What Was Moses’s (PBUH) Reaction to the First Assignment He Was Given as a Messenger of Allah?
بعد ما أخبر الله تعالى موسى أنه نبي مرسل ما هو أول أمر أمره إياه؟
Moses PBUH had fled Egypt many years ago, as he had killed an Egyptian man, and he heard that Pharaoh had sent people to kill him for his crime. So, when Allah told him to go to Pharaoh to admonish him, he remembered that crime.
(“My Lord! I have killed a man among them, and I fear that they will kill me”) Al-Qasas 28:33
كان موسى عليه السلام قد هرب من مصر منذ سنين بعد أن قتل رجلا مصريا وعلم أن فرعون أرسل جنوده ليقتلوه. فعندما أمره الله تعالى أن يذهب إلى فرعون قال أنه قتل شخصا.
(قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ) القصص 28: 33
1. An Honest Admission of Fear, Not Refusal | اعترافٌ صادق بالخوف لا رفضٌ للمهمة
Musa does not decline the mission Allah gives him; he voices a specific, honest concern about a real danger before proceeding. This response models a legitimate way of engaging with a divine command, expressing genuine fear openly rather than either refusing the task or suppressing a real concern.
لا يرفض موسى المهمة التي يكلفه الله بها؛ بل يُفصح عن قلق محدد وصادق بشأن خطر حقيقي قبل المضي قدما. ويجسد هذا الرد طريقة مشروعة للتعامل مع أمر إلهي، التعبير عن خوف حقيقي علنا بدلا من رفض المهمة أو كتمان قلق حقيقي.
2. Naming the Exact Danger Directly | تسمية الخطر بالتحديد
Musa refers plainly to the earlier killing that had forced him to flee Egypt, not vaguely alluding to danger but stating precisely what had happened and why it mattered now that he was being sent back.
يشير موسى بوضوح إلى القتل السابق الذي اضطره إلى الفرار من مصر، لا بتلميح غامض إلى الخطر بل بذكر ما حدث بالضبط ولماذا يهم الأمر الآن وهو يُرسل عائدا.
3. A Fear Rooted in a Real, Standing Threat | خوفٌ متجذر في تهديدٍ حقيقي قائم
This was not an abstract worry; Musa had already learned that Pharaoh’s men had been sent to kill him over this very matter. His fear reflects an accurate assessment of the risk involved in returning to the same court that had already condemned him to death once.
لم يكن هذا قلقا مجردا؛ فقد علم موسى بالفعل أن رجال فرعون أُرسلوا لقتله بسبب هذه المسألة نفسها. ويعكس خوفه تقييما دقيقا للخطر الكامن في العودة إلى البلاط نفسه الذي حكم عليه بالإعدام مرة بالفعل.
4. A Concern That Leads Directly Into a Request | قلقٌ يقود مباشرة إلى طلب
Raising this fear immediately sets up what Musa asks for next in the same passage, support in carrying out the mission despite the danger. Naming the risk honestly is what makes the request that follows make sense, rather than appearing out of nowhere.
وطرح هذا الخوف يمهد فورا لما يطلبه موسى بعد ذلك في المقطع نفسه، دعما لتنفيذ المهمة رغم الخطر. وتسمية الخطر بصدق هو ما يجعل الطلب الذي يليه منطقيا، بدلا من أن يبدو دون سياق.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What was Moses’s reaction to being sent to Pharaoh?
He honestly told Allah he feared being killed because of a man he had killed among Pharaoh’s people years earlier.
Did Moses refuse the mission?
No, he voiced his fear honestly rather than declining the command.
Was Moses’s fear justified?
Yes, Pharaoh’s men had already been sent to kill him over that same killing.
What does this admission lead to next?
It sets up his request for support in carrying out the mission despite the danger.