قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ 12
Translations
He said, "My Lord, indeed I fear that they will deny me
Transliteration
Qala Rabbi inni akhafu an yukazzibun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Musa expresses his fear to Allah that the Children of Israel will reject or deny his message when he calls them to monotheism and away from idolatry. Ibn Kathir notes this reflects Musa's humility and awareness of human resistance to divine truth, while Al-Tabari emphasizes that this fear was not from lack of faith but from knowledge of the people's hardened hearts and their attachment to the ways of their forefathers inherited from Egypt.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the dialogue between Allah and Musa at the burning bush, where Allah is commissioning him as a messenger to Pharaoh and the Israelites. The broader context of Surah Ash-Shu'ara deals with the stories of the prophets and their struggles against rejection, establishing that facing denial is a natural part of prophetic mission.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said, 'The hardest of all people in accepting faith are the people of Quraysh' - thematically related to the resistance Musa anticipated. Also relevant is the general principle from Surah Qaaf (50:45) that Allah does not compel belief, highlighting human free will in accepting or rejecting revelation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Even prophets experienced fear of rejection, teaching us that doubt about others' acceptance of truth is natural; what matters is fulfilling our responsibility to convey the message with sincerity. This reminds modern believers that encountering resistance when calling to good does not negate the validity or importance of the message itself.