Overview (Verses 14 - 18)

In Full Vigour

The sūrah does not tell us anything about the many years that separate its first two episodes: namely Moses’ birth and rescue and the second showing him as a mature adult in his prime. We do not know what happened after he was restored to his mother for suckling, how he was brought up in Pharaoh’s palace, what sort of relation he had with his real mother after he was weaned, what position he had in the palace or outside it when he grew up. Nor are we told anything about Moses’ faith during these years, when God took care of him, preparing him, in the midst of Pharaoh’s worshippers and priest, for the mission which would, in time, be assigned to him. The sūrah is silent on all these points. As it starts its narration of the second episode, we see a fully mature Moses, a man endowed with wisdom and knowledge, and one granted the reward of righteous people: “When he attained his full manhood and became fully mature, We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward those who do good.” (Verse 14)

This verse identifies a man of full physical growth and mental maturity, a stage of life normally attained when a person is around 30 years of age. Did Moses stay in Pharaoh’s palace as his adopted son until he reached such an age? Did he move elsewhere given how uncomfortable he must have felt with the prevailing state of affairs? How could Moses, with his pure and untainted nature, feel otherwise? His mother must have informed him of his true identity, the community to which he belonged, and its faith. He certainly witnessed the injustice and persecution meted out to his people, as also the extensive corruption prevalent in Egyptian society.

We have no evidence pointing to any of this, but the development of events imparts a feeling of how things moved. The granting of wisdom and knowledge to Moses is followed by this comment: “Thus do We reward those who do good.” This suggests that he did well, and God rewarded him with superior knowledge and wisdom: One day he entered the city at a time when its people were unaware [of his presence]. He found there two men fighting, one belonging to his own people and the other to his enemies. And the one from his own people cried out to him for help against the one from his enemies, whereupon Moses struck him down with his fist and killed him. He said: ‘This is of Satan’s doing! Indeed, he is an open foe, seeking to lead man astray.’ He then prayed: My Lord! I have certainly wronged myself so forgive me. ‘So He forgave him. He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful. He said: My Lord! For all that with which You have blessed me, never shall I give help to wrongdoers.’ (Verses 15-17) We are told that he ‘entered the city’, which we understand as the Egyptian capital. Where had he come from so as to enter the city? Was he in the palace at Ein Shams? Or had he deserted the palace and the capital but came in this time when the people were unaware of his presence? He might have come around noon when people were resting? Anyway, however he arrived, he nonetheless witnessed something not to his liking: “He found there two men fighting, one belonging to his own people and the other to his enemies. And the one from his own people cried out to him for help against the one from his enemies.” (Verse 15)

One of the two was an Egyptian, said to belong to Pharaoh’s staff, with some reports suggesting that he was his cook. The other was an Israelite. The two were fighting as Moses came into the city, and the Israelite appealed to him for help against their Egyptian enemy. How could this happen? How could an Israelite appeal to Moses, Pharaoh’s adopted son against another from Pharaoh’s court? This would not have happened if Moses was still residing in the palace, or if he was one of Pharaoh’s courtiers. It could only have happened if the Israelite was certain that Moses no longer had any contact with the palace, and that he was in reality an Israelite opposed to Pharaoh and sympathetic to his own people’s cause. This last possibility is more in line with Moses’ character. For it is unlikely that he would have tolerated life in the corrupt environment of the palace.

“Whereupon Moses struck him down with his fist and killed him.” (Verse 15) The Arabic word wakaza, used for “struck’, indicates a punch delivered with the full weight of one’s arm. We understand that Moses punched the man only once, and that this caused his death. We thus have an idea of Moses’ physical strength, his anger and the strength of his opposition to Pharaoh and those of his court.

However, it appears from the drift of the narrative that Moses did not intend to kill the Egyptian. Indeed, when he saw him lifeless, he regretted what he had done, attributing it to Satan’s temptation. His action was the result of anger, and anger is a devil or part of what Satan manipulates: “He said: This is of Satan’s doing! Indeed, he is an open foe, seeking to lead man astray.” (Verse 15)

He goes on to show genuine regret for what his anger caused, acknowledging that by so doing, he had wronged himself, had burdened himself with such results. He appealed to God for forgiveness. “He then prayed: My Lord! I have certainly wronged myself so forgive me.” (Verse 16) God responded to his prayer, knowing that his repentance was genuine: “So He forgave him. He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

It appears that his refined sense indicated to him that God had responded to his appeal and forgiven him. A believer’s heart, which has reached such a superior level of sensitivity, feels that his prayer has been answered once it is made. As he felt such acceptance, Moses trembled and made a firm pledge, considering this as part of his gratitude for God’s favours: “He said: My Lord.’ For all that with which You have blessed me, never shall I give help to wrongdoers.” (Verse 17) This is an absolute pledge and commitment to neither side with nor help wrongdoing people. It is a disavowal of wrongdoing in all shapes and forms, even though the person might feel strongly motivated to give such help by the need to rebel against injustice.

Thus Moses shows both his appreciation of God’s favours and his profound sorrow at the injustice he had committed. In all this, we see Moses as a passionate, spontaneous person, capable of reacting strongly to events and situations. Indeed, we will see such aspects of his character in several instances, not least in the very next scene: Next morning, he was in the city, fearful, vigilant, when he saw the man who sought his help the day before again crying out to him for help. Moses said to him: ‘Indeed, you are clearly a quarrelsome fellow.’ But then, when he was about to strike the one who was their enemy, the latter exclaimed: ‘Moses! Do you want to kill me as you killed another man yesterday? You want only to become a tyrant in the land, and you do not want to be one who sets things right.’ (Verses 18-19) Only a day had passed since the first fight ended with the death of an Egyptian, followed by God’s acceptance of Moses’ repentance and Moses subsequent pledge never to support wrongdoing. Inevitably, he feared his offence be discovered. We see him on his guard, expecting a reaction at any moment. This again reflects his spontaneous character. We are given the impression that as he walked in the city’, which is normally a place of security, he experienced real fear.

That Moses should feel such fear suggests that at this stage he did not have any association with Pharaoh’s palace. Under tyranny, it is a trifling matter when anyone close to the palace kills a person. Indeed, such a person would not have entertained any fear, let alone expect any harm to befall him. Yet as he walked vigilantly, Moses looked up and there “he saw the man who sought his help the day before again crying out to him for help.” (Verse 18) The same man is again appealing to Moses for more support, and probably wanting him to do with this one what he did to the other the day before.

The image of the man falling dead only the day before was still vivid in Moses’ mind, as was his regret, repentance, and pledge to God. His fear that he may come to harm as a result was also genuinely felt, which explains Moses’ outburst accusing the Israelite of being quarrelsome: “Moses said to him: “Indeed, you are clearly a quarrelsome fellow.” (Verse 18) The man appeared to be involved in endless quarrels which inevitably enhanced angry feelings against the Children of Israel at a time when they could not protect themselves or mount a full- scale revolution. Nothing good could come from such animosity.