Transliteration:( Watrukil bahra rahwan innahum jundum mughraqoon )
"And leave [24] the river when it is motionless. Surely, they are the group who shall be drowned [25]."
This command was given to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) after he and the Children of Israel safely crossed the Red Sea through the miraculously created dry paths. Allah instructed him not to close the parted sea immediately with the power of his blessed staff, but to leave the paths open so that Pharaoh and his army would enter.
Only once they were midway into the sea, was the miracle reversed, causing the waters to surge back, drowning the entire army. This divine plan ensured both the salvation of the believers and the complete destruction of the tyrants in the same place.
This method also ensured that Pharaoh died in the very river he once felt proud of, turning his arrogance into utter humiliation.
This verse reveals that Allah had already informed Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) about the exact time, place, and nature of Pharaoh’s death. Such detailed information belongs to the ‘Ilm al-Ghayb (Knowledge of the Unseen)—one of the five branches of hidden knowledge mentioned in Islamic theology.
This highlights that Allah grants His prophets knowledge of unseen events, not by their own power, but by His will. It also serves as a reminder that those who rely on worldly power, like Pharaoh, are no match for the divine will, which can overturn empires through a single command of water.
The tafsir of Surah Ad-Dukhan verse 24 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Dukhan ayat 17 which provides the complete commentary from verse 17 through 33.
(44:24) And leave the sea behind you as calm as ever. Surely they are an army that is doomed to be drowned.”[23]
23. This command was given when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had crossed the sea along with his caravan and wanted that he should restore the sea to its former state by smiting it with the staff so that Pharaoh and his hosts should not pursue them on the dry path created by the miracle. At that times it was said: Leave the sea divided as it is, so that Pharaoh and his armies should descend into it. Then the sea will be restored and they will be drowned all together.
[1463]- After it has parted, in order that the soldiers of Pharaoh would follow the Children of Israel and be drowned.
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