Qur'anic Contradiction? A Flood During the Time of Moses
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Introduction
One of the recurring criticisms of the Qur'an concerns its retelling of biblical history. While Muslims maintain that the Qur'an confirms previous divine revelation (Qur'an 5:46-48), several passages appear to present events differently from the biblical record.
A notable example concerns the "flood" (al-ṭūfān) mentioned in connection with Pharaoh during the time of Moses.
The central question is:
Did God send a flood upon Egypt during the Exodus?
According to the Bible, the answer is no. However, several Qur'anic passages, together with classical Islamic commentaries, have been understood as describing precisely such an event.
The Flood in the Days of Noah
The Qur'an repeatedly describes the great flood in the time of Noah:
"Indeed, We sent Noah to his people... then the Flood seized them while they were wrongdoers." (Qur'an 29:14)
"We delivered him and those with him in the Ark, and We drowned those who rejected Our signs." (Qur'an 7:64)
These passages clearly refer to Noah's Flood.
The Same Word Appears in the Story of Moses
When describing God's judgments upon Pharaoh, the Qur'an states:
"So We sent upon them the flood (al-ṭūfān), the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and the blood—clear signs..." (Qur'an 7:133)
Later the same chapter says:
"So We took vengeance upon them and drowned them in the sea..." (Qur'an 7:136)
The Arabic word al-ṭūfān is the same term used elsewhere for Noah's flood.
This raises an important historical question:
Was Egypt struck by a flood before Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea?
Classical Muslim Commentaries
Many classical Muslim scholars interpreted al-ṭūfān as an actual flood or overwhelming rain.
Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir records reports from Ibn Abbas and other early authorities explaining the event as:
Heavy rainfall;
Water covering the land;
Crops being destroyed;
The people pleading with Moses to pray for relief.
He also quotes Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who writes that the flood spread across the land and prevented the Egyptians from farming.
Al-Tabari
Al-Tabari likewise explains the plague as a devastating flood caused by heavy rain that submerged Egyptian property before being removed in response to Moses' prayer.
Tafsir Ibn Abbas
The commentary attributed to Ibn Abbas states that continuous rain fell day and night, flooding Egypt before the subsequent plagues arrived.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
Al-Jalalayn similarly explains that floodwaters entered people's homes and rose to their necks for several days before subsiding.
Taken together, these classical commentaries understand al-ṭūfān as a literal flood that struck Egypt.
The Biblical Record
The biblical account presents a different sequence.
According to Exodus, the ten plagues were:
Water turned to blood
Frogs
Gnats
Flies
Death of livestock
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Death of the firstborn
(Exodus 7–12)
Nowhere does Exodus describe a nationwide flood inundating Egypt before the crossing of the Red Sea.
The only overwhelming body of water associated with Pharaoh's destruction is the sea that drowned his army after Israel crossed safely (Exodus 14).
The Nine Signs
Another issue concerns the number of signs given to Moses.
The Qur'an says:
"Indeed We gave Moses nine clear signs." (Qur'an 17:101)
and
"Nine signs to Pharaoh and his people." (Qur'an 27:12)
Many classical Muslim commentators include the flood among these nine signs.
However, the biblical narrative records ten plagues before the Exodus.
This difference has generated long-standing debate between Muslim and Christian scholars regarding whether the Qur'an is referring to the biblical plagues, a different set of miracles, or a selective list rather than a complete enumeration.
A Christian Evaluation
From a Christian perspective, the biblical account is internally consistent.
The Book of Exodus never records a flood devastating Egypt during Moses' ministry. Instead, the major water judgment was the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea after Israel's departure.
Since several classical Islamic commentators understood Qur'an 7:133 to describe a literal flood preceding the Exodus, Christians argue that this creates a historical tension between the Qur'anic narrative and the biblical record.
Muslim scholars, however, often respond that al-ṭūfān may refer more broadly to an overwhelming calamity, torrential rain, or another form of disaster rather than a global flood like Noah's. They therefore reject the claim that the Qur'an confuses Noah's Flood with the plagues of Moses.
The discussion ultimately depends on how one interprets the Arabic term al-ṭūfān and whether one accepts the biblical or Qur'anic account as historically authoritative.
Conclusion
The appearance of al-ṭūfān in the story of Pharaoh remains an important point of discussion in Christian-Muslim apologetics.
Christians contend that:
Exodus contains no plague of a nationwide flood.
Classical Muslim commentators interpreted al-ṭūfān as a literal flood.
The Qur'an lists nine signs where Exodus records ten plagues.
These differences raise questions about the historical relationship between the Qur'an and earlier biblical revelation.
Muslim interpreters, on the other hand, argue that the Arabic term can describe an overwhelming disaster without implying Noah's universal flood and that the Qur'an need not be read as reproducing the biblical list of plagues exactly.
These differing interpretations continue to be a significant subject of scholarly dialogue between Christian and Muslim theologians.
