۞ وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ ٱلْمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُۥ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُۥ نَـٰصِحُونَ 12
Translations
And We had prevented from him [all] wet nurses before, so she said, "Shall I direct you to a household that will be responsible for him for you while they are to him [for his upbringing] sincere?"
Transliteration
Wa-harramna alayhi al-marada'i min qablu faqalat hal adullukum ala ahli baytin yakfulunahu lakum wa hum lahu nasihun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah prevented the wet nurses from nursing Prophet Musa (Moses), and his sister Maryam then offered to guide Pharaoh's household to a trustworthy family who could care for the infant—her own mother and family. This divine intervention ensured that Musa would be returned to his own mother, fulfilling Allah's promise and demonstrating His perfect plan. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this as a miraculous provision (rizq) where Allah closed the doors of nursing to all except through His ordained means, highlighting the ingenious role of Maryam in reuniting mother and child.
Revelation Context
This ayah continues the narrative of Prophet Musa's birth and early life during Pharaoh's reign, when he ordered the killing of male children from the Israelites. Musa's mother cast him into the river following divine inspiration, and he was found by Pharaoh's household. This specific moment describes how Allah preserved Musa and orchestrated his return to his biological mother through seemingly natural events—revealing Allah's wisdom in His decree.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly narrates this event, Surah Al-Qasas 28:7-13 itself is a hadith qudsi narrative of Musa's story. Related to themes of divine providence and mothers' rights: Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized the rights and honor of mothers in numerous hadiths, including in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim regarding kindness to parents.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah's plans often work through natural means and the actions of righteous people; we should trust in His wisdom even when we cannot see the full picture. It also demonstrates the power of wisdom and intelligence (symbolized by young Maryam) in resolving difficult situations while remaining obedient to Allah's guidance.
Related Ayahs
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and [because] they avert evil through good, and from what We have provided them they spend.
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ
He said, "My Lord, for the favor You bestowed upon me, I will never be an assistant to the criminals."
وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا۟ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.
فَأَصْبَحَ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ خَآئِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَنصَرَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُۥ ۚ قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّكَ لَغَوِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And he became inside the city fearful and anticipating [exposure], when suddenly the one who sought his help the previous day cried out to him [once again]. Moses said to him, "Indeed, you are an evident, [persistent] deviator."