The Story
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.[28:15]
And he entered the city at a time when its people were not watching: and he
found there two men fighting,- one of his own religion, and the other, of his foes.
Now the man of his own religion appealed to him against his foe, and Moses struck
him with his fist and made an end of him. He said: "This is a work of Evil (Satan): for
he is an enemy that manifestly misleads!"
* v.15 : That may have been either the time of the noontime siesta, when all business is suspended even now in Egypt, or the time of night, when people are usually asleep. The latter is more probable, in view of verse 18 below. But there is also another suggestion. A guest in a Palace is not free to wander about at will in the plebeian quarters of the City at all sorts of hours, and this applies even more to an inmate of the Palace brought up as a son. Moses was therefore visiting the City privately and eluding the guards. His object may have been to see for himself how things were going on; perhaps he had heard that his people were being oppressed, as we may suppose that he had retained contact with his mother.
* His object was apparently to strike him so as to release the Israelite, not to kill the Egyptian, In fact he killed the Egyptian. This was unfortunate in more ways than one. His visit to the City was clandestine; he had taken the side of the weaker and despised party; and he had taken the life of an Egyptian. He was full of regrets and repentance, and he prayed to Allah, and obtained Allah’s forgiveness.