He said: Banu Isra'il were searching for him and inquiring about him, but his whereabouts remained hidden from them. News of this reached Fir'awn, that they were searching for him and asking about him, so he sent for them and increased the punishment upon them, scattered them, and forbade them from speaking about him or asking about him. 

One moonlit night, Banu Isra'il went out to an elder among them who possessed knowledge, and they said, “We used to find comfort in conversation—how long will this affliction last for us?” He said, “By Allah, you will remain in it until Allah, exalted be His remembrance, brings forth a boy from the descendants of Lawi b. Ya'qub. His name is Musa b. Imran, a tall youth with curly hair.” While they were in that state, Musa came riding on a mule and stopped before them. The elder raised his head and recognized him by the description and said to him, “What is your name? May Allah have mercy on you.” He replied, “Musa.” He said, “Son of whom?” He replied, “Son of Imran.” So the elder leapt up to him, grabbed his hand, and kissed it. The people rushed to his feet and kissed them. He recognized them, and they recognized him. He gathered followers for himself and remained for as long as Allah willed. 

Then he went forth and entered a city of Fir'awn in which there was a man from his followers fighting with a man from the people of Fir'awn among the Copts. The one from his followers sought his help against his enemy, the Copt. So Musa struck him and killed him. Musa had been granted physical strength and great might. People began talking about him and the matter spread. They said, “Musa has killed a man from among the people of Fir'awn.” The next morning, he was in the city, fearful and watchful. 

The following morning, the same man who had asked for help the day before cried out to him again for assistance against another. Musa said to him, “Indeed, you are clearly quarrelsome. Yesterday it was a man, and today another man?” When Musa intended to strike the one who was their enemy, the man said, “O Musa, do you want to kill me as you killed a soul yesterday? You only want to become a tyrant in the land, and you do not want to be among the righteous!” 

Then a man came from the farthest part of the city, running. He said, “O Musa, the chiefs are deliberating about you to kill you. So leave. I am truly one of your sincere advisers.” So he left it, fearful and watchful. He departed from Egypt without a mount, without a riding animal, and without a servant. One land lowered him while another raised him, until he reached the land of Madyan. He came to the base of a tree and sat beneath it. Beneath the tree was a well, and there were people there drawing water, and two weak young women with a small flock of sheep. 

He said to them, “What is your situation?” They said, “Our father is an old man, and we are weak women. We are not able to crowd among the men. So when the people finish watering, we water our flock.” Musa had mercy on them. He took their bucket and said, “Bring your flock forward.” He watered for them, and they returned early before the other people. Then Musa turned to the tree, sat beneath it, and said, “My Lord, truly I am in need of whatever good You send down to me.” It is reported that he said this while in need of even half a date.

When they returned to their father, he said, “What brought you back so early today?” They said, “We found a righteous man who had mercy on us and watered for us.” He said to one of them, “Go and call him for me so I may reward him for having watered our flock.” She came to him, walking modestly, and said, “My father invites you so he may reward you for watering our flock.” It is reported that Musa said to her, “Guide me to the path and walk behind me, for we are the children of Ya'qub and do not look at the backs of women.”

When he came to him and told him his story, the man said, “Do not fear, you have been saved from the wrongdoing people.” One of the daughters said, “O my father, hire him. The best of those whom you can hire is the strong and trustworthy.” He said, “I want to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that you work for me for eight years. If you complete ten, it will be of your own accord.”