Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:26

(She is the one who summoned him to her father, and she is the one whom he married to Moses—peace be upon them both).

"O my father, hire him" (that is, for the grazing of sheep and the managing of their affairs. The origin of al-isti'jar [hiring], as Al-Raghib stated, is to seek something for a wage; then it was used to mean 'the receiving of something for a wage,' which is the intended meaning here, as well as in His saying—the Almighty: "Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong, the trustworthy").

This statement functions as an explanation that serves as a proof that he—peace be upon him—is worthy of being hired, which is the meaning understood from her request to hire him. Some have derived a syllogism from the verse based on the first figure of logic, as follows: "He is strong and trustworthy, and every strong and trustworthy person is suitable for hiring; therefore, he is suitable for hiring." This is the claim understood from the request. This has been countered by saying that this would be evident if "the best" (khayr) were the predicate (khabar), but it is not. It was answered that the meaning implies it, but it was made the subject (ism) to emphasize the matter of "bestness," as it is the foundation of perfection upon which others are built.

In al-Kashshaf, it is said: "If it is asked: How can 'the best of those you hire' be made the subject of Inna, and 'the strong, the trustworthy' be the predicate? I say: It is like the saying: 'Indeed, the best of people, living or dead, is the prisoner of Thaqif, who is in chains,' in that the intention is the reason for the precedence. You have verified it to the extent that what is more worthy of being the predicate is made the subject."

He intended by that—as it is said—the worthiness of "the best" being the predicate in terms of linguistic structure. It is reasoned that "best" (khayr) is in an idafa construction with "who" (man), which is indefinite, and so it is likewise; and predicating an indefinite noun with a definite one is contrary to the apparent norm, even if they permit it in superlative nouns and interrogation. If "who" (man) is treated as a relative pronoun, then the idafa of the superlative noun is phonetic (lafziyya) and does not confer definiteness, according to one of the two opinions of the grammarians regarding it. According to the opinion that it does confer definiteness, it is said: that which is defined by "Al" is more definite than a relative pronoun and what is added to it. This has been countered by saying that the "Al" in "the strong, the trustworthy" is for the genus, and the definition of the genus can sometimes be relegated to the level of the indefinite. This was answered by saying that if the relative pronoun is intended to denote the genus, the same applies. Here, this intention is valid so that the plurality required by "best" can be realized. Since that which is added to something is inferior to it, "the strong, the trustworthy" is more worthy of being the subject, and "best" is more worthy of the predicate.

If you argue that the worthiness of the predicate is such that the context of the explanation requires it, yet it was shifted to the subject for emphasis, you are spared many of the debates. Sheikh Khalil Effendi al-Amidi said to me, on the day I met him as a young man upon his arrival in Baghdad, when the discussion of this noble verse arose: "The syllogism derived from it is of the second figure, as follows: Moses is strong and trustworthy, and the best of those you hire is strong and trustworthy; therefore, Moses is the best of those you hire." I replied: "The most apparent objection to this is that the condition for the validity of the second figure, according to its quality, is the difference between its premises in affirmation and negation—that one be affirmative and the other negative; and this is absent in what you have mentioned." He remained silent and turned away from the discussion for fear of embarrassment.

You know that the proofs of the Quran do not require the order established by logicians; that is an art that Allah, the Exalted, has spared the Arabs from. What was mentioned—that making "the best" the subject is for emphasis—is what more than one scholar has chosen. Al-Tayyibi permitted that its precedence and being made the subject is a form of hyperbole (qalb). The apparent meaning is that the "Al" in "the strong, the trustworthy" is for the genus, so Moses—peace be upon him—is included in it, which is the aspect of the evidence.

The hiring was mentioned in the past tense, even though the apparent meaning would have been the future tense, to indicate that it is a matter that has been tested and known. Al-Tayyibi allowed that the intended meaning of "the strong, the trustworthy" is Moses—peace be upon him—as if she said: "Indeed, the best of those you hire is Moses." The first interpretation is more appropriate.

Furthermore, this speech of hers is the speech of a wise, comprehensive person, to which nothing can be added; for when these two traits—namely, competence and trustworthiness—combine in the one who manages your affairs, your mind is put at rest and your purpose is achieved. She dispensed with saying: "Hire him for his strength and his trustworthiness," by sending this speech, whose context is that of a proverb and wisdom. By my life, such praise of a man by a woman is more beautiful than specific praise and more conducive to modesty, especially if she understood that her father's intention was to marry her to him.

Her knowledge of his strength—peace be upon him—came from her seeing him push people away from the water single-handedly until he watered the flock for them. Her knowledge of his trustworthiness came from his not approaching her in an ugly manner, despite her solitude and weakness. It is narrated that when she said what she said, her father asked her: "How do you know of his strength?" She reminded him that he—peace be upon him—lifted a rock onto the well that would not have been moved by such and such [number of men]. It has passed in the hadith of Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—that it would take ten men to lift it. The reports regarding the number of those who could lift it are conflicting; the minimum they mentioned is seven, and the maximum is one hundred. It has already passed what is known of the condition of the report regarding the lifting of the rock. She reminded him that he drew water alone with a bucket that no one else could draw with except forty men. He asked: "How do you know of his trustworthiness?" She reminded him of his conduct when he told her to walk behind him, and that he kept his head lowered until he delivered the message. She placed the description of strength first, even though the trustworthiness of the hireling is more important for the preservation of wealth in the eyes of the employer, because her knowledge of his strength—peace be upon him—preceded her knowledge of his trustworthiness, or so that the mention of the description of trustworthiness after it would be a progression from the important to the more important.

Her saying "Hire him" is used as evidence for the legitimacy of hiring according to them, as it was in every religious law; it is among the necessities of people and the benefit of human interaction, contrary to Ibn 'Ulayya and al-Asamm, who did not permit it. This is a matter upon which there is consensus, and their dissent is a breach of it, so it is not to be heeded. By my life, this is strange of them if they do not allow hiring at all. I saw in al-Iklil that in His saying—the Almighty—"I wish to wed you one of these two daughters of mine, on the condition that you serve me [as a hireling] for eight years," there is a refutation of those who forbade hiring related to animals for ten years because it is prone to change. Perhaps the hiring they do not permit is like this, and the matter regarding that is lighter than not permitting hiring at all, as is not hidden.