Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34002 — Reports on the virtue of Musa

Abu al-Salil reports from Qays bin Abbad, who was among those who narrated the most about the Children of Israel. He said: He narrated to us that the small band of the Children of Israel whom Pharaoh had mentioned were 600,000 people, and Pharaoh's vanguard consisted of 700,000 men. Each man was mounted on a horse, with a helmet on his head and a spear in his hand, while Pharaoh was behind them in the great mass of the army. When Musa (peace be upon him) brought the Children of Israel to the sea, the Children of Israel said: Where is what you promised us? The sea is in front of us, and Pharaoh and his army are bearing down on us; or he said: are behind us. Musa (peace be upon him) said: O sea! O Abu Khalid! Split apart. It said: O Musa, I will not split apart for you. I was created before you; or he said: I am stronger. Then a call came: Strike the sea with your staff. He struck it with the staff and it split apart. Al-Jurayri said: They were twelve tribes, and each tribe had its own separate path. When the first part of Pharaoh's army reached the sea, the horses took fright, and the form of a mare in heat appeared before one stallion among them. He caught her scent and rushed off, and the other horses followed him. When the last part of the army had entered the sea, the Children of Israel came out of the sea, and the sea closed over them. The Children of Israel said: Pharaoh has not died, and he will never die. No sooner had Allah heard their denial of His Prophet than He cast him upon the shore, as though he were a red ox, and the Children of Israel looked at him.