28:15 Al-Qasas (The Stories)

{ وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا } إما وقت القائلة، أو غير ذلك من الأوقات التي بها يغفلون عن الانتشار. { فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ } أي: يتخاصمان ويتضاربان { هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ } أي: من بني إسرائيل { وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ } القبط.{ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ } لأنه قد اشتهر، وعلم الناس أنه من بني إسرائيل، واستغاثته لموسى، دليل على أنه بلغ موسى عليه السلام مبلغا يخاف منه، ويرجى من بيت المملكة والسلطان.{ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى } أي: وكز الذي من عدوه، استجابة لاستغاثة الإسرائيلي، { فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ } أي: أماته من تلك الوكزة، لشدتها وقوة موسى.فندم موسى عليه السلام على ما جرى منه، و { قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ } أي: من تزيينه ووسوسته، { إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُضِلٌّ مُبِينٌ } فلذلك أجريت ما أجريت بسبب عداوته البينة، وحرصه على الإضلال.

قال تعالى: "ودخل المدينة على حين غفلة من أهلها" قال ابن جريج عن عطاء الخراساني عن ابن عباس وذلك بين المغرب والعشاء. وقال ابن المنكدر عن عطاء بن يسار عن ابن عباس كان ذلك نصف النهار وكذا قال سعيد بن جبير وعكرمة والسدي وقتادة "فوجد فيها رجلين يقتتلان" أي يتضاربان ويتنازعان "هذا من شيعته" أي إسرائيلي "وهذا من عدوه" أي قبطي قاله ابن عباس وقتادة والسدي ومحمد بن إسحاق فاستغاث الإسرائيلي بموسى فوجد موسى فرصة وهي غفلة الناس فعمد إلى القبطي "فوكزه موسى فقضى عليه" قال مجاهد فوكزه أي طعنه بجمع كفه وقال قتادة وكزه بعصا كانت معه فقضى عليه أي كان فيها حتفه فمات "قال" موسى "هذا من عمل الشيطان إنه عدو مضل مبين قال رب إني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي فغفر له إنه هو الغفور الرحيم قال رب بما أنعمت علي" أي بما جعلت لي من الجاه والعز والنعمة "فلن أكون ظهيرا" أي معينا "للمجرمين" أي الكافرين بك المخالفين لأمرك.

How Musa killed a Coptic Man

Having described Musa's beginnings, Allah then tells us that when he reached maturity, and was complete in stature, Allah gave him Hukm and religious knowledge. Mujahid said that this means prophethood.

وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(And thus do We reward the doers of good.) Then Allah describes how Musa reached the status that was decreed for him, that of Prophethood and speaking to Allah, as a direct consequence of killing the Coptic, which was the reason why he left Egypt and went to Madyan. Allah says:

وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا

(And he entered the city when its people were unaware.) Ibn Jurayj narrated from `Ata' Al-Khurasani, from Ibn `Abbas, "That was between Maghrib and `Isha'." Ibn Al-Munkadir narrated from `Ata' bin Yasar from Ibn `Abbas, "That was in the middle of the day." This was also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, As-Suddi and Qatadah.

فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلاَنِ

(and he found there two men fighting,) meaning, hitting one another and struggling with one another.

هَـذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ

(one of his party, ) meaning, an Israelite,

وَهَـذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ

(and the other of his foes.) meaning, a Coptic. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Muhammad bin Ishaq. The Israelite man asked Musa, peace be upon him, for help, and Musa took advantage of the fact that people were not paying attention, so he went to the Coptic man and

فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ

(so Musa struck him with his fist and he died.) Mujahid said, "This means he punched him with his fist." And then he died.

قَالَ

(He said) refers to Musa.

وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلاَنِ هَـذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ وَهَـذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَاسْتَغَـثَهُ الَّذِى مِن شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِى مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ قَالَ هَـذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَـنِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ - قَالَ رَب إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى فَاغْفِرْ لِى فَغَفَرَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ

("This is of Shaytan's doing, verily, he is a plain misleading enemy." He said: "My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, so forgive me." Then He forgave him. Verily, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. He said: "My Lord! For that with which You have favored me,) meaning, `what You have given me of prestige, power and blessings -- '

فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيراً

(I will nevermore be a helper of the criminals!) `those who disbelieve in You and go against Your commands.'

And he Moses entered the city Pharaoh’s city Memphis having been absent from it for a while at a time when its people were oblivious the time of the afternoon nap and found therein two men fighting one of his own faction namely an Israelite and the other of his enemies in other words an Egyptian who was exploiting an Israelite to carry firewood to Pharaoh’s kitchen. So the one who was of his faction called to him for help against the one who was of his enemies and so Moses said to him ‘Leave him be!’ and it is said that he replied to Moses thus ‘I am truly considering making you carry this firewood!’. So Moses punched him that is he hit him with his fist clenched — he Moses was a strong man with a powerful strike and did away with him that is he killed him but he had not intended to kill him. He buried him in the sand. He said ‘This killing of him is of Satan’s doing inciting my anger. Indeed he is an enemy to the son of Adam a manifest misleader’ of him.

Commentary

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَىٰ (And when he reached his maturity and became perfect - 28:14). The literal meaning of 'ashudd (أَشُدَّ ) is to attain the peak of strength or intensity. For instance a person gradually develops from the position of juvenile weakness to the strength of adulthood. A time comes when he has attained full strength and vigour that he could achieve. That point in life is called أَشُدَّ 'ashudd. In different parts of the world and for different people this point in life varies according to climate, character of the land, race etc. Some people attain it early while others take time. ` Abd Ibn Humaid has reported that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas and Mujahid have placed the age of 'ashudd as 33rd year of one's life. This is called the age of perfection or the age of discernment, when the development of body stops after reaching its peak. After this age a period of hold commences, which lasts until the age of forty. This period is mentioned in the verse as اسْتَوَىٰ Istawa (translated above as became perfect). After the age of forty years the decline and weakness sets in. Hence, it can be said that 'ashudd (أَشُدَّ ) of a person starts from the age of 33 years and lasts through 40 years. (Ruh, Qurtubi).

آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا (We gave him wisdom and knowledge - 28:14) The word (حُکُم) lukm (translated above as 'wisdom' ) is used here for prophethood, and the word 'knowledge' refers to the knowledge of divine injunctions.

وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا (And he entered the city at a time of unawareness of its people - 15). Most commentators have interpreted that the word 'city' is used here for the main city of Egypt. The words 'he entered' indicate that Musa (علیہ السلام) ، had gone away somewhere out of Egypt. Then he entered back at a time when people normally sleep. It is also mentioned in the incident of killing of the 'Qibti' that it was the time when Musa (علیہ السلام) had already announced his prophethood and had started preaching the religion of truth. As a result of his preaching some people had converted, and were known as his disciples. The word مِن شِيعَتِهِ (from his group - 28:15) is a proof of that. All these versions give credence to the narration which is quoted by Ibn Ishaque and Ibn Zaid that when Musa (علیہ السلام) had started talking to the people about the religion of truth, the Pharaoh turned against him and wanted to kill him. But on the appeal of his wife, Sayyidah 'Asiyah, he restrained himself, and instead commanded him to go in exile. After that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) shifted to some hiding place and would come to the city of Egypt occasionally in hiding. Most commentators are of the opinion that by عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا (28:15) the time of afternoon is meant, when people generally take a siesta. (Qurtubi)

فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ (So Musa struck him with his fist). Wakaza (وَكَزَ ) means to box فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ (28:15). The phrase of Qadahu (قَضَاہ) and Qada 'Alaihi (فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ) is used when one is totally finished. Hence, here it means that he killed him. (Mazhari)