Yunus (Jonas)

90. “And We made the Children of Israel pass through the sea; then Pharaoh and his hosts chased them in insolence and hostility, until when the drowning overtook him, he said: ‘I believe that there is no Allah but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those that surrender’.”

The last phase of the struggle of the Children of Israel with the followers of Pharaoh and their destiny has been depicted in a concise yet accurate and transparent manner here.

The verse implies that Allah let the Children of Israel pass through the sea when confronted with the army of Pharaoh while were being pressured and chased by them.

The verse says:

“And We made the Children of Israel pass through the sea;...”

Pharaoh and his army chased them there in order to oppress and eliminate them though they were soon drowned in the midst of the stormy waves of the sea.

The verse continues saying:

“…then Pharaoh and his hosts chased them in insolence and hostility, until when the drowning overtook him...”

This course went on until the abyss surrounded Pharaoh who started floating on the waves and it was then that his blindness, arrogance and unconsciousness came to an end and the innate light of monotheism started shining.

He shouted he believed in Him Whom the Children of Israel believed in, and he confessed that there is no one to be worshipped except Him and he resigned himself to Him.

The verse says:

“…he said: ‘I believe that there is no Allah but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those that surrender’.”

In fact when the prophecies of Moses proved to be true one after another, and Pharaoh realized the truthfulness of the words of this great prophet over and again, on witnessing this final power, he had no excuse but to believe, maybe hoping that the Lord of the Children of Israel would save him the same way He had saved the Children of Israel from the mountainous waves.

Obviously, such a faith which is attained in the face of calamities, when one is caught in the jaws of death, is in fact a kind of “faith for emergencies”, which every criminal claims when he is captured, and is of no value.