Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 26 Ash-Shu'ara, Ayat 20-20

قَالَ فَعَلۡتُهَاۤ اِذًا وَّاَنَا مِنَ الضَّآلِّيۡنَؕ‏ ﴿26:20﴾

(26:20) Moses replied: "I committed that act erringly.16


Notes

16. The word dalalat does not always mean straying away, but it is also used in the sense of ignorance, folly, error, forgetfulness, inadvertence, etc. As mentioned in Surah Al- Qasas, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had only given a blow to the Egyptian (Copt) when he saw him beating an Israelite cruelly. A blow does not cause death, nor is it given with the intention of causing death. It was only an accident that the Egyptian died. As such, it was not a case of deliberate murder but of accidental murder. A murder was committed but not intentionally, nor was any weapon used, which is usually employed for murder, or which can cause murder.