Hadith 32-7

حَدَّثَنا عَبْد الواحِدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدُوسٍ النِيْسابُوري العَطَّار رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ، عَنْ حَمْدانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمان النِيْسابُوري قالَ: حَدَّثَني إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّد الهَمْدانِيَّ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لايِّ عِلَّةٍ أَغْرَقَ اللَّهُ فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَدْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَأَقَرَّ بِتَوْحِيدِهِ قَالَ لانَّهُ آمَنَ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَةِ الْبَأْسِ وَالإِيمَانُ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَةِ الْبَأْسِ غَيْرُ مَقْبُولٍ وَذَلِكَ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ فِي السَّلَفِ وَالْخَلَفِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: (فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنا قالُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَفَرْنا بِما كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ. فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنا.) وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: (يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آياتِ رَبِّكَ لا يَنْفَعُ نَفْساً إِيمانُها لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمانِها خَيْراً.) وَهَكَذَا فِرْعَوْنُ لَمَّا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ: آمَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ آلآْنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً وَقَدْ كَانَ فِرْعَوْنُ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمِهِ فِي الْحَدِيدِ قَدْ لَبِسَهُ عَلَى بَدَنِهِ فَلَمَّا غَرِقَ أَلْقَاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى نَجْوَةٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ بِبَدَنِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِمَنْ بَعْدَهُ عَلامَةً فَيَرَوْنَهُ مَعَ تَثَقُّلِهِ بِالْحَدِيدِ عَلَى مُرْتَفِعٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ وَسَبِيلُ الثَّقِيلِ أَنْ يَرْسُبَ وَلا يَرْتَفِعَ فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ آيَةً وَعَلامَةً وَلِعِلَّةٍ أُخْرَى أَغْرَقَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهِيَ أَنَّهُ اسْتَغَاثَ بِمُوسَى لَمَّا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَغِثْ بِاللَّهِ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا مُوسَى لَمْ تُغِثْ فِرْعَوْنَ لانَّكَ لَمْ تَخْلُقْهُ وَلَوِ اسْتَغَاثَ بِي لاغَثْتُهُ.

Abdul Wahid Muhammad ibn Ubdoos al-Neishaboori al-Attar - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Qutayba quoted on the authority of Hamdan ibn Soleiman al-Neishaboori, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamadani who asked Abil Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), ‘Why did the Honorable the Exalted God drown Pharaoh, even though he believed in Him and confessed to His Unity?’ The Imam (a.s.) replied, ‘That was because he believed only when he saw the punishment, and believing when you see the punishment is not acceptable. This has been the Sublime God’s decree in the past and it will be so for the future as the Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘But when they saw Our Punishment, they said, We believe in God - the one God - and we reject the partners we used to join with Him.’ But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them. (a.s.uch has been) God's Way of dealing with His Servants (from the most ancient times). And even thus did the Rejecters of God perish (utterly)! [7] ’ And the Honorable the Exalted God has also said, ‘…the day that certain of the signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then; if he believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith. Say: Wait ye: we too are waiting.’ [8] When Pharaoh was about to drown ‘…he said, I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to God in Islam).’ [9] It was said to him, ‘Ah now! But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion! And thou didst mischief (and violence)! This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! But verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!’ [10] Pharaoh was armed to the teeth wearing iron armor. When he was drowned, God threw him up on a high piece of land so that he would be a sign for the people who came later. They could see him on the high land with all his heavy iron weapons. Iron is heavy and it will naturally submerge. That is why this in itself was a sign. Another reason that the Honorable the Exalted God drowned Pharaoh was that he sought help from Moses when he realized that he was going to be drowned, and he did not seek God’s help. Then the Honorable the Exalted God revealed to Moses (a.s.), ‘O Moses! You did not help Pharaoh since you had not created him. Had he asked Me for help, I would have saved him.’”