The story of Shu'ayb

Not far from the cities of Sadoum (Sodom) from the story of Lout (عليه السلام), there was a city called Madyan. This city was known for trade but it cheated a lot; all the markets of the city knew cheating, lying and deception. It was even worse, when someone passed through the cities of Madyan, they imposed taxes on him and cut off his road.

Allah (عز وجل) sent them the prophet Shu'ayb (عليه السلام); Shu'ayb was an Arab prophet. The people of Madyan worshipped the trees, a tree called Al-Ayka; they defrauded in the markets, they cheated in the weight, they took people's money without reason and practiced usury.

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers.

Surah Al-A'raf, verse 85

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-A'raf 7:85, Surah Hud 11:84

After his call to the oneness of Allah (عز وجل), Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) began to teach them that their trade and their fraud in the weights is unlawful and that Allah (عز وجل) never accepts that:

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ ۚ إِنِّي أَرَاكُم بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُّحِيطٍ

And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed, I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day.

Surah Hud, verse 84

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:84, Surah Al-A'raf 7:85-86

The people of Madyan had the habit of going out of the city and when they saw a caravan, they cut off its road, they stole from each caravan a part of its goods, they took taxes from people without any reason, tax collectors! and Allah (عز وجل) cursed the "tax collectors" (without reason). They took levies from people for every service or non-service. Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) reminded them by saying:

وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of Allah those who believe in Him, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters.

Surah Al-A'raf, verse 86

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-A'raf 7:86, Surah Hud 11:85

After the prophet Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) had called his people to worship Allah (عز وجل) alone and to renounce unlawful trade, fraud, swindling, forbidden sales, the cutting of roads and the taxing of people. They began by answering him with mockery. The prophet Shu'ayb (عليه السلام), this man sent by Allah (عز وجل), who was highly eloquent in speech but physically weak, his people began to speak ill of him, they said: O Shu'ayb (عليه السلام)! Your religion, your worship, your prayers want to intervene even in our trade, in our market, and our exchanges! What is this religion that intervenes even in buying and selling?!

قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ

They said, "O Shu'ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please?

Surah Hud, verse 87

What the people of Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) said at the time is repeated even in our days! There are always people who claim that the religion of Allah (عز وجل) must not intervene in life, in the economy, and that it has nothing to do in trade. The people began to mock Shu'ayb (عليه السلام). Even though he was the wisest, the most reasonable and the most eloquent among them, they mocked him by saying: You are reasonable when you ask us that!

أَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ

you are the forbearing, the discerning!

Surah Hud, verse 87

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:87, Surah Al-A'raf 7:87-88

Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) said to them: O people! If my religion is truthful, if what I say is true, what are you going to do?

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا

He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...?

Surah Hud, verse 88

Perhaps I have little, perhaps you have fortunes, but you have stolen the goods of the people and of the poor, you have cut the roads, you have taken levies. As for me, I have little, but it is legal and lawful:

وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.

Surah Hud, verse 88

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:88, Surah Al-A'raf 7:85

Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) wanted to warn his people, he said O people! Your repugnance and your hostility toward me will lead you to incur a punishment from Allah (عز وجل). Do you not remember the people of Nuh (عليه السلام) and the flood? Have you not heard what Allah (عز وجل) did to the people of Hud (عليه السلام), or the people of Salih (عليه السلام)? and (the example of) the people of Lout (عليه السلام) is not far from you, neither in distance nor in time.

وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ ۚ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ

And O my people, let not [your] dissension from me cause you to be struck by that similar to what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih. And the people of Lot are not from you far away.

Surah Hud, verse 89

They answered mockingly:

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

They said, "O Shu'ayb, we do not understand much of what you say, and indeed, we consider you among us as weak. And if not for your family, we would have stoned you [to death]; and you are not to us one respected."

Surah Hud, verse 91

Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) had a clan that was dear to the people, his clan was not strong but his people loved his clan, that is why they did nothing against him. Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) answered them:

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا ۖ إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ

He said, "O my people, is my family more respected for power by you than Allah? But you put Him behind your backs [in neglect]. Indeed, my Lord is encompassing of what you do.

Surah Hud, verse 92

He answered with full confidence, O people! I speak to you of the Lord of the worlds, and you speak to me of my clan! The trial of the prophet Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) hardened; his people wanted to drive him, him and the believers, out of the city. When the situation became hard, Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) raised his hands toward the sky and he said: 'It is in Allah (عز وجل) that we place our trust' and he invoked Allah (عز وجل) saying:

رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ

Our Lord, decide between us and our people in truth, and You are the best of those who give decision.

Surah Al-A'raf, verse 89

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:89-92, Surah Al-A'raf 7:89

The day of the punishment came; they showed themselves proud, arrogant, hostile, they disobeyed the order of Allah (عز وجل), they disbelieved in their prophet:

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا

And when Our command came, We saved Shu'ayb and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us.

Surah Hud, verse 94

Then a heatwave struck the city, no one could bear this heat but they found a cloud whose shadow covered a place, so the people of the city (men, women, children and old people) went out to put themselves under this shadow. They placed themselves under this cloud and suddenly, the cloud sent a flame that burned the people -

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

And they denied him, so the punishment of the day of the black cloud seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara, verse 189

Imagine how the fire and the lightning came down to strike them and burn them, so they returned to their houses, and there, the earth began to tremble under their feet -

وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone

Surah Hud, verse 94

Thus was annihilated the city of Madyan:

كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ

As if they had never prospered therein. Then, away with Madyan as Thamud was taken away.

Surah Hud, verse 95

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:94-95, Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:189

After the city was destroyed, the prophet Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) came back, to see the corpses of his people lying there, he came back to see that all the land had been destroyed, to find corpses spread out on the ground. Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) passed through the midst of the corpses and the destruction, speaking to the corpses:

فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ آسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ

And he turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you, so how could I grieve for a disbelieving people?"

Surah Al-A'raf, verse 93

Why should I be sad for a people to whom I transmitted the message for years but they mocked and threatened, they were proud, they believed that their riches would protect them, they believed that their strength would protect them against the punishment of Allah (عز وجل). The people of Madyan were annihilated, because of their disbelief in their prophet, and Allah (عز وجل) saved Shu'ayb (عليه السلام) and those who believed, and another page of the prophets was turned.

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-A'raf 7:93, Surah Hud 11:94-95