The Salvation of Moses (PBUH) and the Children of Israel From Pharaoh’s Army, and Pharaoh’s Drowning in the Sea
يحدثنا القرآن الكريم عن نجاة موسى عليه السلام وبني إسرائيل من جيش فرعون وأن فرعون قد غرق في البحر، كيف وصل القوم إلى البحر؟
First: The purpose of sending the Prophet of Allah Moses, peace be upon him, to the Children of Israel was to save them from Pharaoh and his henchmen and to bring them out of the painful torment they were suffering. When Moses defeated Pharaoh in the arena of debate and contest on the Day of the Festival, preparation began for the exodus from Pharaoh’s tyranny, and Moses, peace be upon him, was waiting for the revelation to leave. Second: After that crushing victory, the Children of Israel began to separate themselves from Pharaoh’s society so as to have an independent quarter of their own, which would make it easier for them to leave the land of Egypt. At that time Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded them to make their houses face one another, so they would know who came in to them and who went out from them, and to pray in them as in mosques, since they had been barred from the mosques unjustly and aggressively. That was the preparation for the great exodus.
(We revealed to Moses and his brother, “Appoint houses for your people in Egypt. Turn these houses into places of worship, establish prayer, and give good news to the believers!”) Yunus 10:87
Note: Surah Yunus is the tenth surah; the original answer gave its number as 7 in this reference, which has been corrected to Yunus 10:87.
Third: Allah the Exalted revealed to His Prophet Moses: go out with your people, the Children of Israel, by night, for Pharaoh and his soldiers will pursue you. Fourth: Pharaoh learned of the departure of Moses with the Children of Israel, so he sent word to the cities under his rule urging the people to go out after Moses; this was a general mobilization. He justified this call and mobilization by saying that Moses and those with him were a small band of people who had enraged Pharaoh and those with him by leaving the land, and that they must be wary of what they did. Fifth: The people answered Pharaoh’s call and warning and left their rich homes, their luxurious dwellings and their fruitful crops, and the gold and silver they had hoarded, hidden and buried in the ground, and they never returned to them, so that wealth became an inheritance for another people.
Sixth: The Children of Israel headed east, toward the Red Sea east of Egypt. The Children of Israel, and Pharaoh and his soldiers, spent a night, or nights, on the march, and neither side saw the other until sunrise after nights of travel. Seventh: “When the two groups came face to face”: Pharaoh and his soldiers came near the place where the Children of Israel were gathered, so that each side could see the other. Those with Moses, the Children of Israel, said in fear and despair of rescue: Pharaoh will overtake us, and there we will meet our end. At that point the leader, the Prophet to whom Allah spoke, confident in the victory of his Lord, Majestic is His Majesty, reassured his people that they would not be overtaken, because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, was with them, as if saying to them: whoever has his Lord with him fears nothing. Eighth: As soon as this word left Moses’s mouth, the revelation came to him directly to strike the sea with his staff. He struck it in obedience to the command of his Lord, and the sea split, each part like a mountain. Meanwhile Pharaoh and his soldiers drew near, and Moses and those with him crossed the sea between the two parts that were like two mountains, and so Moses and the Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh’s tyranny.
(And We inspired Moses, ˹saying,˺ “Leave with My servants at night, for you will surely be pursued.” Then Pharaoh sent mobilizers to all cities ˹and said,˺ “These ˹outcasts˺ are just a handful of people who have really enraged us, but we are all on the alert.” So We lured the tyrants out of ˹their˺ gardens, springs, treasures, and splendid residences. So it was. And We awarded it ˹all˺ to the Children of Israel. And so they pursued them at sunrise. When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out, “We are overtaken for sure.” Moses reassured ˹them˺, “Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me, He will guide me.” So We inspired Moses: “Strike the sea with your staff,” and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain. We drew the pursuers to that place, and delivered Moses and those with him all together. Then We drowned the others. Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe. And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.) Ash-Shu’ara 26:52-68
Ninth: The ground dried, and Moses entered with the Children of Israel, Gabriel, peace be upon him, going before them on a horse, until they crossed the sea to the other shore. Pharaoh came on his horse with thousands of soldiers, and they followed Moses and the Children of Israel and entered the sea; when they reached its middle, Allah the Exalted closed the sea over them and they all drowned. Allah had revealed to His Prophet Moses: when you and your people have crossed the sea, leave it “rahwan”, calm, as it was when you entered it with the Children of Israel, as Allah the Exalted says:
(Leave with My servants at night, for you will surely be pursued. And leave the sea parted, for they are certainly an army bound to drown.) Ad-Dukhan 44:23-24
Tenth: In the last moments of his life, having seen death and beginning to pass from this worldly life to the Hereafter, Pharaoh announced his repentance, saying, “I believe that there is no god except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am ˹now˺ one of those who submit” (Yunus 10:90). Allah did not accept his repentance; rather, he became an example of injustice, arrogance and immorality.
