28:25 Al-Qasas (The Stories)

فأرسل أبوهما إحداهما إلى موسى، فجاءته { تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ } وهذا يدل على كرم عنصرها، وخلقها الحسن، فإن الحياء من الأخلاق الفاضلة، وخصوصا في النساء.ويدل على أن موسى عليه السلام، لم يكن فيما فعله من السقي بمنزلة الأجير والخادم الذي لا يستحى منه عادة، وإنما هو عزيز النفس، رأت من حسن خلقه ومكارم أخلاقه، ما أوجب لها الحياء منه، فـ { قَالَتِ } له: { إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا } أي: لا لِيمُنَّ عليك، بل أنت الذي ابتدأتنا بالإحسان، وإنما قصده أن يكافئك على إحسانك، فأجابها موسى.{ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ } من ابتداء السبب الموجب لهربه، إلى أن وصل إليه { قَالَ } مسكنا روعه، جابرا قلبه: { لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ } أي: ليذهب خوفك وروعك، فإن اللّه نجاك منهم، حيث وصلت إلى هذا المحل، الذي ليس لهم عليه سلطان.

لما رجعت المرأتان سريعا بالغنم إلى أبيهما أنكر حالهما بسبب مجيئهما سريعا فسألهما عن خبرهما فقصتا عليه ما فعل موسى عليه السلام فبعث إحداهما إليه لتدعوه إلى أبيها قال الله تعالى: "فجاءته إحداهما تمشي على استحياء" أي مشي الحرائر كما روي عن أمير المؤمنين عمر رضي الله عنه أنه قال: جاءت مستترة بكم درعها وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو نعيم حدثنا إسرائيل عن أبي إسحاق عن عمرو بن ميمون قال: قال عمر رضي الله عنه جاءت تمشي على استحياء قائلة بثوبها على وجهها ليست بسلفع من النساء ولاجة خراجة. هذا إسناد صحيح. قال الجوهري: السلفع من الرجل الجسور ومن النساء الجرية السليطة ومن النوق الشديدة. "قالت إن أبي يدعوك ليجزيك أجر ما سقيت لنا" وهذا تأدب في العبارة لم تطلبه طلبا مطلقا لئلا يوهم ريبة بل قالت: إن أبي يدعوك ليجزيك أجر ما سقيت لنا يعني ليثيبك ويكافئك على سقيك لغنمنا "فلما جاءه وقص عليه القصص" أي ذكر له ما كان من أمره وما جرى له من السبب الذي خرج من أجله من بلده "قال لا تخف نجوت من القوم الظالمين" يقول طب نفسا وقر عينا فقد خرجت من مملكتهم فلا حكم لهم في بلادنا ولهذا قال: "نجوت من القوم الظالمين" وقد اختلف المفسرون في هذا الرجل من هو؟ على أقوال أحدها أنه شعيب النبي عليه السلام الذي أرسل إلى أهل مدين وهذا هو المشهور عند كثير من العلماء وقد قاله الحسن البصري وغير واحد ورواه ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا عبدالعزيز الأزدي حدثنا مالك بن أنس أنه بلغه أن شعيبا هو الذي قص عليه موسى القصص قال: "لا تخف نجوت من القوم الظالمين" وقد روى الطبراني عن سلمة بن سعد الغزي أنه وفد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال له: "مرحبا بقوم شعيب وأختان موسى هديت" وقال آخرون بل كان ابن أخي شعيب وقيل رجل مؤمن من قوم شعيب وقال آخرون كان شعيب قبل زمان موسى عليه السلام بمدة طويلة لأنه قال لقومه "وما قوم لوط منكم ببعيد" وقد كان هلاك قوم لوط في زمن الخليل عليه السلام بنص القرآن وقد علم أنه كان بين الخليل وموسى عليهما السلام مدة طويلة تزيد على أربعمائة سنة كما ذكره غير واحد. وما قيل إن شعيبا عاش مدة طويلة إنما هو والله أعلم احتراز من هذا الإشكال ثم من المقوي لكونه ليس بشعيب أنه لو كان إياه لأوشك أن ينص على اسمه في القرآن ههنا وما جاء في بعض الأحاديث من التصريح بذكره في قصة موسى لم يصح إسناده كما سنذكره قريبا إن شاء الله ثم من الموجود في كتب بني إسرائيل أن هذا الرجل اسمه ثيرون والله أعلم قال أبو عبيدة بن عبدالله بن مسعود: ثيرون هو ابن أخي شعيب عليه السلام وعن أبي حمزة عن ابن عباس قال الذي استأجر موسى يثرى صاحب مدين رواه ابن جرير به ثم قال الصواب أن هذا لا يدرك إلا بخبر ولا خبر تجب به الحجة في ذلك.

