Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 10 Yunus, Ayat 90-92

وَجَاوَزۡنَا بِبَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ الۡبَحۡرَ فَاَتۡبـَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَجُنُوۡدُهٗ بَغۡيًا وَّعَدۡوًا​ ؕ حَتّٰۤى اِذَاۤ اَدۡرَكَهُ الۡغَرَقُ قَالَ اٰمَنۡتُ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا الَّذِىۡۤ اٰمَنَتۡ بِهٖ بَنُوۡۤا اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ وَ اَنَا مِنَ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿10:90﴾ آٰلۡـٰٔنَ وَقَدۡ عَصَيۡتَ قَبۡلُ وَكُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡمُفۡسِدِيۡنَ‏ ﴿10:91﴾ فَالۡيَوۡمَ نُـنَجِّيۡكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُوۡنَ لِمَنۡ خَلۡفَكَ اٰيَةً  ؕ وَاِنَّ كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنۡ اٰيٰتِنَا لَغٰفِلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿10:92﴾

(10:90) And We led the Children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them in iniquity and transgression until Pharaoh cried out while he was drowning: 'I believe that there is no god but Allah in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am also one of those who submit to Allah.91 (10:91) (Thereupon came the response): 'Now you believe, although you disobeyed earlier and were one of the mischief-makers. (10:92) We shall now save your corpse that you may serve as a sign of warning for all posterity,92 although many men are heedless of Our signs.93

Notes

91. The Bible does not mention this happening but the Talmud says explicitly that when he was drowning he said: Who is like Thee, O Lord, among the gods?

92. Even today the place, where the dead body of Pharaoh was found floating, is pointed out by the inhabitants of that region. It lies on the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is now known by the name of Jabl-i-Firaun (Pharaoh’s Mount). There is also near to it a hot spring called Hammam-i-Firaun (Pharaoh’s Bath), which is situated at a distance of a few miles from Abu Zenimah, where, they say, Pharaoh’s dead body was found lying.

If the Pharaoh who was drowned was Mineptah, who ruled over Egypt when Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was sent to him, his embalmed dead body is still lying in the Cairo Museum. When Sir Grafton E. Smith removed the bandages from his mummy, a layer of salt was found on the body, which was a clear proof that he was drowned in the sea.

93. That is, We show signs to the people over and over again so that these should serve as warnings and be the means of teaching them lessons, but it is a pity that they do not learn lessons even from such signs as the dead body of Pharaoh.