Surat Al-Qaşaş
[The Stories]
سورة القصص
Ahmed Ali Translation
Then as he turned his face to Midian, he said: "Maybe my Lord will show me the right way." (22) And when he came to the waters of Midian he found a crowd of people watering (their flocks), and saw two maidens holding back (their cattle). He asked: "What is the trouble with you?" They said: "We cannot water our flock till the shepherds have driven away theirs, and our father is a very old man." (23) So he watered (their flock), and moved into the shade and prayed: "My Lord, I have need of whatever good you send me." (24) Then one of the (maidens) came to him walking bashfully, (and) said: "My father invites you that he may repay you for having watered our flock." So, when (Moses) came to him and told him his story, he said: "Have no fear. You have escaped from the wicked people." (25) Said one of the maidens: "O father, employ him. Surely the best (man) to employ is one who is strong and honest." (26) He said: "I would like to marry one of these two daughters of mine to you if you agree to work for me on hire for eight years. And if you stay on for ten, it is up to you. I do not wish to impose any hardship on you. God willing you will find me a man of honour." (27) (Moses) said: "This is (agreed) between you and me. Whichever term I fulfil, no injustice will be done to me. God is witness to our agreement." (28)
[Pickthal 28:22] And when he turned his face toward Midian, he said: Peradventure my Lord will guide me in the right road.
[Pickthal 28:23] And when he came unto the water of Midian he found there a whole tribe of men, watering. And he found apart from them two women keeping back (their flocks). He said: What aileth you? The two said: We cannot give (our flocks) to drink till the shepherds return from the water; and our father is a very old man.
[Pickthal 28:24] So he watered (their flock) for them. Then he turned aside into the shade, and said: My Lord! I am needy of whatever good Thou sendest down for me.
[Pickthal 28:25] Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.
[Pickthal 28:26] One of the two women said: O my father! Hire him! For the best (man) that thou canst hire in the strong, the trustworthy.
[Pickthal 28:27] He said: Lo! I fain would marry thee to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that thou hirest thyself to me for (the term of) eight pilgrimages. Then if thou completest ten it will be of thine own accord, for I would not make it hard for thee. Allah willing, thou wilt find me of the righteous.
[Pickthal 28:28] He said: That (is settled) between thee and me. Whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there will be no injustice to me, and Allah is Surety over what we say.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 28:23]
When going away from Egypt, Musa went towards Midian, and wandering in the desert, arrived at an oasis, weak and hungry, after a week. He sat under a tree near a well and saw shepherds giving water to their flocks while two girls waited with their flocks for their turn. The shepherds were drawing water for their own flocks but none drew water for the girls. These two girls were Safura and Safra, daughters of prophet Shu-ayb, who was very old and could not come to give water to the flocks which compelled the young ladies to go out but because of their modesty and personal nobility they could not thrust themselves into the crowd of males.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 28:24]
Musa could not tolerate the highhandedness and went over to the girls to help, who stood quiet and helpless. Musa asked the shepherds to help the young ladies but they told Musa to draw water for the flocks of the girls himself.
The robust figure and strong arms of Musa kept the shepherds away and he drew the huge bowl from the well alone which the shepherds used to pull out jointly, several of them, and gave water to the flocks of the girls.
Another version says that Musa asked the girls if there was another well. The girls pointed out a well whose mouth a huge rock, almost immovable, had kept shut. Musa, at once, removed it and took out water from the well.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 28:25]
News of this event went to Shu-ayb through one of his daughters who invited Musa home.
While walking, he told the girl to walk behind him and in case he needed guidance she might point the direction by throwing a small stone in that direction before him.
When Shu-ayb ordered food to be served, Musa declined it because he would not sell any of his good deeds for a profit of this world; he did not give water to his flock for any return from him. On this, Shu-ayb replied that it was not in return that he served food, but as his custom to welcome and receive a guest. Musa then accepted the food.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 28:26]
One of his daughters recommended to Shu-ayb that Musa be taken in employment because he was strong and trustworthy.
Imam Musa bin Jafar al Kazim says that Shu-ayb asked his daughter: "I know by his removing the huge rock from the mouth of the well that he is strong, but how do you know that he is also trustworthy?" Then the girl narrated to her father how Musa had asked her to walk behind him and point the way by throwing a small stone before him, for he said that he did not belong to those people who cast their eyes upon the backs of women.
Syed Safdar Husain in his Early History of Islam refers to W. Irving's Succ. of Mohd., and says that at the time of going to Siffin, the army made a halt at a place where there was no water. Imam Ali, with some of his warriors, went in search of water. In a nearby monastery, a monk informed him that water is available at a place five miles away from there. Not only the soldiers but the horses and other beasts of burden were so thirsty that there was no possibility of taking them to the pointed out place. The Imam asked his men to dig the earth on a particular spot. After some digging a huge rock appeared. All the men, who could gather round the rock, did their best to lift and remove it, but the rock did not move an inch. Then the Imam, who had once lifted the door of the fort of Khaybar, put his hand under the rock, lifted it and threw it several feet away. There was abundant water under the earth covered by the rock. The monk asked Ali if he was a prophet. Ali said: "No. I am the successor of the last prophet of Allah." The monk said: "It is written in our holy books that there is a well in this vicinity but none save a prophet of Allah or a divinely chosen successor will discover it. Now I become a Muslim." He took part in the battle of Siffin and was martyred.
At the time of departure Ali covered the well with the earth. While returning from the battle Ali asked his men if they could find the well again. They thought it was easy, but in spite of extensive search they could not. Ali informed them that the well would remain hidden till the day of resurrection .
