Tarikh (al-Tabari) 201
The story of Moses the one who spoke with Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَكَانَتْ بِئْرًا يَسْتَقُونَ مِنْهَا. وَمَدْيَنُ هِيَ الْمَدِينَةُ الَّتِي أَهْلَكَ اللَّهُ فِيهَا أَصْحَابَ الْأَيْكَةِ، وَهُمْ قَوْمُ شُعَيْبٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَقَدْ كَانَ هَلَاكُهُمْ قَبْلَ زَمَنِ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فِي أَحَدِ قَوْلَيِ الْعُلَمَاءِ. وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ الْمَاءَ الْمَذْكُورَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمُ امْرَأتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ أَيْ ; تُكَفْكِفَانِ غَنَمَهُمَا أَنْ تَخْتَلِطَ بِغَنَمِ النَّاسِ. وَعِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، أَنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ سَبْعَ بَنَاتٍ. وَهَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْغَلَطِ. وَلَعَلَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ سَبْعٌ، وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا كَانَ تَسْقِي اثْنَتَانِ مِنْهُنَّ. وَهَذَا الْجَمْعُ مُمْكِنٌ إِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ مَحْفُوظًا، وَإِلَّا فَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ سِوَى بِنْتَيْنِ. قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِي حَتَّى يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ أَيْ ; لَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَى وِرْدِ الْمَاءِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ صُدُورِ الرِّعَاءِ ; لِضَعْفِنَا، وَسَبَبُ مُبَاشَرَتِنَا هَذِهِ الرَّعِيَّةَ ضَعْفُ أَبِينَا وَكِبَرُهُ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: فَسَقَى لَهُمَا قَالَ الْمُفَسِّرُونَ: وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرِّعَاءَ كَانُوا إِذَا فَرَغُوا مِنْ وِرْدِهِمْ، وَضَعُوا عَلَى فَمِ الْبِئْرِ صَخْرَةً عَظِيمَةً، فَتَجِيءُ هَاتَانِ الْمَرْأَتَانِ فَيَشْرَعَانِ غَنَمَهُمَا فِي فَضْلِ أَغْنَامِ النَّاسِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ جَاءَ مُوسَى فَرَفْعَ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةِ وَحْدَهُ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقَى لَهُمَا، وَسَقَى غَنَمَهُمَا، ثُمَّ رَدَّ الصَّخْرَةَ كَمَا كَانَتْ. قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمْرُ: وَكَانَ لَا يَرْفَعُهُ إِلَّا عَشَرَةٌ. وَإِنَّمَا اسْتَقَى ذَنُوبًا وَاحِدًا فَكَفَاهُمَا، ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى إِلَى الظِّلِّ. قَالُوا: وَكَانَ ظِلَّ شَجَرَةٍ مِنَ السَّمُرِ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّهُ رَآهَا خَضْرَاءَ تَرِفُّ. فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: سَارَ مِنْ مِصْرَ إِلَى مَدْيَنَ، لَمْ يَأْكُلْ إِلَّا الْبَقْلَ وَوَرَقَ الشَّجَرِ، وَكَانَ حَافِيًا فَسَقَطَتْ نَعْلَا قَدَمَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَفَاءِ وَجَلَسَ فِي الظِّلِّ، وَهُوَ صَفْوَةُ اللَّهِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، وَإِنَّ بَطْنَهُ لَاصِقٌ بِظَهْرِهِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ، وَإِنَّ خُضْرَةَ الْبَقْلِ لَتُرَى مِنْ دَاخِلِ جَوْفِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَمُحْتَاجٌ إِلَى شِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ. قَالَ عَطَاءُ بْنُ السَّائِبِ: لَمَّا قَالَ: رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ أَسْمَعَ الْمَرْأَةَ. فَجَاءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يَا أَبَتَ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ قَالَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنْكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ عَلَى أَنْ تَأْجُرَنِي ثَمَانِيَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْرًا فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ أَيَّمَا الْأَجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلَا عُدْوَانَ عَلَيَّ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ [ الْقَصَصِ: 25 - 28 ]. لَمَّا جَلَسَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فِي الظِّلِّ، وَقَالَ: رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ سَمِعَتْهُ الْمَرْأَتَانِ، فِيمَا قِيلَ، فَذَهَبَتَا إِلَى أَبِيهِمَا، فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ اسْتَنْكَرَ سُرْعَةَ رُجُوعِهِمَا، فَأَخْبَرَتَاهُ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَأَمَرَ إِحْدَاهُمَا أَنْ تَذْهَبَ إِلَيْهِ فَتَدْعُوهُ فَجَاءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ أَيْ ; مَشْيَ الْحَرَائِرِ. قَالَ عُمْرُ، ؓ: تَسْتُرُ وَجْهَهَا بِكُمِّ دِرْعِهَا إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا صَرَّحَتْ لَهُ بِهَذَا ; لِئَلَّا يُوهِمَ كَلَامُهَا