Quran 28:23

Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 23

Juz 20 · Page 388 · Ruku 336 · Meccan

وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ

Word by word

وَلَمَّا walammā And when وَرَدَ warada he came مَآءَ māa (to the) water مَدْيَنَ madyana (of) Madyan وَجَدَ wajada he found عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi on it أُمَّةًۭ ummatan a group مِّنَ mina of ٱلنَّاسِ l-nāsi men يَسْقُونَ yasqūna watering وَوَجَدَ wawajada and he found مِن min besides them دُونِهِمُ dūnihimu besides them ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ im'ra-atayni two women تَذُودَانِ ۖ tadhūdāni keeping back قَالَ qāla He said مَا mā What خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ khaṭbukumā (is the) matter with both of you قَالَتَا qālatā They said لَا lā We cannot water نَسْقِى nasqī We cannot water حَتَّىٰ ḥattā until يُصْدِرَ yuṣ'dira take away ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ l-riʿāu the shepherds وَأَبُونَا wa-abūnā and our father شَيْخٌۭ shaykhun (is) a very old man كَبِيرٌۭ kabīrun (is) a very old man

Transliteration

Walamma warada maa madyanawajada AAalayhi ommatan mina annasi yasqoonawawajada min doonihimu imraatayni tathoodani qalama khatbukuma qalata lanasqee hatta yusdira arriAAaowaaboona shaykhun kabeer

Translations

Pickthall — Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when he came unto the water of Midian he found there a whole tribe of men, watering. And he found apart from them two women keeping back (their flocks). He said: What aileth you? The two said: We cannot give (our flocks) to drink till the shepherds return from the water; and our father is a very old man.

Yusuf Ali — Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And when he arrived at the watering (place) in Madyan, he found there a group of men watering (their flocks), and besides them he found two women who were keeping back (their flocks). He said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "We cannot water (our flocks) until the shepherds take back (their flocks): And our father is a very old man."

تفسير ابن كثير — Ismail ibn Kathir

( ولما ورد ماء مدين ) أي : ولما وصل إلى مدين وورد ماءها ، وكان لها بئر ترده رعاء الشاء ( وجد عليه أمة من الناس ) أي : جماعة ( يسقون ووجد من دونهم امرأتين تذودان ) أي : تكفكفان غنمهما أن ترد مع غنم أولئك الرعاء لئلا يؤذيا . فلما رآهما موسى ، عليه السلام ، رق لهما ورحمهما ، ( قال ما خطبكما ) أي : ما خبركما لا تردان مع هؤلاء ؟ ( قالتا لا نسقي حتى يصدر الرعاء ) أي : لا يحصل لنا سقي إلا بعد فراغ هؤلاء ، ( وأبونا شيخ كبير ) أي : فهذا الحال الملجئ لنا إلى ما ترى .