387 Page Notes

28 Surah Al-Qasas (continued)

Page 387 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 387 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 387 of the standard Madinah Mushaf contains Surah Al-Qasas (28:14–21). This section details a pivotal turning point in the life of Prophet Musa (Moses) as a young man in Egypt:

• Verse 14: Musa reaches full maturity and is granted wisdom and knowledge by Allah.

• Verses 15–17: Musa enters the city unnoticed, witnesses a fight between an Israelite and an Egyptian, intervenes, and accidentally kills the Egyptian with a single punch. He immediately repents, recognizes it as the work of Satan, and vows never to assist criminals.

• Verses 18–19: The next day, the same Israelite is fighting another Egyptian and calls to Musa for help again. Musa rebukes him, but as he steps in, the Israelite panics and accidentally blabs about the murder from the previous day.

• Verses 20–21: A man comes running from the far side of the city to warn Musa that Pharaoh’s court is plotting his execution. Musa flees Egypt in a state of fear, supplicating, "My Lord, save me from the wrongdoing people."

The Sunnah and classical Hadith literature provide profound insights into these verses, addressing the definition of strength, the legal framework of accidental manslaughter, and the spiritual nature of prophetic fear.

1. Hadiths Related to Musa's Physical Strength (Verse 15)

“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 his enemy. And the one from his faction called for his help against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him with his fist and [intentionally] killed him...” (28:15)

The Arabic text states that Musa merely struck the Egyptian with his fist (Wakazahū), yet it immediately proved fatal. The Sunnah provides context on Musa’s extraordinary, supernatural physical strength, which was balanced by his deep spiritual restraint.

Prophetic Descriptions of Musa's Stature

The Prophet Muhammad ($\rho$) described Musa's physical appearance from what he witnessed during the Night Journey (Al-Isra' wal-Mi'raj), matching the implicit strength shown in verse 15.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) said: “I saw Musa, and he was a well-built, robust man with lean meat, resembling the strongest men of the Shanu'ah tribe.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3438), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 165).

Defining True Strength in the Sunnah

Musa immediately regretted using his physical power to cause death, crying out: "This is from the work of Satan!" (28:15). The Sunnah explicitly uses this concept to redefine what "strength" means to a believer—shifting it from physical domination to emotional control.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) said: “The strong man is not the one who wrestles others to the ground. Rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself in a fit of anger.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6114), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2609).

2. Hadiths Related to the Accountability of Accidental Manslaughter (Verses 15–16)

“...He said, 'This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is an enemy, manifestly misleading.' He said, 'My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me,' and He forgave him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (28:15–16)

Because Musa did not intend to murder the man—his punch accidentally killed him—this event forms a cornerstone in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) regarding accidental manslaughter (Qatl al-Khata').

Accountability and Sincere Repentance

The Sunnah establishes that when an individual makes a critical mistake or accidentally commits a major sin and immediately turns to Allah in desperate repentance like Musa did in verse 16, the sin is entirely wiped clean.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) said: “The one who repents from sin is like the one who has no sin at all.”

• Source Citation: Sunan Ibn Majah (Book 37, Hadith 4250). Classed as Sahih by Al-Albani.

Intercession for Past Mistakes on the Day of Judgment

The Sunnah reveals that this specific event on page 387 weighs heavily on Musa’s conscience even on the Day of Judgment, showing the immense piety of the prophets.

Hadith: In the famous, lengthy Hadith of Intercession (Shafa'ah), when humanity goes to Musa on the Day of Resurrection begging him to intercede with Allah, Musa will decline out of intense humility before God, stating: “...My Lord is angry today as He has never been angry before... and I killed a soul whom I had not been commanded to kill! Go to someone else, go to Jesus...”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4712), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 194).

3. Hadiths Related to Natural Fear vs. Spiritual Fear (Verse 21)

“So he left it, fearful and anticipating [apprehending]. He said, 'My Lord, save me from the wrongdoing people.'” (28:21)

Verse 21 notes that Musa left Egypt in a state of Khā'ifan (fearful). Critics of early Islam occasionally argued that a true Prophet shouldn't experience fear. The Sunnah and companion traditions clarify that prophets experience natural human vulnerabilities, but their fear is immediately channelled into supplication to Allah.

The Validity of Natural Human Fear (Al-Khawf al-Tabi'i)

The Sunnah confirms that natural human instincts—like fleeing an execution squad—do not diminish a person's faith or prophetic status.

Hadith Precedent: When the Prophet Muhammad ($\rho$) fled Makkah during the Migration (Hijrah), he hid in the Cave of Thawr while the Quraysh search parties surrounded them. Abu Bakr expressed immense fear, but the Prophet turned that natural anxiety into ultimate reliance on God, saying: “O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two people alongside whom Allah is the third?”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3653), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2381). This directly mirrors Musa’s state on page 387: fleeing under threat of death while remaining anchored in divine supplication.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Ibn Majah, M. (2007). Sunan Ibn Majah. Darussalam Publishers.

• Muslim, I. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.