Ash-Shu'ara 26:177
The Poets · Juz 19 · Page 374
إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُمۡ شُعَيۡبٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٧٧
When Shuʿayb said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 26:176–184
Shu‘ayb’s community was the progeny of Abraham. The central city of the area which they inhabited was Tabuk. The old name of Tabuk was Ayka, which literally means ‘the forest.’ That is why, in the Quran, it is called Ashab al-Ayka (the dwellers of the forest). The root cause of all moral and social evils is setting double standards. Just conduct for a man is to give others their rightful due, and take for himself what rightfully belongs to him. This is the Divine ‘balance’. When this is upset, disturbance occurs in collective social life. The secret of maintaining this balance is the fear of God. If the fear of God goes out of the heart, nothing can make a man keep his moral equilibrium. All the prophets who had appeared on behalf of God had told their addressee communities: ‘I am a trustworthy Messenger to you.’ This shows that a preacher should necessarily have the quality of trustworthiness. One aspect of this trustworthiness is that he should not raise any material or economic issue with his addressee community, so that there should never be any doubt about the selflessness of his purpose. This trustworthiness is so important that it should be fostered at any cost, even if the preacher of truth has, voluntarily, to forego his material rights for its sake.
Page 374
26:160
كَذَّبَتۡ قَوۡمُ لُوطٍ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٦٠
The people of Lot denied the messengers
26:161
إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُمۡ أَخُوهُمۡ لُوطٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٦١
When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
26:162
إِنِّي لَكُمۡ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٞ ١٦٢
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.
26:163
فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ١٦٣
So fear Allāh and obey me.
26:164
وَمَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۡ أَجۡرٍۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٦٤
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
26:165
أَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلذُّكۡرَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٦٥
Do you approach males among the worlds1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Are there, out of all Allāh's creatures, any besides you who commit this unnatural act? ↩
26:166
وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِكُمۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٌ عَادُونَ ١٦٦
And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing."
26:167
قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمۡ تَنتَهِ يَٰلُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُخۡرَجِينَ ١٦٧
They said, "If you do not desist, O Lot, you will surely be of those evicted."
26:168
قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَالِينَ ١٦٨
He said, "Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it].
26:169
رَبِّ نَجِّنِي وَأَهۡلِي مِمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٦٩
My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do."
26:170
فَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ أَجۡمَعِينَ ١٧٠
So We saved him and his family, all,
26:171
إِلَّا عَجُوزٗا فِي ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ ١٧١
Except an old woman1 among those who remained behind.
1 translator’s note
- Lot's wife, who had collaborated with the evildoers. ↩
26:172
ثُمَّ دَمَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ ١٧٢
Then We destroyed the others.
26:173
وَأَمۡطَرۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم مَّطَرٗاۖ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ ٱلۡمُنذَرِينَ ١٧٣
And We rained upon them a rain [of stones], and evil was the rain of those who were warned.
26:174
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٧٤
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
26:175
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٧٥
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
26:176
كَذَّبَ أَصۡحَٰبُ لۡـَٔيۡكَةِ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٧٦
The companions of the thicket [i.e., the people of Madyan] denied the messengers
26:177
إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُمۡ شُعَيۡبٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٧٧
When Shuʿayb said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
26:178
إِنِّي لَكُمۡ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٞ ١٧٨
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.
26:179
فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ١٧٩
So fear Allāh and obey me.
26:180
وَمَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۡ أَجۡرٍۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٨٠
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
26:181
۞ أَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُخۡسِرِينَ ١٨١
Give full measure and do not be of those who cause loss.
26:182
وَزِنُواْ بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِ ١٨٢
And weigh with an even [i.e., honest] balance.
26:183
وَلَا تَبۡخَسُواْ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشۡيَآءَهُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ ١٨٣
And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.