Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 15

(Ayah 15) ➊ {وَ دَخَلَ الْمَدِيْنَةَ عَلٰى حِيْنِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ اَهْلِهَا:} "He entered the city" indicates that the royal palaces were located outside the general population, from where he entered the city. In {’’ غَفْلَةٍ ‘‘}, due to the use of tanween, it has been translated as "a time of some heedlessness." Once, he came to the city at such a time which was a time of some heedlessness. This could have been early morning, after 'Isha, or at noon, but most likely it was noon when the streets are deserted and people are resting in their homes due to the heat. Thus, Ibn Abi Hatim has mentioned with his authentic chain from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): {’’ نِصْفُ النَّهَارِ‘‘} "(That is, it was) the time of noon." [ ابن أبي حاتم : ۱۶۷۵۵ ]

➋ { فَوَجَدَ فِيْهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلٰنِ …:} Musa (peace be upon him) knew that he was from the Children of Israel, he was also aware of the oppression of the Copts upon the Children of Israel, and he witnessed these oppressions with his own eyes every day, so naturally his sympathies were with his own people. The people also knew that he was one of them. Now Musa (peace be upon him) saw that two men were fighting, one of them was from his own people and the other was a Copt, who were their enemies. The Copt, as usual, was oppressing the Israelite considering him a slave. If the Israelite had been able to resist, he would not have needed to ask for help. When he became helpless, he called Musa (peace be upon him) for help. Musa (peace be upon him) was naturally sympathetic to the weak and the oppressed. Now, seeing the oppression, he stepped forward to save the oppressed and struck the Copt with a punch, which ended his life. Musa (peace be upon him) neither intended to kill him nor did it ever occur to him that he would die from a single punch. When this incident happened suddenly and Musa (peace be upon him) reflected on its consequences for himself and his people, he became very worried and said that this is the work of Satan, who incited me to anger to do this for great corruption. Indeed, he is an open enemy who clearly leads astray.

15-1. Some have taken this to mean the time between Maghrib and Isha, and some have taken it to mean midday, when people are resting.

15-2. That is, he was from Pharaoh's people, the Copts.

15-3. It is called a satanic act because murder is an extremely grave crime, and the intention of Musa (Moses) (as) was never to kill him.

15-4. Whose enmity with mankind is also evident, and the efforts he makes to mislead humans are also not hidden.

And Musa entered the city at a time [22] when its people were unaware [23], and he found two men fighting—one from his own people and the other from his enemies. The one from his own people called out to him for help against the one from his enemies. So Musa struck him with his fist and killed him. Musa said, “This is from the work of Satan [25]. Surely, he is a manifest, misleading enemy.”

[22] From this verse, it is understood that royal palaces were somewhat distant from the city or the residential areas of common people. As is generally customary, prominent people do not like to live mingled among ordinary people; rather, they have their residences, bungalows, mansions, and palaces built outside the city in open spaces.

[23] That is, when people were sleeping and the roads and streets appeared deserted and uninhabited. Such a time is usually early in the morning, well before sunrise, or in the afternoons during summer when most people are resting.

[24]
The Fight Between a Copt and an Israelite, and Musa (Moses) ؑ Striking the Copt and Causing His Death:

When Musa ؑ entered such a city, he saw two men fighting with each other. One of them was a Copt, meaning a native Egyptian or someone belonging to the ruling class, and the other was an Israelite, that is, from the Children of Israel. Musa ؑ had observed since childhood the various oppressions the ruling government was inflicting upon the Children of Israel, and how they were being humiliated and disgraced in society. Among those fighting, the Israelite called out to him for help, asking to be rescued from the oppression of the Copt. This Copt was a servant in the royal kitchen, who wanted to force the Israelite to carry a bundle of firewood to the kitchen without payment. Hatred against the Copts was already present in the heart of Musa ؑ. Upon the Israelite’s plea, he arrived there, and when he found out that the Copt was indeed the one committing excess, his sense of honor was stirred, and he struck him with a fist. By the grace of Allah, he was a very strong young man. As soon as the punch landed, the Copt’s life ended.

[25] The killing of a Copt in this manner by Musa ؑ could actually have become the cause of a great turmoil. Now, it so happened that there were no witnesses present nearby, and the matter remained a secret as to who the killer of this Copt was. And even if it had been discovered, the lives of the Children of Israel would have been made even more miserable. When Musa ؑ realized the outcome of this killing, he immediately cried out that this act was caused by Satan. Indeed, it is he who desires that such strife continues to arise.