The Quran Narrative
Surah 28:38:
And Pharaoh said, 'O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Haman, upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I think he is among the liars.'
In Surah 28, Moses flees to Madyan (Midian) and helps two sisters water their flocks. Their father (often identified in tradition as Jethro/Shuaib) offers Moses one of them in marriage in exchange for eight or ten years of labor.
This narrative bears a striking resemblance to the story of Jacob and Laban in Genesis 29.
In the Bible, it is Jacob who works seven years (twice) for his wives, Rachel and Leah. Moses’ marriage to Zipporah in Exodus is described much more simply. Critics suggest the Quranic account of Moses "merges" the motifs of Jacob’s service-for-marriage with the life of Moses, creating a composite narrative common in oral folklore traditions.