وَدَخَلَ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَـٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ وَهَـٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ ۖ فَٱسْتَغَـٰثَهُ ٱلَّذِى مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ عَلَى ٱلَّذِى مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ فَوَكَزَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ 15
Translations
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."
Transliteration
Wa-dakhala al-madinata 'ala hini ghiflatin min ahlihā fa-wajada fīhā rajulayni yaqtatilāni hādhā min shi'atihi wa-hādhā min 'aduwwihi fa-istagh āthahu alladhī min shi'atihi 'alā alladhī min 'aduwwihi fa-wakaza-hu Mūsā fa-qadā 'alayhi qāla hādhā min 'amali ash-shayṭāni innahu 'aduwwun mudillun mubīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah narrates a pivotal moment in Musa's life when, upon entering the city during a time of negligence, he witnessed two men fighting—one from his own people (Bani Isra'il) and one from his enemies (the Copts). When the Israelite called for Musa's help, Musa struck the Egyptian with a punch that resulted in his death. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this incident demonstrates how Musa acted based on instinctive justice and protection of his people, though this act would have serious consequences. Musa immediately recognized the gravity of his action and attributed it to Satan's deception, showing awareness that while his intention was to help, his method was influenced by Satan's temptation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qasas, which comprehensively details the story of Musa from birth to prophethood. This particular incident occurred during Musa's youth when he lived in Egypt before his escape to Madyan. The surah provides the full narrative context of how this event led to Musa becoming a fugitive, ultimately placing him on the path toward his divine mission. This passage illustrates the events that preceded his flight from Egypt.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, there are related teachings: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding unintentional killing and seeking forgiveness: 'Whoever kills someone with a whip or a stick in ignorance has expiation' (Sunan Ibn Majah and others). Additionally, the general principle of hastening to repentance is reinforced in multiple hadiths, including the command to seek Allah's forgiveness immediately after committing a sin.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even when our intentions are righteous—to defend the oppressed or protect our community—we must act with wisdom and restraint rather than impulsive force, as Satan can exploit our emotions to lead us astray. It reminds us to immediately acknowledge our mistakes, seek Allah's forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance when we realize we have erred, understanding that all wrongdoing ultimately stems from succumbing to Satan's deception.