28:18 Al-Qasas (The Stories)

فأصبح موسى في مدينة فرعون خائفًا يترقب الأخبار مما يتحدث به الناس في أمره وأمر قتيله، فرأى صاحبه بالأمس يقاتل قبطيًا آخر، ويطلب منه النصر، قال له موسى: إنك لكثير الغَواية ظاهر الضلال.

{ فـ } لما جرى منه قتل الذي هو من عدوه { أَصْبَحَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ } هل يشعر به آل فرعون، أم لا؟ وإنما خاف، لأنه قد علم، أنه لا يتجرأ أحد على مثل هذه الحال سوى موسى من بني إسرائيل.فبينما هو على تلك الحال { فَإِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالْأَمْسِ } على عدوه { يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ } على قبطي آخر. { قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى } موبخا له على حاله { إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ } أي: بين الغواية، ظاهر الجراءة.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن موسى لما قتل ذلك القبطي أنه أصبح "في المدينة خائفا" أي من معرة ما فعل "يترقب" أي يتلفت ويتوقع ما يكون من هذا الأمر فمر في بعض الطرق فإذا ذلك الذي استنصره بالأمس على ذلك القبطي يقاتل آخر فلما مر عليه موسى استصرخه على الآخر فقال له موسى "إنك لغوي مبين" أي ظاهر الغواية كثير الشر ثم عزم على البطش بذلك القبطي فاعتقد الإسرائيلى لخوره وضعفه وذلته أن موسى إنما يريد قصده لما سمعه يقول ذلك فقال يدفع عن نفسه.

In the morning he was in the city fearful vigilant waiting to see what would happen to him in reaction from the side of the slain man; — when behold the one who had sought his help the day before cried out to him for help again asking for his help against another Egyptian. Moses said to him ‘Clearly you are a trouble-maker!’ whose trouble-making is evident judging by what you did yesterday and today.

قَالَ رَ‌بِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرً‌ا لِّلْمُجْرِ‌مِينَ (He [ Musa ] said, "0 my Lord, since You have favoured me, I will never be a supporter to the sinners." -28:17). When Allah Ta’ ala pardoned this slip of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) he said in gratitude to Allah Ta` ala that he would never again help a criminal. The second incident of the quarrel had proved that the Isra'ili in whose defense Musa (علیہ السلام) had involved himself in the brawl was quarrelsome. Therefore, by declaring him a criminal he vowed not to help such a person again. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ while explaining this verse, has maintained that the word 'criminals' stands here for infidels. Qatadah has also interpreted the verse in almost the same way. On the basis of these commentaries it seems that actually the Isra'ili, whom Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had defended, was not a Muslim but he helped him considering that he was an oppressed person.

Rulings

It is worth noting here that this saying of Musa (علیہ السلام) has established two rulings about two issues. One, that even if an oppressed person is a sinner or infidel, he should be helped. The second ruling is that it is not permitted to help any criminal or oppressor. Scholars have argued on the basis of this verse that working in the employment of cruel rulers is also not permitted, for they too would be regarded as their associates. Many citations from the righteous salaf (elders) have also been quoted in support of this argument. (Ruh u1-Ma’ ani) To provide support to the oppressors or to the infidels may take different forms. The different rulings about these forms are laid down in the books of fiqh in detail. This humble writer has also dealt with the subject in his Arabic book Ahkamul-Qur'an with greater elaboration. The scholars interested in the subject may consult it.