Ad-Dukhan 44:20–27

Commentary

وَإِنِّي عُذْتُ بِرَ‌بِّي وَرَ‌بِّكُمْ أَن تَرْ‌جُمُونِ "And I have sought refuge with my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me to death. (44:20) " The word rajm means 'to stone to death'. Another meaning of the word is 'to revile or to make a verbal assault or to heap up insults'. Both senses are possible here, but it seems more likely that the word is used here in the sense of stoning to death, because Fir'aun's people must have been threatening Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) with death.

وَاتْرُ‌كِ الْبَحْرَ‌ رَ‌هْوًا "And leave the sea in the state of stillness; (44:24) " The word rahwan means 'to be still/calm/motionless'. When Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) and his companions crossed the sea, Musa ill naturally desired for the sea to go back to its original state. So he wanted to strike it with his staff so that it would form a barrier between them and Fir'aun to prevent him from reaching them. But Allah commanded him to leave it as it was, quiet and divided, and gave him the glad tidings that they were a host to be drowned, and he should not fear either being overtaken by Fir'aun or drowning in the sea. When Fir'aun, with his host, will reach the middle of the dry path, Allah will cause the water to flow and they will drown. (Ibn Kathir).