The Poets — Verse 60

Fir`awn's Pursuit and Expulsion of the Children of Israel, and how He and His People were drowned More than one of the scholars of Tafsir said that Fir`awn set out with a huge group, a group containing the leaders and entire government of Egypt at that time, i.e., the decision-makers and influential figures, princes, ministers, nobles, leaders and soldiers. فَأَتْبَعُوهُم مُّشْرِقِينَ (So, they pursued them at sunrise.) means, they caught up with the Children of Israel at sunrise. فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَا الْجَمْعَانِ (And when the two hosts saw each other,) means, each group saw the other. At that point, قَالَ أَصْحَـبُ مُوسَى إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ (the companions of Musa said: "We are sure to be overtaken.") This was because Fir`awn and his people caught up with them on the shores of the Red Sea, so the sea was ahead of them and Fir`awn and his troops were behind them. Hence they said: فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَا الْجَمْعَانِ قَالَ أَصْحَـبُ مُوسَى إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ - قَالَ كَلاَّ إِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ ("We are sure to be overtaken." (Musa) said: "Nay, verily with me is my Lord. He will guide me.") meaning, `nothing of what you fear will happen to you, for Allah is the One Who commanded me to bring you here, and He does not go back on His promise.' Harun, peace be upon him, was in the front, with Yusha` bin Nun and a believer from the family of Fir`awn, and Musa, peace be upon him, was in the rear. More than one of the scholars of Tafsir said that they stood there not knowing what to do, and Yusha` bin Nun or the believer from the family of Fir`awn said to Musa, peace be upon him, "O Prophet of Allah, is it here that your Lord commanded you to bring us" He said: "Yes." Then Fir`awn and his troops drew near and were very close indeed. At that point Allah commanded his Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, to strike the sea with his staff, so he struck it, and it parted, by the will of Allah. Allah says: فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ (And it parted, and each separate part became like huge mountain.) meaning, like mighty mountains. This was the view of Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others. `Ata' Al-Khurasani said, "It refers to a pass between two mountains." Ibn `Abbas said, "The sea divided into twelve paths, one for each of the tribes." As-Suddi added, "And in it there were windows through which they could see one another, and the water was erected like walls." Allah sent the wind to the sea bed to make it solid like the land. Allah says: فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقاً فِى الْبَحْرِ يَبَساً لاَّ تَخَافُ دَرَكاً وَلاَ تَخْشَى (and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid) (20:77). And here He says: وَأَزْلَفْنَا ثَمَّ الاٌّخَرِينَ (Then We brought near the others to that place.) Ibn `Abbas, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, Qatadah and As-Suddi said: وَأَزْلَفْنَا (Then We brought near) means, "We brought Fir`awn and his troops near to the sea." وَأَنجَيْنَا مُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ - ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الاٌّخَرِينَ (And We saved Musa and all those with him. Then We drowned the others.) meaning: `We saved Musa and the Children of Israel and whoever followed their religion, and none of them were destroyed, but Fir`awn and his troops were drowned and not one of them remained alive, but was destroyed.' Then Allah says: إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً (Verily, in this is indeed a sign,) meaning, this story with its wonders and tales of aid to the believing servants of Allah is definitive proof and evidence of Allah's wisdom. إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ - وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ (yet most of them are not believers. And verily your Lord, He is truly the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful. ) The explanation of this phrase has already been discussed above.

Then they pursued them they caught them up at sunrise.

فلحق فرعون وجنده موسى ومَن معه وقت شروق الشمس.

ذكر غير واحد من المفسرين أن فرعون خرج في محفل عظيم وجمع كبير هو عبارة عن مملكة الديار المصرية في زمانه أولي الحل والعقد والدول من الأمراء والوزراء والكبراء والرؤساء والجنود فأما ما ذكره غير واحد من الإسرائيليات من أنه خرج في ألف ألف وستمائة ألف فارس منها مائة ألف على خيل دهم ففيه نظر: وقال كعب الأحبار فيهم ثمانمائة ألف حصان أدهم وفي ذلك نظر والظاهر أن ذلك من مجازفات بني إسرائيل والله سبحانه وتعالى أعلم والذي أخبر به القرآن هو النافع ولم يعين عدتهم إذ لا فائدة تحته لأنهم خرجوا بأجمعهم "فأتبعوهم مشرقين" أي وصلوا إليهم عند شروق الشمس وهو طلوعها.

