The Holy Quran's historical accuracy is another testament to its miraculous nature. While other religious texts may offer accounts of certain events, the Holy Quran frequently provides a far more accurate narrative. Despite a few occasions of initial skepticism from non-Muslims, the Holy Quran's historical claims have consistently been verified through subsequent research and discoveries. This section will examine specific instances where the Holy Quran's historical accuracy surpasses that of other religious texts, showcasing its unparalleled ability to convey historical truths with clarity and precision.

Haman in the Holy Quran

A person by the name of Haman is mentioned in the Holy Quran. As per the Holy Quran, he was the minister of Pharaoh. Haman is mentioned in the Holy Quran about six times. The Holy Quran informs us about Haman, whom Pharaoh commanded to build a tower. On the other hand, Haman of the Bible did not work for Pharaoh. As per the Bible, Haman worked for another king named Xerxes in the Biblical Book of Esther. When the Biblical Catholic scholars in the 1600s started researching orientalist studies (Islamic studies), they were overjoyed to have apparently found a mistake in the Holy Quran. They found Haman working for Pharaoh in the Holy Quran, while the book of Esther mentions him working under King Xerxes, who lived a thousand years after the Pharaoh in Babylon, not even in Egypt. And he built for them a tower. Many people must have heard the story of the Tower of Babylon. So, the Christian scholars challenged the historical Integrity of the Holy Quran.

They said, “Oh, Muhammad must have plagiarized it from a priest and made a mistake, because he mixed up the story of the Tower of Babel and the story of Xerxes with the story of the Pharaoh, and he’s confused between the two of them, that’s what he did, misquotation in the Quran.” What really interesting is that in the late 1800s, Catholic scholarship, which is the body of Catholic scholarship, unanimously denied the Book of Esther as a valid source of History. They acknowledged that their own book is unanimously a “legend” meaning it just consists of made-up stories. Even the Jewish encyclopedia now says that the Book of Esther has no historical value, none whatsoever. But this does not end here.

The Holy Quran informs that this Quran tells Bani Israel about the things that they even disagreed upon. Dr. Maurice Bucaille, who wrote the book “The Bible the Quran and Science” was an expert in history as well. He wanted to study Islamic history when he came across this problem presented by Catholic priests. So, he did some research on it. In the late 1800s, Egyptian hieroglyphics were being revived as a language because hieroglyphics had died out thousands of years ago.  It died as a language long ago, even centuries before the time of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. It was thus later revived by the German and French Scholars in the twentieth century. The study of ancient Egyptian civilization is called Egyptology. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including history, archeology, language, literature, and art. The Egyptologists traveled to Egypt, studied the hieroglyphics, and developed a scheme of spelling those images and turning them into pronounceable words. This work was done about 120 to 130 years ago. They got into this study and also made records regarding the Egyptian ministers and their respective roles.

Dr. Maurice Bucaille traveled to France to meet an Egyptologist and asked him to find the name of Haman in their records. He replied that he would not be able to answer him, and therefore, Dr. Maurice would have to go to Germany to learn about Haman. However, he asked Dr. Maurice how and when he came across the name Haman. Dr. Maurice told him how the Holy Quran, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH in the 7th Century, informs about a minister of Pharaoh by this name. He further revealed how Pharaoh had instructed Haman to build a tower for him. According to the Holy Quran, “And Pharaoh said (to his people,) O courtiers, I do not recognize any god for you other than me. So kindle for me, O Haman, a fire on the clay (to bake bricks) and build for me a tower, so that I may look on to the God of Musa. I deem him to be one of the liars.” (Surah Qasas, Ayat 38)

The Egyptologist said that it is impossible, as nobody could have had access to any names from that time because the language had already died long before the time of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Dr. Muarice traveled to Germany to look up the names of different architects, constructors, and ministers under the Pharaoh. They looked specifically under the Pharaoh at the time of Prophet Musa AS (Moses). He found Haman’s name there as the minister of the stone queries and construction. This name was discovered in the twentieth century, that is, centuries after the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. So, how is this information about Haman present in the Holy Quran? It is because the Holy Quran is the word of the Almighty God, Allah SWT. 