(We brought the Children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them unjustly and oppressively. But as Pharaoh was drowning, he cried out, “I believe that there is no god except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am ˹now˺ one of those who submit.” ˹He was told,˺ “Now ˹you believe˺? But you always disobeyed and were one of the corruptors. Today We will preserve your corpse so that you may become an example for those who come after you. And surely most people are heedless of Our examples!”) Yunus 10:90-92
أولًا: مقصد إرسال نبي الله موسى عليه السلام إلى بني إسرائيل هو إنجاؤهم من فرعون وزبانيته وإخراجهم من العذاب الأليم الذي كانوا يعانون منه، فلما انتصر موسى على فرعون في ميدان المناظرة والمباراة في يوم الزينة ابتدأ التحضير لعملية الخروج من بطش فرعون، وكان موسى عليه السلام ينتظر الوحي للخروج. ثانيًا: وبعد ذلك الانتصار الساحق بدأ بنو إسرائيل بالانحياز من مجتمع فرعون ليكون لهم حيٌّ مستقل يسهل معه خروجهم من أرض مصر، وحينئذ أمرهم الله عز وجل أن يجعلوا بيوتهم متقابلة ليعرفوا من يدخل عليهم ومن يخرج منهم، وليصلوا فيها كالمساجد، حيث مُنعوا من المساجد ظلمًا وعدوانًا، وكان ذلك هو الاستعداد للخروج العظيم.
(وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) يونس 10: 87
ملاحظة: سورة يونس هي السورة العاشرة، وكان الجواب الأصلي قد جعل رقمها سبعة في هذه الإحالة، فصححت إلى يونس 10: 87.
ثالثًا: أوحى تعالى إلى نبيه موسى أن اخرج وقومك بني إسرائيل ليلًا، فإن فرعون وجنوده ملاحقوكم. رابعًا: علم فرعون بخروج موسى ببني إسرائيل فأرسل في المدن التي تحت حكمه يحث الناس على الخروج خلف موسى، وكان ذلك بمثابة التعبئة العامة، وقد علل ذلك الخطاب والتعبئة العامة بأن موسى ومن معه قلة من الناس، وأنهم قد أغضبوا فرعون ومن معه بخروجهم من الديار، وأن علينا الحذر من أفعالهم. خامسًا: استجاب القوم لنداء فرعون وتحذيره وخرجوا من ديارهم الغنية والمساكن الفارهة ومن الزروع المثمرة، والذهب والفضة التي كانوا قد كنزوها وأخفوها ودفنوها في التراب، ولم يرجعوا إليها ثانية، فكانت تلك الأموال إرثًا لقوم آخرين.
سادسًا: توجه بنو إسرائيل جهة الشرق، جهة البحر الأحمر شرق مصر، وقد قضى بنو إسرائيل وفرعون وجنوده ليلة أو ليالي مشيًا، فما بصر بعضهم ببعض حتى وقت شروق الشمس بعد ليالٍ من السفر. سابعًا: “فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ”، بلغ فرعون وجنوده قريبًا من مكان جموع بني إسرائيل بحيث يرى كل فريق منهما الفريق الآخر، قال من كان مع موسى، وهم بنو إسرائيل، خوفًا ويأسًا من النجاة: سيدركنا فرعون وسيكون هنالك حتفنا، وهناك طمأن القائد النبي المكلَّم الواثق بنصر ربه، جل جلاله، طمأن قومه بأنهم لن يُدرَكوا لأن معهم الله عز وجل، وكأنه يقول لهم: من كان معه ربه فإنه لن يخشى شيئًا. ثامنًا: فور خروج هذه الكلمة من فم موسى جاءه الوحي مباشرة بأن يضرب البحر بعصاه، فضربه امتثالًا لأمر ربه فانشق البحر وصار كل شق كأنه جبل، وفي هذه الأثناء اقترب فرعون وجنوده، وتجاوز موسى ومن معه هذا البحر بين هاتين الفرقتين اللتين تشبهان الجبلين، فنجا موسى وبنو إسرائيل من بطش فرعون.
(وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾ فَأَرْسَلَ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ ﴿٥٣﴾ إِنَّ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ لَشِرْذِمَةٌ قَلِيلُونَ ﴿٥٤﴾ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَنَا لَغَائِظُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾ وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَاذِرُونَ ﴿٥٦﴾ فَأَخْرَجْنَاهُم مِّن جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿٥٧﴾ وَكُنُوزٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ ﴿٥٨﴾ كَذَٰلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَاهَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ﴿٥٩﴾ فَأَتْبَعُوهُم مُّشْرِقِينَ ﴿٦٠﴾ فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ ﴿٦١﴾ قَالَ كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ﴿٦٢﴾ فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٦٣﴾ وَأَزْلَفْنَا ثَمَّ الْآخَرِينَ ﴿٦٤﴾ وَأَنجَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٦٥﴾ ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الْآخَرِينَ ﴿٦٦﴾ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٦٧﴾ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ) الشعراء 26: 52-68
تاسعًا: يبِسَت الأرض ودخل موسى مع بني إسرائيل يتقدمهم جبريل عليه السلام على فرس حتى تجاوزوا البحر إلى الشاطئ الآخر، وجاء فرعون على فرسه ومعه ألوف من الجنود فتبعوا موسى وبني إسرائيل، فدخلوا البحر فلما توسطوه أطبق الله تعالى عليهم البحر فغرقوا أجمعين. وقد أوحى الله إلى نبيه موسى: إذا اجتزت أنت وقومك البحر فاتركه “رَهْوًا”: ساكنًا كما هو حين دخلته مع بني إسرائيل، كما قال تعالى:
(فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيْلًا إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾ وَاتْرُكِ الْبَحْرَ رَهْوًا إِنَّهُمْ جُندٌ مُّغْرَقُونَ) الدخان 44: 23-24
عاشرًا: فرعون في اللحظات الأخيرة من حياته، وقد رأى الموت وبدأ بالانتقال من الحياة الدنيا إلى الحياة الآخرة، أعلن توبته قائلًا: “آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ” (يونس 10: 90)، فلم يقبل الله توبته، بل كان مثالًا للظلم والكبر والفجور.
(وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾ آلْآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٩١﴾ فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ) يونس 10: 90-92
1. Preparing for the Exodus Long Before It Happened | تحضيرٌ للخروج قبل حدوثه بوقت طويل
The exodus did not happen suddenly; it followed a period of worshipping in their own homes under persecution, renewed after Pharaoh’s chiefs urged him on against Musa, a period of quiet preparation while Musa awaited Allah’s command to actually leave. The scale of what followed had been building for some time before the night of departure itself.
لم يحدث الخروج فجأة؛ بل تبع فترة الصلاة في بيوتهم تحت اضطهاد تجدد بعد أن حرّض ملأ فرعون فرعونَ على موسى، وهي فترة تحضير هادئ بينما كان موسى ينتظر أمر الله بالخروج الفعلي. وكان حجم ما تلا ذلك يتشكل منذ وقت قبل ليلة الرحيل نفسها.
2. A Secret Departure Met With a Nationwide Mobilization | خروجٌ سري يقابله تعبئة عامة
Musa was told plainly he would be pursued, and Pharaoh confirmed this by sending word to every city under his rule, describing the departing Israelites as an enraging “handful of people” requiring vigilance. Framing a small band of refugees as a serious threat justified mobilizing forces from across the kingdom against them.
قيل لموسى صراحة إنه سيُلاحق، وأكد فرعون ذلك بإرسال رسله إلى كل مدينة تحت حكمه، واصفا بني إسرائيل المغادرين بأنهم “شرذمة قليلون” مثيرون للغضب يستوجبون الحذر. وتصوير مجموعة صغيرة من اللاجئين بوصفها تهديدا خطيرا برر تعبئة قوات من أنحاء المملكة ضدهم.
