Аль-Араф 7:85–99

Story of Shu`ayb, upon him be Peace, and the Land of Madyan

Muhammad bin Ishaq said, "They (the people of Madyan) are the descendents of Madyan, son of Midyan, son of Ibrahim. Shu`ayb was the son of Mikil bin Yashjur. And in the Syrian language, his name was Yathrun (Jethro)". I (Ibn Kathir) say, Madyan was the name of the tribe and also a city that is close to Ma`an on route to the Hijaz (from Ash-Sham). Allah said in another Ayah,

(And when he arrived at the water (a well) of Madyan he found there a group of men watering (their flocks).) 28:23 They are also the people of Al-Aykah (the Woods), as we will mention later on, Allah willing, and our trust is in Him.

(He said: "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him") and this is the call of all Messengers,

("Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has come unto you;") meaning, `Allah has presented the proof and evidences of the truth of what I brought you.' He then advised them and commanded them to give full measure and full weight and not to wrong men in their dealings, meaning, to refrain from cheating people in buying and selling. They used to treacherously avoid giving full weight and measure. Allah said in other Ayat,

(Woe to Al-Mutaffifin (those who give less in measure and weight)...) 83:1 until He said,

(before the Lord of all that exists) 83:6. These Ayat contain a stern warning and sure promise that we ask Allah to save us from. Shu`ayb was called `Speaker of the Prophets', because of his eloquent words and eloquent advice, and Allah stated that Shu`ayb said:

Prophet Shu`ayb forbade his people from setting up blockades on the roads, saying,

("And sit not on every road, threatening,") threatening people with death if they do not give up their money, as they were bandits, according to As-Suddi. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several others commented:

("And sit not on every road, threatening.") the believers who come to Shu`ayb to follow him." The first meaning is better, because Prophet Shu`ayb first said to them,

("on every road...") He then mentioned the second meaning,

("and hindering from the path of Allah those who believe in Him, and seeking to make it crooked.") meaning, you seek to make the path of Allah crooked and deviated,

("And remember when you were but few, and He multiplied you.") meaning, you were weak because you were few. But you later on became mighty because of your large numbers. Therefore, remember Allah's favor.

("And see what was the end of the mischief-makers. ") from the previous nations and earlier generations. See the torment and punishment they suffered, because they disobeyed Allah and rejected His Messengers. Shu`ayb continued;

("And if there is a party of you who believes in that with which I have been sent and a party who does not believe,") that is, if you divided concerning me,

("so be patient") that is, then wait and see,

("until Allah judges between us,"), and you,

("and He is the best of judges.") Surely, Allah will award the best end to those who fear and obey Him and He will destroy the disbelievers.

Allah describes the way the disbelievers answered His ProphetShu` ayb and those who believed in him, by threatening them withexpulsion from their village, or with forceful reversion to thedisbeliever's religion.

The chiefs spoke the words mentioned here to the Messenger Shu`ayb, but intended it for those who followed his religion too. The statement,

("Even though we hate it"), means, would you force us to do that, even though we hate what you are calling us to Certainly if we revert to your religion and accept your ways, we will have uttered a tremendous lie against Allah by calling partners as rivals to Him,

(And it is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will.) This part of the Ayah refers all matters to Allah's will, and certainly, He has perfect knowledge of all matters and His observation encompasses all things,

(In Allah (Alone) we put our trust. ), concerning all our affairs, what we practice of them and what we ignore,

(Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth) judge between us and our people and give us victory over them,

(for You are the best of those who give judgment) and You are the Most Just Who never wrongs any in His judgment.

