Surah Al-Qasas 28:14-21 - Quran Translation Commentary

(28:15) And he entered the city at a time when its people were inattentive.²⁵ He found there two men fighting: this from his own faction and this from among his enemy. Now the one that was of his faction appealed to him against the one who was from among his enemy. Musa struck him²⁶ and finished him off.²⁷ He exclaimed, ‘This is one of Satan’s doing. Surely, he is a misguiding, manifest enemy.’

(28:16) He said, ‘O my Lord! Surely I have wronged my soul. Therefore, forgive me.’ So He forgave him. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful.²⁸

(28:17) He said, ‘My Lord! For the favor You have bestowed on me, I shall never be a helper to the criminals.²⁹

(28:18) Thus he did his morning in the city in fear, watchful, when behold, the one who had sought his help the previous day was calling after him. Musa told him, ‘You are indeed an evident deviant one.’³⁰

(28:19) Then, as he tried to lay his hand on the one who was an enemy to both,³¹ he cried out, ‘O Musa! Do you intend to kill me as you killed a man yesterday?³² You do not wish but to be a tyrant in the land, and do not wish to be one of those who set things right.’

(28:20) Then came a man from the farthest end of the city, hurrying, and said, ‘O Musa! The chiefs are conferring over you, to kill you.³³ Therefore, depart. I am indeed one of your sincere advisers.’

(28:21) So he departed therefrom in fear, watchful saying, ‘O my Lord! Save me from the wrong-doing people.’³⁴

Commentary

23. This is how Ibn Jarir explains “Istawa.” Zamakhshari writes that it is that stage in life after which no further physical development is possible.

Sayyid adds: “(At this point we enter into a new phase of Musa’s life). As for what happened after he was restored to his mother, how was he brought up in the royal Pharaonic palaces, what kind of relationship existed between him and his mother after the suckling period was over, what was Musa’s status in the palaces and outside them after he had grown up, what were his beliefs, while he was being readied under Allah’s own eye .. these are all details that the Qur’an did not discuss, but rather, we are taken straight to the next stage in his life and to the next episode.”

24. “This implies that he was pious and righteous from early manhood, and was at no time of his adult life an unbeliever” (Majid).

25. It was perhaps midday, the markets were closed, and so there weren’t any people around in the streets (Ibn Jarir).

26. “Wakaza-wakz” is to fold the fingers and assault with the hand (Zamakhshari), what is known as a punch or a box today (Au.).

27. Although he did not intend to kill him (Ibn Jarir).

28. Alusi comments on why Musa had to seek forgiveness for an unintended murder. First he points out that the Prophets of Allah never commit a major sin at any time in their lives. So, Musa was blameless on that account. However, he was remorseful because after the man died, he might have analyzed his behavior. Did he over-react? Should he not have merely pushed the man away instead of punching him? Yes he could. He had indeed proven hasty which was unbecoming of a man of his status. Hence he said, ‘O my Lord! Surely I have wronged my soul. Therefore, forgive me.’ And he was forgiven. He sought forgiveness because commitment of an unintentional wrong by the pious is considered a sin by those who are closer to Allah.

Mufti Shafi` emphasizes the illegality of a Muslim killing a non-harbi pagan, or confiscating his property. He quotes Ibn Hajr as writing in his Sharh al-Bukhari as follows, “The fact of pagans and Muslims living together in peace, makes their life and property unlawful unto the Muslims. Thanwi’s opinion is close to this, writes Mufti Shafi`, and was the last of his legal opinions that he heard from him on the 2nd of Rajab 1362 A.H., Thanwi succumbing to his prolonged illness, breathing his last on the 16th of Rajab the same year.

Mufti Shafi` perhaps thought it wise to emphasize - in view of the prevailing situation in the Indian sub-continent, where Muslim life and property is constantly under attack the question arise: should they retaliate in a similar manner, or sit back doing nothing? The answer is, so long as the state does not consider attacks against them as legal, they might defend themselves by whatever means possible, but not retaliate in the manner in which they are attacked, such as, indiscriminately killing any non-Muslim, or destroying property, as their enemies do (Au.).

29. Hence, Ata’ has said that it is not lawful for anyone to help an oppressor, or be his writer, or even accept his company. It is reported that Dahhak was asked by Sulayman b. Muslim (an early Abbasid: Ibn Kathir in Tarikh) to go up to Bukhara and distribute some state funds among the people there. He declined. Sulayman made repeated requests but Dahhak emphatically refused. He was asked the reason. He replied tersely, “I do not wish to be a helper to any wrongdoing person in any way.” `Ata’ b. Rabah was asked, “I have a brother who earns his livelihood with his pen. He keeps the accounts, entering, deducting, etc. He has family and children. If he gives up, he will have to live on loans.” He asked, “Who employs him?” He was told, “Khalid b. `Abdullah al-Qasra” (an Umayyad: Ibn Kathir in Tarikh). He remarked, “Have you not read what a pious person (of the past) had to say?: ‘My Lord! For the favor You have bestowed on me, I shall never be a helper to the criminals!’” (Zamakhshari in part, Qurtubi, Alusi and Mawdudi).

30. For, you are the one who led me to yesterday’s killing (Alusi and others).

31. That is, Musa (asws) did not wish to strike him. He merely tried to restrain the Copt (Au.).

32. He wrongly perceived the threat from Musa’s words of alarm, "Indeed, you are an evident deviant one” (Alusi and others).

33. The intervening events are left out, viz., reports carried to Fir`awn that Musa was the one who had killed the Copt the previous day, and the discussions amongst the ruling elite as to what action was to be taken against Musa, the majority insisting that he be put to death in retaliation, etc. Their decision also implies that although Musa was brought up among the royals, he was never accepted as one of the royalty or even as one of the Copts, to be spared for accidentally killing one of them. Muslims who try to integrate themselves with the non-Muslims, and go a long way to please them, should perhaps make note of this historical reality (Au.).

34. Yusuf Ali tries to figure out Musa’s state of mind: “Moses saw that his position was now untenable, both in the Palace and in the City, and indeed anywhere in Pharaoh’s territory. So he suffered voluntary exile. But he did not know where to go to. His mind was in a state of agitation. But he turned to Allah (swt) and prayed. He got consolation, and felt that after all it was no hardship to leave Egypt, where there was so much injustice and oppression.”