Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 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."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of the Most High: وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُضِلٌّ مُبِينٌ ('And he entered the city at a moment of heedlessness of its inhabitants. He found therein two men fighting with each other: this one belonged to his faction, and that one was his enemy. The one who belonged to his faction called upon him for help against the one who was his enemy. Mūsā struck him with his fist and thereby put an end to him. He said: This is from the work of Satan. Verily, he is a manifest, misleading enemy') (verse 15)
The Most High says: وَدَخَلَ Mūsā الْمَدِينَةَ — the city of Manf (Memphis) in Egypt — عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا — and that was at midday.
The scholars differed concerning the reason why Mūsā entered the city at that time. Some said: he entered it on the trail of Firʿawn, because Firʿawn had gone out while Mūsā was not with him; when Mūsā arrived and heard that he had ridden out, he too rode off and followed his trail; the hour of midday rest found him in this city.
Mention of who said that:
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: when Mūsā had grown up, he would ride upon the carriages of Firʿawn and wear the same clothing as he did; and he was called only 'Mūsā, the son of Firʿawn'. Then Firʿawn rode out in a carriage while Mūsā was not with him; when Mūsā arrived, he was told: Firʿawn has ridden out. He rode after him, and the hour of midday overtook him in a land called Manf; he entered it at midday, while the markets were closed and there was no one in the street; that is the city concerning which Allah says: وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا .
Others said: he entered it secretly, out of fear of Firʿawn and his people, because he had entered into their religion with them and had then disapproved of their conduct.
Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: when Mūsā reached his full maturity and was fully grown, Allah gave him sound judgement and knowledge; and he had among the Israelites a faction who listened to him, obeyed him, and gathered around him. When his judgement ripened and he understood upon what Truth he stood, he deemed it right in his religion to break with Firʿawn and his people because of their state; he spoke out, took a hostile stance, and disapproved, until people talked about him and they made him afraid and he feared them — so that he could not enter any city of Firʿawn except in fear and secrecy; one day he entered it at a moment of heedlessness of its inhabitants.
Still others said: Firʿawn had ordered him to leave the city, after Mūsā had struck him with the staff; he had not entered it until he had grown up and reached his full maturity. They said: the meaning of the text is: he entered the city at a moment of heedlessness of its inhabitants concerning the memory of Mūsā — that is, after they had forgotten his affair and his case.
Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا : this is not the heedlessness of an hour, but heedlessness concerning the memory of Mūsā and his case. Firʿawn said to his wife: put him out, away from me, when he had struck him on his head with the staff. This is the child on account of whom the Israelites are killed; she said: he is small, and he is such-and-such. Then bring live coals; live coals were brought, he took a glowing coal and threw it into his mouth, so that a knot formed in his tongue, and that was the knot concerning which Allah said: وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي * يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي ('and loosen the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my speech'). He said: put him out, away from me; he was put out and did not return to them again until he had grown up; thus he entered them at a moment of heedlessness concerning his memory.
The most correct position on this is that one should say what Allah the Most High has said: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى ... وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا .
They also differed concerning the time that is meant by عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا . Some said: that is midday.
Mention of who said that:
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ : he said: midday. Ibn Jurayj said, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ al-Khurāsānī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: they say it is during the midday nap; he said: and between the sunset and night prayers.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا : he said: he entered it after he had reached his full maturity, at the midday nap, midday.
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: he entered it at midday.
As for فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ ('he found therein two men fighting: this one belonged to his faction'): he says: this one is from the faction of the religion of Mūsā, from the Israelites; وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ — from the Copts, the people of Firʿawn; فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ — the adherent of the religion of Mūsā called upon him for help against the one of his enemies from the Copts; فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ — he thrust him and pushed him with the fist of his hand in his chest.
What we have said concerning this, the exegetes also said.
Mention of who said that:
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ḥafṣ related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: Mūsā committed his lapse whence he committed it, and he was fierce in anger and strong in might. He passed by a Copt who had pressed a Muslim into forced labour; when that man saw Mūsā, he called upon him for help and said: 'O Mūsā!' Mūsā said: 'Release him.' The Copt said: 'I was about to set him upon you.' فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ — then on the next day at midday that same man had been seized by another in the same circumstance; the man said: 'O Mūsā!' The anger of Mūsā flared up; he stretched out his arm and was about to strike, but feared that he meant the Israelite. The Israelite said: أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا بِالأَمْسِ ('do you wish to kill me as you killed a man yesterday?'). The man said: 'Aha, so I see you, O Mūsā — you are the one who killed him!'
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: ʿUthām ibn ʿAlī related to us, saying: al-Aʿmash related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ — he said: a man of the Israelites who was fighting with a courtier of Firʿawn; فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ ... فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ — and on the next day that same man also called upon him for help, and he found him fighting with another; he called upon him for help; but he said: أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا بِالأَمْسِ — and so they recognized that it was Mūsā; he departed from them in fear, watching out.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ — the one of his faction was of the Israelites, and the one of his enemies was a Copt of the family of Firʿawn.
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ — that is, of the Copts; فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ .
Al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Walīd related to us, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: al-Aṣbagh ibn Zayd informed us, saying: al-Qāsim ibn Abī Ayyūb related to us, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: when Mūsā had reached his full maturity and had become a man among men, no one of the family of Firʿawn could any longer approach any of the Israelites to wrong them or press them into forced labour when Mūsā was present, until they had fully shielded themselves. One day he was walking through a quarter of the city, and behold: two men were fighting with each other, one of the Israelites and one of the family of Firʿawn; the Israelite called upon him for help against the Egyptian; Mūsā blazed with anger and his rage became severe, because he had assaulted him while he knew what Mūsā's relation was to the Israelites and how he protected them — and no one knew otherwise than that all of this arose from the nursing-bond of the mother of Mūsā, unless Allah had given Mūsā a knowledge concerning it that had been given to no one else. Mūsā struck the Copt with his fist and killed him; only Allah and the Israelite had seen it; قَالَ Mūsā after he had killed the man: هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ — the whole verse.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ — a Muslim; and this one of the enemies of the religion of Firʿawn, an unbeliever; فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ — and Mūsā was endowed with an imposing body and a strong fist; he blazed up against their enemy and committed his error with him; فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى — he struck him with a blow that killed him, without intending to kill him; قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُضِلٌّ مُبِينٌ .
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ : he said: of his people, the Israelites; and Firʿawn was of Fāris (Persia), from Iṣṭakhr.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — likewise.
He said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abī Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh, on the authority of his companions: هَذَا مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ — an Israelite; وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ — a Copt; فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ .
Likewise they said concerning the meaning of فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى .
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى — he said: with the clenched fist of his hand.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — likewise.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى — the prophet of Allah — without intending his death.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: he killed him without wishing his death.
As for فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ ('and put an end to him'): that is, he had finished killing him. I have already explained elsewhere that the meaning of 'al-qaḍāʾ' is completion, so that there is no need to repeat it here.
It is reported that he killed him and then buried him in the sand.
As al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abī Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh, on the authority of his companions: فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ — and then he buried him in the sand.
As for قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ ('he said: this is from the work of Satan'): the Most High says: Mūsā said after he had killed the slain man: this killing is a consequence of the doing of Satan, who inflamed my anger until I struck this man and he died from my blow; إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ — that is, Satan is an enemy of the children of man; مُضِلٌّ — he misleads them from the path of guidance by making the ugliness in their deeds appear beautiful to them; مُبِينٌ — that is, he makes his enmity toward them, and his misleading of them, manifest from of old.
