Quran Verses about Wages and hire

9 ayahs · from 5 surahs

One of the daughters in Madyan asked her father to hire Musa because he was strong and trustworthy, and Musa then agreed to work as a shepherd for eight or ten years as the dowry for his marriage. The verses command paying a nursing mother for nursing a child for its father, allow having a child nursed by someone else for a fair payment, and say that Allah raised some people above others so that some employ others. Musa told al-Khidr he could have taken a wage for the wall he repaired, and Dhul-Qarnayn declined the payment offered for building the barrier.

Hiring the strong and trustworthy: Musa in Madyan

  1. فَجَآءَتۡهُ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا تَمۡشِي عَلَى ٱسۡتِحۡيَآءٖ قَالَتۡ إِنَّ أَبِي يَدۡعُوكَ لِيَجۡزِيَكَ أَجۡرَ مَا سَقَيۡتَ لَنَاۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفۡۖ نَجَوۡتَ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٢٥

    Fajāʾathu iḥdāhumā tamshī ʿalastiḥyāʾin qālat inna abī yadʿūka liyajziyaka ajra mā saqayta lanā, falammā jāʾahū wa qaṣṣa ʿalayhil-qaṣaṣa qāla lā takhaf, najawta minal-qawmiẓ-ẓālimīn.

    Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him1 and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people."

    Footnotes (1)
    1. Prophet Shuʿayb, the father of the two women.
  2. قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَيۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡأَمِينُ ٢٦

    Qālat iḥdāhumā yāʾabatistaʾjirh, inna khayra manistaʾjartal-qawiyyul-amīn.

    One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy."

  3. قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُنكِحَكَ إِحۡدَى ٱبۡنَتَيَّ هَٰتَيۡنِ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَأۡجُرَنِي ثَمَٰنِيَ حِجَجٖۖ فَإِنۡ أَتۡمَمۡتَ عَشۡرٗا فَمِنۡ عِندِكَۖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أَشُقَّ عَلَيۡكَۚ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٢٧

    Qāla innī urīdu an unkiḥaka iḥdabnatayya hātayni ʿalā an taʾjuranī thamāniya ḥijaj, fa in atmamta ʿashran famin ʿindik, wa mā urīdu an ashuqqa ʿalayk, satajidunī in shāʾallāhu minaṣ-ṣāliḥīn.

    He said, "Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you. And I do not wish to put you in difficulty. You will find me, if Allāh wills, from among the righteous."

  4. قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكَۖ أَيَّمَا ٱلۡأَجَلَيۡنِ قَضَيۡتُ فَلَا عُدۡوَٰنَ عَلَيَّۖ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٞ ٢٨

    Qāla dhālika baynī wa baynak, ayyamal-ajalayni qaḍaytu falā ʿudwāna ʿalayy, wallāhu ʿalā mā naqūlu wakīl.

    [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."

Payment for nursing

  1. ۞ وَٱلۡوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرۡضِعۡنَ أَوۡلَٰدَهُنَّ حَوۡلَيۡنِ كَامِلَيۡنِۖ لِمَنۡ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَۚ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمَوۡلُودِ لَهُۥ رِزۡقُهُنَّ وَكِسۡوَتُهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفۡسٌ إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَا تُضَآرَّ وَٰلِدَةُۢ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوۡلُودٞ لَّهُۥ بِوَلَدِهِۦۚ وَعَلَى ٱلۡوَارِثِ مِثۡلُ ذَٰلِكَۗ فَإِنۡ أَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَن تَرَاضٖ مِّنۡهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٖ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِمَاۗ وَإِنۡ أَرَدتُّمۡ أَن تَسۡتَرۡضِعُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَكُمۡ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذَا سَلَّمۡتُم مَّآ ءَاتَيۡتُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٞ ٢٣٣

    Wal-wālidātu yurḍiʿna awlādahunna ḥawlayni kāmilayn, liman arāda ay yutimmar-raḍāʿah, wa ʿalal-mawlūdi lahū rizquhunna wa kiswatuhunna bil-maʿrūf, lā tukallafu nafsun illā wusʿahā, lā tuḍārra wālidatum biwaladihā wa lā mawlūdul lahū biwaladih, wa ʿalal-wārithi mithlu dhālik, fa in arādā fiṣālan ʿan tarāḍim minhumā wa tashāwurin falā junāḥa ʿalayhimā, wa in aradttum an tastarḍiʿū awlādakum falā junāḥa ʿalaykum idhā sallamtum mā ātaytum bil-maʿrūf, wattaqullāha waʿlamū annallāha bimā taʿmalūna baṣīr.

