• Shu’aib preaches Unity of God and warns his people against their dishonest life.

• The people rejected Shu’aib’s exhortation and were punished.

Hud Verses 84 – 95

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا تَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُحِيطٍ

And unto (the people of) Midian (We sent) their brother Shu’aib. Said he: “O’ my people! Worship ye God (alone); Ye have no god other than He;1and give not short measure2and weight,34Verily I see you in prosperity and verily I fear for you the torment of an all-encompassing day.” (11:84)5

وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

“And O’ my people! give ye full measure and (correct) weight in justice, and defraud ye not people of their things,6and act not corruptly in the earth, making mischief.” (11:85)

بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ

“That which is left by God unto you is good for you if ye be believers, and I am not over you a keeper.” (11:86)

قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ نَتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنْتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ

Said they: “O’ Shu’aib! Doth thy religion enjoin thee that we should forsake what our fathers did worship or we (should forsake to) do with our property what we please? Forsooth7thou art the one forbearing, the rightminded.” (11:87)

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

Said he: “O’ my people! See ye not if I am on a clear sign (guidance) from my Lord, and (He) hath provided me from Himself, sustenance (pure and) good; and I desire not that in opposition to you I betake my self unto that which I forbid you from it; I desire naught but reform what8I am able to (do); and my guidance is not but with God; On Him (alone) do I rely, and unto Him (alone) do I turn.” (11:88)9

وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمْ مِثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِنْكُمْ بِبَعِيدٍ

“And, O’ my people! Let not (your) opposition to me cause you to sin, lest befalleth unto you the like of what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih; and nor the people of Lot are far off from you.” (11:89)

وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ

“And ask ye forgiveness of your Lord, and turn ye unto Him (repentant); Verily my Lord is All-Merciful, Loving-Kind.” (11:90)

قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ

Said they: “O’ Shu’aib We understand not much of what thou sayest, and most surely we see thee weak amongst us; and were it not for thy family we would surely stone thee; and thou art not against us powerful. (11:91)

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ

Said he10: “What! Is my family more esteemed by you than God? and caste ye Him behind your back, with neglect? Verily, my Lord encompasseth what (all) ye do.” (11:92)

وَيَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ

“And O’ my people! Act ye according to your ability, I too am acting; soon will ye know on whom cometh the torment that will disgrace him, and who it is a liar; and watch ye, verily I too with you am watching.” (11:93)11

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

And when came to pass Our decree We delivered Shu’aib and those who believed with him by mercy from Us; and overtook those who did injustice, the (mighty) blast so they became in their homes motionless corpses, (11:94)

كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ

(It happened) As though they dwelt not in them; Behold! away with (the people of) Midian even as were cast away (the people of) Thamud! (11:95)12

Commentary

Verse 84

Besides the great Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Holy Prophet who were commissioned with the general and more comprehensive reforms of human life, the other prophets whose names have frequently been mentioned in the Qur’an seem to have been commissioned more to reform a particular aspect of human life more than a general one. For example, here ‘Hud’ was commissioned to divert the attention and the efforts of his people from the temporal to moral strength by admonishing them to give up polytheism and turn totally towards the One God. ‘Salih’ was sent to warn his flourishing people against indulging in extravagance, luxury, greed for accumulation of wealth. Lot - to reform sexual relation and warn them of the misuse and unnatural sex life.

Shu’aib was sent to reform economic life through honesty, fairplay and justice in their daily transactions. But what is worthy of note is that all the apostles are unanimous in presenting polytheism as the cause of all the evils, social, economic and the others. The sole remedy has been preached as a strong faith in God and submitting to His will in obedience and worship. (A.P.).

Verse 86

‘Sabbaghi’, one of the renowned scholars of the Sunni School in his famous book ‘Fusul al-Muhimmah’ has related at length a tradition on the authority of the sixth Holy Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq - about the signs of the re-appearance of the Twelfth or the Last Holy Imam at the end of the world. The Holy Imam said: “When the Last one of us (the Holy Imams) will appear, there will be around him only (313). Three hundred and thirteen faithful ones of the believers. He would lean on the wall of the Holy Ka’ba and first of all recite this verse. And the people will address him as ‘Baqiatullah’, i.e., the Last or the remaining one from God or the Permanent one from God.”

It may mean what remains with God as preserved for the life hereafter, i.e., the good deeds. It may mean what God leaves for you after legal and just transaction and the distribution of wealth. This is more appropriate with the context, i.e., greed for wealth should not make you transgress the limits - to be content with what God leaves legally for man. (A.P.).

• 1. Refer to note on verses 11:61, 7:73. O.T. Deut. 6/4 N.T. Eph. 4/5-6.
• 2. Scale.
• 3. Scale.
• 4. Refer to verse 83:1-3.
• 5. Refer to verses 7:84, 15:78-79, 26:176-191, 29:36-37.
• 6. Dues.
• 7. May be a mockery and it may be a remark of regard for Shua’ib was regarded by his people as such and they did not expect from him any thing of the warnings he issued against them. This meaning is supported by the next verse, 11:88.
• 8. As far as I can.
• 9. Arabic: ‘Salawat’ Prayer – blessings – Salutation - & here religion.
• 10. Shu’aib.
• 11. Refer to verses 11:121 & 39:39.
• 12. Refer to verse 7:91.