Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:69

Surah Al-Ahzab (33): Verse 69

When God Almighty clarified that whoever harms God and His Messenger is cursed and punished—and this was an indication of harm amounting to disbelief—He guided the believers to refrain from lesser harm that does not lead to disbelief.

This lesser harm is exemplified by those who were displeased with the Prophet's (PBUH) division of spoils or his judgment regarding some distribution, etc.

Therefore, He said: {O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of justice.}

The incident of the harm inflicted upon Moses (peace be upon him) is subject to differing accounts:

1. Some said they harmed him by attributing a physical defect to him.
2. Others said that Korah conspired with an adulteress to claim publicly among the Israelites that Moses had committed fornication with her. When Korah gathered the people while the woman was present, God instilled in her heart to speak the truth, abandoning what she had been coached to say.

In summary, the harm mentioned in the Qur'an is clear: they said to him, {Go, you and your Lord, and fight; indeed, we are staying here} (Al-Ma'idah: 24), and they said, {We will never believe you until we see Allah clearly} (Al-Baqarah: 55), and they said, {We will not endure one kind of food} (Al-Baqarah: 61), and so on.

Thus, the command to the believers is: Do not be like them when the Messenger calls you to fight; do not say, {Go, you and your Lord, and fight}. Nor should you ask for what you have not been permitted. {And when the Messenger commands you concerning something, then carry it out to the extent you are able.}

Regarding the phrase {And Allah cleared him of what they said}:

• This is evident based on the first account (the physical defect): He exposed his body to his people, they saw him, realized the falsehood of their belief, the woman spoke the truth, and angels commanded Aaron (peace be upon him) to carry him, and when they saw him unharmed, they knew Moses was innocent of the killing they accused him of.
• Based on our preferred interpretation (the slander): {And Allah cleared him of what they said} means He absolved him from the responsibility they demanded by granting them some things while showing the impermissibility of others. In essence, God cut off their argument, then imposed upon them humiliation, abasement, and wrath.

And His statement: {And he was honored in the sight of Allah} means he possessed high status and knowledge.

Al-Wajih (The Honored One): This is the man who has a wajh (face/standing), meaning he is known for good. While everyone is known to God, mere recognition is insufficient for Wajahah (honor/standing). If someone knows another merely because he is a servant or an employee, he is not said to be "honored in the sight of that person." Rather, the honored one possesses praiseworthy qualities that make it incumbent upon people to recognize and accept him, and he was indeed such a person.