Surah Al-Qasas 28:23
سُورَةُ القَصَصِ · Meccan · Verse 23 of 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
Translation
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.’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
The Quran beautifully recounts Prophet Musa's journey (peace be upon him). In Surah Al-Qasas, Allah narrates a pivotal moment when Musa, exhausted and seeking refuge after fleeing Egypt, arrives at the water source of Madyan. This verse, with its precise wording, allows us to glimpse the scene and Musa's character.
Arrival at the Well
The verse begins, وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ (And when he arrived at the water of Madyan). The word لَمَّا (when or as soon as) implies an immediate action upon arrival, suggesting Musa’s prompt observation of his surroundings. Ibn Ashur notes that "water of Madyan" refers to the region's main water source, a vital gathering point. Upon reaching this point, Musa وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ (found upon it a crowd of people watering). The term أُمَّةً (ummah) here signifies a large, numerous group, highlighting the bustling, crowded nature of the well. The verb يَسْقُونَ (watering) has its object (what they were watering, like their animals) notably omitted. As al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain, this is not an oversight but a rhetorical choice: the focus is not on *what* was being watered, but on the *act* of watering itself and the busy scene it created, which is crucial for understanding the predicament of the two women.
A Scene of Difficulty
Musa then noticed وَمِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ (and apart from them, two women holding back). The phrase مِن دُونِهِمُ (min doonihim) indicates that these women were in a place distinct from the main crowd, perhaps lower or more distant, suggesting their marginalized or separate position at the well. The verb تَذُودَانِ (tathudhan) means to ward off or restrain. Scholars like al-Razi and al-Jalalayn interpret this as the women holding back their sheep from the water, unable to compete with the stronger men, or perhaps to prevent their flocks from mixing. This single word vividly paints a picture of their struggle and shyness.
Musa's Compassion and Their Explanation
Observing their difficulty, Musa immediately asked, مَا خَطْبُكُمَا (What is your matter?). The word خَطْبُ (khatb) refers to a significant affair or concern. Musa’s choice of this word, instead of a simpler inquiry, indicates a deep and respectful concern for their important situation. The women replied, لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ (We do not water until the shepherds depart). يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ (yusdir ar-ri'aa) means "until the shepherds make their animals depart" (or, in another reading, "until the shepherds themselves depart"), emphasizing that they must wait for the entire crowd and their flocks to clear out before they can approach. This highlights their modesty and their physical inability to contend with the men. They then added their concise and poignant justification: وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌۭ كَبِيرٌۭ (And our father is an old man). This simple phrase, which al-Jadwal describes as an eloquent indirect expression (kinayah), explains why they, and not a male guardian, were at the well, and why their father could not perform the task himself, underscoring their vulnerability and necessity.
Through these carefully chosen words, the Quran not only narrates events but also subtly reveals Musa's compassion and the women's circumstances, inviting us to reflect on the challenges faced by the vulnerable and the readiness of a noble soul to offer help.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Qur'anic Worlds
The ayah opens a window into a pivotal moment in the journey of Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, revealing his character and the social dynamics of an ancient world.
At Madyan's Well
This verse transports us to the "World of Past Nations," specifically detailing a significant event in the life of Prophet Musa (AS) after his flight from Egypt. He had just arrived, weary and alone, at the waters of Madyan. Here, the plain meaning from al-Muyassar tells us he found a bustling scene: "a group of people watering their animals." These were men, busy with their flocks. Amidst this crowd, Musa (AS) observed "from beyond them two women holding back (their animals)." The phrase *min doonihim* (من دونهم) implies they were separate, standing apart from the main group. They weren't actively watering their sheep, but rather restraining them from approaching the well.
The Women's Plight
Curiosity, mixed with compassion, led Musa (AS) to ask them: *Ma Khatbukuma?* (ما خطبكما) which means, "What is the matter with you?" or "What is your situation?" (Ma'arif al-Quran, al-Tabari). Their reply paints a clear picture of their predicament: *La nasqi hatta yusdir al-ri'aa'u wa abuna shaykhun kabir* (لا نسقي حتى يصدر الرعاء وأبونا شيخ كبير) "We cannot water (our animals) until the shepherds depart, and our father is a very old man." As Mufti Shafi and Sayyid Qutb explain, they preferred to wait for the men to finish, enduring hardship rather than pushing through the crowd. This reflected their natural modesty and bashfulness. Their father's advanced age meant he couldn't perform this strenuous task himself, leaving it to his daughters, who faced the challenge of managing their animals respectfully in a male-dominated watering area. Al-Baghawi clarifies that *tadhudani* (تذودان) means they were holding back their sheep, preventing them from mixing with the other flocks.
Musa's Compassion
This scene powerfully illustrates the conduct of a prophet. Despite his own exhaustion and vulnerability as a stranger in a new land, Musa (AS)'s sound nature (Sayyid Qutb's "fitrah saleemah") immediately recognized the injustice and hardship these women faced. His intervention was an act of chivalry and kindness, demonstrating the prophetic practice of helping the weak and upholding justice, even when it required exerting himself for others. It was not merely an intellectual assessment, but a response rooted in a heart open to the needs around him, offering a glimpse into the values that define a true leader and servant of Allah.
Sources: Ma'arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi), al-Baghawi (Maalim al-Tanzil), Sayyid Qutb (Fi Zilal al-Quran), al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan), Ibn Kathir, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Qasas 28:23 is discussed in 9 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Qasas 28:23 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.