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Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The most insightful of people were three persons: the companion of Yoosuf (Joseph), may Allah exalt his mention, when he said to his wife: {Make his residence comfortable.} [Quran 12:21]; the wife of Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, when she said: {O my father, hire him.} [Quran 28:26]; and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, when he assigned ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, as his successor.”
What made Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, move from Egypt to Madyan in the south of Palestine to marry the daughter of the righteous man and to look after his sheep for ten years?
Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, lived in Egypt, and one day while he was walking down a street, he saw two men fighting each other -- one of them was from his own people, namely the Children of Israel; and the other belonged to the family of Pharaoh. The Egyptian man wanted to force the Israeli man to do some work for him. As the latter sought help from Moosa, he (Moosa), may Allah exalt his mention, pushed the Egyptian man who died on the spot. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And he entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moosa (Moses) struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, “This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy.”}[Quran 28:15]
On the following day, the Israeli man quarreled with another man and sought help from Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, once again, who said to him, “Indeed, you are a persistent deviator.” Therefore, the man from Bani Israa'eel feared him and disclosed the secret by saying, “Do you intend to kill me as you killed a man yesterday?” Thus, Pharaoh and his soldiers knew that it was Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, who had killed the Egyptian man. However, a man came from the farthest end of the city and warned Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, who left Egypt immediately and invoked forgiveness from Allah The Almighty, saying, {“My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me,” and He forgave him. Indeed, He is The Forgiving, The Merciful.} [Quran 28:16]
Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, left Egypt and moved from one place to another until he arrived at Madyan in the south of Palestine. He sat next to a well and saw something that did not appeal to him. While the shepherds were busy watering their cattle from the well, two women stood nearby and were prevented from approaching the well with their sheep, since they were too shy to join the throng of men. Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, was impressed by the scene, for he thought that the two women should have been allowed to water their sheep first, given access and helped by the men.
Hence, he went over to the spot and asked them what the matter was, and they told him that they could not water their sheep until the men had finished watering their cattle first. They said their father was so old that he could not water the sheep himself. With the chivalry that is expected on the part of righteous men, Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, stepped forward and joined the crowd of shepherds to water the women’s sheep for them. Then he moved to seek shelter under a shady tree and privately addressed his Lord, {“My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.”} [Quran 28:24]
The two young women returned to their father, who was amazed at their speedy return, since they used to stay for a long time to water their sheep. When he asked them how they had come back so quickly, they told him the story of the strong man who had watered the sheep for them and did them that favor without knowing who they were or charging them a wage for his service; doing so out of chivalry and graciousness.
The father asked one of his daughters to summon that man. Hence, one of them went to him, walking shyly, to convey to him the invitation of her father, {Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us.}[Quran 28:25] Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, accepted the invitation and when he reached the old man and narrated his story to him, the old man reassured him by saying, {Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people.} [Quran 28:25]
At which time, one of the two young women, driven by her good insight and sound disposition, proposed to her father something that was useful for them and for Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, by saying, {O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy.} [Quran 28:26] She and her sister had to do a tiresome job grazing the sheep, and they sought concealment by avoiding strange men in pastures and over the well, for women who have chaste souls are not pleased with gathering with men. Also, Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, was powerful and honest enough to be qualified to undertake the task. The young woman offered her point of view with full clarity, fearing nothing, for she was innocent in the spirit and delicate in her senses.
The old man was convinced of the reasons that his daughter provided regarding the suitability of Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, to work for them and to become related to the man through marriage, so he said to him, {“Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you. And I do not wish to put you in difficulty. You will find me, if Allah wills, from among the righteous.” Moosa [Moses] said, “That is [established] between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I complete, there is no injustice to me, and Allah, over what we say, is witness.”} [Quran 28:27-28]
When Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, fulfilled the term by having worked ten years for his father-in-law, he wanted to leave to Egypt, and the old man agreed to that and wished him the best. Hence, he left with his wife and took with him the sheep that the old man gave him, and walked from Madyan to Egypt.
Thus, Moosa’s wife, may Allah be pleased with her, was a good example of a believer who was insightful and bashful and a role model in choosing an honest and chaste husband.
