Quran 28:23 — Al-Qasas, verse 23
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected 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.’
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِي حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ
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 kabīrun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- On the right way. And when he came to the waters of Midian he found a company of the people there drawing water, and he found, apart from them, two women holding back their flocks. He said, 'What is your business?' They said, 'We may not draw water until the shepherds drive off; and our father is passing old.'
- Muhammad Asad
- NOW WHEN he arrived at the wells of Madyan, he found there a large group of men who were watering [their herds and flocks]; and at some distance from them he came upon two women who were keeping back their flock. He asked [them]: “What is the matter with you?” They answered: “We cannot water [our animals] until the herdsmen drive [theirs] home - for [we are weak and] our father is a very old man.”
- Sahih International
- And when he came to the water [i.e., well] of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women holding 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."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَمَّاwalammā | And when | — |
| 2 | وَرَدَwarada | he came | ورد |
| 3 | مَآءَmāa | (to the) water | موه |
| 4 | مَدْيَنَmadyana | (of) Madyan | — |
| 5 | وَجَدَwajada | he found | وجد |
| 6 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | on it | — |
| 7 | أُمَّةًۭummatan | a group | أمم |
| 8 | مِّنَmina | of | — |
| 9 | ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi | men | نوس |
| 10 | يَسْقُونَyasqūna | watering | سقي |
| 11 | وَوَجَدَwawajada | and he found | وجد |
| 12 | مِنmin | besides them | — |
| 13 | دُونِهِمُdūnihimu | besides them | دون |
| 14 | ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِim'ra-atayni | two women | مرأ |
| 15 | تَذُودَانِ ۖtadhūdāni | keeping back | ذود |
| 16 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 17 | مَاmā | What | — |
| 18 | خَطْبُكُمَا ۖkhaṭbukumā | (is the) matter with both of you | خطب |
| 19 | قَالَتَاqālatā | They said | قول |
| 20 | لَاlā | We cannot water | — |
| 21 | نَسْقِىnasqī | We cannot water | سقي |
| 22 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 23 | يُصْدِرَyuṣ'dira | take away | صدر |
| 24 | ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖl-riʿāu | the shepherds | رعي |
| 25 | وَأَبُونَاwa-abūnā | and our father | أبو |
| 26 | شَيْخٌۭshaykhun | (is) a very old man | شيخ |
| 27 | كَبِيرٌۭkabīrun | (is) a very old man | كبر |