These plagues are recorded in the Quran and Bible too, and were sent by God after Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
This plague God sent on the nation of
Egypt, and it was that finally ended the brutal 400-year slavery of the people
of Israel. What is this?
The "Plagues of Egypt", called were a number of incidents believed to have happened during the Pharaonic period of Ancient Egypt.
At the time of the plagues, the
Israelites, who were God’s chosen people, were living as enslaved peoples in
Egypt. They were undergoing a great deal of suffering and were crying out to
God to save them from their circumstances.
Prophet Moses began by asking the Pharaoh to release the
Israelites, but he refused.
It was in response to the
Pharaoh’s refusal that God sent the 5 plagues. The plagues were intended to
force Pharaoh’s hand and make him release the Israelites from Egypt.
First,
God gave Pharaoh and the Egyptians warnings, in the form of plagues. With each
plague, the Egyptians had an opportunity to repent and release the Israelites
from slavery.
Every
time, the Egyptians refused Even after that direct warning and all the other
plagues, Pharaoh still would not release the Israelites from slavery.
Each time the Pharaoh is
subjected to humiliation, his defiance becomes greater.
Five Consecutive Punishments upon the followers of Pharaoh.
When
the blessed staff of Prophet Musa turned into a serpent and swallowed the
snakes of magicians, then they (the magicians) fell into prostration and
embraced the true faith. But Pharaoh and his followers still did not embrace
the true faith.
And instead, his disbelief
and stubbornness increased even more and he started to strive even harder to
hurt the feelings and torture the Momineen of Bani Israil and Prophet Musa.
Pharaoh started to use different means
to increase his cruelties. Aggrieved from the cruelties of Pharaoh, Prophet
Moses supplicated in the court of Allah.
O my Rabb! Pharaoh has become very ignorant and cruel and his
followers breached their promises.
Therefore,
trail them with such curses that may be a punishment for them which becomes in
admonition for my people and future generation. (Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol3, pp22: Part
9 Surah al-Ara’af verse 133)
After the supplication of
Prophet Moses, Allah sent five consecutive punishments on the followers of
Pharaoh. Those five punishments are as following:
1) Plague of Storm
All
of sudden, a cloud appeared which prevailed darkness everywhere. Then it
started to rain heavily. In the midst of the rain, there was a storm, resulting
in the rain water to enter the houses of the followers of Pharaoh. They were
clogged in the water and water mounted up to their necks.
Those who sat down drowned and killed. Neither they could move nor do anything. The waves of the storm destroyed their crops and gardens.
Though the houses of Bani Israil were adjacent with the houses
of the followers of Pharaoh, the water of the flood did not enter the houses of
Bani Israil and they were living in their houses with peace and serenity.
When
Pharaoh’s followers could no longer tolerate the punishment and became
helpless, they came to Prophet Musa and requested him to pray for them so that
this calamity is taken away from them.
They
also announced that they will embrace faith and will send Bani Israil to him
(To Prophet Moosa). Thus Moses supplicated and the punishment of storm was
taken away.
Then again they deviated from their committed promise and did not embrace the faith. Once again they started their atrocities and ignorant activities.
2. Plague of Locusts
The pharaoh’s followers enjoyed peace and tranquillity for one
month but when their cheating, arrogance and cruelties started to increase,
Almighty Allah, sent his wrath and punishment in the shape of locusts. Thus
swarms of locusts emerged from all nooks and corners which ate all their crops
and gardens.
They even ate the woods of their houses. The houses of Pharaoh’s followers were full with locusts and it made their life miserable, but the fields and gardens of the believers of Banu Israil were safe and sound from the invasion of these locusts.
Upon seeing this, pharaoh’s followers learnt a great lesson and after getting fed up of this punishment, they again reported Moses and promised him that if he supplicates for the removal of this punishment, we will surely embrace the true faith and will not execute tyrannies and cruelties on Bani Israil.
Therefore, on the seventh day, the
punishment was removed from them dure to the prayers of Prophet Musa. Again,
these people lived in a state of luxury and peace for a month.
Once
again these people broke their promises and did not embrace the true faith
again. Their practices of disbelief and sins started to increase again.
3. Plague of Weevil
After a passage of another month, there was a new torment hailed upon them in form of weevils. Some interpreters say that these weevils entered in their wheat and cash crops and ate away all their food reserves.
Some interpreters are of the opinion
that it was a tiney vermin that eroded the ripen crops and also entered in
their dresses and started bruising and biting their skin and this incessant
stinging to their bodies made them convulsive like a slaughtered cock.
Their
conditions worsened so much that these vermin bruised and scratched the hair
of heads, beards, moustaches, eyebrows and eyelashes and they had an appearance
as that of a small pox victim.
These vermins also entered in their foods, waters and utensils
and due to the presence of these insects, the Pharaoh’s followers were unable
to eat and drink and were unable to have even a nap for a moment.
This
punishment remained for a time span of one week and made them very miserable.
These people were compelled to howl and cry and once again they reported Moses
and requested him to pray for their redemption and assured that they will accept
the faith.
Feeling pity on their state of anxiety and melancholy, Prophet Musa supplicated for them and consequently, the punishment was shunned away.
As
per there habit, these insolent followers of Pharaoh once again breached their
promise and once again started their acts of persecutions and cruelties which a
new vigour and more intensity.
After one month, there was another
punishment upon them in the form of frogs.
