Allah tells us that when Musa killed that Coptic,
[فِى الْمَدِينَةِ
خَآئِفاً]
(he became afraid in the city) meaning, of the consequences of his action,
[يَتَرَقَّبُ]
(looking about) means, turning around and watching out, waiting for the
consequences of his action to befall him. He went out and about, and saw the man
who sought his help the day before, fighting with another Coptic. When Musa
passed by him, he called for his help again, against this other Coptic. Musa
said to him:
[إِنَّكَ لَغَوِىٌّ
مُّبِينٌ]
(Verily, you are a plain misleader!) meaning, `you obviously lead people
astray and are very evil.' Then Musa intended to attack that Coptic, but the
Israelite -- because of his own cowardice and weakness -- thought that Musa
wanted to hit him because of what he had said, so he said, in self-defence --
[يمُوسَى أَتُرِيدُ
أَن تَقْتُلَنِى كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْساً بِالاٌّمْسِ]
(O Musa! Is it your intention to kill me as you killed a man yesterday)
Nobody except him and Musa, peace be upon him, knew about it, but when the other
Coptic heard this, he took the news to Fir`awn's gate and told him about it. So
Fir`awn came to know of it, and he became very angry and resolved to kill Musa,
so he sent people after him to bring him to him.
[وَجَآءَ رَجُلٌ
مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَى قَالَ يمُوسَى إِنَّ الْمَلاّ يَأْتَمِرُونَ
بِكَ لِيَقْتُلُوكَ فَاخْرُجْ إِنِّى لَكَ مِنَ النَّـصِحِينَ ]
(20. And there came a man running, from the farthest end of the city. He
said: "O Musa! Verily, the chiefs are taking counsel together about you, to kill
you, so escape. Truly, I am one of the good advisers to you.'')
[وَجَآءَ
رَجُلٌ]
(And there came a man) He is described as being a man because he had the
courage to take a different route, a shorter route than those who were sent
after Musa, so he reached Musa first and said to him: "O Musa,
[إِنَّ الْمَلاّ
يَأْتَمِرُونَ بِكَ]
(Verily, the chiefs are taking counsel together about you.),'' meaning, `they
are consulting with one another about you.'
[لِيَقْتُلُوكَ
فَاخْرُجْ]
(to kill you, so escape.) means, from this land.
[إِنِّى لَكَ مِنَ
النَّـصِحِينَ]
(Truly, I am one of the good advisers to you.)
[فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا
خَآئِفاً يَتَرَقَّبُ قَالَ رَبِّ نَجِّنِى مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ -
وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَآءَ مَدْيَنَ قَالَ عَسَى رَبِّى أَن يَهْدِيَنِى سَوَآءَ
السَّبِيلِ - وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ
النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَينِ تَذُودَانِ قَالَ مَا
خَطْبُكُمَا قَالَتَا لاَ نَسْقِى حَتَّى يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَآءُ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ
كَبِيرٌ - فَسَقَى لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى إِلَى الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى
لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ ]
(21. So he escaped from there, looking about in a state of fear. He said: "My
Lord! Save me from the people who are wrongdoers!'') (22. And when he went
towards Madyan, he said: "It may be that my Lord guides me to the right way.'')
(23. And when he arrived at the water of Madyan, he found there a group of men
watering, and besides them he found two women who were keeping back (their
flocks). He said: "What is the matter with you'' They said: "We cannot water
(our flocks) until the shepherds take (their flocks). And our father is a very
old man.'') (24. So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to
shade, and said: "My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow
on me!'')