Set Out by Night

And We inspired Mūsā, saying: take away My slaves by night; verily, you will be pursued. Now you understand why the houses were marked. Because the order of Allah (swt) to Banū Isrāʾīl to leave would be sudden. So Mūsā needed to know where the homes of Banū Isrāʾīl were located, so that they could leave immediately when the order of Allah came. Because Firʿawn was preventing them from leaving. Firʿawn had taken them as slaves and servants, so he did not want to release Banū Isrāʾīl. One of the things Mūsā had called Firʿawn to, from the first meeting he had with him, was: an arsil maʿanā Banī Isrāʾīl — send the children of Israel with us; release them.

So when the order of Allah (swt) was revealed for Mūsā to leave with the children of Israel, they had to have a plan already prepared, so that they could leave suddenly without Firʿawn knowing. So the commandment from Allah (swt) came in the form of revelation to Mūsā; Allah (swt) revealed the order to him: an asri bi-ʿibādī. Asri bi-ʿibādī means leave at night-time.

So they left at night-time, all of them. We do not know exactly how many they were, but the mufassirūn say that they were 600 fighters^* — and then add to that the women, the children and the old. So this was a huge nation. And they say that they had been in Egypt for a little over 400 years. Because how did Banū Isrāʾīl get into Egypt? With Yūsuf (peace be upon him) and his brothers — his eleven brothers. They lived in Egypt and they multiplied, and within 400 years they were a nation of 600,000.