قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ 33
Translations
He said, "My Lord, indeed I killed from among them someone, and I fear they will kill me.
Transliteration
Qala Rabbi inni qataltu minhum nafsan fa-akhaafu an yaqtulun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) confesses to his Lord that he killed one of the Egyptians and fears they will execute him in retaliation. This ayah illustrates Musa's consciousness of his action and his reliance on Allah for protection and guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this reflects Musa's humility before Allah and his acknowledgment of the gravity of taking a life, even in defense of an oppressed Israelite, showing that believers should turn to Allah in moments of fear and uncertainty.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Al-Qasas, which narrates the story of Prophet Musa's early life. The context immediately precedes Allah's command for Musa to flee Egypt after he inadvertently killed a Coptic man while defending an Israelite from oppression. This represents a pivotal moment when Musa, despite his good intention, becomes a fugitive and must rely entirely on Allah's protection and mercy.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain narrations about the incident of Musa killing the Egyptian, confirming the historical authenticity of this event as mentioned in the Qur'an. The incident is also referenced in discussions about self-defense and protection of the oppressed.
Themes
Key Lesson
When facing overwhelming fear or consequences for our actions, we should turn to Allah in sincere supplication rather than despair, trusting that He alone can provide refuge and solutions. This teaches believers to maintain consciousness of Allah (Taqwa) and seek His guidance even in our darkest moments.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِىٓ أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِى ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَـٰلِمُونَ
And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their mother [i.e., principal city] a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.
وَقَالَتْ لِأُخْتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِ ۖ فَبَصُرَتْ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
And she said to his sister, "Follow him"; so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not.
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ
And when he came to the water [i.e., well] of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women holding back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.