Surah 4:18 – Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, “Now have I repented indeed;” or of those who die rejecting Faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.
According to S10:90-92, Pharaoh repented “in the sight of death” and was saved “in the body” as stated: We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, 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 Allah in Islam.” (It was said to him): “Ah now! But a little while before, was thou in rebellion! and thou did mischief and violence! “This day shall We save thee in thy body, that thou may be a sign to those who come after thee! But verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!”
The issue is whether Pharaoh as stated in S10:90-92 falls into the category of those in S4:18 which says that such a thing cannot happen as last minute repentance is not accepted.
However, the Arabic text of S10:92 clearly says that Allah will save Pharaoh in his body. The comparison can be made with the text stated in –
S39:42 It is Allah that takes the souls of men at death; and those that dies not He takes during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back from returning to life, but the rest He sends to their bodies for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.
According to critics of the Qur’an several issues can be raised on the exegesis of those passages mentioned above.
For instance, the authors must assume that the phrase, “We save thee in thy body” means that God saved Pharaoh’s body. The only problem is that the phrase, “thee in thy body” presumes that more than Pharaoh’s body shall be saved. Hence, what would be in Pharaoh’s body except his soul? This implies that Allah promised to save both his soul and his body from destruction.
Yet, this leaves a couple of problems for Muslim exegesis. If “saving Pharaoh in his body” meant that God would save him from drowning then this is in clear contradiction of where it states that both Pharaoh and his army were flung into the sea and destroyed as stated –
S28:40 So We seized him and his hosts, and We flung them into the sea: Now behold what was the end of those who did wrong!
S17:103 So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him.
If the phrase “saving thee in thy body” implies that both Pharaoh’s body would be preserved and his soul spared from eternal destruction, then this verse would again contradict where it clearly claims that Pharaoh will be one of those that enter hell –
S28:42 And We caused to overtake them in this world a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be of the despised.
In fact, early Muslim exegetes believed that Surah 10:92 clearly affirmed that Pharaoh had been forgiven of his sin. This is then a clear contradiction in the Qur’an that last minute repentance is not accepted.
The rationale of Pharaoh last minute repentance is not accepted is from the fact that the disputant of the Qur’an failed to understand the definition of death and alive in the Quran. When the soul is taken away permanently the person is dead –
S3:185 Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense.
According to the Qur’an when a man is alive his body and soul is functioning together. In a living person the body will react and manifest into action which the soul dictates.
S20:96 He replied: “I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful of dust from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it into the calf: thus did my soul suggest to me.”
In the above verse, Samiri’s body and his soul committed the crime in creating the golden calf for the Jews to worship. This is the example when the body and soul is one and alive then they are accountable for their every action.
In another example is when one of the son of Adam killed his own brother –
S5:30 And his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers. Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, “O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?” And he became of the regretful.
On the other hand, all living human will experience death –
S21:34 “We granted not to any man before thee permanent life here: if than thou should die, would they live permanently?
This mean that death which is the separation of the body and soul will happen as one is sleeping but in sleeping the soul is taken out of the body temporarily –
S6:60 It is He who doth take your souls by night, and hath knowledge of all that ye have done by day: by day doth He raise you up again; that a term appointed be fulfilled; In the end unto Him will be your return; then will He show you the truth of all that ye did.
However when death is prescribed the soul is taken permanently away from the body until the Day of Judgment –
S39:42 It is Allah that takes the souls of men at death; and those that dies not He takes during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back from returning to life, but the rest He sends to their bodies for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.
Thus the evidences are clear that in the case of Pharaoh Allah only saved him of his body but not his soul. Had Allah saved his soul as the disputant of the Qur’an claimed then Pharaoh’s soul would still be intact in his body just like him having his sleep on the night and awaken on the next morning as described in S6:60 above.
Instead, Pharaoh’s soul was taken away permanently that he died until the Day of Judgment when he will be resurrected, being judged and punish for his feat. It is clear, Allah did not accept his last-minute repentance but preserved only his body as a sign for future generation and not his soul and he ceased to function as a living human being.
S11:98-99 He will go before his people on the Day of Judgment and lead them into the Fire (as cattle are led to water): But woeful indeed will be the place to which they are led! And they are followed by a curse in this life and on the Day of Judgment: and woeful is the gift which shall be given unto them!
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