Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:15

(And he entered the city) Ibn Abbas said, based on what is in al-Bahr: It is Memphis. (At a time of unmindfulness by its people), meaning at a time when entering it is not customary or expected. It was, according to what is narrated from the Sage [Ibn Abbas], at the time of the Qaylulah (midday rest), and in another narration from him, between the Isha and the darkness of night. This is because Pharaoh once rode out and traveled to that city; Moses, peace be upon him, learned of his riding, so he followed him and entered the city at that time. Ibn Ishaq said: It is Egypt. Moses, peace be upon him, had shown open opposition to Pharaoh and his people regarding what they hated, so he went into hiding and was absent, then entered it disguised. Ibn Zayd said: Pharaoh had expelled him from it, so he was absent for years and was forgotten, then he came and entered it while its people were in a state of unmindfulness due to forgetting him and the long time since they had seen him. It is also said: He entered on a day of celebration while they were occupied with their amusement. It is said: He left Pharaoh’s palace and entered Egypt at the time of the Qaylulah or between the two Ishas. It is said: The city is Ayn Shams. It is said: A village two farsakhs from Egypt called Habin. It is said: It is Alexandria. The most well-known opinion is that it is Egypt, and perhaps that is the most apparent.

The obvious implication is that "at a time of" ('ala hin) is connected to "entered." Based on this, the appearance is that 'ala (on/at) is in the sense of fi (in), similar to its usage in the Almighty’s saying: "And they followed what the devils recite over the kingdom of Solomon," according to one interpretation. Abu al-Baqa said: It is in the position of a state (hal) from "the city." It is also permissible for it to be in the position of a state from the agent, meaning: "sneaking in." Perhaps what compelled him [the author of the alternative] to abandon the most obvious meaning was his need to render 'ala as fi and the concealment of the nuance of using it instead of fi, or [alternatively] suffice with the temporal adverb alone for it. The matter is clear to anyone with the slightest reflection. It is said that the reason for this [the dispute] is that entering the city "at a time of unmindfulness by its people" is not a definitive text for entering it while its people were unmindful, as in the interpretation of it being a state from the city, nor for entering it sneakingly, as in the interpretation of it being a state from the pronoun [of the subject], because the time of unmindfulness—like the time of the Qaylulah and between the two Ishas—might not involve unmindfulness. In this, there is room for investigation.

(By its people) is in the position of an adjective for "unmindfulness." What is in the Noble Arrangement is more eloquent than "the unmindfulness of its people" by idafa (genitive construction), due to the tanwin (indefinite marking) providing a sense of magnification. Perhaps he turned away from that to what was mentioned for this reason; so contemplate. Abu Talib the Reciter recited 'ala hin with a fatha on the nun. He justified it by saying it was opened due to the proximity of the ghayn, just as the dal in Al-hamdu lillah was kasra-ed in some recitations due to the proximity of the lam. Or, that the verbal noun (masdar) was treated as a verb, as if it were said: "at a time when its people were unmindful" (ghafala), so hin was indeclinable (mabni) just as it is when added to a sentence beginning with a past-tense verb, like his saying: "At a time when I censured gray hair for youth." And it is as you see.

(And he found in it two men fighting), meaning warring. The sentence is an adjective for the two men. Ibn Atiyyah said: It is in the position of a state (hal), which is built upon the school of Sibawayh regarding the permissibility of the state coming from an indefinite noun without condition. Na'im ibn Maysarah recited yaqtulan by assimilating the ta into the ta and transferring its fatha to the qaf. His saying, the Almighty: (This is from his sect), meaning from those who follow him and adhere to his command and prohibition, or in the religion, as a group said; they are the Children of Israel. Al-Itqan says: It is the Samiri. (And this is from his enemy), from those who oppose him in what he desires or in the religion, as the group said; they are the Copts. His name, as is also in Al-Itqan, is Qanun. It is an adjective after an adjective for the two men. The reference with "this" (hadha) occurs by way of narrating what happened at the time of the discovery, as if the one seeing them says it, not in what is narrated to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Mubarrad said: The Arabs use "this" to refer to someone absent. Jarir said: "This is my cousin in Damascus, a Caliph; if I wished, he would drive you to Qutayna." This reference stands in place of the pronoun in connecting, and the attribution is prior to the adjectival description.