Musa, the Father of the Two Women, and His Marriage to One of Them

When the two women came back quickly with the sheep, their father was surprised that they returned so soon. He asked them what had happened, and they told him what Musa, peace be upon him, had done. So he sent one of them to call him to meet her father. Allah says:

فَجَآءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِى عَلَى اسْتِحْيَآءٍ

(Then there came to him one of them, walking shyly.) meaning, she was walking like a free woman, as it was narrated from the Commander of the faithful, `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: "She was covering herself from them with the folds of her garment." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Amr bin Maymun said, `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "She came walking shyly, putting her garment over her face. She was not one of those audacious women who come and go as they please." This chain of narrators is Sahih.

قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِى يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا

(She said: "Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us.") This is an example of good manners: she did not invite him directly lest he have some suspicious thoughts about her. Rather she said: "My father is inviting you so that he may reward you for watering our sheep," i.e., give you some payment for that.

فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ

(So when he came to him and narrated the story, ) means, he told him about his story and why he had to leave his country.

قَالَ لاَ تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ

(he said: "Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.") He was saying: `calm down and relax, for you have left their kingdom and they have no authority in our land.' So he said:

نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ

(You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.)

قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

(And said one of them: "O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.") One of the two daughters of the man said this, and it was said that she was the one who had walked behind Musa, peace be upon him. She said to her father:

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ

(O my father! Hire him!) as a shepherd to look after the sheep. `Umar, Ibn `Abbas, Shurayh Al-Qadi, Abu Malik, Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ishaq and others said: "When she said:

إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

(Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.) her father said to her, `What do you know about that' She said to him, `He lifted a rock which could only be lifted by ten men, and when I came back with him, I walked ahead of him, but he said to me, walk behind me, and if I get confused about the route, throw a pebble so that I will know which way to go."' `Abdullah (Ibn Mas`ud) said, "The people who had the most discernment were three: Abu Bakr's intuition about `Umar; the companion of Yusuf when he said, `Make his stay comfortable'; and the companion of Musa, when she said:

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

(O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.)."

إِنِّى أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ابْنَتَىَّ هَاتَيْنِ

(I intend to wed one of these two daughters of mine to you,) means, this old man asked him to take care of his flocks, then he would marry one of his two daughters to him.

عَلَى أَن تَأْجُرَنِى ثَمَانِىَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْراً فَمِنْ عِندِكَ

(on condition that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten years, it will be (a favor) from you.) meaning, `on the condition that you tend my flocks for eight years, and if you want to give me two extra years, that is up to you, but if you do not want to, then eight years is enough.'

وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ سَتَجِدُنِى إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(But I intend not to place you under a difficulty. If Allah wills, you will find me one of the righteous.) means, `I do not want to put pressure on you or cause you any inconvenience or argue with you.' Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ali bin Rabah Al-Lakhmi said, "I heard `Utbah bin An-Nadar As-Sulami, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrating that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِنَّ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ بِعِفَّةِ فَرْجِهِ وَطُعْمَةِ بَطْنِه»

(Musa, peace be upon him, hired himself out for the purpose of keeping chaste and to feed himself.) And Allah tells us about Musa, peace be upon him:

قَالَ ذَلِكَ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكَ أَيَّمَا الاٌّجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلاَ عُدْوَانَ عَلَىَّ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ

