سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 23
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when he arrived at the water (a well) of Madyan (Midian) he found there a group of men watering (their flocks), and besides them he found two women who were keeping back (their flocks). He said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "We cannot water (our flocks) until the shepherds take (their flocks). And our father is a very old man."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَمَّا
walammā
And when
وَرَدَ
warada
he came
مَآءَ
māa
(to the) water
مَدْيَنَ
madyana
(of) Madyan
وَجَدَ
wajada
he found
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
on it
أُمَّةًۭ
ummatan
a group
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
men
يَسْقُونَ
yasqūna
watering
وَوَجَدَ
wawajada
and he found
مِن
min
besides them
دُونِهِمُ
dūnihimu
besides them
ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ
im'ra-atayni
two women
تَذُودَانِ ۖ
tadhūdāni
keeping back
قَالَ
qāla
He said
مَا
mā
What
خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ
khaṭbukumā
(is the) matter with both of you
قَالَتَا
qālatā
They said
لَا
lā
We cannot water
نَسْقِى
nasqī
We cannot water
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يُصْدِرَ
yuṣ'dira
take away
ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ
l-riʿāu
the shepherds
وَأَبُونَا
wa-abūnā
and our father
شَيْخٌۭ
shaykhun
(is) a very old man
كَبِيرٌۭ
kabīrun
(is) a very old man
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 23) ➊ { وَ لَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ …:} That is, when he reached Madyan, he saw at its well a crowd of people watering their animals. Madyan is also the name of a tribe, descended from Madyan son of Ibrahim. In this respect, Musa (peace be upon him) also had a familial connection with them, because he too was from the descendants of Yaqub (peace be upon him), the grandson of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). (Ibn Ashur)
➋ { وَ وَجَدَ مِنْ دُوْنِهِمُ امْرَاَتَيْنِ تَذُوْدٰنِ: ’’ذَادَ يذُوْدُ ذَوْدًا‘‘} To keep away. Musa (peace be upon him) saw that two women were standing apart from the men at one side, keeping their sheep and goats away from the water, so that they would not mix with the other people's goats to drink water and then get lost. They did not have enough strength to push away the crowd or to draw the heavy bucket themselves.
➌ { قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا:} Musa (peace be upon him) felt compassion for their situation and asked them, "Why are you standing here? Why don't you water (your animals)?"
➍ { قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِيْ حَتّٰى يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَآءُ:’’ الرِّعَآءُ ‘‘ ’’رَاعِيٌّ‘‘} is the plural of 'رَاعِيٌّ' (ra'in), shepherds. {’’أَصْدَرَ يُصْدِرُ‘‘} To water and then take back. They said, "We do not water (our animals) until these shepherds have watered their animals and taken them back, because our father is very old and weak, he is not able to come here, nor can he draw water, nor can we draw the heavy bucket. When the shepherds leave, we will give our animals the leftover water, or later draw a little water in the bucket and give it to them." The commentators have mentioned the names of these women as "Safura" and "Liya," but this is not established from any reliable source.
➎ { وَ اَبُوْنَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيْرٌ:} It is commonly believed about the father of these women that he was Shu'ayb (peace be upon him). This is based on nothing except that Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Madyan, but how does this prove that the elder of Madyan who hosted Musa (peace be upon him) was also Shu'ayb (peace be upon him)? The scholars say that the time of Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was much before Musa (peace be upon him), because he said to his people: «{ وَ مَا قَوْمُ لُوْطٍ مِّنْكُمْ بِبَعِيْدٍ }» [ ھود : ۸۹ ] "And the people of Lut (also) are not far from you." And everyone knows that Lut and Ibrahim (peace be upon them) lived in the same era, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) passed away centuries before Musa (peace be upon him). Ibn Kathir says: "This is further supported by the fact that if that elder had been Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), it is most likely that his name would have been mentioned in the Qur'an. In some hadiths, the name is explicitly mentioned in the story of Musa (peace be upon him), but none of their chains are Sahih, as we will mention ahead." (Ibn Kathir) In the books of Bani Israel, his name is given as "Thiron," in one place as "Ra'uwail," in another as "Yitro," and in one place as "Hobab." Some scholars of Islam have mentioned his name as "Yathri," but it is apparent that this cannot be known without an established report, which is not present here.
➋ { وَ وَجَدَ مِنْ دُوْنِهِمُ امْرَاَتَيْنِ تَذُوْدٰنِ: ’’ذَادَ يذُوْدُ ذَوْدًا‘‘} To keep away. Musa (peace be upon him) saw that two women were standing apart from the men at one side, keeping their sheep and goats away from the water, so that they would not mix with the other people's goats to drink water and then get lost. They did not have enough strength to push away the crowd or to draw the heavy bucket themselves.
➌ { قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا:} Musa (peace be upon him) felt compassion for their situation and asked them, "Why are you standing here? Why don't you water (your animals)?"
➍ { قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِيْ حَتّٰى يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَآءُ:’’ الرِّعَآءُ ‘‘ ’’رَاعِيٌّ‘‘} is the plural of 'رَاعِيٌّ' (ra'in), shepherds. {’’أَصْدَرَ يُصْدِرُ‘‘} To water and then take back. They said, "We do not water (our animals) until these shepherds have watered their animals and taken them back, because our father is very old and weak, he is not able to come here, nor can he draw water, nor can we draw the heavy bucket. When the shepherds leave, we will give our animals the leftover water, or later draw a little water in the bucket and give it to them." The commentators have mentioned the names of these women as "Safura" and "Liya," but this is not established from any reliable source.
➎ { وَ اَبُوْنَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيْرٌ:} It is commonly believed about the father of these women that he was Shu'ayb (peace be upon him). This is based on nothing except that Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Madyan, but how does this prove that the elder of Madyan who hosted Musa (peace be upon him) was also Shu'ayb (peace be upon him)? The scholars say that the time of Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was much before Musa (peace be upon him), because he said to his people: «{ وَ مَا قَوْمُ لُوْطٍ مِّنْكُمْ بِبَعِيْدٍ }» [ ھود : ۸۹ ] "And the people of Lut (also) are not far from you." And everyone knows that Lut and Ibrahim (peace be upon them) lived in the same era, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) passed away centuries before Musa (peace be upon him). Ibn Kathir says: "This is further supported by the fact that if that elder had been Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), it is most likely that his name would have been mentioned in the Qur'an. In some hadiths, the name is explicitly mentioned in the story of Musa (peace be upon him), but none of their chains are Sahih, as we will mention ahead." (Ibn Kathir) In the books of Bani Israel, his name is given as "Thiron," in one place as "Ra'uwail," in another as "Yitro," and in one place as "Hobab." Some scholars of Islam have mentioned his name as "Yathri," but it is apparent that this cannot be known without an established report, which is not present here.