There is disagreement regarding the cause of these two men fighting. It is said: It was a religious matter. It is said: It was a worldly matter. It is narrated that the Copt tasked the Israelite with carrying firewood to Pharaoh’s kitchen, so he refused, and they fought because of that. The Copt, according to what Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, was a baker for Pharaoh.

(So the one from his sect sought his help), meaning he requested his aid and victory, (against the one from his enemy). Due to the verb being imbued with the meaning of "victory" (nasr), it is linked with 'ala. This is supported by the Almighty's subsequent saying: "He sought his help [the day before]." It is permissible that its linkage with 'ala is due to it being imbued with the meaning of "assistance." This is supported by the fact that it was recited fasta'anahu with the ayn and nun instead of the tha. This recitation was transmitted by Ibn Khalawayh from Sibawayh, and Abu al-Qasim Yusuf ibn Ali ibn Jabara from Ibn Miqsam and al-Za'farani. Ibn Atiyyah’s statement that al-Akhfash mentioned it is a distortion, not a recitation, which has no foundation for him. The beginning of the relative clause has been elided, i.e., "the one who is from his sect" and "the one who is from his enemy." Even if that elision is not considered, it remains valid. (So Moses struck him), meaning he struck the Copt with his clenched fist, i.e., with his palm with the fingers folded, according to what more than one extracted from Mujahid. Abu Hayyan said: The wakz is striking with the hand when the fingers are gathered like a knot, [representing] seventy-three. According to both opinions, the peace be upon him struck him with his hand. Ibn al-Mundhir and a group extracted from Qatadah that he, peace be upon him, struck him with his staff. It is as if he interprets the wakz as pushing or piercing, which is among its meanings, as in al-Qamus. Perhaps he intended by "his staff" a staff that he had, for his famous staff was given to him by Shu'ayb, peace be upon him, after this incident, as is famous and recorded in the books of tafsir. Abdullah recited falakazahu with the lam, and from him fanakazahu with the nun. The lakz, according to al-Qamus, is the wakz and the strike on the chest or the chin. The nakz, according to it also, is striking and pushing. It is said: The wakz, nakz, and lakz is pushing with the tips of the fingers. It is said: The wakz is on the heart, and the lakz is on the jaws. It is narrated that when the dispute intensified, the Copt said to Moses, peace be upon him: "I have intended to load it," meaning the firewood, "upon you." Moses, peace be upon him, became extremely angry, and he had been given strength, so he struck him.

(And caused his death), meaning Moses killed him. Its origin is "he ended his life," meaning he made it finished and concluded. In this meaning, it is linked with 'ala, as in al-Asas, so there is no need to interpret it as "he brought judgment upon him." Sometimes the verb is linked with ila to imbue it with the meaning of revelation, as in the Almighty’s saying: "And We conveyed to him that matter." The return of the agent pronoun in qada to Moses is the apparent [meaning]. It is said: It refers to Allah, the Exalted, meaning: "Allah, the Exalted, decreed death for him," so qada means "he judged." It is said: It is possible that it refers to the verbal noun understood from "he struck him," meaning: "the strike ended his life." (He said: This is from the work of Satan), meaning from his embellishment. It is said: From the category of his work. The first is more consistent with the Almighty’s saying: "Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy."

Meaning: Apparent in enmity, provided that "manifest" (mubin) is a second adjective for "enemy." It is said: Apparent in enmity and misguidance. It is justified that it is an adjective for "enemy" while considering the description of misguidance with it, or that it is contested between "enemy" and "misleading," both seeking it as an adjective. Regardless, mubin is from abana (to become clear), the intransitive.