386 Page Notes

28 Surah Al-Qasas (continued)

Page 386 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 386 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 386 of the standard Madinah Mushaf contains Surah Al-Qasas (28:6–13). This page details the profound emotional and miraculous infancy of Prophet Musa (Moses).

The narrative spans:

• Allah's inspiration to Musa’s mother to place him in a chest on the Nile River when Pharaoh's soldiers approach (Verse 7).

• The picking up of the infant by Pharaoh’s household and the intervention of Pharaoh’s wife, Asiya, to save his life (Verse 9).

• The near-collapse of Musa's mother's emotional fortitude (Verse 10).

• Musa refusing the milk of all Egyptian wet nurses until his sister cleverly guides Pharaoh's palace to his own biological mother, fulfilling Allah's promise to reunite them (Verses 11–13).

The Sunnah and classical Hadith literature provide extensive theological and historical depth to these verses, clarifying the mechanics of divine inspiration (Wahy), the status of Asiya, and the spiritual rewards of patience.

1. Hadiths Related to Divine Inspiration to Mothers (Verse 7)

“And We inspired to the mother of Moses, 'Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers.'” (28:7)

Defining the "Inspiration" (Wahy) Given to a Woman

Verse 7 uses the Arabic verb Awhayna ("We inspired/revealed") to Musa's mother. Because orthodox Islamic theology establishes that only men were commissioned as technical law-bearing Messengers (Rusul), the Sunnah clarifies the nature of this communication. It was an intense, distinct internal intuition or an angelic voice without prophetic appointment, showcasing that Allah grants special divine guidance to righteous women.

Hadith: The Prophet (ρ) said: “Among the nations who came before you there were Muhattathun (inspired individuals who were spoken to by angels or granted true intuition without being prophets). If there is any such person among my Ummah, it is Umar.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3689), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2398).

Tafsir Integration: Classical Hadith commentators (such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari) utilize this definition to explain verse 7. Musa's mother received this type of divine, unmistakable intuition (Ilham) that guaranteed her compliance was an act of faith, not madness.

2. Hadiths Related to Asiya, the Wife of Pharaoh (Verse 9)

“And the wife of Pharaoh said, '[He will be] a comfort of the eye for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he may benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son.' And they perceived not.” (28:9)

When the chest drifted into Pharaoh's private canal, his guards opened it to kill the Hebrew baby. Verse 9 records the immediate intervention of Pharaoh's wife. The Sunnah explicitly names this courageous woman as Asiya bint Muzahim and elevates her to the highest ranks of human spiritual perfection.

The Spiritual Perfection of Asiya

The Prophet (ρ) specifically highlighted her role in saving Musa as a manifestation of her unparalleled faith, which she maintained despite being married to history’s worst tyrant.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (ρ) said: “Many men reached perfection, but none among women reached perfection except Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh. And the superiority of Aisha over other women is like the superiority of Tharid (a premium meat dish) over all other meals.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3411), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2431).

The Four Greatest Women of Paradise

In another narration, the Sunnah connects her direct resistance to Pharaoh's infant slaughter with her eternal reward:

Hadith: The Prophet (ρ) drew four lines on the ground and asked, "Do you know what this is?" The companions replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: “The best of the women of Paradise are four: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint 'Imran, and Asiya bint Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh.”

• Source Citation: Musnad Ahmad (Hadith 2668), Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak (Hadith 4754). Classed as Sahih.

3. Hadiths Related to Trust in Allah's Promises (Verses 12–13)

“And We had prevented from him [all] wet nurses before, so she [his sister] said, 'Shall I direct you to a household that will rear him for you and who will be to him sincere advisors?' So We restored him to his mother that she might be content and not grieve and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of the people do not know.” (27:12–13)

Musa's Refusal of Foreign Wet Nurses

Verse 12 notes that Allah physically blocked the infant Musa from accepting the milk of any Egyptian woman ("We had prevented from him wet nurses before"). The Sunnah establishes that Allah alters physical laws or natural instincts to protect the purity and destiny of His choice servants.

The Reward of Working for the Sake of Allah

Musa's mother was paid by Pharaoh's palace to nurse her own biological son, entirely protected from the ongoing slaughter. The Sunnah uses this exact historical dynamic as an analogy for how a believer receives worldly provision when their true intent is solely focused on serving Allah.

Hadith: The Prophet (ρ) said: “The example of the one who performs deeds for the sake of Allah while receiving a worldly benefit or wage is like the mother of Musa: she nursed her own child and received her financial wage from her enemy.”

• Source Citation: Recorded by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat (Hadith 6173). Though its chain contains technical scholastic discussion, classical scholars of spiritual purification (Zuhd), such as Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, heavily cited this tradition to illustrate the irony of divine providence highlighted on page 386.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Asqalani, I. H. (n.d.). Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. Dar al-Ma'rifah.

• Al-Nisaburi, A. H. (1990). Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn. Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.

• Ibn Hanbal, A. (2012). Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. Mu'assasat al-Risalah.

• Muslim, I. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.