Surah Ash-Shu'ara: (63 - 68) So We inspired to Moses...

It is known that after the Almighty recounted Moses' (peace be upon him) saying: {Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me} (Ash-Shu'ara: 62), He then clarified how He guided him, saved him, and destroyed his enemies through that plan which encompassed both worldly and religious blessings. He said: {So We inspired to Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff," and it split apart.}

There is no doubt that the command implies the action took place, as it is understood from the speech; the sea could not split without the striking. Yet, He commanded him to strike because otherwise, it would be like futile action. Furthermore, God made the striking part of the miracles that appeared through the staff, and the splitting upon his striking was a greater blessing for him, strengthening the knowledge that this occurred because of Moses (peace be upon him).

They differed regarding the sea. It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) that when Moses (peace be upon him) reached the sea with the Children of Israel, he commanded them to wade into it, but they refused, except for Joshua son of Nun, who spurred his mount and entered the sea until he crossed. Then he returned to them, but they still refused. Moses then said to the sea, "Split for me!" The sea replied, "I was not commanded to do that, nor do I part for the disobedient." Moses said, "My Lord, the sea has refused to split for me." He was told, "Strike the sea with your staff." So he struck it, and it split. {And each part became like a great mountain.} Meaning, like a huge mountain. And there became twelve paths, one for each tribe among them. Each tribe said, "Our companions have been killed [by the splitting]." At that point, Moses (peace be upon him) supplicated his Lord, and God made the walls look like layered structures so that some could see others on dry land.

It is narrated from 'Ata' ibn as-Sa'ib that Gabriel (peace be upon him) stood between the Children of Israel and Pharaoh's people. He would tell the Children of Israel, "Let the last of you catch up with the first of you," and he would face the Copts and say, "Hold on, let the last of you catch up." It is also narrated that Moses (peace be upon him) said at that moment: "O He Who was before everything, the Creator of everything, and the Being after everything."

As for His saying: {And each part became like a great mountain}, the farq (part) is the section that split off. It was also read as kullu falaq (each split), and the meaning is the same. The tawd (mountain) is the towering mountain, meaning that which rises high into the sky. This was a miracle in several aspects:

1. The splitting of that water itself is a miracle.
2. The gathering of that water above each edge, becoming like a mountain, is also miraculous. This is because it was not impossible for God to dissipate that water, which was removed by the splitting, until it seemed as if it never existed. When it gathered on the two sides, it confirmed this miracle.
3. If the report is true that God sent winds and darkness upon Pharaoh and his people, confusing them, and that this held back the time necessary for the Children of Israel to cross, then this is a third miracle.
4. God placing openings (kowa) in those water walls so that some could see others is a fourth miracle.
5. God maintaining those passages until Pharaoh's people approached them, hoping to escape the sea as Moses' people did, is a fifth miracle.

As for His saying: {And We brought the others near}, there are two points of discussion:

Ibn Abbas, Ibn Jurayj, Qatadah, and As-Suddi said: {And We brought near} (wa azlafna) means We brought the others near the place where the sea split for them (Pharaoh's people). There are three interpretations of this nearness:

1. We brought them near the Children of Israel.
2. We brought some of them near others and gathered them so that none of them could escape.
3. We brought them forward to the sea.

Some people said: {And We brought near} means We detained Pharaoh and his people from pursuing Moses (peace be upon him) by darkening the world upon them with a cloud, causing them to stop, bewildered.

It was also read as wa azlaqna (with a qāf), meaning We made their feet slip. The meaning is: We removed their glory. It is also possible that God made their path in the sea slippery and caused them to slip, contrary to how He made it dry for the Children of Israel.

God attributed that bringing near (izlāf) to Himself, even though their gathering there in pursuit of Moses was an act of disbelief. Al-Juba'i answered this in two ways:

1. Pharaoh's people followed the Children of Israel, and the Children of Israel only did so by God's command. Since their journey was by His decree, and these people followed that, attributing it to Himself is an extension (of responsibility). This is like when one of us tires in pursuit of his slave; he may say, "The slave tired me out," because that action occurred.
2. It is said: {And We brought the others near} means We brought them near to death, because at that time, they were brought near to their appointed time (death). And poetry was cited:

   And every day that passed or night that elapsed, In them, souls approach their appointed times (death).

