Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 92

(Ayah 92) ➊ {فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيْكَ بِبَدَنِكَ …: ’’ نُنَجِّيْ ‘‘ ’’ نَجَا يَنْجُوْ ‘‘} is from the form of Bab Taf‘il. {’’ نَجَّاهُ اللّٰهُ ‘‘} Allah Almighty saved him. {’’اَلنَّجْوَةُ ‘‘} or {’’ اَلنَّجَا‘‘} also means a high place or mound. In this case, the meaning of {’’ نَجَّاهُ ‘‘} will be that He threw him onto a high place, that is, today We will save your lifeless body from the sea, or throw it onto a high place, so that you become a great sign for those who come after you. In {’’ اٰيَةً ‘‘}, the tanween is for emphasis, meaning that after Pharaoh and his entire army drowned, Allah Almighty threw Pharaoh’s body out onto the shore of the sea, so that it would become a great sign for those who come after, and so that those among the Children of Israel with weak faith could also see with their own eyes the reality and end of the one who claimed divinity, and the incident of Pharaoh and his drowning in the sea would later become a great sign of power for every person who hears or reads about it. It is commonly believed that Pharaoh’s body is still preserved in the Egyptian museum, but there is no evidence that this is the body of that Pharaoh. Moreover, even if his body is not preserved, the mention of this incident in history and the Qur’an is itself sufficient as a lesson and sign for those who come after, as Allah Almighty said regarding the people of the Sabbath who were turned into monkeys: «{ فَجَعَلْنٰهَا نَكَالًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَ مَا خَلْفَهَا وَ مَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِيْنَ }» [البقرۃ : ۶۶ ] “So We made it (i.e., that incident) an example for those who were present and those who came after, and a lesson for those who fear.” Even though no mummy of any of the transformed monkeys is found anywhere. In short! Even if this is not the body of that Pharaoh, it does not make any difference to the greatness of the sign of this incident for those who come after.

➋ Our Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “To this day, the location on the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula is pointed out where Pharaoh’s body was found floating in the sea. In those times, this place was called Jabal Fir‘awn or Hamamah Fir‘awn. Its location is a few miles north above Abu Zanimah (where there are copper mines, etc.). Of the Pharaohs’ bodies present today in the Cairo museum, one is said to be the body of this Pharaoh. When the Pharaohs’ bodies were discovered in 1907, a layer of salt was found encrusted on this Pharaoh’s body, which was a clear sign of his drowning in the salty water of the sea.”

Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Just as he foolishly believed without benefit, likewise Allah, after his death, took his body out of the river and placed it on a mound, so that the Children of Israel would see, give thanks, and take a lesson. What benefit did he get from his body being saved?” (Mawduh)

➌ {وَ اِنَّ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ اٰيٰتِنَا لَغٰفِلُوْنَ:} meaning they do not reflect on them nor take lesson from them; if they reflect, they will realize what the status of man really is.

92. 1. When Pharaoh drowned, many people did not believe in his death. Allah commanded the sea, so it cast his body out onto dry land, which everyone then witnessed. It is well-known that even today this body is preserved in the museum of Egypt. And Allah knows best what is correct. وَاللّٰہُ اَعْلَمُ بالصَّوَابِ.

92. Today We will save your body so that you may be a sign for those [102] who come after you. But indeed, most people are heedless of Our signs.

[102]
The Meaning of the Preservation of Pharaoh’s Body:

That is, your body will neither be lost by drowning in the sea nor become food for the fish. After Pharaoh drowned and died, a wave arose which cast his body onto a high mound on the shore of the sea so that the rest of the people could see Pharaoh’s corpse and take heed: what was the end of the king who was so powerful and mighty, and who even claimed divinity for himself? But the majority of people are such that, even after seeing such signs of Allah and acknowledging them, they do not take heed nor do they turn to Allah. This corpse remained in this state for ages and was saved from decay and decomposition, and became a sign of warning for the generations to come. Modern research has revealed that this body is preserved to this day, upon which a layer of salt from the sea water has formed. This has become a cause for its preservation from decay and decomposition, and this body is preserved to this day in the museum of Cairo. And Allah knows best. However, the authenticity of the Quranic words does not depend on the proof that his body will remain preserved until the Day of Judgment.

The Fast of Ashura:

The incident of Pharaoh’s drowning occurred on the 10th of Muharram, which is why the Jews used to fast as a sign of joy for deliverance from Pharaoh. Accordingly, the Prophet ﷺ also commanded the Muslims to fast on this day, and in opposition to the Jews, he commanded to fast along with it on the 9th or 11th of Muharram. Then, when the fasts of the month of Ramadan were made obligatory, the status of the fast of this day became that of a voluntary fast.