After losing against prophet Musa, the Pharaoh continues to plan against him and the Israelites, ordering meetings with the ministers, princes and priests. According to the Quran, the Pharaoh is reported to have ordered his minister, Haman, to build a tower so that he "may look at the God of Musa (Surah al-Qasas 38)". Gradually, the Pharaoh begins to fear that Musa may convince the people that he is not the true god, and wants to have Musa killed. After this threat, a man from the family of Pharaoh, who had years ago warned Musa, comes forth and warns the people of the punishment of God for the wrongdoers and reward for the righteous. The Pharaoh defiantly refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt.

The Quran states that God decrees punishments over him and his people. These punishments come in the form of floods that demolish their dwellings, swarms of locust that destroy the crops, pestilence of lice that makes their life miserable, toads that croak and spring everywhere, and the turning of all drinking water into blood. Each time the Pharaoh is subjected to humiliation, his defiance becomes greater. The Quran mentions that God instructs Musa to travel at night with the Israelites and warns them that they would be pursued. The Pharaoh chases the Israelites with his army after realizing that they have left during the night.

circa 1350 BCE

Floods
This probably refers to the torrential rain accompanied by hailstorm. While the possibility of other kinds of storms cannot be excluded in totality, we are inclined to the view, that it probably signifies hailstorm since the Bible specifically mentions that. (A biblical parallel to this episode can befound in the Exodus 9: 23-4 - Ed.)

circa 1350 BCE

Locusts
The word used in the text - qummal - denotes lice, fleas, small locusts, mosquitoes, and weevil. This rather general term has been used in the Qur'an probably to suggest that while men were afflicted with lice and fleas, weevil destroyed the barns (Biblical parallel is found in Exodus 7-12. See also Tafhim al-ur'an, (Surah al-Zukhruf 43, n. 43.). The sudden appearance of locusts in the land was apparently so persistant that this calamity was also not removed when Prophet Moses prayed to Allah.

circa 1350 BCE

Frogs
Frogs appeared everywhere in the country according to the warning given by Prophet Moses, which put the whole population to great distress. This calamity did not also retreat until Prophet Moses prayed for it.

circa 1350 BCE

Lice Infestation
The third plague of Egypt was lice. Then G‑d ordered Aaron to strike the dust of the earth with his staff, and no sooner did he do so than all over Egypt bugs crawled forth from the dust to cover the land. Man and beast suffered untold misery from this terrible plague.

circa 1350 BCE

Water Turning into Blood
When Pharaoh persisted in his refusal to: liberate the children of Israel, Moses and Aaron warned him that God would punish both him and his people. The torment of blood appeared precisely as foretold by prophet Musa, which turned the water of all canals, wells, springs, pools and cisterns into blood. The fish died and the water smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink from it for a full week. This evil was also averted when the Prophet Moses was asked to pray for its removal.