Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34003 — Reports on the virtue of Musa

Amr bin Maymun reports from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Musa (peace be upon him) set out with the Children of Israel by night, the news reached Pharaoh. He ordered a sheep to be slaughtered and said: By Allah, before its skin has been removed, 600,000 Copts must have gathered before me. Musa (peace be upon him) led them on until they reached the sea, and he said to it: Split apart. The sea said: O Musa! You have demanded a very great thing. Have I ever split apart for any of the children of Adam, that I should split apart for you? He said: With Musa (peace be upon him) there was a man riding a horse. He said: O Prophet of Allah! In which direction have you been commanded to come? He said: I have been commanded to come only in this direction. So he drove his horse into the sea and swam on it, then came out and said: O Prophet of Allah! Where have you been commanded to go? He said: I have been commanded to come only in this direction. He said: By Allah, you have not lied, nor have I lied. Then he drove his horse in a second time and swam on it, then came out and said: O Prophet of Allah! What have you been commanded? He said: I have been commanded to come only in this direction. He said: By Allah, you have not lied, nor have you been belied. After that Allah revealed to Musa (peace be upon him): Strike the sea with your staff. He struck it with the staff and it split apart, and each part became like a great mountain. Twelve paths were formed in it for the twelve tribes; each tribe's path was separate, and they could see one another. When the companions of Musa (peace be upon him) had come out and the companions of Pharaoh had all entered the sea, the sea closed over them and they all drowned.