Quran Universe
28:20

وَجَآءَ رَجُلٞ مِّنۡ أَقۡصَا ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ يَسۡعَىٰ قَالَ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱلۡمَلَأَ يَأۡتَمِرُونَ بِكَ لِيَقۡتُلُوكَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ إِنِّي لَكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ

Wajaa rajulun min aqsa almadeenati yasAAa qala ya moosa inna almalaa yatamiroona bika liyaqtulooka faokhruj innee laka mina alnnasiheena

And a man came from the farthest end of the city, running. He said, "O Moses, indeed the eminent ones are conferring over you [intending] to kill you, so leave [the city]; indeed, I am to you of the sincere advisors."

Word by word
  1. وَجَآءَAnd came
  2. رَجُلٞa man
  3. مِّنۡfrom
  4. أَقۡصَا(the) farthest end
  5. ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ(of) the city
  6. يَسۡعَىٰrunning
  7. قَالَHe said
  8. يَٰمُوسَىٰٓO Musa
  9. إِنَّIndeed
  10. ٱلۡمَلَأَthe chiefs
  11. يَأۡتَمِرُونَare taking counsel
  12. بِكَabout you
  13. لِيَقۡتُلُوكَto kill you
  14. فَٱخۡرُجۡso leave
  15. إِنِّيindeed,I am
  16. لَكَto you
  17. مِنَof
  18. ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَthe sincere advisors
Al-Qasas · 28:20Makkah

One man ran across the city to warn him.

The courage to take a different route

The race
the chiefsplotting to kill
a manfrom the farthest end
runs a shorter way
reaches Musa firstleave, I advise you
What made him a man
staying quietnot my business
couragea different route, sincere advice

Fir'awn's chiefs were taking counsel together to kill Musa. Ibn Kathir says this person is called a man because he had the courage to take a different route, shorter than the pursuers, and reached Musa first with sincere advice.

You overhear the plan in the office to blame someone for a failure. You could say nothing. Or you could be the person who runs ahead and quietly warns them. That takes courage, not power.

If I overhear something unfair, it is safer to stay out of it.

Sincere advice, given at risk, can be the turning point of someone else's life.

Try this

If you know something a friend needs to hear for their good, tell them kindly today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And there came a man running, from the farthest end of the city. He said: "O Musa! Verily, the chiefs are taking counsel together about you, to kill you, so escape. Truly, I am one of the good advisers to you. (20)

وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ

(And there came a man) He is described as being a man because he had the courage to take a different route, a shorter route than those who were sent after Musa, so he reached Musa first and said to him: "O Musa,

إِنَّ الْمَلَأَ يَأْتَمِرُونَ بِكَ

(Verily, the chiefs are taking counsel together about you.)," meaning, 'they are consulting with one another about you.'

لِيَقْتُلُوكَ فَاخْرُجْ

(to kill you, so escape.) means, from this land.

إِنِّي لَكَ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ

(Truly, I am one of the good advisers to you.)