3. Gardens, Springs, and Treasures Left Behind | جناتٌ وعيونٌ وكنوزٌ تُترك خلفهم
Pharaoh’s people abandoned their gardens, springs, treasures, and honored residences to chase after Musa, and the Ayah notes this abandoned wealth was given instead to the Children of Israel. What was meant as a show of force in pursuit ended in Pharaoh’s own people permanently losing everything they left behind.
ترك قوم فرعون جناتهم وعيونهم وكنوزهم ومقامهم الكريم سعيا وراء موسى، وتذكر الآية أن هذه الثروة المتروكة أُعطيت لبني إسرائيل بدلا منهم. وما قُصد به إظهار القوة في الملاحقة انتهى بخسارة قوم فرعون أنفسهم كل ما تركوه خلفهم إلى الأبد.
4. Face to Face at the Sea: Despair Met With Certainty | وجهًا لوجه عند البحر: يأسٌ يقابله يقين
With the sea ahead and Pharaoh’s army closing in behind, Musa’s own companions cried out that they were certainly overtaken. His answer does not deny the danger but reframes it entirely, “Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me, He will guide me,” a statement of trust made at the exact moment escape looked impossible.
مع البحر أمامهم وجيش فرعون يضيق الخناق خلفهم، صرخ أصحاب موسى أنهم مدركون لا محالة. ولا ينكر رده الخطر بل يعيد صياغته كليا: “كلا إن معي ربي سيهدين”، وهي عبارة ثقة قيلت في اللحظة نفسها التي بدا فيها الهروب مستحيلا.
5. The Staff, the Split Sea, and a Deliberate Trap | العصا والبحر المنشق وفخٌّ متعمد
Musa’s staff splits the sea, each part standing like a huge mountain (Ash-Shu’ara 26:63), and his people cross safely; the first violation they committed after crossing is told separately. Crucially, Allah instructs Musa to leave the sea calm rather than closing it immediately once his own people are through, a specific command in Surah Ad-Dukhan that ensures Pharaoh’s pursuing army would follow directly into the same path before it closed on them.
تشق عصا موسى البحر، فيصير كل فرق منه كالطود العظيم (الشعراء 26: 63)، ويعبر قومه بأمان. والأهم أن الله يوجه موسى أن يترك البحر ساكنا بدلا من إغلاقه فور عبور قومه، وهو أمر محدد في سورة الدخان يضمن أن يتبع جيش فرعون الملاحق المسار نفسه قبل أن ينطبق عليهم.
6. A Deathbed Confession, Rejected, and a Body Preserved | اعترافٌ عند الموت مرفوض وجسدٌ محفوظ
As the water overtakes him, Pharaoh declares belief in the God of the Children of Israel, but the response is immediate and final, “Now? But you always disobeyed and were one of the corruptors.” Rather than simply vanishing, his corpse is specifically preserved as a lasting sign for those who would come after him, a physical warning against belated repentance offered only once every other option is gone.
بينما يغمره الماء، يعلن فرعون إيمانه بإله بني إسرائيل، لكن الرد يأتي فوريا وقاطعا: “آلآن وقد عصيت قبل وكنت من المفسدين”. وبدلا من أن يختفي جسده ببساطة، يُحفظ عمدا آية باقية لمن يأتي بعده، تحذير مادي من توبة متأخرة لا تُعرض إلا بعد نفاد كل خيار آخر.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How did Moses and the Children of Israel escape Pharaoh?
Moses struck the sea with his staff, splitting it open for them to cross, while Pharaoh’s pursuing army was drowned when the sea closed over them.
Why did Pharaoh mobilize entire cities against a small group of people?
He framed them as an enraging threat requiring vigilance, justifying a general mobilization of his kingdom.
What did Moses say when his people feared being overtaken?
He told them it would never be so, for his Lord was with him and would guide him (Ash-Shu’ara 26:62).
Why did Allah tell Moses to leave the sea calm rather than closing it right away?
So that Pharaoh’s pursuing army would follow into the same path before it closed on them.
Did Allah accept Pharaoh’s belief as he was drowning?
No, it was rejected as too late, though his body was preserved as a sign for later generations.