Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:12
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?"
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of the Most High: وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ ('And We had forbidden him the wet-nurses beforehand. She said: shall I point you to a household that will take care of him for you and who are well-disposed toward him?') (verse 12)
The Most High says: We had forbidden Mūsā the suckling at the wet-nurses — he was not allowed to nurse from them — before his mother. It is reported that it was a sister of Mūsā who spoke the words to the family of Pharaoh: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ .
What we have said about this is also what the exegetes said.
Mention of who said that:
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: they brought him the wet-nurses, but he would not nurse from any of the women, and the women sought that in order to stand in high esteem with Pharaoh for the suckling, but he refused to take; that is the word of Allah: وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ — and then his sister said: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ — and when his mother came to him, he nursed from her.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ : he said: he would not take the breast of any woman until he was returned to his mother.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Ḥassān, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ — he said: no wet-nurse was brought to him but he would not take her.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ : he said: he did not nurse from the breast of any woman until he was returned to his mother.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ — he said: every time a woman was brought to him, he would not take her breast; he said: فَقَالَتْ his sister: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ .
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: they brought him wet-nurses after Allah had sent down His love for him upon them; but he would not take the breast of any of the women — wet-nurse after wet-nurse was brought, but he took nothing from them. When his sister saw how concerned they were about him and how eager they were for him, she said to them: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ . By يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ he means: supporting him for you. As for وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ : it is reported that they seized her and said: so you know him; but she said: I only mean that they are well-disposed toward the king.
Mention of who said that:
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: when the sister of Mūsā said: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ , they seized her and said: you know this child; but she said: no, I do not know him; I only said that they are well-disposed toward the king.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ : he said: they seized her when she said 'and they are well-disposed toward him' and said: you know him; but she said: I only mean that they are well-disposed toward the king.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ — that is, for his standing with you and for your desire to please the king; they said: then give him over.
