The Third Possibility

The Third Possibility: Pharaoh's faith occurred after the water engulfed him and he was drowning, but definitely before he died.

This possibility, which Sarkhi imagined to be valid, is incorrect. Human speech in this material world requires the utterance of words, and this can’t be achieved without the medium of vocalization, which is air. Given that water had engulfed Pharaoh, the medium for vocalizing-air-was absent, so he couldn’t say anything.

It should also be noted that the water surrounding Pharaoh was like two towering mountains: {Then We inspired to Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff," and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain} Quran Chapter “The Poets” 26:63. You can imagine how long it would take for two great towering mountains to collapse and completely fill an area that is the height of the tallest human and the width of no more than several meters. Those who have studied physics know that the water pressure at the base of the two water mountains would be tremendous. Consequently, when the two towering mountains had collapsed, the water wouldn’t have taken minutes or even seconds to engulf Pharaoh and his soldiers. In fact, it would take less than a very small fraction of a second, which is not enough for a human to utter a few letters. So how can it be imagined that he vocalized more than one sentence {He said, "I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the those who submit"}.

We must also note Pharaoh's circumstances when the water engulfed him. He was weighed down by the iron armor he was wearing, as was the case with his soldiers because they had come out to fight the children of Israel. We cannot imagine that he floated or swam in order to get the chance to say anything because the iron armor would have stopped him from doing that. Since he was weighed down by iron armor, the extraction of his body after his demise from underwater was a sign from God. This is because the iron is supposed to keep him on the seabed {So today We will save you in body that you may be a sign to those who succeed you. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are oblivious} Quran Chapter “Jonah” 10:92.

In that case, no rational person can imagine that after the collapse of two towering mountains and being covered in water, Pharaoh would say: {he said, "I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the those who submit"}.

Also confirming the invalidity of this possibility, is the fact that God Almighty did not say: “until he drowned, he said ‘I believe’'. Rather, He said: {until when the drowning caught up to him, he said, “I believe”}, which means drowning was close to him in proximity and not that he was actually drowning. Pharaoh became convinced that the drowning had caught up to him by touching the mountain of water and sensing the reality of his situation, all the while moving on the ground of the seabed between two mountains of water surrounding him.

To further clarify the difference between drowning catching up to him and drowning, pay attention to this verse. The Almighty said: {And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we have been caught up to!"} Quran Chapter “The Poets” 26:61.

They confirm that Pharaoh and his soldiers have caught up to them {"Indeed, we have been caught up to!"}. But Pharaoh and his soldiers had only gotten close to them to the extent that they saw each other, without reaching their location.