Surah TaHa ayat 78 Tafsir Quran 20:78

﴿فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ﴾
[ طه: 78]

20:78 So Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, and there covered them from the sea that which covered them,

Then Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts with him Pharaoh alongside them and there engulfed them what did engulf them of the sea and it drowned them.

Pharaoh in command of his troops went in pursuit of Mussa and his people whom he considered as enemies to the community of nature, but they were overwhelmed with the sea water which overpowered them

And indeed We revealed to Musa: "Travel by night with My servants and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid.
( 77 )Then Fir'awn pursued them with his hosts, but the sea [ Al-Yamm ] completely overwhelmed them and covered them up ( 78 )And Fir'awn led his people astray, and he did not guide them ( 79 ) The Children of Israel leave Egypt Allah, the Exalted, informs that He commanded Musa to journey at night with the Children of Israel, when Fir'awn refused to release them and send them with Musa.
He was to take them away from Fir'awn's captivity.
Allah expounds upon this in Surahs other than this noble Surah.
Musa left with the Children of Israel, and when the people of Egypt awoke in the morning they found that not a single one of them remained in Egypt.
Fir'awn became extremely furious.
He sent callers into all of the cities to gather together his army from all of his lands and provinces.
He said to them, إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ لَشِرْذِمَةٌ قَلِيلُونَ - وَإِنَّهُمْ لَنَا لَغَائِظُونَ ( Verily, these indeed are but a small band.
And verily, they have done what has enraged us. )[ 26:54-55 ] Then when he gathered his army and organized his troops, he set out after them and they followed them at dawn when the sun began to rise. فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ ( And when the two hosts saw each other )[ 26:61 ] This means that each person of the two parties was looking at the other party. قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ - قَالَ كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ( The companions of Musa said: "We are sure to be overtaken." (Musa ) said: "Nay, verily, with me is my Lord.
He will guide me.")[ 26:61-62 ] Musa stopped with the Children of Israel and the sea was in front of them and Fir'awn was behind them.
Then, at that moment, Allah revealed to Musa, فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا ( And strike a dry path for them in the sea. ) So Musa struck the sea with his stick and he said, "Split for me, by the leave of Allah." Thus, it split, and each separate part of the water became like a huge mountain.
Then, Allah sent a wind to the land of the sea and it burned the soil until it became dry like the ground that is on land.
For this reason Allah said, فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَّا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا ( and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken... ) This means being caught by Fir'awn. وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ ( nor being afraid. ) meaning, "Do not be afraid of the sea drowning your people." Then, Allah, the Exalted, said, فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ ( Then Fir'awn pursued them with his hosts, but the sea [ Al-Yamm ] completely overwhelmed them ) Al-Yamm means the sea. مَا غَشِيَهُمْ ( and covered them up. ) meaning, covered them up with a thing that was well-familiar to them in such a situation, as Allah states; وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ - فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ ( And He destroyed the overthrown cities.
So there covered them that which did cover. )[ 53:53-54 ] As Fir'awn pursued them into the sea, misled his people and did not lead them to the path of correct guidance, likewise, he will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them in to the Hellfire.
And evil indeed is the place to which they are led.

(20:78) Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts but the sea overwhelmed them completely. *54

So Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, meaning

*54) According to XXVI: 64-66, Pharaoh with his hosts.
followed the caravan on the dry path and they were all drowned.
In II :50, it has been stated that the Israelites had reached the other shore and saw them drowning in the sea.
From X: 90-92, we learn that Pharaoh professed to believe in God while he was drowning but this was rejected by God and he was told that his dead body would he preserved for the coming generations to serve as a lesson for them.

 

And indeed We revealed to Musa: "Travel by night with My servants and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid.
( 77 )Then Fir'awn pursued them with his hosts, but the sea [ Al-Yamm ] completely overwhelmed them and covered them up ( 78 )And Fir'awn led his people astray, and he did not guide them ( 79 ) The Children of Israel leave Egypt Allah, the Exalted, informs that He commanded Musa to journey at night with the Children of Israel, when Fir'awn refused to release them and send them with Musa.
He was to take them away from Fir'awn's captivity.
Allah expounds upon this in Surahs other than this noble Surah.
Musa left with the Children of Israel, and when the people of Egypt awoke in the morning they found that not a single one of them remained in Egypt.
Fir'awn became extremely furious.
He sent callers into all of the cities to gather together his army from all of his lands and provinces.
He said to them, إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ لَشِرْذِمَةٌ قَلِيلُونَ - وَإِنَّهُمْ لَنَا لَغَائِظُونَ ( Verily, these indeed are but a small band.
And verily, they have done what has enraged us. )[ 26:54-55 ] Then when he gathered his army and organized his troops, he set out after them and they followed them at dawn when the sun began to rise. فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ ( And when the two hosts saw each other )[ 26:61 ] This means that each person of the two parties was looking at the other party. قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ - قَالَ كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ( The companions of Musa said: "We are sure to be overtaken." (Musa ) said: "Nay, verily, with me is my Lord.
He will guide me.")[ 26:61-62 ] Musa stopped with the Children of Israel and the sea was in front of them and Fir'awn was behind them.
Then, at that moment, Allah revealed to Musa, فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا ( And strike a dry path for them in the sea. ) So Musa struck the sea with his stick and he said, "Split for me, by the leave of Allah." Thus, it split, and each separate part of the water became like a huge mountain.
Then, Allah sent a wind to the land of the sea and it burned the soil until it became dry like the ground that is on land.
For this reason Allah said, فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَّا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا ( and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken... ) This means being caught by Fir'awn. وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ ( nor being afraid. ) meaning, "Do not be afraid of the sea drowning your people." Then, Allah, the Exalted, said, فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ ( Then Fir'awn pursued them with his hosts, but the sea [ Al-Yamm ] completely overwhelmed them ) Al-Yamm means the sea. مَا غَشِيَهُمْ ( and covered them up. ) meaning, covered them up with a thing that was well-familiar to them in such a situation, as Allah states; وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ - فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ ( And He destroyed the overthrown cities.
So there covered them that which did cover. )[ 53:53-54 ] As Fir'awn pursued them into the sea, misled his people and did not lead them to the path of correct guidance, likewise, he will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them in to the Hellfire.
And evil indeed is the place to which they are led.

( Then Pharaoh followed with his hosts and there covered them that which did cover them of the sea ) they drowned in the sea.

Then Fir'aun (Pharaoh) pursued them with his hosts, but the sea-water completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.

Page 317 English transliteration