Did We not expand for you (O Muḥammad) your breast? And removed from you your burden Which had weighed upon your back? And elevated for you your reputation?

[Qur’an 94:1-4]

Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad) Al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise); Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him alone). For he who hates you, he will be cut off (from any good).

[Qur’an 108:1-3]

Before we explain these, let’s talk about some history. When Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was preaching in his birthplace and home of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, it is an understatement to say that times were tough. When we read about his life story, we automatically think of the latter part in Madinah when the Muslims kept increasing in numbers and won many battles. We forget the decade-plus long struggle that happened in Makkah where the Muslims were the minority, persecuted by the elites. The reaction of the people to Islam went from simple dislike in the early periods to hate that resulted in boycotts, physical harm, and even murder in the latter periods.

If you were one of the non-Muslims living in Makkah at the time, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you thought that that the Muslims are just a bunch of annoying people disrupting societal norms and that within a few decades, everyone will forget about them – a footnote in history, if even!

If people were to be remembered, it would have been the elites. It’s common sense for any society. What made things more in the favor of that opinion was that all the sons of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) passed away when the latter Surah above was revealed. In a heavily patriarchal society, one can imagine what having a son meant, not only while alive, but also for one’s legacy. In fact, it is said that when Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ) son passed away, the polytheists either made fun of him or at minimum, felt pity that he would be forgotten.

Thus, the latter Surah was revealed by God as a response and a consolation for Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). It did not only say that he would be given what really matters – prizes in Paradise – but also made a prophecy that his enemies will actually be the ones cut off. “Cut off” as scholars of the Qur’an explain, includes being cut off from being remembered. In a situation where not only was everything stacked against the Muslims, but also where everything was in favor of the elites, it is nothing short of a miracle to make such a claim.

Just looking at the statistics today, there are about 2 BILLION Muslims in the world. Billions with a capital “B”! And fun fact, “Muhammad” actually means “the one who is praised” and at any given moment, countless Muslims are sending prayers to the man they call their role model and final Prophet of God. Thus, as the first Surah above mentions, did God not elevate for Prophet Muhammad his reputation?

When we think of the word “pharaoh“, we think of the rulers of Ancient Egypt. We think of their claim to being gods, being mummified, and then being buried in the pyramids.

However, many of us may not know that historically the term “pharaoh” was not always used for the Ancient Egyptian civilization. It was actually used for the rulers starting at the New Kingdom (see timeline below from Ancient History Encyclopedia). Before that, the word simply meant “royal palace” and NOT the title for the ruler.

According to history, Prophet Joseph (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) is said to have lived before the New Kingdom, likely during the Middle Kingdom or Second Intermediate, when the Hyksos ruled Egypt. Prophet Moses (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), on the other hand, is said to have lived during the New Kingdom.

So where are we going with this? Well, in the Bible, it says:

“Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.” [Genesis 41:14, English Standard Version]

In the story of Moses, it says:

“When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.” [Exodus 2:15 ESV]

So essentially, it mentions “pharaoh” for both time periods, even though historically, rulers were not called “pharaohs” during the time of Joseph.

However, in the Qur’an, there is a clear distinction. In the story of Joseph, it says:

“And [subsequently] the King said, ‘Indeed, I have seen [in a dream] seven fat cows being eaten by seven [that were] lean, and seven green spikes [of grain] and others [that were] dry. O eminent ones, explain to me my vision, if you should interpret visions.'” [Qur’an 12:43]

In the story of Moses, it says:

“And Moses said, ‘“‘O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds,” [Qur’an 7:104]

Thus, in the Qur’an, there is an accurate use of the two words “King” and “Pharaoh”. That then leads to the next question – where did the Qur’an get this from? The claim that it stole from the bible is clearly disproven here. As well, during Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ) time, there was no access to these historical information in the lands of Arabia, aside from the bibles and torahs present. And if he was to copy from the bible, why didn’t he copy the inaccuracies as well?

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1. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/12835/timeline-of-ancient-egypt/