Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 90

(Ayah 91,90) ➊ { وَ جٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ الْبَحْرَ:} That is, the crossing of the sea by the Children of Israel was not through human means, but rather, it was by Our special making them cross, which was beyond human ability. The details of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt, Pharaoh’s pursuit, the splitting of the sea by Moses (peace be upon him) striking with his staff, and the water freezing to make a path, will come in Surah Ash-Shu'ara (52 to 68) and Ad-Dukhan (23 to 31).

➋ {فَاَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَ جُنُوْدُهٗ بَغْيًا وَّ عَدْوًا :} Pharaoh and his armies pursued them to torment them, to oppress them, and to enslave them again, meaning their intention was neither reconciliation nor reform. {’’ بَغْيًا ‘‘} and {’’ عَدْوًا ‘‘} are in the sense of the active participle or the verbal noun for the purpose of the object. Our teacher, Maulana Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him), has written with reference to Qurtubi that {’’بَغْيٌ‘‘ } is the oppression that is by speech, and {’’عَدْوٌ‘‘} is that which is by action, and Tantawi has written: {’’بَغٰي فُلَانٌ عَلٰي فُلاَنٍ بَغْيًا‘‘} when someone assaults and oppresses another, and {’’عَدَا عَلَيْهِ عَدْوًا‘‘} when he snatches his right from him. Moses (peace be upon him) was commanded that after crossing the sea, leave it as it is. (See Ad-Dukhan: 24) Thus, when the last man of the Children of Israel had crossed and Pharaoh’s entire army along with Pharaoh entered the sea after them, the water of the sea became level.

➌ {حَتّٰۤى اِذَاۤ اَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ …:} Drowning seized him, as if drowning was Allah’s soldier who caught him, and indeed, the soldiers and armies of Allah cannot be counted. So Pharaoh admitted to being a Muslim three times: (1) {’’ اٰمَنْتُ ‘‘} (2) {’’ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا الَّذِيْۤ اٰمَنَتْ بِهٖ بَنُوْۤا اِسْرَآءِيْلَ ‘‘} (3) {’’ وَ اَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ‘‘} This entire matter is of the unseen; what did he say while drowning? Who was there except Allah or His angels? So all this Allah Himself informed His Prophet (peace be upon him) through revelation, which is a tremendous proof of his prophethood.

➍ {آٰلْـٰٔنَ وَ قَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ …:} Now? This was a rebuke from Allah and to inform that after the punishment has descended, repentance and faith are of no benefit. He said: «{ فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ اِيْمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا }» [ المؤمن : ۸۵ ] “Then their faith was not to benefit them when they saw Our punishment.” And see Surah Yunus (51) and An-Nisa (18). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ ] [ ترمذی، الدعوات، باب إن اللہ یقبل توبۃ العبد ما لم یغرغر… : ۳۵۳۷، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنہ ] “Indeed, Allah accepts the servant’s repentance as long as his soul does not reach the throat (death rattle).”

➎ The angels of Allah were so angry at Pharaoh’s rebellion that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): [ قَالَ لِيْ جِبْرِيْلُ لَوْ رَأَيْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا آخِذٌ مِنْ حَالِ الْبَحْرِ فَأُدُسُّهٗ فِيْ فَمِ فِرْعَوْنَ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تُدْرِكَهُ الرَّحْمَةُ ] [ السلسلۃ الصحیحۃ : 26/5، ح : ۲۰۱۵۔ مسند طیالسی : ۲۶۱۸۔ ترمذی : ۳۱۰۸ ] “Jibreel (peace be upon him) said to me, ‘If only you could have seen me as I was stuffing black mud from the sea into Pharaoh’s mouth, fearing that mercy might reach him.’”

➏ This incident occurred on the tenth of Muharram (Ashura). Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Madinah, the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura. He said: [ مَا هٰذَا؟ قَالُوْا هٰذَا يَوْمٌ صَالِحٌ، هٰذَا يَوْمٌ نَجَّی اللّٰهُ بَنِيْ إِسْرَائِيْلَ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ، فَصَامَهٗ مُوْسٰی قَالَ فَأَنَا أَحَقُّ بِمُوْسَی مِنْكُمْ، فَصَامَهٗ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ ] [ بخاری، الصوم، باب صوم یوم عاشوراء : ۲۰۰۴ ] “What is this?” They said: “This is a righteous day; on this day Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Moses (peace be upon him) fasted on this day.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I have more right to Moses (peace be upon him) than you.” So he fasted on that (day) and ordered fasting on it.” In another narration of Sahih Bukhari: [ هٰذَا يَوْمٌ ظَهَرَ فِيْهِ مُوْسَی عَلٰی فِرْعَوْنَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ أَنْتُمْ أَحَقُّ بِمُوْسَی مِنْهُمْ فَصُوْمُوْا ] [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب : «وجاوزنا ببني إسرائیل البحر» : ۴۶۸۰ ] “On this day Moses (peace be upon him) prevailed over Pharaoh, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to his companions: ‘You have more right to Moses (peace be upon him) than they do, so fast.’”

90. 1. That is, He split the sea, making a dry path in it. (As mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 50, and further details will come in Surah Ash-Shu'ara.) And He made you reach from one shore to the other.

90. 2. That is, by Allah's command, on the miraculously formed dry path, upon which Musa (AS) and his people crossed the sea, Pharaoh and his army also started to walk with the intention of crossing the sea. The purpose was that Musa (AS), who had taken Bani Israel away from my slavery overnight to grant them freedom, should be brought back into captivity and slavery. When Pharaoh and his army entered that sea path, Allah commanded the sea to return to its previous state. As a result, all of them, including Pharaoh, were drowned.

90. And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his armies pursued them out of tyranny and enmity, until, when drowning overtook him, he said: "I believe [100] that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit."

[100] The circumstances in which Musa (peace be upon him) led the Children of Israel out, and how later Pharaoh and his army pursued them, as well as the splitting of the sea, the safe crossing of the Children of Israel, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in that sea, have already been detailed earlier in Surah Al-A'raf, verse number 136. Here, the only purpose is to mention that when Pharaoh saw death before him, he said, "Indeed, I was not the Lord, but the true deity is the One in whom the Children of Israel have believed; I too now believe in Him and will remain obedient to Him." This confession of Pharaoh was, in fact, a declaration of his renunciation of power, provided he could be saved from death. And this is exactly what Musa (peace be upon him) had mentioned in his prayer: that their hearts had become so hardened that they would not be ready to believe until they saw a severe punishment.