رِيبَةً، وَهَذَا مِنْ تَمَامِ حَيَائِهَا وَصِيَانَتِهَا. ذهاب موسى إلى صاحب مدين فَقَامَ مَعَهَا، فَمَشَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَضَرَبَتِ الرِّيحُ ثَوْبَهَا فَحَكَى عَجِيزَتَهَا، فَقَالَ لَهَا: امْشِي خَلْفِي وَدُلِّينِي عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَإِنَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ لَا نَنْظُرُ فِي أَعْقَابِ النِّسَاءِ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ أَيْ ; وَأَخْبَرَهُ خَبَرَهُ، وَمَا كَانَ مَنْ أَمْرِهِ ; فِي خُرُوجِهِ مِنْ بِلَادِ مِصْرَ فِرَارًا مَنْ فِرَعَوْنِهَا، قَالَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْخُ: لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ أَيْ ; خَرَجْتَ مِنْ سُلْطَانِهِمْ، فَلَسْتَ فِي دَوْلَتِهِمْ. الاختلاف في تحديد شخصية صاحب مدين وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي هَذَا الشَّيْخِ ; مَنْ هُوَ ؟ فَقِيلَ: هُوَ شُعَيْبٌ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. وَهَذَا هُوَ الْمَشْهُورُ عِنْدَ كَثِيرِينَ. وَمِمَّنْ نَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ، وَمَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، وَجَاءَ مُصَرَّحًا بِهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ، وَلَكِنْ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ نَظَرٌ. وَصَرَّحَ طَائِفَةٌ بِأَنَّ شُعَيْبًا، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، عَاشَ عُمْرًا طَوِيلًا بَعْدَ هَلَاكِ قَوْمِهِ، حَتَّى أَدْرَكَهُ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَتَزَوَّجَ بِابْنَتِهِ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ وَغَيْرُهُ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ، أَنَّ صَاحِبَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، هَذَا اسْمُهُ شُعَيْبٌ، وَكَانَ سَيِّدَ الْمَاءِ، وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَاحِبِ مَدْيَنَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ ابْنُ أَخِي شُعَيْبٍ. وَقِيلَ: ابْنُ عَمِّهِ. وَقِيلَ: رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ مِنْ قَوْمِ شُعَيْبٍ. وَقِيلَ: رَجُلٌ اسْمُهُ يَثْرُونُ. هَكَذَا هُوَ فِي كُتُبِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ: يَثْرُونُ كَاهِنُ مَدْيَنَ. أَيْ ; كَبِيرُهَا وَعَالِمُهَا. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: اسْمُهُ يَثْرُونُ. زَادَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ: وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَخِي شُعَيْبٍ. زَادَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: صَاحِبُ مَدْيَنَ. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا أَضَافَهُ وَأَكْرَمَ مَثْوَاهُ، وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ، بَشَّرَهُ بِأَنَّهُ قَدْ نَجَا، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ إِحْدَى الْبِنْتَيْنِ لِأَبِيهَا يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ أَيْ; لِرَعْيِ غَنَمِكَ. ثُمَّ مَدَحَتْهُ بِأَنَّهُ قَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ. قَالَ عُمْرُ، وَابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَشُرَيْحٌ الْقَاضِي، وَأَبُو مَالِكٍ، وَقَتَادَةُ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ: لَمَّا قَالَتْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لَهَا أَبُوهَا: وَمَا عِلْمُكِ بِهَذَا؟ فَقَالَتْ: إِنَّهُ رَفَعَ صَخْرَةً لَا يُطِيقُ رَفْعَهَا إِلَّا عَشَرَةٌ، وَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا جِئْتُ مَعَهُ تَقَدَّمْتُ أَمَامَهُ، فَقَالَ: كُونِي مِنْ وَرَائِي، فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفَ الطَّرِيقُ فَاحْذِفِي لِي بِحَصَاةٍ أَعْلَمْ بِهَا كَيْفَ الطَّرِيقُ. قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: أَفَرَسُ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةٌ; صَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ حِينَ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ وَصَاحِبَةُ مُوسَى حِينَ قَالَتْ: يَاأَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنْكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ عَلَى أَنْ تَأْجُرَنِي ثَمَانِيَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْرًا فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ اسْتَدَلَّ بِهَذَا جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، عَلَى صِحَّةِ مَا إِذَا بَاعَهُ أَحَدَ هَذَيْنِ الْعَبْدَيْنِ أَوِ الثَّوْبَيْنِ، وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، أَنَّهُ يَصِحُّ; لِقَوْلِهِ: إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ وَفِي هَذَا نَظَرٌ; لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ مُرَاوَضَةٌ لَا مُعَاقَدَةٌ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. مشروعية الإيجار بالطعمة والكسوة وَاسْتَدَلَّ أَصْحَابُ أَحْمَدَ عَلَى صِحَّةِ الْإِيجَارِ بِالطُّعْمَةِ وَالْكُسْوَةِ، كَمَا جَرَتْ بِهِ الْعَادَةُ، وَاسْتَأْنَسُوا بِالْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ فِي " سُنَنِهِ " مُتَرْجَمًا فِي كِتَابِهِ " بَابُ اسْتِئْجَارِ الْأَجِيرِ عَلَى طَعَامِ بَطْنِهِ ": عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رَبَاحٍ اللَّخْمِيِّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ النُّدَّرِ السُّلَمِيَّ، صَاحِبَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِنَّ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ لِعِفَّةِ فَرْجِهِ وَطُعْمَةِ بَطْنِهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى: ذَلِكَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ أَيَّمَا الْأَجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلَا عُدْوَانَ عَلَيَّ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ [ الْقَصَصِ: 28 ]. يَقُولُ: إِنَّ مُوسَى قَالَ لِصِهْرِهِ: الْأَمْرُ عَلَى مَا قُلْتَ، فَأَيُّهُمَا قَضَيْتُ فَلَا عُدْوَانَ عَلَيَّ، وَاللَّهُ عَلَى مَقَالَتِنَا سَامِعٌ وَشَاهِدٌ، وَوَكِيلٌ عَلِيَّ وَعَلَيْكَ. وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَمْ يَقْضِ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَكْمَلَ الْأَجَلَيْنِ وَأَتَمَّهُمَا، وَهُوَ الْعَشْرُ سِنِينَ كَوَامِلَ تَامَّةً. وعَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ: سَأَلَنِي يَهُودِيٌّ مَنْ أَهْلِ الْحِيرَةِ: أَيَّ الْأَجَلَيْنِ قَضَى مُوسَى؟ فَقُلْتُ: لَا أَدْرِي، حَتَّى أَقْدِمَ عَلَى حَبْرِ الْعَرَبِ فَأَسْأَلَهُ. فَقَدِمْتُ، فَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، فَقَالَ: قَضَى أَكْثَرَهُمَا وَأَطْيَبَهُمَا، إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِذَا قَالَ فَعَلَ. وعَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ مُرْسَلًا، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ جِبْرِيلَ، فَسَأَلَ جِبْرِيلُ إِسْرَافِيلَ، فَسَأَلَ إِسْرَافِيلُ الرَّبَّ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَقَالَ: أَبَرَّهُمَا وَأَوْفَاهُمَا قَالَ: وَإِنْ سُئِلَ: أَيَّ الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ تَزَوَّجَ؟ فَقُلِ: الصُّغْرَى مِنْهُمَا وأَمَّا اسْمُ الْمَرْأَةِ الَّتِي تَزَوَّجَهَا فَهُوَ صُفُورَا، وَالْأُخْرَى لَيَّا. فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ فِرَاقَ شُعَيْبٍ، أَمَرَ امْرَأَتَهُ أَنْ تَسْأَلَ أَبَاهَا أَنْ يُعْطِيَهَا مِنْ غَنَمِهِ مَا يَعِيشُونَ بِهِ، فَأَعْطَاهَا مَا وَلَدَتْ غَنَمُهُ مِنْ قَالِبِ لَوْنٍ مِنْ وَلَدِ ذَلِكَ الْعَامِ، وَكَانَتْ غَنَمُهُ سُودًا حِسَانًا، فَانْطَلَقَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، إِلَى عَصًا قَسَمَهَا مِنْ طَرَفِهَا، ثُمَّ وَضَعَهَا فِي أَدْنَى الْحَوْضِ، ثُمَّ أَوْرَدَهَا فَسَقَاهَا، وَوَقَفَ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، بِإِزَاءِ الْحَوْضِ، فَلَمْ تَصْدُرْ مِنْهَا شَاةٌ إِلَّا ضَرَبَ جَنْبَهَا شَاةً شَاةً قَالَ: فَأَتْأَمَتْ وَأَثْلَثَتْ وَوَضَعَتْ كُلُّهَا قَوَالِبَ أَلْوَانٍ، إِلَّا شَاةً أَوْ شَاتَيْنِ; لَيْسَ فِيهَا فَشُوشٌ، وَلَا ضَبُوبٌ، وَلَا عَزُوزٌ، وَلَا ثَعُولٌ، وَلَا كَمْشَةٌ تَفُوتُ الْكَفَّ. قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: لَوِ افْتَتَحْتُمُ الشَّامَ وَجَدْتُمْ بَقَايَا تِلْكَ الْغَنَمِ، وَهِيَ السَّامِرِيَّةُ
Translation
✧ And when he arrived at the water of Madyan—it was a well from which they drew water. Madyan is the city in which Allah destroyed the companions of the thicket, who were the people of Shuʿayb ﷺ, and their destruction had occurred before the time of Moses ﷺ, according to one of the two scholarly opinions. When he arrived at the aforementioned water, he found upon it a crowd of people watering [their flocks] and found besides them two women keeping back [their flocks]—that is, restraining their sheep from mixing with the people’s sheep. According to the People of the Book, they were seven daughters. This is also an error. Perhaps he had seven, but only two of them were watering. This combination is possible if that report is preserved; otherwise, the apparent meaning is that he had only two daughters. He said, “What is your matter?” They said, “We do not water until the shepherds take away [their flocks], and our father is an old man of great age”—that is, we are not able to reach the water except after the shepherds have departed, because of our weakness, and the reason for our undertaking this herding is our father’s weakness and great age. Allah, exalted is He, said: “So he watered for them.” The exegetes said: That was because the shepherds, when they finished their watering, would place a great rock over the mouth of the well. Then these two women would come and let their