4. Plague of Frogs
All
of a sudden, there was an abrupt and haphazard breeding of numerous frogs in
the houses of the followers of Pharaoh and the conditions of these atrocious
and tyrants was as that were so ever these people would have sitting, their
gatherings were filled with thousands of frogs.
If anyone opened his mouth to talk or eat, frogs would jump in his mouth. Frogs would be in their cook pots and would sit over their bodies in hundreds. They were having no relieve from these frogs while walking, sitting, and sleeping.
The followers of Pharaoh started to cry due
to this punishment and again in this whining state, they reported Prophet Musa
and begged him to invoke for them and administered many oaths and promised him
that we will surely embrace the faith and will never coerce the believers in
future.
Therefore, on the seventh day, due to the supplication of Prophet Musa, this punishment was also lifted but these condemned and cursed
people again, engaged themselves in their devilish activities upon acquiring
peace.
They once again started persecution of
believers and again began to disrespect Prophet Moses. Once again they
stimulated the severe punishment for them and again the torment hailed upon
them in form of blood.
5. Plague of water
turning into Blood
All
of a sudden, the water of all wells and rivers of Pharaoh’s followers were
filled with blood and they beseeched Pharaoh about it.
The
ignorant Pharaoh said that this is magic of Syaduna Musa. Upon hearing his
comments, his followers said that what kind of magic is this that our crockery
and kitchenware are filled with blood and believers have no impact on them.
Then Pharaoh ordered them to draw out water with believers from
the same bucked, but it was strange and miraculous expression of the Power of
the Most Powerful Almighty Allah.
That when believers drew out water, it was crystal clear, pure and sweet water; but on contrary, when the followers of Pharaoh used to draw out water, it was pure blood.
When the severe thirst humiliated the
followers of Pharaoh, they came to believers and said that we will drink water
with you in the same pot and at the same time.
When believers and non believers used to
collectively drink water, at the side of believers, there was a crystal clear
water but on the other side of non-believers, the water that used to go in to
the mouths of pharaoh’s followers used to alter in blood.
In state of helplessness, the Pharaoh and
his followers quenched their thirst by chewing grass and extracting water from
it but even the liquid that was extracted from it would turn into blood when it
reached in their mouths.
Fed
up from these miserable conditions, the followers of Pharaoh again requested
Moses for the removal of the punishment from them.
Again
due to prophetic kindness and compassion, Moses prayed for them. Thus on the
seventh day, the torment of this curse of blood was removed from them.images
There
were consecutive five punishments on the followers of Pharaoh and every
punishment was removed on the seventh day.
There
used to be an interval of one month between two punishments, but the hearts of
these tyrants and transgressors were so sternly sealed and they were wretched
to such an extent that they would not embrace the faith.
Almighty Allah decided to
put an end to Pharaoh's crimes after He had given him several chances.
The
Quran mentions that God instructs Musa to travel at night with the Israelites
and warns them that they would be pursued. The Pharaoh chases the Israelites
with his army after realizing that they have left during the night.
Allah
commanded Moses to depart, and the children of Israel received reluctant
permission from Pharaoh to go out of the city for their feast. They prepared
themselves to leave Egypt.
This
later became known as the Exodus. They carried with them their jewels and
borrowed a lot of jewels from the Egyptians.
In
the darkness of night, Moses led his people towards the Red Sea, and in the
morning they reached the beach. By then Pharaoh was aware of their departure,
so he mobilized a huge army to pursue them.
The Parting of the Red Sea
The
impatient children of Israel soon became agitated and Joshua (Yusha), Ibn Nun,
exclaimed: "In front of us is this impassable barrier, the sea, and behind
us the enemy; surely death cannot be avoided!"
Moses
replied that he would wait for further guidance from Allah. These words filled
them with some hope, but man is always impatient for results: they were willing
to surrender themselves back into slavery.
At that moment Allah revealed to Moses:
"Strike the sea with your staff!" Moses did as he was commanded. A
fierce wind blew, the sun shone brightly, and in a flash the sea parted, the
crests of the waves standing like mountains on each side.
As
they looked back, they saw Pharaoh and his army approaching, about to take the
very path which had been opened for them.
In
great fear and panic, they pleaded with Moses to ask Allah to close the sea.
However, Allah commanded Moses not to smite the sea with his staff again, for
Allah's decree was already in action.
The Death of the Pharaoh
Pharaoh and his army had seen the
miracle, how the sea had parted.
Pharaoh turned to his men and stated: "Look! The sea has
opened at my command so that I may follow those rebels and arrest them!"
They rushed across the parted waters, and when they were midway, Allah commanded the sea to return to its former state.
Terror-stricken
Pharaoh, realizing that his end had come, declared out of fear: "I believe
that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah in whom the children of
Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender to Him."
But
Allah did not accept this declaration from the tyrant, and the waters closed
over him, drowning him and his entire army.
Moses's People's Escape and Pharaoh's Death
The curtain fell on Pharaoh's tyranny, and
the waves threw his corpse up on to the western seashore.
The
Egyptians saw him and knew that their gods whom they worshipped and obeyed were
mere slaves who could not keep death away from their own necks.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Israelites after Pharaoh's Defeat. Were cursed with forty
years of wilderness wandering in Desert?
The End
Disclaimer–Blogger has
prepared this short write up with help of materials and images available on
net. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting.The materials
and images are the copy right of original writers. The copyright of these
materials are with the respective owners.Blogger is thankful to original
writers.
No comments:
Post a Comment