• Shu’aib exhorts his people to believe in and stick to the Unity of God

• His rejection and the punishment

Al-A’raaf Verses 85 – 93

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَـٰحِهَا ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And unto (the people of) Madyan (We did send) their brother Shu’aib; said he: “O’ my people! worship ye God (alone), ye have no god other than Him; Indeed hath come unto you from your Lord a clear proof, so give ye full measure and weight, and diminish ye not to men their things, and make ye no mischief in the earth, after its reform; This is better for you, if ye be believers.” (7:85)1

وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ بِكُلِّ صِرَٰطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

“And sit ye not in every path, threatening and hindering2from the path of God, him who believeth in Him, and seeking to make it crooked; And remember ye, when ye were few He multiplied you, and behold3ye what had been the end of the mischief-makers.” (7:86)

وَإِن كَانَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦ وَطَآئِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ فَٱصْبِرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ

“And if there be a party of you who believe in what I am sent with, and another party who believe not, then wait ye with patience until judgeth God between us; and He is the Best of the judges.” (7:87)

قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَـٰشُعَيْبُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَـٰرِهِينَ

Said the chief of those puffed with pride from among his people: “Certainly we will turn thee out O’ Shu’aib, and those who believe with thee, from our town, or ye shall return into our faith” Said he: “What! Even though we be those who detest4(it)?” (7:88)5

قَدِ ٱفْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِى مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَآ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا ٱفْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰتِحِينَ

“Indeed we shall have forged a lie against God if we return in your faith after when delivered us God from it; it fitteth us not that we return into it, save if it willeth6God our Lord; our Lord comprehendeth everything in His knowledge; on God (alone) do we rely; O’ Our Lord! Decide7between us and between our people with truth, and Thou art the Best of Deciders.”8(7:89)

وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَـٰسِرُونَ

And said the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people: “(Beware!) If ye follow Shu’aib, certainly then ye shall surely be losers.” (7:90)9

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَـٰثِمِينَ

Then seized them (unawares) the earthquake, so became they in their dwellings, motionless bodies (dead). (7:91)10

ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا۟ فِيهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ

Those who belied Shu’aib became as if they never dwelt therein; Those who belied Shu’aib (it is) they (who) were the losers. (7:92)

فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَـٰلَـٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَـٰفِرِينَ

So turned he away from them and said he: “O’ Ye people! Indeed I delivered unto you the messages of my Lord, and did admonish unto you; so how then shall I be sorry for a disbelieving people?” (7:93)

Commentary

Verse 85 – 93

Madyan was the name of one of the sons of Abraham. Madyan was married to one of the daughters of Lot and God blessed this union with abundance of male issues and wealth. The place where the children of Madyan had settled was named after Madyan. It is reported that the habitation consisted of only forty houses.

Shu’aib who was among the descendants of Abraham, was deputed by God to guide the people of Madyan and Aykah. Besides the other vices, the people of Madyan were particularly notorious in two things in which practically every one of them was involved. Firstly, they used to rob the wayfarers. They were professional highway robbers. Secondly, they used to take more while measuring to them and gave less when they measured for others.

However, much Shu’aib preached amendment to their evil habits and wickedness in character, it was of no avail. At last God created an extraordinary heat for them and the people even after thrusting themselves into the underground chambers could not bear it. After that a patch of dry and cold cloud came over their heads and the people, all of them, rushed under it to cool themselves. The cloud enveloped the whole habitation and then a sudden and a violent cry or a blast of a violent sound came from heaven, followed by an earthquake and fire began to shower from heaven and none of the people was spared from the perdition. The whole habitation was ruined by death and destruction.

One of the miracles of Shu’aib was that, whenever he wanted to get upon the peak of any mountain the mountain used to lower its height and Shu’aib got upon it.

The miraculous staff which Moses had, is reported to have been given to him by Shu’aib.

What evil the people of Madyan were particularly addicted to, was to deprive men of the correct measure in dealing with their people and the injunction given against the criminal habit was not in its fuller meaning restricted merely to the use of the measures and weights, but not to act deceitfully, depriving the others of their legitimate right or due to them, in any respect of any kind of dealing whatsoever. A reference to Shu’aib is found in the following verses of the Holy Qur’an.11

• 1. Refers to cheating people in business and dishonesty is termed as mischief in the earth. The reference to the use of the wrong measures & weights applicable to black marketing of the modern days. Refer to verses 11:84 & 26:177.
• 2. Refer to note to verse 7:45.
• 3. Observe - Consider - ponder over – Remember - be mindful.
• 4. The faith of the people i.e., polytheism.
• 5. Refer to verses 7:61 & 7:62.
• 6. Willeth – Compulsion.
• 7. To give verdict on.
• 8. Judges.
• 9. Refer to verses 7:61 & 7:62.
• 10. Refer to verses 11:95 & 26:189.
• 11. Refer to verses 11:84-95, 15:78, 15:79, 26:176-191 & 29:36, 29:37.