"Then We inspired to Moses, 'Strike with your staff the sea.'" Gabriel came to him on a horse and commanded him to strike the sea with his staff; so he struck it. "And it parted," the sea, "and each portion was like a great mountain." The "tawd" (mountain) is the mountain.
Qatadah said: It became twelve paths, a path for each tribe, and what was between every two paths became like arches, with some of them seeing others.
﴿فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنِ اضْرِبْ بعصاك الْبَحْر﴾ جَاءَهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ، فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ الْبَحْرَ بِعَصَاهُ؛ فَضَرَبَهُ ﴿فانفلق﴾ الْبَحْرُ ﴿فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيم﴾ وَالطَّوْدُ: الْجَبَلُ.
قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: صَارَ اثْنَى عَشْرَ طَرِيقًا لِكُلِّ سِبْطٍ طَرِيقٌ، وَصَارَ مَا بَيْنَ كُلِّ طَرِيقَيْنِ مِنْهُ مِثْلُ الْقَنَاطِيرِ يَنْظُرُ بَعضهم إِلَى بعض
