Is The Killing Of The Firstborn Of The Egyptians Compatible With The Quran?
Quran has mentioned nine specific signs given to Prophet Moses (sws) on several occasions ( Quran 17:101 , Quran 27:12 ) and has mentioned those nine signs in Quran Surah Araf ( Chapter Seven ) with repetition of some signs in other places in the Quran as well. According to Ghamidi Sahab [Footnote 1] , following are those signs mentioned in Quran which descended one after the other: i ) the staff becoming a serpent ( Quran 7:107 ), ii ) the hand shining like the sun as soon as it was withdrawn from the arm pit ( Quran 7:108 ), iii ) defeat of the magicians in public ( Quran 7:115-117 ), iv ) drought in the whole country ( Quran 7:130 ), v ) then the calamities of storms ( Quran 7:133 ), vi ) locusts ( Quran 7:133 ), vii ) lice ( Quran 7:133 ), viii ) frogs ( Quran 7:133 ) and, ix ) blood ( Quran 7:133 ). Following Three plagues mentioned in the Bible ( Exodus 7:14 to 12:36 ) have been leftout by Quran and not included in the nine specific signs mentioned in Quran: i ) the boils, ii ) the darkness and, iii ) the deaths of the first born. In the light of the above mentioned Quranic verses, it is safe to conclude that Quran does not consider these three to be the signs attributed to Prophet Moses (SWS) as part of his scheme of Prophethood. However, there is a possibility that these three plagues might have hit Egypt out of some other natural causes as a form of pandemic/natural calamity/contagious disease etc. __ [ Footnote 1 ] وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسٰی تِسۡعَ اٰیٰتٍۭ بَیِّنٰتٍ فَسۡـَٔلۡ بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ اِذۡ جَآءَہُمۡ فَقَالَ لَہٗ فِرۡعَوۡنُ اِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّکَ یٰمُوۡسٰی مَسۡحُوۡرًا [You ask for signs.] We had given Moses nine clear signs [120] Then ask the Israelites that when Moses came to them, the Pharaoh had said to him: “Moses! I think that you are under a magical spell. ” (Quran 17:101) (Excerpt from Quranic Exegesis: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi) (English Rendering by Dr. Shehzad Saleem) [120] . Earlier in Surah al-Araf, these signs have been mentioned. Ie., the staff becoming a serpent, the hand shining like the sun as soon as it was withdrawn from the arm pit, defeat of the magicians in public, drought in the whole country, then the calamities of storms, locusts, lice, frogs and blood which descended one after the other.