قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكَ ۖ أَيَّمَا ٱلْأَجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلَا عُدْوَٰنَ عَلَىَّ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ 28
Translations
[Moses] said, "That is [established] between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I complete - there is no injustice to me, and Allāh, over what we say, is Witness."
Transliteration
Qala dhaalika bayni wa baynaka ayyuma al-ajalay in qadayta fa la udwana alayya wa-Allahu ala ma naqolu wakil
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records Shuaib's (peace be upon him) response to Musa's (peace be upon him) request for employment, wherein Shuaib proposes a conditional covenant: whichever of the two agreed-upon terms Musa fulfills, there shall be no transgression against him, and Allah witnesses their agreement. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this demonstrates the permissibility of conditional contracts in Islamic law and reflects Shuaib's justice and piety in establishing clear terms without ambiguity or deceit.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Musa's journey to Madyan after fleeing Egypt, where he encounters Shuaib and his daughters at the well. The context illustrates the ethical employment practices and fair dealings exemplified by Shuaib, a righteous prophet, setting a standard for honest commerce and labor agreements in Islamic tradition.
Related Hadiths
The principle of clear contractual terms is supported by the hadith: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi 3895), emphasizing just treatment. Additionally, the hadith on mutual consent in contracts: 'The best charity is when two parties transact with each other with sincerity and honesty' relates to the transparent agreement-making shown here.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to establish clear, mutual agreements in business and employment dealings, and to invoke Allah as witness to their contracts, knowing that He observes all transactions. Modern readers should apply this principle of transparency and fair dealing in all commercial and labor relationships, ensuring that terms are understood and accepted by all parties without coercion or deception.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ لَنَآ أَعْمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلُكُمْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِى ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant."
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۭ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَا ۖ فَتِلْكَ مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ۖ وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ
And how many a city have We destroyed that was insolent in its [way of] living, and those are their dwellings which have not been inhabited after them except briefly. And it is We who were the inheritors.
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [warn of] the Day He will call them and say, "Where are My 'partners' which you used to claim?"