Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Qasas (The Stories)

Verse 23of 88

وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌۭ كَبِيرٌۭ﴿٢٣

Translation (Sahih International)

And when he came to the well of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women driving back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."

Word-by-word meaning

وَلَمَّاwalammāAnd when
وَرَدَwaradahe came
مَآءَmāa(to the) water
مَدْيَنَmadyana(of) Madyan
وَجَدَwajadahe found
عَلَيْهِʿalayhion it
أُمَّةًۭummatana group
مِّنَminaof
ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsimen
يَسْقُونَyasqūnawatering
وَوَجَدَwawajadaand he found
مِنminbesides them
دُونِهِمُdūnihimubesides them
ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِim'ra-ataynitwo women
تَذُودَانِ ۖtadhūdānikeeping back
قَالَqālaHe said
مَاWhat
خَطْبُكُمَا ۖkhaṭbukumā(is the) matter with both of you
قَالَتَاqālatāThey said
لَاWe cannot water
نَسْقِىnasqīWe cannot water
حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
يُصْدِرَyuṣ'diratake away
ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖl-riʿāuthe shepherds
وَأَبُونَاwa-abūnāand our father
شَيْخٌۭshaykhun(is) a very old man
كَبِيرٌۭkabīrun(is) a very old man

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Musa, peace be upon him, in Madyan, and how He watered the Flocks of the Two WomenWhen the man told Musa about how Fir`awn and his chiefs were conspiring against him, he left Egypt on his own. He was not used to being alone, because before that he had been living a life of luxury and ease, in a position of leadership.فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا خَآئِفاً يَتَرَقَّبُ(So he escaped from there, looking about in a state of fear.) meaning, turning around and watching.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project