The life of the children of Israel in Egypt...
Selections from the Book The King Prophets...
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi...
Episode (3)
The story of the Children of Israel began in Egypt after Joseph (peace be upon him) came there, and invited his father and brothers to reside there, after he gained power and became the second man there. Surah Yusuf tells us the wondrous and exciting events that happened to Joseph (peace be upon him), from the time he was a small child who was hated and jealous of by his older brothers, until he became a great man surrounded by the care of Allah Almighty.
Jacob (peace be upon him) and his children, their wives, and grandchildren immigrated to Egypt at the invitation of its king and his deputy, Joseph (peace be upon him), in the sixteenth century BC. Jacob was one hundred and thirty years old, and his son Joseph received him warmly. Then He was received by the King of Egypt - he was a Hyksos - and the king welcomed Joseph’s father and his brothers with the most beautiful welcome, and Jacob lived in the land of Egypt in honor for seventeen years, until his total lifespan became one hundred and forty-seven years, as some history books mentioned, then death came to him.
And he had left this will to his sons, which the Qur’an told about in the last moments of his life (peace be upon him), and it was in Egypt and among his children: Allah Almighty said: {(And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], {O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims" (132) Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said, “We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac – one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him(133)} [Al-Baqarah: 132-133].
The children of Israel lived in Egypt surrounded by honor and various privileges, and they lived happily ever after in Egypt. Joseph (peace be upon him) was highly respected in Egypt, and Allah Almighty mentioned for us in his dear book a final supplication for Joseph (peace be upon him), and the Almighty said: {My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous} [Yusuf: 101]. The Holy Qur’an referred to the death of Joseph (peace be upon him) on the lips of a believer in the family of Pharaoh, when he addressed his people and called them to monotheism; This was mentioned in the Almighty’s saying: {And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs, but you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you, until when he died, you said, ‘Never will Allah send a messenger after him.’ Thus does Allah leave astray he who is a transgressor and skeptic} [Ghafir: 34].
The Prophet of Allah, Joseph (peace be upon him), lived in Egypt, calling for the monotheism of Allah Almighty and singling Him out for worship in his prison and in his palace. He used his great position as a propagandist, and presented clear signs of his prophecy and proofs of his call. So those whom Allah guided, except a few people, believed in him, {But you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you} The Egyptians expressed their opposition to the call of Joseph (peace be upon him) after his death. As soon as he died, they said: God will not send a messenger after him, as if they were relieved because they had gotten rid of him and his call. Perhaps the Holy Qur’an expressed Joseph’s death, because the people of Egypt did not respond to the call of Joseph (peace be upon him). Only Allah knows.
The Qur’anic and Hadith texts do not talk about the Children of Israel after Joseph (peace be upon him), they do not refer to what happened to them during this period near the era of Moses (peace be upon him), They do not indicate how long the Children of Israel remained in Egypt in honor and dignity, and they do not specify the period in which the Pharaohs’ persecution and torture began.
The Pharaohs, led by Ahmose, were able to defeat the Hyksos, purify their country of the Hyksos kings, and expel them from Egypt. Thus, conditions changed for the children of Israel, and Egypt entered a new phase of Pharaonic rule. When rule in Egypt passed to the Pharaohs, they persecuted and tortured the children of Israel because they considered the Israelis to be agents of the invading Hyksos colonialists, and for this reason they directed their anger at them. The Pharaohs forgot the virtue of Joseph (peace be upon him) when he took over their authority and ruled Egypt in a severe economic crisis, it represented seven lean and barren years, during which Joseph left the people of Egypt in peace and security.
The children of Israel in Egypt were believers in Allah and were monotheists to Him, while the Egyptians were unbelievers and polytheists in Allah, worshiping idols and worshiping Pharaoh himself as a god, and this is one of the reasons for the enmity between the two parties, the group of Israelis who believe in Allah and worship Him, and the group of Egyptians who polytheize Allah, and worship Pharaoh. The Qur’an verses have indicated aspects of the corruption of Pharaoh’s rule, and mentioned examples of his persecution and torture of the Children of Israel.
They became a group whose survival was undesirable, so the Egyptians subjected them to various forms of torment, and made them slaves in their homes and laborers in their lands, and forced them to pave roads, dig canals, and build temples and tombs.
Episode references:
- Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi, The King Prophets, first edition, Dar Ibn Kathir, 2023, pp. 32-35.
- The Jewish Faith, Dr. Saad al-Din Saleh, Dar al-Safa, 2nd edition, 1990, p. 57.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of King Prophets on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi:
https://www.alsalabi.com/salabibooksOnePage/689
