قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا نَسِيتُ وَلَا تُرْهِقْنِى مِنْ أَمْرِى عُسْرًا 73
Translations
[Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not overwhelm me in my matter with difficulty."
Transliteration
Qala la tu'akhidhni bima naitu wa la turhaqqni min amri 'usra
Tafsir (Explanation)
Musa (peace be upon him) appeals to his companion Khidr, asking him not to hold him accountable for his forgetfulness and to make his task easier. This occurs after Musa forgot the command not to ask questions about Khidr's actions. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this demonstrates Musa's humility and his recognition of human weakness, while also showing the permissibility of making gentle requests when one has made a mistake.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the famous story of Musa and Khidr (Surah Al-Kahf, verses 60-82), which is set in a Meccan surah and addresses the nature of knowledge and divine wisdom. The context shows Musa learning patience and accepting that there is knowledge beyond human comprehension, with this particular verse occurring after Musa's first lapse in following Khidr's instructions.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain hadiths about the virtue of forgiveness and making excuses for others' forgetfulness, reflecting the principle embodied in this verse. The broader hadith corpus emphasizes the importance of patience and humility in seeking knowledge.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to approach our mistakes with humility and to make gentle, reasonable requests when we have erred, rather than being defensive. It reminds us that forgetfulness is a human characteristic, and that acknowledging our limitations while seeking mercy and ease is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.