(69) “O you who believe, do not be like those who harmed Moses. Allah cleared him of what they alleged, and he was held in high honor with Allah.”

Allah Most High warns His believing servants against harming their Messenger Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—the noble Prophet, full of compassion and mercy, thereby treating him in a manner contrary to the honor and respect due to him. He also warns them not to resemble those who harmed Moses son of Imran, to whom the Most Merciful spoke directly. Allah cleared him of their hurtful allegations—that is, He made his innocence plain to them.

Moses—peace be upon him—was not someone who deserved suspicion or harm. He was held in high honor with Allah and brought near to Him; he was one of the select messengers and one of His sincere servants. Yet his virtues did not deter them from harming him and subjecting him to what he disliked. So beware, O believers, lest you resemble them in this regard.

The harm referred to was what the Children of Israel said to Moses (1) when they saw his extreme modesty and how carefully he concealed himself from them: “The only thing preventing him from exposing himself is that he has a scrotal swelling”—that is, enlarged testicles. This claim became widespread among them, so Allah willed to clear him of it. One day Moses bathed and placed his garment upon a stone, whereupon the stone fled with it. Moses—peace be upon him—rushed after it, and it led him past gatherings of the Children of Israel. They saw that he was the most beautifully formed of Allah’s creation, and thus the allegation they had made against him was dispelled.