Pharaoh’s Faith and Repentance in the Views of Imam Khomeini and Ibn Arabi

According to some clear Quranic verses, Pharaoh repented in his last breathes. Ibn Arabi believes that his repentance is accepted by God and therefore he departed this life while he has been faithful. However, Imam Khomeini believes that Pharaoh’s repentance is not accepted and he has met his end in disbelief. Ibn Arabi postulates that Pharaoh repented just before being drowned and after repentance he has not committed any sin until his soil was taken. For the same reason, he has not been only faithful at the edge of death but also a clean faithful. Besides, Ibn Arabi believes that the tender words of Moses and Aaron touched Pharaoh and, for the same reason, pharaoh became aware and humble and this shows that Pharaoh’s faith is accepted because his humbleness and awareness has happened in the time of his invitation to God in this world. On the contrary, Imam Khomeini believes that Pharaoh repented as soon as he found that he is drowning and repentance at the edge of death is not accepted. Imam also believes that Pharaoh’s humbleness and awareness was a pretense toward some interests such as deluding surrounding people rather than accepting divine commandments.