Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:18
And he became inside the city fearful and anticipating [exposure], when suddenly the one who sought his help the previous day cried out to him [once again]. Moses said to him, "Indeed, you are an evident, [persistent] deviator."
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: فَأَصْبَحَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ ('And in the morning he was in the city, fearful and watchful. And behold: the one who had asked him for help the day before now loudly called for his aid. Mūsā said to him: You are truly a manifest one gone astray') (verse 18)
The Most High says: Mūsā found himself that morning in the city of Firʿawn, fearful on account of his transgression and his slaying of the man whom he had killed, that they would seize him and put him to death for that killing; يَتَرَقَّبُ ('watchful') — he awaits news: that is, he waits to see what the people say about what they will do concerning his case and the case of his victim.
What we have said about this is also what the exegetes said.
Mention of who said that:
Al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Walīd related to me, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: Aṣbagh ibn Zayd informed us, saying: al-Qāsim, on the authority of Abī Ayyūb, related to us, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: فَأَصْبَحَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ — he said: fearful of the killing, waiting for them to seize him.
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: فَأَصْبَحَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ — he said: fearful that they would seize him.
As for فَإِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ ('and behold: the one who had asked him for help the day before now loudly called for his aid'): the Most High says: when Mūsā entered the city, fearful and awaiting the news about his own case and the case of the slain man — behold, the Israelite who had asked him for help against the Copt the day before was now fighting with another Copt; the Israelite saw him and called for his aid against the Copt. That is to say: he again sought his help, and the word is derived from 'al-ṣurākh' (loud crying out), as one says: the people of that clan cried out: 'O, the morning!' — he said to him: إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ . The Most High says: Mūsā said to the Israelite who was calling for his aid — while Mūsā was regretful over what he had done the previous day by killing the man, and this one was now calling on him for help against another: 'You who call for help are surely one gone astray' — that is, you are of error; مُبِينٌ ('manifest') — your going astray has become utterly clear: yesterday you fought with one man and today with another.
What we have said about this is also what the exegetes said.
Mention of who said that:
Al-ʿAbbās related to me, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: Aṣbagh ibn Zayd informed us, saying: al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: they went to Firʿawn and said to him: the Israelites have killed a man of the family of Firʿawn; take retribution for us and do not permit them that. He said: bring me the murderer and those who can bear witness to it; it is not fitting to render judgment without evidence and sure proof; seek that out. They were going about but found nothing; then Mūsā passed by the next day, and he saw that same Israelite fighting with a Copt; the Israelite called for Mūsā's aid against the Copt; but Mūsā was overcome by regret over what had happened the day before and was vexed at what he saw; Mūsā flared up and stretched out his hand, ready to seize the Copt; but he said to the Israelite, on account of what he had done yesterday and today: إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ . The Israelite looked at Mūsā after these words, and behold: he was enraged as he had been enraged the day before when he killed the Copt over him; the Israelite feared that after his exclamation إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ Mūsā meant him — whereas he did not mean him; he had meant the Copt — but the Israelite was afraid and disputed with him, and said: يَا مُوسَى أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا بِالأَمْسِ إِنْ تُرِيدُ إِلا أَنْ تَكُونَ جَبَّارًا فِي الأَرْضِ ('O Mūsā, do you wish to kill me as you killed a man yesterday? You only wish to be a tyrant in the land') — and he said that out of fear that Mūsā meant him and wished to kill him; and they parted ways.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَإِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ — he said: 'al-istinṣār' (asking for help) and 'al-iṣṭirākh' (loudly crying out for help) are the same thing.
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: فَإِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ — he said: he called for his aid.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: after Mūsā had killed the slain man, he departed and rejoined his dwelling place in Egypt; people spoke about his affair, and it was said: Mūsā has killed a man — until it reached Firʿawn; Mūsā rose early the next morning, and behold: his companion of the day before had seized another man of his enemies by the neck; Mūsā said to him: إِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُبِينٌ — yesterday a man and today another?
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ḥafṣ related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and al-Shaybānī, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: the one who asked him for help is the same as the one who called for his aid.