    Mothers may nurse [i.e., breastfeed] their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is their [i.e., the mothers'] provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Seeing of what you do.

  1. أَسۡكِنُوهُنَّ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجۡدِكُمۡ وَلَا تُضَآرُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُوْلَٰتِ حَمۡلٖ فَأَنفِقُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَهُنَّۚ فَإِنۡ أَرۡضَعۡنَ لَكُمۡ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ وَأۡتَمِرُواْ بَيۡنَكُم بِمَعۡرُوفٖۖ وَإِن تَعَاسَرۡتُمۡ فَسَتُرۡضِعُ لَهُۥٓ أُخۡرَىٰ ٦

    Askinūhunna min ḥaythu sakantum miw wujdikum wa lā tuḍārrūhunna lituḍayyiqū ʿalayhinn, wa in kunna ulāti ḥamlin fa anfiqū ʿalayhinna ḥattā yaḍaʿna ḥamlahunn, fa in arḍaʿna lakum fa ātūhunna ujūrahunna waʾtamirū baynakum bimaʿrūf, wa in taʿāsartum fasaturḍiʿu lahū ukhrā.

    Lodge them1 [in a section] of where you dwell out of your means and do not harm them in order to oppress them.2 And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth. And if they breastfeed for you, then give them their payment and confer among yourselves in the acceptable way; but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for him [i.e., the father] another woman.3

    Footnotes (3)
    1. During their waiting period (referring to wives whose divorce has been pronounced).
    2. So that they would be forced to leave or to ransom themselves.
    3. See 2:233.

Payment for work in the stories of al-Khidr and Dhul-Qarnayn

  1. فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهۡلَ قَرۡيَةٍ ٱسۡتَطۡعَمَآ أَهۡلَهَا فَأَبَوۡاْ أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارٗا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُۥۖ قَالَ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ لَتَّخَذۡتَ عَلَيۡهِ أَجۡرٗا ٧٧

    Fanṭalaqā ḥattā idhā atayā ahla qaryatinistaṭʿamā ahlahā fa abaw ay yuḍayyifūhumā fawajadā fīhā jidāray yurīdu ay yanqaḍḍa fa aqāmah, qāla law shiʾta lattakhadhta ʿalayhi ajrā.

    So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so he [i.e., al-Khiḍr] restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment."

  1. قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدّٗا ٩٤

    Qālū yādhal-qarnayni inna yaʾjūja wa maʾjūja mufsidūna fil-arḍi fahal najʿalu laka kharjan ʿalā an tajʿala baynanā wa baynahum saddā.

    They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog1 are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"

    Footnotes (1)
    1. Savage tribes who had ravaged large parts of central Asia, committing every kind of atrocity.
  2. قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيۡرٞ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ رَدۡمًا ٩٥

    Qāla mā makkannī fīhi rabbī khayrun fa aʿīnūnī biquwwatin ajʿal baynakum wa baynahum radmā.

    He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength [i.e., manpower]; I will make between you and them a dam.

Some people employing others

  1. أَهُمۡ يَقۡسِمُونَ رَحۡمَتَ رَبِّكَۚ نَحۡنُ قَسَمۡنَا بَيۡنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۚ وَرَفَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٖ دَرَجَٰتٖ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُهُم بَعۡضٗا سُخۡرِيّٗاۗ وَرَحۡمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ ٣٢

    Ahum yaqsimūna raḥmata rabbik, naḥnu qasamnā baynahum maʿīshatahum fil-ḥayātid-dunyā, wa rafaʿnā baʿḍahum fawqa baʿḍin darajātil liyattakhidha baʿḍuhum baʿḍan sukhriyyā, wa raḥmatu rabbika khayrum mimmā yajmaʿūn.

    Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank] that they may make use of one another for service. But the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.