سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 26
قَالَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱسْتَـْٔجِرْهُ ۖ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ ٱسْتَـْٔجَرْتَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْأَمِينُ ﴿26﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And said one of them (the two women): "O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَتْ
qālat
Said
إِحْدَىٰهُمَا
iḥ'dāhumā
one of them
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ
yāabati
O my father
ٱسْتَـْٔجِرْهُ ۖ
is'tajir'hu
Hire him
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
خَيْرَ
khayra
(the) best
مَنِ
mani
whom
ٱسْتَـْٔجَرْتَ
is'tajarta
you (can) hire
ٱلْقَوِىُّ
l-qawiyu
(is) the strong
ٱلْأَمِينُ
l-amīnu
the trustworthy
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
One of the women said, "O my father! Hire him. Indeed, the best man you can hire is the strong and trustworthy one." [36]
[36]
The Recommendation to Employ Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him):
Prophet Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) had no sons. He had only two daughters, who had to do both indoor and outdoor work. Therefore, Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) was already seeking a respectable man whom he could employ. During the few days of Sayyiduna Musa’s (peace be upon him) stay, all the members of the household formed and agreed upon the opinion that if this foreign young man agreed to stay with them, it would be very suitable. Thus, one of the two daughters said to her father that if he wished to employ someone, perhaps he would not find anyone better than this man. Because he is young and strong, he can do both light and heavy work. Secondly, he is trustworthy. And she said these things based on her own observation. Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) had drawn the bucket from the well alone, which usually two men could barely pull. Then, when the girl went to bring him home, she realized how modest, honest, God-fearing, and trustworthy he was.
Essential Conditions for Employment:
Incidentally, from this verse it is also understood that two things must be considered for employment: first, whether the person being employed is competent for the job or not. In other words, does he have prior knowledge and experience of the work? And if it is laborious work, is his physical condition and strength sufficient to perform it? Secondly, he should be honest and trustworthy. And this honesty and trustworthiness can never be found in those who are irreligious and forgetful of God.
The Corruption of Ignoring These Conditions:
Now, it is surprising that when someone hires a private or domestic servant, he considers both these things, but for government jobs, only the first condition, i.e., competence, is considered, while the second condition is completely ignored. And perhaps the reason for this is that this second condition is also lacking in the officers who hire employees. The result is that bribery becomes widespread, which is related to the employees. People’s rights are usurped and lost. A tyrannical type of government is established, and so many complaints and problems arise for the public that their solution becomes impossible. And the only reason for this is that the second condition of honesty and trustworthiness among the conditions of employment is not considered worthy of attention at all.
[36]
The Recommendation to Employ Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him):
Prophet Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) had no sons. He had only two daughters, who had to do both indoor and outdoor work. Therefore, Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) was already seeking a respectable man whom he could employ. During the few days of Sayyiduna Musa’s (peace be upon him) stay, all the members of the household formed and agreed upon the opinion that if this foreign young man agreed to stay with them, it would be very suitable. Thus, one of the two daughters said to her father that if he wished to employ someone, perhaps he would not find anyone better than this man. Because he is young and strong, he can do both light and heavy work. Secondly, he is trustworthy. And she said these things based on her own observation. Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) had drawn the bucket from the well alone, which usually two men could barely pull. Then, when the girl went to bring him home, she realized how modest, honest, God-fearing, and trustworthy he was.
Essential Conditions for Employment:
Incidentally, from this verse it is also understood that two things must be considered for employment: first, whether the person being employed is competent for the job or not. In other words, does he have prior knowledge and experience of the work? And if it is laborious work, is his physical condition and strength sufficient to perform it? Secondly, he should be honest and trustworthy. And this honesty and trustworthiness can never be found in those who are irreligious and forgetful of God.
The Corruption of Ignoring These Conditions:
Now, it is surprising that when someone hires a private or domestic servant, he considers both these things, but for government jobs, only the first condition, i.e., competence, is considered, while the second condition is completely ignored. And perhaps the reason for this is that this second condition is also lacking in the officers who hire employees. The result is that bribery becomes widespread, which is related to the employees. People’s rights are usurped and lost. A tyrannical type of government is established, and so many complaints and problems arise for the public that their solution becomes impossible. And the only reason for this is that the second condition of honesty and trustworthiness among the conditions of employment is not considered worthy of attention at all.