The Kings and Pharaohs of ancient Egypt

The kings of ancient Egypt during the time of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham), Prophet Yusof AS (Joseph), and Prophet Musa AS (Moses) are constantly addressed with the title 'Pharaoh' in the Bible. Following are a few examples of the use of this title from the Bible:

According to the book of Genesis, the king who was a contemporary of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham) was called Pharaoh, and this title is used six times in Genesis 12:10-20. One example is: “But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai.” (12:17)

According to the book of Genesis, the king who ruled Egypt in Prophet Yusof’s AS (Joseph) time was also referred to as Pharaoh. The king is addressed as Pharaoh ninety times. One example is: “So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.” (41:14)

According to the book of Exodus, the king who ruled Egypt in Prophet Musa’s AS (Moses) time was also referred to as Pharaoh. He is addressed as Pharaoh 128 times. One example is: “When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian...” (2:15)

Thus, the Bible uses the same title of “Pharoah” for the kings of ancient Egypt during the time of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham), Prophet Yusof AS (Joseph), and Prophet Musa AS (Moses) suggesting a connection between these kings. The Holy Quran, however, employs two distinct titles for the Egyptian kings during the eras of Prophets Yusuf AS (Joseph) and Prophet Musa AS (Moses), diverging from the Biblical narrative. This suggests that the Holy Quran does not show a connection between these kings as asserted in the Bible. The sovereign of Egypt who was a contemporary of Prophet Yusof AS (Joseph) is named "Malik" (King) in the Holy Quran; whereas the sovereign of Egypt who ruled during the time of Prophet Musa AS (Moses) is named him “Fir`awn” (Pharaoh) in the Holy Quran.

For example, the following two verses of the Holy Quran use the term “Malik” (King) while narrating the story of Prophet Yusof AS (Joseph) in Chapter Joseph:

Thus, the Holy Quran distinguishes between the kings of ancient Egypt during the times of Prophet Yusuf AS (Joseph) and Prophet Musa AS (Moses) by employing two distinct terms. This differentiation is supported by modern Egyptological research, which confirms that the title “Pharaoh” was not used for the dynasty ruling during the time of the Prophet Yusuf. The writers of the Bible, on the other hand, used the singular term 'Pharaoh' for both kings, seemingly overlooking this historical distinction. Thus, they have made a serious mistake in narrating the History of ancient Egypt. This discrepancy highlights the Holy Quran's accuracy and attention to historical detail. God cannot make a mistake like the Biblical writers. This point is further elaborated in a research paper with the title “Qur'anic Accuracy Vs. Biblical Error: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt”. The research paper is concluded with the following sentences: 

“According to modern linguist research the word ‘Pharaoh’ comes from the Egyptian per-aa, meaning the ‘Great House’ and originally referred to the palace rather than the king himself. The word was used by the writers of the Old Testament and has since become a widely adopted title for all the kings of Egypt. However, the Egyptians did not call their ruler ‘Pharaoh’ until the 18th Dynasty (c. 1552 - 1295 BC) in the New Kingdom Period. In the language of the hieroglyphs, ‘Pharaoh’ was first used to refer to the king during the reign of Amenhophis IV (c. 1352 - 1338 BC). We know that such a designation was correct in the time of Moses but the use of the word Pharaoh in the story of Joseph is an anachronism, as under the rule of the Hyksos there was no ‘Pharaoh’. Similarly, the events related in Genesis 12 concerning Abraham (c. 2000-1700 BCE) could not have occurred in a time when the sovereign of Egypt was called Pharaoh, and this exposes yet another anachronism. In several chapters of Genesis, we find the same error frequently recurring – some ninety-six times in total. What is clear is that the biblical writers composed their texts under the influences of the knowledge of their time, when the king of Egypt was usually designated as ‘Pharaoh’.”

“The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible explains the reasons of such discrepancies with modern knowledge: ‘The frank attitude toward the stories about Egypt in Genesis and Exodus is that folk memory had retained the essentials of great Hebrew experience but had later clothed that memory with some details imperfectly recollected and some circumstantial details borrowed from later times and conditions.’”

“The situation is entirely different in the Qur'an. As is the case with the Bible, reference to the sovereign of ancient Egypt is found throughout various chapters of the Qur'an. A careful study of the minutiae of each narrative reveals some compelling differences. With regard to the Egyptian king who was a contemporary of Joseph, the Qur'an uses the title ‘King’ (Arabic, Malik); he is never once addressed as Pharaoh. As for the king who ruled during the time of Moses, the Qur'an repeatedly calls him Pharaoh (Arabic, Fir'awn).”

“These facts that we have mentioned were unknown at the time of the Qur'anic Revelation. The only source of knowledge of the religious past were the Bible-based stories in circulation. From the time of the Old Testament to the Qur'an, the only document mankind possessed on these ancient stories was the Bible itself. Furthermore, the knowledge of the old Egyptian hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten until they were finally deciphered in the 19th century CE.”

The historicity of the Pharaonic title provides yet another sharp reminder to those who adhere to the precarious theory that parts of the Qur'an were allegedly copied from the Bible. If Egyptian hieroglyphs were long dead and the biblical account an inaccurate work of folk memory, then from where did the Prophet Muhammad obtain his information? The Qur'an answers:

‘Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by one mighty in Power.’ [Qur'an 53:2-5]

It is interesting to note that the meaning of the word ayah, usually translated as 'verse' in the Qur'an, also means a sign and a proof. The reference to Pharaoh and other facts concerning ancient Egypt in the Qur'an suggests a special reflection.