Al-Ka'bi answered this in two ways:

1. Since God had been forbearing towards them and left the sea dry for them, and they became hopeful of crossing, the attribution becomes permissible. This is like when a companion repeatedly acts foolishly toward another, who forbears. When he persists in his error, the other shows his power and says, "I made you need this and brought you to this state through my forbearance." He does not mean that he willed what happened.
2. It is possible that {We brought them near} means We gathered them to drown them at that moment, and so that they would not reach Moses and his people.

The refutation of the first point (Al-Juba'i's first answer): Does what the Children of Israel did have an effect in drawing Pharaoh's people to follow them, or not? If it does, then the purpose is achieved because God's action has an effect in bringing about the motive that necessitates that bringing near. If it has absolutely no effect, then the connection is broken, and the attribution should not be sound. As for when one of us tires in pursuit of his slave, it is only permissible to say, "That slave tired me out," because the slave's action became a cause for that fatigue; whenever he performs that action, it is apparent that the master becomes aware of it, and his knowledge becomes a motive and an effective cause for that fatigue, so the attribution is sound. In summary, according to us, the capable being cannot act except through a motive, so the motive is effective in making the capable being an agent in that action, thus the attribution is sound.

The refutation of the second point (Al-Juba'i's second answer): That He brought them near to drown them. This is incorrect because they brought themselves near (izdafa) by their own action, and drowning occurred afterward. How can this bringing near be attributed to God? However, according to our view, it is permissible because God created the motive that necessitated that self-bringing near.

The refutation of the third point (Al-Ka'bi's first answer): That His forbearance towards them and His allowing them to proceed—we ask: Does that forbearance have an effect in drawing this motive or not? The rest of the argument is as previously stated.

The refutation of the fourth point (Al-Ka'bi's second answer) is exactly the same as the answer to the second point. And God knows best.

As for His saying: {And We saved Moses and those with him, all of them * Then We drowned the others}, the meaning is that God made the sea dry for Moses and his people until they exited it, and He drowned Pharaoh and his people. This is because when they had fully entered the sea, the water closed over them, and they drowned in that water.

As for His saying: {Indeed, in that is a sign}, the meaning is that what happened in the sea was a wondrous sign among the great signs, indicating His Power, as no human being could accomplish it, and indicating His Wisdom, as it occurred in a manner that was beneficial for both religion and worldly affairs. It indicates the truthfulness of Moses (peace be upon him), as it was a miracle for him, and it serves as a lesson for those who reflect upon it forever. Thus, it becomes a warning against daring to disobey the command of God and His Messenger. It also contains a lesson for Muhammad (peace be upon him), for immediately after this, He says: {And most of them were not believers}. In this, there is solace for him, as he was grieved by the denial of his people despite the appearance of miracles before them. God, the Exalted, drew his attention through this mention that he has an example in Moses and others. The great miracles that appeared through Moses, which dazzle the intellects, did not prevent the majority of his people from denying and disbelieving him, even after witnessing what they witnessed in the sea and elsewhere. Therefore, O Muhammad, do not be surprised by the denial of most of them, and be patient with their harm, perhaps they will reform. In this patience, there is an affirmation of the argument against them.

As for His saying: {And indeed, your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful}, its connection to what precedes it is that the people, despite witnessing this clear sign, disbelieved. Yet, God is the Almighty, capable of destroying them. Moreover, God did not destroy them; rather, He bestowed upon them various types of mercy, which indicates the perfection of His Mercy, the vastness of His Generosity, and His Grace.

The Second Story: The Story of Abraham (peace be upon him)

{And recite to them the story of Abraham. * When he said to his father and his people, "What are you worshipping?" * They said, "We worship idols and remain devoted to them." * He said, "Do they hear you when you call? * Or do they benefit you or harm you?" * They said, "Rather, we found our fathers doing so." * He said, "Then have you considered what you have been worshipping? * You and your ancient fathers? * Indeed, they are enemies to me—except for the Lord of the worlds.}