ثم بين - سبحانه - بعد ذلك ما حدث من فرعون وقومه ، وما قاله بنو إسرائيل عندما شاهدوهم ، فقال - تعالى - ( فَأَتْبَعُوهُم مُّشْرِقِينَ ) .أى : أخرجنا فرعون وقومه من أموالهم ومساكنهم . . . فساروا مسرعين خلف موسى ومن معه ، ( فَأَتْبَعُوهُم ) أى : فلحقوا بهم ( مُّشْرِقِينَ ) أى : فى وقت شروق الشمس يقال : أشرق فلان إذا دخل فى وقت الشروق ، كأصبح إذا دخل فى وقت الصباح .

وقوله: ( فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ ) فأتبع فرعون وأصحابه بني إسرائيل, مشرقين حين أشرقت الشمس, وقيل حين أصبحوا.حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثني أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد: ( فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ ) قال: خرج موسى ليلا فكسف القمر وأظلمت الأرض, وقال أصحابه: إن يوسف أخبرنا أنا سننجَى من فرعون, وأخذ علينا العهد لنخرجنّ بعظامه معنا, فخرج موسى ليلته يسأل عن قبره, فوجد عجوزا بيتها على قبره, فأخرجته له بحكمها, وكان حكمها أو كلمة تشبه هذا, أن قالت: احملني فأخرجني معك, فجعل عظام يوسف في كسائه, ثم حمل العجوز على كسائه, فجعله على رقبته, وخيل فرعون هي ملء أعنتها حضرا (5) في أعينهم, ولا تبرح, حبست عن موسى وأصحابه حتى تواروا.حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, عن ابن جُرَيج, عن مجاهد, قوله: ( فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ ) قال: فرعون وأصحابه, وخيل فرعون في ملء أعنتها في رأي عيونهم, ولا تبرح, حبست عن موسى وأصحابه حتى تواروا.------------------------الهوامش :(5) في الأصل خضراء، والراجح أنه "حضرًا"، وهو الأسراع في العدو. أي: يرونها مسرعة وهي لا تبرح أماكنها.

( فأتبعوهم مشرقين ) أي : لحقوهم في وقت إشراق الشمس ، وهو إضاءتها ، أي : أدرك قوم فرعون موسى وأصحابه وقت شروق الشمس .

فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ (60)وجملة : { فأتبعوهم مشرقين } مفرعة على جملة : { فأخرجناهم } وما بينهما اعتراض . والتقدير : فأخرجناهم فأتبعوهم . والضمير المرفوع عائد إلى ما عاد عليه ضمير النصب من قوله : { فأخرجناهم } ، وضمير النصب عائد إلى { عبادي } [ الشعراء : 52 ] من قوله : { أن اسْرِ بعبادي } [ الشعراء : 52 ] .و { أتْبعوهم } بهمزة قطع وسكون التاء بمعنى تَبع ، أي فلحقوهم .و { مشرقين } حال من الضمير المرفوع يجوز أن يكون معناه قاصدين جهة الشرق يقال : أشرق ، إذا دخل في أرض الشرق ، كما يقال : أنجد وأتهم وأعرق وأشأم ، ويعلم من هذا أن بني إسرائيل توجهوا صوب الشرق وهو صوب بحر ( القلزم ) وهو البحر الأحمر وسمي يومئذ بحر سُوف وهو شرقي مصر . ويجوز أن يكون المعنى داخلين في وقت الشروق ، أي أدركوهم عند شروق بعد أن قضوا ليلة أو ليالي مشياً فما بصر بعضهم ببعض إلا عند شروق الشمس بعد ليالي السفر .

فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ أي: اتبع قوم فرعون قوم موسى, وقت شروق الشمس, وساقوا خلفهم محثين, على غيظ وحنق قادرين.

فأتبعوهم مشرقين أي فتبع فرعون وقومه بني إسرائيل . قال السدي : حين أشرقت الشمس بالشعاع . وقال قتادة : حين أشرقت الأرض بالضياء . قال الزجاج : يقال شرقت الشمس إذا طلعت ، وأشرقت إذا أضاءت . واختلف في تأخر فرعون وقومه عن موسى وبني إسرائيل على قولين ، أحدهما : لاشتغالهم بدفن أبكارهم في تلك الليلة ; لأن الوباء في تلك الليلة وقع فيهم ; فقوله : " مشرقين " حال لقوم فرعون . الثاني : إن سحابة أظلتهم وظلمة فقالوا : نحن بعد في الليل فما تقشعت عنهم حتى أصبحوا . وقال أبو عبيدة : معنى فأتبعوهم مشرقين ناحية المشرق . وقرأ الحسن وعمرو بن ميمون : ( فاتبعوهم مشرقين ) بالتشديد وألف الوصل ; أي نحو المشرق ; مأخوذ من قولهم : شرق وغرب إذا سار نحو المشرق والمغرب . ومعنى الكلام قدرنا أن يرثها بنو إسرائيل فاتبع قوم فرعون بني إسرائيل مشرقين فهلكوا ، وورث بنو إسرائيل بلادهم .

