Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34006 — Reports on the virtue of Musa

Amr bin Maymun al-Awdi reports that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When Musa (peace be upon him) arrived at the water of Madyan, he saw some people drawing water there. When they had finished, they put the rock back over the well, and fewer than ten men could not lift it. There he saw two women holding back their sheep. He asked them: What is your situation? They told him. So he came to the stone and lifted it, then he drew just one bucket and the sheep had their fill. The two women went to their father and told him the story, and Musa (peace be upon him) went to the shade and said: "My Lord, I am in need of whatever good You send down to me." He said: One of the two women came to him modestly, with her garment placed over her face, and said: My father is calling you so that he may pay you the wage for watering our sheep. He said: Walk behind me and keep telling me the way, for I dislike that the wind should strike your garments and that your body should become visible to me. When he reached her father, he related the story to him. One of the two said: Dear father, hire him; indeed the best worker is the one who is strong and trustworthy [Al-Qasas: 24, 25, 26]. He said: O my daughter! How did you come to know of his trustworthiness and his strength? She said: I came to know of his strength in that he lifted the stone alone, whereas ten men lift it. And I came to know of his trustworthiness in that he said to me: Walk behind me and tell me the way, for I fear that the wind may strike your garments and that your body may become visible to me. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: She came to him not like bold women, nor one who was much given to going out and coming in, and she had her garment placed over her face.