وَلَهُمْ عَلَىَّ ذَنۢبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ
28:34.
Important Words:
For ذنب see 3:17. According to Imam Raghib any error or fault which produces a harmful result and for which one is liable to account is ذنب. It may be deliberate or committed through inadvertence.
Commentary:
The words "they have a charge against me" show that the people of Pharaoh had charged Moses with the murder of an Egyptian, not that Moses was actually guilty of a deliberate murder.
The incident referred to here is mentioned in Exod. 2:11-15. In the Quran it is referred to in 28:16-21, where it is stated that it was not intentional murder. Moses was defending an Israelite whom an Egyptian was beating and in the scuffle the latter happened to be killed. The words "I fear that they may kill me", should not be understood to mean that Moses was afraid of death. He was afraid lest the Egyptians should kill him on the charge of his having killed an Egyptian, before he should have delivered his message and have fulfilled his mission which was dearer to him than life itself.
28:34.
The words show that the people of Pharaoh had charged Moses with the murder of an Egyptian. This incident is mentioned in Exod. 2: 11-15 and also in the Qur’an in 28:16-21, where it is stated that it was not intentional or deliberate murder. Moses was defending an Israelite whom an Egyptian was beating and in the scuffle the latter happened to be killed.