فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِۦ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ 67
Translations
And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Moses.
Transliteration
Fa-awjasa fee nafsihee khifatan Moosa
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Prophet Musa's internal fear when he witnessed the sorcerers' miracle at Pharaoh's court. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Musa felt apprehension in his heart upon seeing the ropes and staffs appearing to move as if they were serpents, though Allah later commanded him not to fear as the miraculous signs given to him were greater. This moment represents a test of faith where even the greatest prophets experience human emotions, yet their trust in Allah ultimately prevails.
Revelation Context
This verse occurs in the narrative of Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh and his sorcerers (20:57-73). The context describes the famous contest where Pharaoh summoned his magicians to challenge Musa's signs. This is a Meccan surah revealed to console the Prophet Muhammad during persecution, using Musa's trials as a parallel example of divine support through tribulation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said: 'The greatest jihad is the struggle of the soul' (related to controlling fear and emotions). Additionally, various hadiths discuss how prophets and believers experience fear but overcome it through trust in Allah (tawakkul), as seen in Sahih Bukhari's accounts of the Prophet's experiences during battles.
Themes
Key Lesson
Even prophets experience human emotions like fear, which is natural; what distinguishes believers is their ability to manage these emotions through trust in Allah and reliance on His signs. This teaches us that spiritual strength is not the absence of fear, but faith that overcomes it.
Related Ayahs
وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا
And remember You much.
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُۥ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِى جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَآ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."
قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِىٓ أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا
He will say, "My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?"
قَالُوا۟ لَن نَّبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَـٰكِفِينَ حَتَّىٰ يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ
They said, "We will never cease being devoted to it [i.e., the calf] until Moses returns to us."