(He said: "That (is settled) between me and you: whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there will be no injustice to me, and Allah is Surety over what we say.") Musa said to his father-in-law, "The matter is as you say. You have hired me for eight years, and if I complete ten years, that is my choice, but if I do the lesser amount, I will still have fulfilled the covenant and met the conditions." So he said:

أَيَّمَا الاٌّجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلاَ عُدْوَانَ عَلَىَّ

(whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there will be no injustice to me,) meaning, `there will be no blame on me. The complete term is permissible but it is still regarded as something extra.' This is like the Ayah,

فَمَن تَعَجَّلَ فِى يَوْمَيْنِ فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَن تَأَخَّرَ فَلا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ

(But whosoever hastens to leave in two days, there is no sin on him and whosoever stays on, there is no sin on him) (2:203). And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Hamzah bin `Amr Al-Aslami, may Allah be pleased with him, who used to fast a great deal and who asked him about fasting while traveling:

«إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِر»

(If you wish, then fast, and if you wish, do not fast.) even though it is better to fast, according to the evidence of other reports. And there is evidence which indicates that Musa, peace be upon him, fulfilled the longer of the two terms. Al-Bukhari recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "A Jew from the people of Hirah asked me; `Which of the two terms did Musa fulfill' I said, `I do not know until I go to the scholar of the Arabs and ask him.' So I went to Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and asked him. He said: `He fulfilled the longer and better of them, for when a Messenger of Allah ﷺ said he would do a thing, he did it."' This is how it was recorded by Al-Bukhari.

God exalted be He says Then one of the two women came to him walking bashfully — in other words covering her face with the sleeve of her shirt being shy of him — and said ‘My father invites you that he may pay you a wage for watering our flock for us’. He accepted her invitation while inwardly he disapproved of accepting any wage for it was as though she sought to remunerate him and as though he were of those who would want it which he was not. She walked in front of him but when the wind began to blow off her dress and reveal her legs he said to her ‘Walk behind me and show me the way’ which she did. Finally he came to her father Shu‘ayb peace be upon him who was sitting with some supper in front of him. He said to him ‘Sit and have some supper’. He Moses said ‘I hope that this is not some sort of compensation for having watered their flock for them? For we are People of a House and do not demand compensation for good deeds’. He Shu‘ayb said ‘No. It is simply a custom of mine and of my forefathers to be hospitable to guests and to offer them food’. Thus he Moses ate and informed him of his predicament. God exalted be He says So when he came to him and recounted to him the story al-qasas is a verbal noun with the sense of al-maqsūs ‘that which is recounted’ of his slaying of the Egyptian and their intention to slay him and his fear of Pharaoh he their father said ‘Do not be afraid. You have escaped from the evildoing people’ as Pharaoh had no authority over Midian.

فَجَاءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ (Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. - 28:25). In accordance with Qur'anic practice the story has been summarized here. The full story runs like this: When the two girls reached home earlier than usual, their father enquired the reason for that. So they related to him the whole incident. Their father thought that he should make up for the favour Musa (علیہ السلام) had done to his daughters. Hence he asked one of his daughters to bring him with her. She went to Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and talked to him with an element of modesty. This shows that despite the fact that hijab was not enjoined by then, good women would not talk to men freely. She went to him with a need, so she talked with shyness. Some commentators have given the detail of her shyness that while talking she had raised her sleeve up to her face. The narrations as related in commentaries say that Musa (علیہ السلام) had asked her to walk behind him and guide him from the back. The objective was that he could not cast his eye on her. Perhaps for this reason she told her father about him to be trustworthy.

Who was the father of these two girls? Commentators have different views on this subject. But Qur'anic verses allude that he was Sayyidna Shu` aib (علیہ السلام) (7:85). (Qurtubi)

إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ (My father is calling you - 28:25). It was possible at that time that the girl would have invited him on her own, but she did not do so. Instead, she conveyed her father's message to him, because it was against the modesty for a girl to invite a stranger at home.