hadith
4645
۞
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘Allah gave Pharaoh a long respite of forty years, between His two addresses to him, then Allah seized him with the punishment of this life and the Hereafter. So forty years passed between the time that Allah said to Prophet Moses (AS) and Prophet Aaron (AS): “Your supplication has already been granted” and between the time He actually showed them the answer to their supplication [i.e. through Pharaohs annihilation].
الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أملَى اللّهُ عزّ وجلّ لِفرعَونَ ما بينَ الكَلِمَتَينِ ... أربَعينَ سَنَةً، ثُمّ أخَذَهُ اللّهُ نَكالَ الآخِرَةِ والاُولى، وكانَ بينَ أن قالَ اللّهُ عزّوجلّ لموسى وهارونَ عليهماالسلام: «قد أُجِيبَتْ دَعوَتُكُما» وبينَ أن عَرَّفَهُ اللّهُ تعالى الإجابَةَ أربَعينَ سَنَةً.