Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:20

(He said, "I did it...") i.e., that act, (...then) i.e., at that time—according to what some researchers, may Allah the Exalted water his soil, have traced: that 'idha' is an adverb severed from the genitive construction (idhafah), influenced by the fat-ha rather than the kasra due to its lightness and frequency of occurrence. He, peace be upon him, admitted to the killing out of his confidence in Allah the Exalted’s protection of him, and he qualified the action in a way that repels the notion that it is a flaw in prophethood, which is the sentence: (...and I was of the straying ones)

i.e., of the ignorant ones. This has also appeared in the recitation of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud, as Abu Hayyan transmitted in al-Bahr, although he said: "It appears that this is an interpretation of 'the straying' (al-dallin), not a recitation narrated from the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." He, peace be upon him, intended by that—according to what is narrated from Qatadah—that he did that while ignorant of its consequence, not intending it; rather, he intended the strike (wakz) for discipline, and it led to what it led to. Similar to what was mentioned is what is narrated from Ibn Zayd, that the meaning is "and I was of those ignorant that my strike would be fatal to the person."

It is said: The meaning is "I did it, proceeding with it without regard for the consequences," on the basis that ignorance (jahl) here means proceeding without regard, just as it was interpreted in the verse: Let no one act ignorantly towards us, lest we act more ignorantly than the ignorant. This is something that is considered good in some aspects of presenting the aforementioned answer.

It is said: "Straying" (dalal) here means love, as it was interpreted in the verse: Verily, you are in your old straying (love). He, peace be upon him, meant that he killed the Copt out of zeal for Allah the Exalted, as he, peace be upon him, was among those who love Him, Mighty and Majestic is He; and this is as you see. Similar to this is what was said: he meant "of those ignorant of the religious laws," and "straying" was interpreted as such in the verse: And He found you astray (ignorant of the law), so He guided you.

Abu Ubaydah said: "Of those who forget," interpreting "straying" as forgetting, as in the verse: ...that one of them might forget, so that the other may remind her. Based on this, it is said that the meaning is: "I did it while forgetting its sanctity," or: "forgetting that such a strike usually leads to death."

That which I incline toward among these opinions is what was narrated from Qatadah. God willing, what pertains to this matter will come in Surah al-Qasas.

Abu Ubaydah, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Jurayj narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that he recited it: "I did it when I was of the straying ones."