فَفَرَرْتُ مِنكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِى رَبِّى حُكْمًا وَجَعَلَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ 21
Translations
So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me judgement [i.e., wisdom and prophet hood] and appointed me [as one] of the messengers.
Transliteration
Fa-fararta minkum lammā khiftukum fa-wahaba lī rabbī hukman wa-jaʿalanī mina al-mursalīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Musa (Moses) recalls his flight from Egypt after killing the Copt, stating that he fled because he feared the Egyptians' retribution. Despite this apparent weakness and exile, Allah granted him wisdom (hikma) and made him one of the messengers (mursalīn). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this ayah demonstrates how Allah elevates the faithful despite their circumstances, transforming Musa's escape into a prelude to his prophetic mission and divine purpose.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that narrates the stories of prophets and their struggles. It specifically relates to Musa's narrative (verses 15-68) where he addresses Pharaoh and his people, recounting his past. The surah's broader context emphasizes how previous messengers were rejected by their people, paralleling the Prophet Muhammad's situation in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
While no single hadith directly quotes this verse, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain hadiths about Prophet Musa's life, including his flight to Midian and his eventual call to prophethood. The thematic connection appears in hadiths discussing how trials precede honor and how Allah guides His chosen servants.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that moments of apparent weakness, fear, or displacement may be divine tests that precede greater purposes. Trust in Allah's wisdom means believing that He can transform our struggles into stepping stones toward meaningful service and spiritual elevation.