The Quran

Preface

قالَ إِنّي أُريدُ أَن أُنكِحَكَ إِحدَى ابنَتَيَّ هاتَينِ عَلىٰ أَن تَأجُرَني ثَمانِيَ حِجَجٍ ۖ فَإِن أَتمَمتَ عَشرًا فَمِن عِندِكَ ۖ وَما أُريدُ أَن أَشُقَّ عَلَيكَ ۚ سَتَجِدُني إِن شاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصّالِحينَ

Yusuf Ali

He said: “I intend to wed one of these my daughters to thee, on condition that thou serve me for eight years;¹ but if thou complete ten years, it will be (grace) from thee. But I intend not to place thee under a difficulty: thou wilt find me, indeed, if God wills, one of the righteous.”

A little time passed, and at length the father broached the subject of marriage. It was not for the fugitive to suggest a permanent tie, especially when, in the wealth of this world, the girl’s family was superior, and they had an established position, while he was a mere wanderer. The father asked if he would marry one of the daughters and stay with them for at least eight years, or if he liked, ten years, but the longer term was at his option. If he brought no dower, his service for that period was more than sufficient in lieu of dower. The particular girl intended was no doubt tacitly settled long before, by the mutual attraction of the young hearts themselves. Moses was glad of the proposal, and accepted it. They ratified it in the most solemn manner, by appealing to God. The old man, knowing the worth of his son-in-law, solemnly assured him that in any event he would not take advantage of his position to be a hard task-master or to insist on anything inconsistent with Moses’s interests, should a new future open out to him. And a new and glorious future was awaiting him after his apprenticeship.