Page 111 - Perished Nations

Because of their conduct, Allah sent them a number of disasters as "se-
parate miracles" to make them taste the torment in this world, before the
eternal torment of the next world. The first of these was drought and scar-
city of crops. In relation to the subject, it is written in the Qur’an: "We pu-
nished the people of Fir’awn with years (of droughts) and shortness of
crops; that they might receive admonition." (Surat al-A‘raf: 130).
Egyptians had based their agricultural system on the River Nile and, the-
refore, they were not influenced by changes in natural conditions. But an
unexpected disaster befell them because Fir’awn and his close friends we-
re proud and arrogant towards Allah and denied His prophet. For various
reasons, the level of the River Nile sank a great deal and irrigation canals
running off from the river did not carry enough water to agricultural are-
as. Extreme heat caused the crops to dry up. Thus, the disaster came on
Fir’awn and his circle from a very unexpected direction from the River Ni-
le upon which they relied. This drought dismayed Fir’awn who previously
used to address his people as follows "O my people! Does not the domi-
nion of Egypt belong to me, (witness) these streams flowing underneath
my (palace)? What! see ye not then?" (Surat az-Zukhruf: 51)
However, instead of "taking heed" as they should have, they held all
that had happened was because of ill fortune brought by Musa and the
Children of Israel. They were overcome by such conviction because of the-
ir superstitions, disobedience and devotion to the religion of their ances-
tors and, as a result, they suffered great distress for years. Allah sent to
them a series of disasters, and warned them. These disasters are described
as follows in the Qur’an:
So We sent (plagues) on them: Wholesale death, Locusts, Lice, Frogs, and
Blood: Signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance - a
people given to sin. (Surat al-A‘raf: 133)
The disasters Allah sent down on Fir’awn and the denying people aro-
und him have also been described in the Old Testament in agreement with
the Qur’an:
And there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus, 7:21)
And if thou refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with
frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up

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