Islam Rediscovered
22. The Role of Non-Muslims in Islamic Development
~ 384 ~
This refers to the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, a
contemporary of the Prophet Moses. As we know,
Pharaoh had been drowned by God in the deep
waters of the sea. At that moment God had decreed
the preservation of Pharaoh’s body in order that it
might be a sign of God for future generations.
However, neither at the time of revelation of the
Qur’an, nor even a thousand years later, did anyone
have had any knowledge regarding Pharaoh’s
body; it remained absolutely unknown to the
Muslim world. It was not until the end of the
nineteenth century that this preserved body was
discovered. This prediction of the Qur’an had been
fulfilled to the letter. However, this task was
performed entirely by non-Muslims.
It was a French scholar, Prof. Loret, who discovered
this mummified body of Pharoah at Thebes in the
King’s Valley, from where it was transported to
Cairo. Prof. Elliot Smith removed its wrapping on
the 8th of July, 1907. He gives a detailed description
of this operation and examination of the body in his
book,
The Royal Mummies
(1912).
