The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "So when the two groups came into sight of each other, the companions of Moses said, 'Indeed, we are being overtaken.'"

The Shaykh : And in the story, when the two groups met, the group of Moses and the group of Pharaoh, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are being overtaken," meaning, "We are doomed in any case, because the sea is in front of them, which is the Red Sea between Asia and Africa, and the enemy is behind them. Where can they flee? If they flee from the sea, they fall into what? The enemy. And if they flee from the enemy, they fall into the sea. But what was the answer of Moses, who was certain in Allah the Mighty and Majestic? He said: We are not being overtaken . And this presence is a special presence that necessitates victory and support . So Allah guided him, He guided him. How would he be saved from this destruction? What did he say? He said, "Strike with your staff the sea." Listen, my brother, strike with your staff the sea. So he struck it, and the sea split apart. Glory to Allah the Great! A staff with which he used to beat his sheep and lean upon it, and he had other uses for it, struck the great sea, and it split apart immediately, and each division became like a massive mountain. Each part of this sea became like a *tawd*. A *tawd* is a great mountain, because it became twelve paths. How many tribes were the tribes of the Children of Israel? Twelve, yes, twelve tribes. So it became twelve; the sea became twelve paths.
Now, the bottom of the sea is mud, and they would slip. What was the bottom of the sea? It became dry immediately, and the water separated immediately. And it is said that there was a gap in these great waves of water, so the Children of Israel could see one another, so that some of them would not think that the others had drowned and perished. And this is not far from the power of Allah. So look at the steadfastness of Moses in this place of distress and in this situation of destruction. How did he say: And when you read this verse, you know that whoever is stronger in faith is stronger in reliance upon Allah in a place of distress, tightness, and hardship.