My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me.
“My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me.”
Beseeching his Lord and acknowledging his action, Moses said, “O my Lord! I have wronged myself by killing this Copt, so forgive my sin.” So Allah forgave him; indeed He Forgiving to whoever repents from His servants and merciful towards them.
The plain meaning, from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى فَٱغْفِرْ لِى فَغَفَرَ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
He said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me," and He forgave him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
What does Quran 28:16 mean?
Musa (peace be upon him) says this immediately after killing a man — he had stepped in to break up a fight and struck the Egyptian with his fist, not meaning to kill him. There is no explanation in the prayer and no attempt to distribute the blame. He names it as wronging himself and asks to be forgiven, and the verse says at once that Allah forgave him.
Written from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir