the God of Moses”.
The story continues. The Egyptians are thrown into the sea. We are then told that Allah “gave Moses the Scripture…as enlightenment for the people and guidance and mercy that they might be reminded”. There is no mention of any kind of corruption of the text.
Given that this chapter has contained more than a few questionable narrative details, in a rather ironic turn, the next couple of verses emphasize that Muhammad, in the words of my commentary, “had no way of obtaining this information except thorugh Allah’s revelation” and is seen as a proof of his prophethood and the veracity of the Qur’an. Of course, it should be pointed out that Muhammad, as a merchant, would have no doubt come into contact with Jews and certainly heard some of the Biblical stories. The very fact that the Qur’an records Muhammad’s critics saying that he’s just retelling “tales of former peoples” backs this up.
The Qur’an then tries to draw parallels between Moses and Muhammad, as well as between their revelations, the Torah and the Qur’an, respectively. We are told that the Quraysh tribe in Mecca claimed that the Torah and the Qur’an were both “works of magic supporting each other”. Allah tells Muhammad to respond by saying “Then bring a scripture from Allah which is more guiding than either of them that I may follow it”. Once again, this entire conversation presupposes the preservation of the Torah, contrary to the claim of many Muslims I have met. The relationship between the Torah and the Qur’an is narrated further and we are told that some Jews, upon hearing the Qur’an say that “We have believed in it…indeed we were [even] before it, Muslims [i.e. submitting to Allah]”.
We then have an extended series of verses which speak of the Judgement, particularly focussing on those who ascribed partners to Allah.
Finally, we are then told about someone called “Qarun” who was “from the people of Moses”. He was rich and he tyrannized the people.This is Korah who led a rebellion against Moses. As punishment (and as an example), he was swallowed up by the earth, along with his home. Reminiscent of Job (“The LORD gives, the LORD takes away…”), the people say “Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom he wills of His servants and restricts it!”, going on to say that if Allah had not conferred favour upon them, they too would be swallowed up!
Q1. Did Allah want to make the Children of Israel “inheritors” of the land of Egypt? Why does this not actually happen? It seems His will was contradicted.
Q2. Who is the “Haman” mentioned?
Q3. Ayah 13 says that Allah bestowed upon Moses “judgment and knowledge”. We are then told “And thus [does Allah] reward the doers of good”. Is it cause or effect? Does Allah give these things which makes someone good?
Q4. Is there anything in the Arabic to indicate that Moses’ killing of the Egyptian was unintential? That word is placed in brackets in my translation (ayah 15), suggesting to me that this is an interpretation.
Q5. I’ve heard some Muslims say Prophets are sinless, criticizing the Bible for writing scandalous things about them. However, wouldn’t Moses’ killing of the Egyptian count as a sin? After all, we are explicitly told that he repents and that Allah forgives him.
Q6. Who are the “he”s mentioned in ayah 19? Is the Israelite fighting with another Egyptian? Is the Israelite afraid he’s going to be killed by Moses or is the second Egyptian?
Q7. In ayah 36, Pharoah says “we have not heard of this [religion] among our forefathers”. How is this possible if the Children of Israel have been living in Egypt for years? Does he just mean that it’s a non-native Egyptians religion? Also, in ayah 38, Pharaoh appears to suggest that the Egyptians were monotheists, worshipping only Pharaoh.
Q8. If the Torah has been corrupted, why is this not mentioned in ayah 43?
Q9. Is ayah 53 saying that some Jews, upon hearing the Qur’an say that they already believed its message, since it is also found in the Torah?
Q10. Why do the Quraysh say in ayah 57 that “If we were to follow the guidance with you [Muhammad], we would be swept from the our land”? Why would following him cause their downfall?
Q11. Why does Allah say he will bring Muhammad “back to a place of return”? My footnote says that this could be a reference to Mecca. How could this be if he hadn’t yet left for Medina? Is this regarded as a prophecy?
Well, that was quite a busy chapter! Even though tomorrow is Christmas, I’m going to maintain the habit of posting notes each day, so I’ll see you tomorrow!