Pursued by Pharaoh, the Children of Israel reached a place where before them was the sea, and behind them were Pharaoh and his army. Seeing this critical situation, the Children of Israel were terrified. According to the Bible, they said to Moses, ‘Were there no graves in Egypt that you have brought us from there to this deserted place to die?’ But Moses was sure that Almighty God would help them. So, in obedience to the commandment of the Almighty, Moses struck the sea-water with his rod. The water was thereupon split asunder. On both the sides, the water stood like high walls and in between there appeared a dry path. The Children of Israel traversed this path and reached the other side. On seeing this, Pharaoh thought that he too could cross over by this path. He did not know that, only seconds before, the path had miraculously appeared by the order of God. Pharaoh set foot upon it along with his whole army. No sooner had they reached the middle than the standing sea water gushed from both sides and rose to a uniform level. Pharaoh and his entire army were immdediately drowned. At one and the same time, deliverance was planned for one group, and death and destruction for the other.

Commentary وَأَوْرَ‌ثْنَاهَا بَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ And We made the children of Isra it inherit all these. [ 59] Apparently it is elucidated in this verse that Bani Isra'il were made the owners of all the material wealth and property left by the people of the Pharaoh after their drowning. But there is a historical issue involved in this statement. The issue is that many Qur'anic verses indicate the Bani Isra'il did not return to Egypt after the drowning of the Pharaoh's people. As a matter of fact they went back towards their original home, the holy land of Syria. There they were commanded to fight (wage jihad) with an infidel nation in order to enter their city. Bani Isra'il refused to comply with this command, as a punishment of which the open plain where they were camping was made a natural prison for them. They could not come out of that plain and spent forty years over there. It was in that place, which is also known as a valley of Tit (Sinai), where their two prophets, Sayyidna Musa and Harun (علیہما السلام) ، died. Even after these incidents it is not reported in the books of history that Bani Isra'il as a nation or in collective form had entered Egypt, which might prove that they had taken possession of the wealth and property of the Pharaoh's people. Tafsir Ruh ul-Ma` ani has reproduced two explanations on the authority of eminent commentators, Sayyidna Hasan and Qatadah ؓ . Sayyidna Hasan ؓ has explained that the verse in question does have a mention that Bani Isra'il were made the heirs of the property of the Pharaoh's people, but it does not say that this had happened immediately after the death of the Pharaoh. If the Bani Isra'il entered Egypt some forty or fifty years after the incident of the valley of Tih, there is no inconsistency in the verse. As for the argument that their collective entry into Egypt is not proved historically, it is not worth taking any notice, because the history of that period was written by Jews and Christians and is full of distortions. There is absolutely no need for interpreting the Qur'anic verse differently for bringing it in line with the history, whose authenticity itself is questionable. Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ has explained the situation in another way. He says that although all the Qur'anic verses which have quoted this incident, for instance, verses 128 and 137 of Surah Al-A` raf, 5 of Surah Al-Qassas, 25 to 28 of Surah Ad-Dukhan, and the verse under reference of Surah Ash-Shu'ara', invite the attention to the point that Bani Isra'il were given the custody of that very wealth and property which the people of the Pharaoh had left in Egypt, for which it was necessary for the Bani Isra'il to return to Egypt to take possession. But all these verses can be interpreted to mean that Bani Isra'il were given the wealth and property equal and similar to that which was possessed by the Pharaoh's people. For this it was not necessary that the same lands and wealth of Egypt are given to Bani Isra'il. These bounties might have been granted in Syria. This interpretation is more likely in the verse of Surah Al-A` raf where the land possessed by Bani Isra'il is referred to by the words, الَّتِي بَارَ‌كْنَا فِيهَا (i.e. the land blessed by Us) because the word Barakna is used for the land of Syria in many verses of the Qur'an. Therefore, Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ has opined that it is not correct to attribute Qur'anic verses toward something which is in conflict with the history. The gist of the whole explanation is that if it is established through proved facts that Bani Isra'il did not occupy the land of Egypt at any time after the death of the Pharaoh, then according to explanation of Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ the land of Syria is purported for the wealth and property which was granted to Bani Isra'il. (Only God knows best)

(And they overtook them at sunrise.