Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:22

{Toward Madyan}: Meaning toward it and in its direction. Madyan is the village of Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him), named after Madyan son of Ibrahim. It was not under the dominion of Pharaoh, and between it and Egypt was a journey of eight days. Musa did not know the way to it. Ibn Abbas said: He set out without knowledge of the path, relying only on his good opinion of his Lord.

{The middle of the path}: Its center and its main, direct route. It is said: He set out barefoot, eating nothing but tree leaves, such that by the time he arrived, the soles of his feet had fallen off. It is also said: An angel came to him on a horse, holding a staff, and led him to Madyan.

{And when he arrived at the water of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women keeping 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." So he watered for them; then he went back to the shade and said, "My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need." Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the stories, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people." One of the two women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy." He said, "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." He 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."}