Tafsir of Ta-Ha 20:45

"They said, 'Our Lord, indeed we fear...'"

"That he will hasten against us" (an yafruta ʿalaynā): Farata means to precede or advance. From this comes the fāriṭ (the one who goes ahead of those arriving at a watering hole) and a faraṭ horse (one that outruns other horses).

The meaning is: We fear that he will hasten with punishment against us and initiate it.

It is also recited as yufriṭa (from afratahu), meaning someone else has incited him to haste. They feared that someone might incite him to hasten the punishment—perhaps a devil, or his own tyranny, arrogance, and claim to divinity, or his love for leadership, or his rebellious Coptic people, about whom the Lord of Might said: "The eminent among his people said..."

It is also recited as yufriṭa (from ifrāṭ, meaning excess in harm), meaning: We fear he will prevent us from delivering the message by hastening [to punish us]. Or, that he will exceed the limit in punishing us if he does not hasten, based on what they knew and experienced of his wickedness and insolence.

"Or that he will transgress" (aw yaṭghā): By overstepping bounds to the point of saying about You what is not appropriate, due to his audacity toward You and the hardness of his heart.

Presenting it in this absolute and symbolic manner is a form of good etiquette and an avoidance of uttering something grave.

"[Allah] said, 'Do not fear. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see. So go to him and say, "Indeed, we are the messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And peace will be upon the one who follows the guidance. Indeed, it has been revealed to us that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away."'"