("If you follow Shu`ayb, be sure then you will be the losers!") Allah answered them,

(So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes) Allah said that the earthquake shook them, as punishment for threatening to expel Shu`ayb and his followers. Allah mentioned their end again in Suah Hud,

(And when Our commandment came, We saved Shu`ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us. And the Sayhah (loud cry) seized the wrongdoers, and they lay (dead) prostrate in their homes.) 11:94 This Ayah mentions the Sayhah (cry) that struck them after they mocked Shu`ayb, saying,

(Does your Salah (prayer) command you...) so it was befitting to mention here the cry that made them silence. In Surat Ash-Shu`ara', Allah said,

(But they belied him, so the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them. Indeed that was the torment of a Great Day) 26:189 because they challenged Shu`ayb,

("So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!") 26:187. Therefore, Allah stated that each of these forms of punishment struck them on the Day of the Shadow. First,

(So the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them) 26:189 when a gloomy cloud came over them (containing) fire, flames and a tremendous light. Next, a cry from the sky descended on them and a tremor shook them from beneath. Consequently, their souls were captured, their lives were taken and their bodies became idle,

(and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes). Allah said next,

(They became as if they had never dwelt there) meaning, after the torment seized them, it looked as if they never dwelled in the land from which they wanted to expel their Messenger Shu`ayb and his followers. Here, Allah refuted their earlier statement,

(Those who belied Shu`ayb, they were the losers.)

("O my people! I have indeed conveyed my Lord's Messages unto you and I have given you good advice.") Shu`ayb said, I have conveyed to you what I was sent with, so I will not feel any sorrow for you since you disbelieved in what I brought you,

("Then how can I grieve over pepple who are disbelievers")

Afflictions that struck Earlier Nations

Allah mentions the Ba'sa' and Darra' that struck the earlier nations to whom He sent Prophets. Ba'sa', refers to the physical sicknesses and ailments that they suffered, while Darra', refers to the poverty and humiliation that they experienced,

(so that they might humble themselves) supplicate, humble themselves and invoke Allah, that He might remove the afflictions that they suffered from. This Ayah indicates that Allah sent down severe afflictions to them so that they might invoke Him, but they did not do what He ordered them. Therefore, He changed the affliction into prosperity to test them,

(Then We changed the evil for the good,) Therefore, Allah changed the hardship into prosperity, disease and sickness into health and well-being, and poverty into richness in provision, so that they might be thankful to Allah for this, but they did none of that. Allah's statement,

(until they `Afaw) refers to increase in numbers, wealth and offspring. Allah said next,

(. . and they said: "Our fathers were touched with evil and with good." So We seized them all of a sudden while they were unaware.) He tested them with this (afflictions) and that (ease and abundance) so that they may humble themselves and repent to Him. However, they failed both tests, for neither this nor that compelled them to change their ways. They said, "We suffered Ba'sa' and Darra', but prosperity came afterwards, just as like our forefathers in earlier times." "Therefore," they said, "it is a cycle where we sometimes suffer a hardship and at other times, we enjoy a bounty." However, they did not comprehend Allah's wisdom, nor the fact that He is testing them in both cases. To the contrary, the believers are grateful to Allah in good times and practice patience in hard times. In the Sahih, there is a Hadith that says;

(The matter of the believer is amazing, for nothing that Allah decrees for him, but it is better for him. If a Darra' (harm) strikes him, he is patient, and this is better for him, if he is given Sarra' (prosperity), he thanks (Allah) for it and this is better for him.) The believer, therefore, is aware of the test behind the afflictions whether it may be prosperity or adversity that Allah sends to him, as well as the blessings. Similarly, in another Hadith,

(The believer will continue to be tested by afflictions until he ends up pure from sin. And the parable of the hypocrite is that of a donkey, it does not know why its owners tied it or released it.) Allah said next,

(So We seized them all of a sudden while they were unaware.) meaning, We struck them with punishment all of a sudden, while they were unaware. A Hadith describes sudden death,

(Sudden death is a mercy for the believer, but a sorrowful punishment for the disbeliever.)

Blessings come with Faith, while Kufr brings Torment

Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,

(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) -- Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.) 10:98 This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),

(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.) 37:147-148 Allah said in another Ayah,

(And We did not send a warner to a township....) 34:34 Allah said here,

(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..) meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,

(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,

(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.) They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,

(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among them,

(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,

(Bayatan) during the night,

(while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing) while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.

(Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan) His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,

(None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers.) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah's torment)!"