Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:16

(He said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself") by delivering a blow that resulted in death. ("So forgive me") for this sin.

He (peace be upon him) only said what he said because he did something for which he was not permitted, and it was not in accordance with the ways of his forefathers among the Prophets (peace be upon them all) in such an incident as the one he witnessed. It led to the killing of a soul whose killing had not been legislated in any of the religious laws. This does not pose an objection to the view that the Prophets (peace be upon them) are infallible regarding major sins, both before and after their prophethood; for the act of striking was originally among the minor sins, and the killing that occurred was by mistake, as stated by Ka’b and others. Although a mistake is not devoid of sin—which is why atonement was legislated for it—it is still considered a minor sin.

Indeed, it has even been said that this does not conflict with the view that they are absolutely infallible regarding both major and minor sins, because it is possible that he (peace be upon him) perceived the striking as a means of repelling an oppressor from an oppressed person, and thus he did it without intending to kill; the death occurred as a consequence of the act, not by intent. Furthermore, it is not established that a mistake is devoid of sin in the laws of the preceding Prophets (peace be upon them), nor is the legislation of atonement for it known in those laws, as it is in the law of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). It is as if he (peace be upon him), after what had occurred, reflected and it became clear to him that the defense could have been achieved without the blow, and that he had not been firm in his judgment due to the anger that overcame him. Thus, he realized he had acted in a way that was contrary to what was most preferred for someone of his station, so he said what he said according to the custom of those drawn near to Allah in regarding anything less than the most preferred as a grave matter.

Moreover, this act occurred before his prophethood, as is apparent from the Almighty’s words relating his account in Surah Ash-Shu'ara: "So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me judgment and made me one of the messengers." Al-Naqqash and others held this view. It is narrated from Ka’b that he (peace be upon him) was twelve years old at that time. As for the one who interprets "attaining maturity" (istiwa) as reaching forty years of age, and considers what was mentioned to have occurred after reaching maturity and the attainment of judgment and knowledge in a sense that does not necessitate prophethood, he is compelled to say that he (peace be upon him) was forty years old or slightly older at that time.

Some have claimed that by his saying, "I have wronged myself," he meant: I have exposed myself to destruction by killing this disbeliever, for if Pharaoh were to find out, he would kill me in retaliation. And by saying, "So forgive me," he meant: conceal this matter. He attributed it to the work of Satan because it involved falling into whispering and anticipating a feared outcome. It is not hidden that there is a deficiency in this interpretation, and the Almighty’s saying, "So He forgave him; indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful," rejects it.

The sequencing of "He forgave him" (faghfara lahu) after what preceded it with the particle fa (so) indicates that what is meant is that He forgave him for his seeking of forgiveness. The sentence "Indeed, He is..." and so on acts like an explanation for the forgiveness; meaning, He (Exalted is He) is the One who is excessive in forgiving the sins of His servants and showing them mercy, and that is why his seeking of forgiveness was a cause for his being forgiven. The word "said" was placed between his two statements (peace be upon him) because of the difference between them, as the second is an intimate supplication and prayer, unlike the first.