In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Then We thus inspired Moses: “Go forth with My servants by night, and strike out for them a dry path through the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken, and dread nothing.
Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts, but they were overwhelmed by the power of the sea. For Pharaoh had led his people astray and had not guided them aright.
(Ta Ha: 20: 77-79)
Last week, our commentary took us to the point when Pharaoh’s sorcerers declared their submission to God, throwing away all their past, particularly that which placed them in Pharaoh’s service, producing all types of sorcery for him. They did this after the challenge they put to Moses ended in their total failure when Moses threw his staff and it devoured all the sorcery they produced. When Pharaoh realized that he no longer had any control over them, he declared his tyrannical policy, threatening them with great torture and death: “I shall most certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I shall most certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees.”
But they were strong in their defiance, realizing that they now followed the truth embodied in the guidance provided by Moses, God’s Messenger. They told Pharaoh that he could not do more than kill them, but they sought to please God and receive His reward. What God gives is far more beneficial and rewarding. That defiance is the mark of the triumph of faith over sheer physical power and over all the temptations of this world.
The verses we are looking at today portray a different scene in a new episode of Moses’ story. In this scene we see the triumph of faith and truth in practical human life, after their victory as an idea and belief. What we have seen so far is the triumph of the sign given to Moses by throwing his staff over the sorcery, the new faith in the sorcerers’ hearts over their hopes of gain and fears of loss as well as over Pharaoh’s threats and punishment. Now we see a related victory for truth over falsehood, guidance over error, and faith over tyranny. All this takes place in real life after it has been achieved in people’s consciences. In fact, the advocates of the truth cannot demonstrate their high moral position openly until they have triumphed within themselves over all temptation.
Truth and faith have a certain reality which, once it materializes within one’s conscience, finds its way to take shape and form in real life. Should faith remain an outward appearance that does not touch the heart, and truth remain a raised slogan that has not sunk into people’s hearts and minds, then tyranny and falsehood may be victorious. They can achieve such a victory with the physical power under their command which cannot be matched by the mere appearance of faith and slogans of truth. It is only when the latter are truly established in our hearts and minds that they become stronger than the physical might which falsehood and tyranny can muster. This is the fact which we clearly see in Moses’ attitude toward the sorcerers and their ploys, and later in the sorcerers’ attitude toward Pharaoh and his noblemen. This is the prelude to victory as we see in the next scene in the Surah.
“Then We thus inspired Moses: ‘Go forth with My servants by night, and strike out for them a dry path through the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken, and dread nothing.’ Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts, but they were overwhelmed by the power of the sea. For Pharaoh had led his people astray and had not guided them aright.”
The Surah does not mention here what happened after this confrontation between faith and tyranny, nor what measures did Pharaoh take against the sorcerers after they declared their belief in God, defying his power and tyranny, as well as all earthly temptation. It simply paints this scene of total victory so that the triumph in one’s own conscience is directly related to triumph in real life. We also see here how God provides total care for His servants. By the same token, the Surah does not dwell on the scene of departure from Egypt, and then standing before the sea, as these are painted in detail in other Surahs. In fact, it shows the victory scene without preliminaries, because these were concerned with people’s hearts.
All we have here is an inspiration given to Moses to depart from Egypt at night with the Children of Israel, and to strike out for them a dry path in the sea. We show the scene as drawn in the Surah, without elaborate details, but we see Moses with his complete reassurance as he and his followers receive God’s care. Thus, he has no fear of his people being overtaken by Pharaoh or overwhelmed by the parted sea. God’s will which made the sea such a great volume of water with all its characteristics is able to part it for a while to give those believers a dry path in it to continue their journey.
“Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts, but they were overwhelmed by the power of the sea. For Pharaoh had led his people astray and had not guided them aright.”
Thus the Surah sums up how Pharaoh and his host were overwhelmed by the sea. It gives no further details. In this way, it retains its total effect. We realize that Pharaoh had led his people into error in their way of life in the same way as he led them into error by pursuing the believers into the sea. In both cases, he led them to utter ruin. We prefer not to dwell on the details of what happened to Pharaoh and his people, so that we move on with the Surah as it relates the story. We will, however, reflect for a moment on the lessons that we may derive from the scene.
It was God who conducted the battle between faith and tyranny. The believers were not required to do anything other than follow the inspiration received by Moses and to move out at night. The believers were no match to the unbelievers in terms of material power. Moses and his men were weak and powerless, while Pharaoh and his army had all the material power.
Hence, a battle between the two parties could not take place. Therefore, God took over, but only after the truth of faith was fully engrained in the hearts of those whose only strength is that which they derive from faith. Thus we see the tyrant making his threat and warning the believers of doom: “I shall most certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I shall most certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees.” To this, faith in the hearts of the believers replies: “Decree, then, whatever you are going to decree. You can only decree on what pertains to this worldly life.” The simple truth of the matter is that when the battle between faith and tyranny reached this level in people’s hearts, God himself took up the banner of the truth and hoisted it high, leaving the banner of falsehood trampled upon. All this took place with the believers exerting no effort whatsoever.
We will continue with the lessons of the battle next week, God willing.
