Shared story · 8 min
Moses and Pharaoh
A baby in the river; a tyrant; a sea that parts.
Shared Stories · Moses and Pharaoh
Moses (peace be upon him) is the prophet the Qur'an names most often, about 136 times. His story with Pharaoh is told in the Torah, remembered at every Passover, and retold across the Qur'an.
In the Torah and the rabbis
Exodus 1–15: the baby in the river, raised by Pharaoh's daughter; the burning bush; the plagues; the sea. At the Seder, Jews spill drops of wine for each plague, so as not to rejoice fully at others' suffering. The Talmud says God stopped the angels singing as the Egyptians drowned: “My handiwork is drowning” (Sanhedrin 39b).
In the Gospels and Christian tradition
Stephen retells the story in Acts 7; Christians see the Passover lamb fulfilled in the Last Supper and Easter.
In the Qur'an
God inspires Moses' mother to set him in the river (28:7); it is Pharaoh's wife who adopts him (28:9), and she is held up as an example of faith (66:11). Moses and Aaron are told to speak to Pharaoh “with gentle speech” (20:44). “Take off your sandals,” Moses hears at the sacred valley (20:12).
Same and different
Freedom from tyranny, God's care for the weak, the door of repentance. In the Torah Pharaoh's daughter rescues Moses; in the Qur'an Pharaoh's wife. Both scriptures say “take off your sandals” (Exodus 3:5; Qur'an 20:12).
We never picture any prophet or Mary. Each panel is checked by a reader from that tradition before this page goes public.
