The Best Person for the Job

قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ ۖ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ

One of the two [daughters] said, “O dear father of mine, hire him. Truly, the best of people you could [possibly] hire are the strong and capable, the trustworthy and reliable.” (Al-Qaṣaṣ, 26)

Imām Al-Saʿdī, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:

“‘Truly, the best of people you could [possibly] hire are the strong and capable, the trustworthy and reliable,'” i.e., truly, Mūsá has more right to be hired than others since he has both strength and trustworthiness combined, and the best of people to hire is one who has the two [of those qualities] combined–strength and ability to do what he was hired to do, and trustworthiness with regard to [that], without any betrayal of trusts.

These two qualities should be considered by everyone putting [another] person in charge of some job, [either] by hiring him or some other [way], because shortcomings won’t come about other than by [the person] missing both [these qualities] or one of the two. As for [a person] having both [qualities] together, then no doubt the job will get finished and done completely.

Al-Saʿdī, ʿAbd Al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir. Taisīr Al-Karīm Al-Raḥmān fī Tafsīr Kalām Al-Mannān.