Surah Qasas ayat 15 Tafsir Quran 28:15

﴿وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ وَهَٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ ۖ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِن شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۖ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ﴾
[ القصص: 15]

28:15 And he entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, "This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy."

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.

He entered the city unnoted by its people (who might have retired for the siesta or the night) only to find two men fighting, one of the same law and the other of his foes-an Egyptian: His co-religionist sought his help against their enemy and there Mussa cuffed him with the fists and the man dropped dead. There and then said Mussa: This is indeed a Satanic incitement, for this is the work of AL-Shaytan (Satan) who is an avowed enemy instigating deviation from the path of righteousness

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.'

(28:15) (One day) he entered the city at a time when the people were heedless. *20 There he saw two men fighting, the one of his own people, the other of his enemies. The one belonging to his own people asked his help against the one belonging to the enemy. Moses gave him a blow *21 and killed him. (On seeing what had happened) Moses said, "This is the work of Satan: he is a deadly enemy (of man) and an open misleader." *22

And he entered the city at a meaning

*20) It might be the early morning, or midday in summer, or night in winter, when the roads were deserted and there was all quiet in the city.
The words " entered the city " indicate that the royal palaces were situated outside the capital, away from the common population.
The words used are " entered the city " and not " came out in the city ", because the Prophet Moses lived in the royal palace.

*21) The word wakaza in the original means both giving a slap and giving a blow.
We have adopted " Moses gave a blow " for the reason that a blow can cause death but not so a slap.

*22) One can imagine the state of utter remorse and confusion in which the Prophet Moses uttered these words when he saw the Egyptian fall down after receiving the blow and breathe his last.
He had no intention to murder, nor is a blow struck to kill, nor can one expect that a healthy person would die on receiving a blow.
That is why the Prophet Moses exclaimed: " This is the work of Satan! He has made me do this in order to work some great mischief, so that I am accused of killing an Egyptian while defending an Israelite, and a violent storm of 'anger and indignation is aroused in the whole of Egypt not only against me but the whole Israelite community. " In this connection, the Bible gives a different version from the Qur'an.
It declares the Prophet Moses to be guilty of wilful murder.
It says that when Moses saw an Egyptian and an Israelite fighting, " He ( Moses ) looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, He slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. " ( Exod.
2: 12 ).
The same is the version of the Talmud also.
Now anybody can see how the Israelites brand the characters of their elders with infamy and how the Qur'an exonerates them.
The verdict of common sense also is that a wise and discreet person, who was to become a great Prophet in the future, and who had to give man a great code of law and justice, could not be such a blind nationalist that seeing a member of his own community fighting with a man of the other community he would be so infuriated that he would kill the other person wilfully.
Evidently, it could not be lawful to kill the Egyptian only for the sake of rescuing an Israelite from his tyranny.

 

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 entered the city at a time of carelessness of its folk ) when its folk were preoccupied, at the time of the siesta, and it is said after the Maghrib prayer, ( and he found therein ) in the city ( two men fighting, one of his own caste ) of the caste of Moses, i.e. an Israelite, ( and the other of his enemies ) of the enemies of Moses, i.e. a Copt; ( and he who was of his caste ) Moses’ caste ( asked him for help against him who was of his enemies ) Moses’ enemies. ( So Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said ) Moses said: ( This is of the devil’s doing ) by the devil’s command. ( Lo! he is an enemy, a mere misleaders ) whose enmity is quite manifest. And he felt remorse for killing him.

And he entered the city at a time of unawareness of its people, and he found there two men fighting, - one of his party (his religion - from the Children of Israel), and the other of his foes. The man of his (own) party asked him for help against his foe, so Musa (Moses) struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: "This is of Shaitan's (Satan) doing, verily, he is a plain misleading enemy."

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