This alongside all the other articles on the stories of the prophets has been taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Qiṣaṣ al Anbiyāʾ (Authentic Stories of the Prophets) by Salim ibn ʿId al Hilali who revised Ibn Kathir’s (Qiṣas al Anbiyāʾ) Stories of the Prophets by removing weak, fabricated, repeated reports and unreliable Isra’ili reports, he only kept the Quran verses, sound hadiths and reports from the Salaf.
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The Story of Shuayb عليه السلام in the Qur’an
The People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Shuayb’s Call to His People to Worship Allah Alone
The Response of His People
Shuayb’s Clarification and Sincerity
Their Contempt for Shuayb عليه السلام
His Warning عليه السلام of Allah’s Punishment
His Dua’ (Supplication) عليه السلام Against His People
The Destruction of the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
The People of the Thicket are the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
The Rescue of Shuayb عليه السلام and the Believers with Him
Summary
The People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Shuayb عليه السلام was sent as a brother to the people of Madyan, an Arab tribe living in a town called Madyan near Maʿan, at the edge of Sham on the side of Hijaz, close to the lake of the people of Lut عليه السلام. They came not long after the people of Lut عليه السلام, and the town took its name from their forefather Madyan.
They were disbelievers who used to cut off travellers on the roads, spread fear among passers by, and worship the thicket, a dense tree with thick intertwined growth. In trade they were among the worst of people, reducing measure and weight, cheating, taking more than their right and giving less than what was due.
Shuayb’s Call to His People to Worship Allah Alone
Allah sent to them from among themselves His messenger Shuayb عليه السلام. He called them to worship Allah alone with no partner and forbade them from their ugly actions of frightening people on the roads and consuming their rights in trade. He reminded them that clear proof had come from their Lord, and he ordered them to give full measure and weight, not to reduce the things that belong to people and not to spread corruption in the earth after Allah had set it right.
He told them that this way was better for them if they were believers, that they should not sit on every road threatening people and turning believers away from the path of Allah, seeking to make that path crooked, and that they should remember how they had once been few and Allah had increased them and look at the end of those who spread corruption.
The Blessing of Lawful Wealth and the Meaning of “What Remains for You from Allah”
Shuayb عليه السلام explained that what remained for them after giving people their full rights, the lawful profit that Allah left for them, was better than wealth taken by cheating. Ibn Jarir At Tabari said that the meaning of “what remains for you from Allah” is the profit that remains after justice in measure and weight, and he considered this explanation good and linked it to the verse where Allah says that the bad and the good are not equal even if the abundance of the bad impresses people.
The sense is that a small amount of lawful wealth is better than a great amount of unlawful wealth, because lawful wealth is blessed even when small, while unlawful wealth is wiped out even when much.
To strengthen this meaning, the author brought verses about Allah effacing riba and making charity grow, and he mentioned the hadith in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that riba, even if it is a lot, ends up becoming little, as reported by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and al Hakim and graded authentic by al Hakim, al Dhahabi, al Mundhiri, al Busiri and al Albani.
He also mentioned the hadith of Hakim ibn Hizam رضي الله عنه that the two parties to a sale have a choice as long as they have not parted, and that if they are truthful and clarify, their sale is blessed, and if they conceal and lie, the blessing of their sale is wiped out, as reported by al Bukhari and Muslim.
From this Shuayb’s words, “What remains for you from Allah is better for you if you are believers,” show that lawful profit is blessed even if little and unlawful gain does not benefit even if large. He then said that he was not a guardian over them, meaning that they should obey for the sake of Allah, hoping for His reward, not merely under his supervision.
The Response of His People
His people responded with mockery and ridicule. They said, with scorn, that his prayer was commanding him to stop them from worshipping what their fathers had worshipped and from doing what they wished with their own wealth. They belittled him by saying that he was forbearing and rightly guided in a sarcastic tone. Ibn Abbas, Maymun ibn Mihran, Ibn Jurayj, Zayd ibn Aslam and Ibn Jarir explained that their description of him as forbearing and rightly guided was only said in mockery, not in praise. They saw his call as an attack on their inherited worship and their free use of wealth, and they treated his worship and prayer as something strange.
Shuayb’s Clarification and Sincerity
Shuayb عليه السلام replied with gentle and clear speech. He asked his people to reflect: if he was upon clear proof from his Lord and Allah had given him good provision from Himself, meaning prophethood and messengership, but this had been hidden from them, what could he do about their blindness to it.
