Surah Taa-Haa (20) — Ayah 78

Then Pharaoh pursued them with his armies, but the sea overwhelmed them [55] as it should have.

[55]
The Migration of Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) ؑ and the Children of Israel from the Red Sea Coastal Route to Syria and Palestine:

At this point, after the encounter with the magicians, many events have been omitted. During this period, through your preaching, many Israelites and non-Israelites had come to believe in you. But the lives of these believers were in grave danger. Especially for the Children of Israel, the same punishment had begun which the father of the present Pharaoh had inflicted upon them in his time. That is, any boys born among the Children of Israel were to be killed immediately, and the girls were to be kept alive. Although the father and son had different objectives: the father wanted that any child born among the Children of Israel who might overthrow his kingdom should be killed at birth, while the son’s purpose was that since Musa and Harun, who were demanding the freedom and their accompaniment of the Children of Israel, their lineage should be wiped out so that such a demand would never arise. But the plans of Allah Almighty always come to pass, and He Himself shows them the way. Thus, Allah Almighty revealed to Sayyiduna Musa ؑ that tonight, take My servants and depart secretly. You informed the believers scattered throughout the capital in the utmost secrecy. Among them were also some non-Israelites, though they were few, and a specific place was designated where everyone was to gather at a certain time of night. From there, you intended to migrate towards Syria and Palestine, which was the ancestral homeland of the Children of Israel, where they had settled during the time of Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ, and by this era, their numbers had greatly increased. Sayyiduna Musa ؑ led this caravan towards the Red Sea. In those days, the Suez Canal did not exist, and your intention was to walk along the shore of the Red Sea and enter the Sinai Peninsula.

The Pursuit by Pharaoh’s People:

They were still walking along the shore of the sea when Pharaoh, with his entire army, arrived in pursuit. Now the situation was that the sea was in front and Pharaoh’s army was behind. Death seemed to loom from every direction. The Children of Israel, seeing this situation, became extremely anxious and said, “Musa! We are surely doomed.” At that moment, Allah Almighty revealed to Sayyiduna Musa ؑ to strike the sea with your staff, the same staff that would turn into a serpent. As soon as the staff struck the water, a wide path was made in the sea. A wall of water stood on one side, and on the other side, Allah commanded the winds, which dried the ground below, and through this path, the Children of Israel crossed the sea.

The Drowning of Pharaoh’s People:

They had just reached the other shore when Pharaoh’s army also arrived at the shore. Seeing the open path, he immediately drove his horses into it. The Children of Israel, standing on the other shore, were witnessing all of this and were extremely terrified. When Pharaoh’s army reached the very middle, Allah Almighty commanded the water to flow. The water surged forth with great force. Now, when Pharaoh and his people saw death before them, Pharaoh immediately cried out, “I believe in the Lord of the Children of Israel.” But now the time for believing had passed. In this way, Pharaoh’s entire magnificent army was drowned in the depths of the sea, and above, the sea resumed its full flow. Thus, Allah Almighty bestowed three favors upon the Children of Israel at once:
(1) Deliverance from Pharaoh’s people,
(2) Life after imminent death,
(3) Complete destruction of the enemy.
And this event took place on the 10th of Muharram.