sheep drink from the leftover of the people’s flocks. On that day, Moses came and lifted that rock by himself, then drew water for them and watered their sheep, then returned the rock as it had been. The Commander of the Faithful ʿUmar said: Only ten [men] could lift it. He drew only one bucket, and it sufficed them. Then he turned away to the shade. They said: It was the shade of a samur tree. Ibn Jarīr narrated from Ibn Masʿūd that he saw it green and luxuriant. He said, “My Lord, I am in need of whatever good You send down to me.” Ibn ʿAbbās said: He traveled from Egypt to Madyan, eating nothing but herbs and tree leaves, and he was barefoot, so the soles of his feet fell off from walking barefoot, and he sat in the shade—he, the chosen one of Allah from His creation—while his stomach was clinging to his back from hunger, and the greenness of the herbs could be seen from inside his belly, and he was in need of even half a date. ʿAṭāʾ b. al-Sāʾib said: When he said, “My Lord, I am in need of whatever good You send down to me,” he made the woman hear it. Then one of the two women came to him, walking with shyness. She said, “My father invites you to reward you for having watered for us.” When he came to him and related to him the story, he said, “Do not fear; you have escaped from the wrongdoing people.” One of the two women said, “O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong, the trustworthy.” He said, “I intend to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that you serve me for eight years. If you complete ten, it will be of your own accord, and I do not wish to make it difficult for you. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the righteous.” He said, “That is between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there shall be no injustice against me, and Allah is witness over what we say” [al-Qaṣaṣ: 25–28]. When Moses ﷺ sat in the shade and said, “My Lord, I am in need of whatever good You send down to me,” the two women heard him, as it is said, and went to their father. It is said that he found their quick return strange, so they told him what had happened with Moses ﷺ. He ordered one of them to go to him and invite him. Then one of the two women came to him, walking with shyness—that is, the gait of free women. ʿUmar ؓ said: She covered her face with the sleeve of her shift. [She said,] “My father invites you to reward you for having watered for us.” She stated this explicitly so that her words would not suggest any suspicion, and this is part of her complete modesty and chastity. Moses’ going to the man of Madyan So he stood up with her, and she walked in front of him. The wind struck her garment and outlined her buttocks, so he said to her: “Walk behind me and show me the way, for we are a household who do not look at the backs of women.” When he came to him and related to him the story—that is, he informed him of his news and what had happened to him in his departure from the land of Egypt, fleeing from its Pharaoh—that old man said to him: “Do not fear; you have escaped from the wrongdoing people”—that is, you have left their authority, and you are no longer in their dominion. The difference of opinion about the identity of the man of Madyan They differed about this old man: who was he? It was said: He was Shuʿayb ﷺ. This is the well-known view according to many. Among those who stated it explicitly were al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and Mālik b. Anas, and it came stated explicitly in a ḥadīth, but its chain has some weakness. A group stated explicitly that Shuʿayb ﷺ lived a long life after the destruction of his people until Moses ﷺ met him and married his daughter. Ibn Abī Ḥātim and others narrated from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī that this companion of Moses ﷺ was named Shuʿayb, and he was the chief of the water, but he was not the prophet, the companion of Madyan. It was said: He was the nephew of Shuʿayb. It was said: His cousin. It was said: A believing man from the people of Shuʿayb. It was said: A man named Yathrūn. Thus it is in the books of the People of the Book: Yathrūn, the priest of Madyan—that is, its elder and scholar. Ibn ʿAbbās and Abū ʿUbayda b. ʿAbd Allāh said: His name was Yathrūn. Abū ʿUbayda added: He was the nephew of Shuʿayb. Ibn ʿAbbās added: The man of Madyan. The intended point is that when he hosted him and honored his stay, and he related to him what had happened to him, he gave him the good news that he had escaped. At that point one of the two daughters said to her father: “O my father, hire him”—that is, to tend your sheep. Then she praised him as strong and trustworthy. ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAbbās, Shurayḥ the judge, Abū Mālik, Qatāda, Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, and others said: When she said that, her father said to her: “And how do you know this?” She said: “He lifted a rock that only ten could lift, and when I came with him I walked ahead of him, and he said: ‘Be behind me, and when the road differs, throw a pebble at me so that I may know which way the road goes.’” Ibn Masʿūd said: The most perceptive of people are three: the companion of Joseph when he said to his wife, “Make his stay honorable”; the woman companion of Moses when she said, “O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong, the trustworthy”; and Abū Bakr when he appointed ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb as successor. He said, “I intend to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that you serve me for eight years. If you complete ten, it will be of your own accord, and I do not wish to make it difficult for you. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the righteous.” A group of the companions of Abū Ḥanīfa, may Allah have mercy on him, used this as evidence for the validity of selling one of these two slaves or two garments, and the like, because of his saying, “one of these two daughters of mine.” But there is some discussion about this, because it is a bargaining, not a concluded contract. And Allah knows best. The lawfulness of hiring for food and clothing The companions of Aḥmad used this as evidence for the validity of hiring for food and clothing, as was customary, and they sought support from the ḥadīth narrated by Ibn Mājah in his Sunan, under the chapter “Hiring a worker for the food of his belly,” from ʿAlī b. Rabāḥ al-Lakhmī, who said: I heard ʿUtba b. al-Nuddar al-Sulamī, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, relate that the Messenger of Allah said: “Moses ﷺ hired himself out for the chastity of his private parts and the food of his belly.” Then He, exalted is He, said: “That is between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there shall be no injustice against me, and Allah is witness over what we say” [al-Qaṣaṣ: 28]. It means that Moses said to his father-in-law: The matter is as you have said; whichever of the two I fulfill, there shall be no injustice against me, and Allah is hearing and witnessing over our words, and a trustee over me and over you. Despite this, Moses fulfilled only the more complete and longer of the two terms, namely ten full and complete years. From Saʿīd b. Jubayr, who said: A Jew from the people of al-Ḥīra asked me: Which of the two terms did Moses fulfill? I said: I do not know, until I come to the learned man of the Arabs and ask him. So I came and asked Ibn ʿAbbās, and he said: He fulfilled the greater and better of them; indeed, when the Messenger of Allah says something, he does it. From Mujāhid, in mursal form, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked Gabriel about that, and Gabriel asked Isrāfīl, and Isrāfīl asked the Lord, mighty and majestic is He, and He said: “The more righteous and fuller of them.” He said: And if you are asked which of the two women he married, say: the younger of them. As for the name of the woman he married, it is Ṣufūrā, and the other is Layyā. When he wanted to part from Shuʿayb, he commanded his wife to ask her father to give her from his sheep what they could live on. So he gave her what his sheep gave birth to of a contrasting color from the offspring of that year. His sheep were beautiful black ones. Moses ﷺ went to a staff, split it from its end, then placed it in the nearest part of the watering trough, then brought the sheep and watered them. Moses ﷺ stood opposite the trough, and no ewe came out except that he struck its side, one by one. He said: They gave birth to twins and triplets, and all of them gave birth to contrasting colors, except one or two sheep that had no fashūsh (excessive milk), no ḍabūb (difficulty in milking), no ʿazūz (narrow teat), no thaʿūl (extra teat), and no kamsha (short teat) that slips from the hand. The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you conquer Syria, you will find remnants of those sheep, and they are the Sāmiriyya.”
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.