What Jibril said he was doing at the drowning
Pharaoh said the right words at the wrong time.
فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَنِي وَأَنَا آخُذُ مِنْ حَالِ الْبَحْرِ فَأَدُسُّهُ فِي فِيهِ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تُدْرِكَهُ الرَّحْمَةُ
Fa-law raʾaytanī wa anā ākhudhu min ḥāli-l-baḥri fa-adussuhu fī fīhi makhāfata an tudrikahu-r-raḥmah
If only you had seen me taking the mud of the sea and stuffing it into his mouth, for fear that mercy would reach him.
Where this comes from
When the water closed over him Pharaoh said he believed there was no god but the one the Children of Israel believed in. Jibril's description of what he was doing while it was being said tells you how narrow the margin was thought to be, even then.
The full narration
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When Allah drowned Fir'awn he said: 'I believe that there is no god except the One that the children of Isra'il believe in.' So Jibrail said: 'O Muhammad! If you could only have seen me, while I was taking (the mud) from the sea, and filling his mouth out of fear that the mercy would reach him
Source
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī · 3107
- Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Sahih Lighairihi
- Al-Albani: Sahih
- Zubair Ali Zai: Daif
Note on the chain. Scholars differ on this chain. Zubair Ali Zai grades it Daif. The majority (2 of 3) authenticate it.
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