Verse 28:27 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

23 وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاۤءَ مَدۡیَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَیۡهِ أُمَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ یَسۡقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمۡرَأَتَیۡنِ تَذُودَانِۖ قَالَ مَا خَطۡبُكُمَاۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسۡقِی حَتَّىٰ یُصۡدِرَ ٱلرِّعَاۤءُۖ وَأَبُونَا شَیۡخࣱ كَبِیرࣱ ۝٢٣ walammā warada māa madyana wajada ʿalayhi ummatan mina l-nāsi yasqūna wawajada min dūnihimu im'ra-atayni tadhūdāni qāla mā khaṭbukumā qālatā lā nasqī ḥattā yuṣ'dira l-riʿāu wa-abūnā shaykhun kabīru When he arrived at Midian’s waters, he found a group of men watering [their flocks], and beside them two women keeping their flocks back, so he said, ‘What is the matter with you two?’ They said, ‘We cannot water [our flocks] until the shepherds take their sheep away: our father is a very old man.’ 24 فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰۤ إِلَى ٱلظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّی لِمَاۤ أَنزَلۡتَ إِلَیَّ مِنۡ خَیۡرࣲ فَقِیرࣱ ۝٢٤ fasaqā lahumā thumma tawallā ilā l-ẓili faqāla rabbi innī limā anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqīru He watered their flocks for them, withdrew into the shade, and prayed, ‘My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You may send me,’ 25 فَجَاۤءَتۡهُ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا تَمۡشِی عَلَى ٱسۡتِحۡیَاۤءࣲ قَالَتۡ إِنَّ أَبِی یَدۡعُوكَ لِیَجۡزِیَكَ أَجۡرَ مَا سَقَیۡتَ لَنَاۚ فَلَمَّا جَاۤءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَیۡهِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفۡۖ نَجَوۡتَ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٢٥ fajāathu iḥ'dāhumā tamshī ʿalā is'tiḥ'yāin qālat inna abī yadʿūka liyajziyaka ajra mā saqayta lanā falammā jāahu waqaṣṣa ʿalayhi l-qaṣaṣa qāla lā takhaf najawta mina l-qawmi l-ẓālimīn and then one of the two women approached him, walking shyly, and said, ‘My father is asking for you: he wants to reward you for watering our flocks for us.’ When Moses came to him and told him his story, the old man said, ‘Do not be afraid, you are safe now from people who do wrong.’ 26 قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا یَـٰۤأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَءۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَیۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَءۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِیُّ ٱلۡأَمِینُ ۝٢٦ qālat iḥ'dāhumā yāabati is'tajir'hu inna khayra mani is'tajarta l-qawiyu l-amīn One of the women said, ‘Father, hire him: a strong, trustworthy man is the best to hire.’

27 قَالَ إِنِّیۤ أُرِیدُ أَنۡ أُنكِحَكَ إِحۡدَى ٱبۡنَتَیَّ هَـٰتَیۡنِ عَلَىٰۤ أَن تَأۡجُرَنِی ثَمَـٰنِیَ حِجَجࣲۖ فَإِنۡ أَتۡمَمۡتَ عَشۡرࣰا فَمِنۡ عِندِكَۖ وَمَاۤ أُرِیدُ أَنۡ أَشُقَّ عَلَیۡكَۚ سَتَجِدُنِیۤ إِن شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَ ۝٢٧ qāla innī urīdu an unkiḥaka iḥ'dā ib'natayya hātayni ʿalā an tajuranī thamāniya ḥijajin fa-in atmamta ʿashran famin ʿindika wamā urīdu an ashuqqa ʿalayka satajidunī in shāa l-lahu mina l-ṣāliḥīn The father said, ‘I would like to marry you to one of these daughters of mine, on condition that you serve me for eight years: if you complete ten, it will be of your own free will. I do not intend to make things difficult for you: God willing, you will find I am a fair man.’

28 قَالَ ذَ ٰلِكَ بَیۡنِی وَبَیۡنَكَۖ أَیَّمَا ٱلۡأَجَلَیۡنِ قَضَیۡتُ فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰنَ عَلَیَّۖ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِیلࣱ ۝٢٨ qāla dhālika baynī wabaynaka ayyamā l-ajalayni qaḍaytu falā ʿud'wāna ʿalayya wal-lahu ʿalā mā naqūlu wakīlu Moses said, ‘Let that be the agreement between us- whichever of the two terms I fulfil, let there be no injustice to me- God is witness to what we say.’ 29 ۞ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلۡأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهۡلِهِۦۤ ءَانَسَ مِن جَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ نَارࣰاۖ قَالَ لِأَهۡلِهِ ٱمۡكُثُوۤا۟ إِنِّیۤ ءَانَسۡتُ نَارࣰا لَّعَلِّیۤ ءَاتِیكُم مِّنۡهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوۡ جَذۡوَةࣲ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَصۡطَلُونَ ۝٢٩ falammā qaḍā mūsā l-ajala wasāra bi-ahlihi ānasa min jānibi l-ṭūri nāran qāla li-ahlihi um'kuthū innī ānastu nāran laʿallī ātīkum min'hā bikhabarin aw jadhwatin mina l-nāri laʿallakum taṣṭalūn Once Moses had fulfilled the term and was travelling with his family, he caught sight of a fire on the side of the mountain and said to his family, ‘Wait! I have seen a fire. I will bring you news from there, or a burning stick for you to warm yourselves.’ 30 فَلَمَّاۤ أَتَىٰهَا نُودِیَ مِن شَـٰطِىِٕ ٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡأَیۡمَنِ فِی ٱلۡبُقۡعَةِ ٱلۡمُبَـٰرَكَةِ مِنَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ أَن یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ إِنِّیۤ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝٣٠ falammā atāhā nūdiya min shāṭi-i l-wādi l-aymani fī l-buq'ʿati l-mubārakati mina l-shajarati an yāmūsā innī anā l-lahu rabbu l-ʿālamīn But when he reached it, a voice called out to him from the right-hand side of the valley, from a tree on the blessed ground: ‘Moses, I am God, the Lord of the Worlds 31 وَأَنۡ أَلۡقِ عَصَاكَۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهۡتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَاۤنࣱّ وَلَّىٰ مُدۡبِرࣰا وَلَمۡ یُعَقِّبۡۚ یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ أَقۡبِلۡ وَلَا تَخَفۡۖ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡءَامِنِینَ ۝٣١ wa-an alqi ʿaṣāka falammā raāhā tahtazzu ka-annahā jānnun wallā mud'biran walam yuʿaqqib yāmūsā aqbil walā takhaf innaka mina l-āminīn Throw down your staff.’ When he saw his staff moving like a snake, he fled in fear and would not return. Again [he was called]: ‘Moses! Draw near! Do not be afraid, for you are one of those who are safe