Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 20 Taha, Ayat 77-77

وَلَقَدۡ اَوۡحَيۡنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوۡسٰٓى ۙ اَنۡ اَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِىۡ فَاضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ طَرِيۡقًا فِى الۡبَحۡرِ يَبَسًا ۙ لَّا تَخٰفُ دَرَكًا وَّلَا تَخۡشٰى‏ ﴿20:77﴾

(20:77) Most certainly We52 revealed to Moses: "Proceed with My servants in the night and strike for them a dry path in the sea.53 Have no fear of being overtaken, nor be afraid of treading through the sea."


Notes

52. Here the details of the events which happened during the long period of Prophet Moses’(peace be upon him) stay in Egypt have been omitted. For these please see (Surah Al- Aaraf, Ayat 130-147), (Surah Younus, Ayats 83-92); (Surah Al-Momin, Ayats 23-50) and (Surah Az-Zukhuruf 46-56).

53. This happened when God at last appointed a night for the exodus of the Israelites and the other Muslims from Egypt. They were asked to gather at a fixed place and set forth as a caravan. Just at the time when they reached the coast of the Red Sea from where they had to cross to the Sinai Peninsula, Pharaoh arrived there with a large army in their pursuit. We learn from (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 61-63) that when they were literally between the army and the deep sea, Allah commanded Moses (peace be upon him) to smite the sea with his staff and according to this verse the sea split and stood like two high walls on both sides, leaving a dry path between them for the caravan to pass. Thus, it is quite clear and plain that it was a miracle, and not the result of a wind storm or tide, for when the water rises in this way it does not remain standing like two high walls, leaving a dry path between them. (For details see (E.N. 47 of Surah Ash-Shuara).