He made clear that he did not intend to do the opposite of what he forbade them from; he did not order them to anything except that he was the first to act upon it, and he did not forbid them from anything except that he was the first to avoid it.
He declared that he only wanted to set things right in belief and action as far as he could, that his success in all of this was only with Allah, and that upon Him he relied and to Him he turned in repentance.
The author (Ibn Kathir) explained that this is the noble way of the messengers and those who follow them, while the opposite is the blameworthy trait of those who order others to good but do not do it and forbid evil but commit it.
He mentioned the verse “Do you order people to good and forget yourselves while you recite the Book” and the hadith of the man whose intestines spill out in the Fire because he used to command good and not do it and forbid evil and yet commit it, to show that Shuayb عليه السلام was the opposite of such people and was truthful in his preaching and action.
His Warning عليه السلام of Allah’s Punishment
Shuayb عليه السلام then turned from encouragement to warning. He said to his people that they should not let their opposition and hatred for him lead them to be struck by what struck the people of Nuh عليه السلام, the people of Hud عليه السلام and the people of Salih عليه السلام, and he reminded them that the people of Lut عليه السلام were not far from them.
Some explained “not far” in terms of time, that their story had occurred not long before and was known to them; others said it referred to physical closeness of land, and others said it meant that their evil qualities were similar in cutting off travellers and consuming people’s wealth by open and hidden tricks.
Ibn Kathir indicated that all these meanings can be gathered, since they were not far from them in time, place or behaviour. Then Shuayb عليه السلام brought them back to hope, telling them to seek forgiveness from their Lord and then to repent to Him, and he described his Lord as Merciful and Loving, more merciful to His servants than a mother to her child, loving His believing servants and turning to those who turn to Him even if their sins are great.
Their Contempt for Shuayb عليه السلام
Despite his counsel, they answered with contempt. They said that they did not understand much of what he said, meaning that they did not accept it, did not love it and had no desire for it, just as the disbelievers of Quraysh later claimed that their hearts were veiled and their ears heavy.
They declared that they saw him as weak among them, having no supporter. Ibn Abbas, Saeed ibn Jubayr and al Thawri related that he was weak in his eyesight.
They added that if not for his clan they would have stoned him, showing their deep disbelief and arrogance, and admitting that clan loyalty alone held them back from killing a messenger of Allah. Shuayb عليه السلام replied by asking whether his clan was more honoured in their sight than Allah, while they had cast Allah behind their backs as if they did not know Him, and he reminded them that his Lord encompassed what they did and would repay them for it.
His Warning عليه السلام of Allah’s Punishment and His Challenge
He then increased their warning with a firm challenge. He told his people to work according to their position while he too would act, and that they would soon know who would be visited by a punishment that would disgrace him and who was a liar, and he told them to wait while he also waited with them.
This was a strong threat that they could continue on their chosen path, but the end would show who had the good outcome in this life and the next and upon whom disgrace and destruction would fall. This meaning is also linked with his earlier statement, when a group believed and a group did not, that all should wait until Allah judged between them, and that He is the best of judges.
His Dua’ (Supplication) عليه السلام Against His People
The arrogant leaders among his people declared that they would drive Shuayb عليه السلام and those who had believed with him out of their town, or he and the believers would have to return to their religion. Shuayb عليه السلام rejected this demand and said, with his believing followers, that returning to their religion after Allah had saved them from it would be forging a lie against Allah.
He explained that it was not for them to return willingly, that the sweetness of faith, once it truly enters the heart, cannot be abandoned except under compulsion and force, and that if any return occurred it would only be by Allah’s universal will, not by His love or approval, since His knowledge encompasses all things.
They then entrusted their affair to Allah, saying that upon Him they relied, and they supplicated, asking their Lord to decide between them and their people with truth and affirming that He is the best of those who decide.
This was a request for a just and swift judgment on a people who had been shown patience and clarity yet persisted in denial.
The Destruction of the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Allah answered the supplication and decreed various forms of punishment upon them because of their ugly traits. In one place He mentioned that the earthquake seized them so that by morning they were lifeless in their homes, which suited the context in which they had shaken the messenger and believers with threats of expulsion and forced return, so their shaking was answered with an earthquake and their frightening with real fear.
In another place He mentioned that the Shout (as sayhah (الصيحة) is a single, terrifying cry that comes from above them as a form of punishment, so powerful that it kills them at once, leaving them collapsed and lifeless in their homes) seized them and they became lifeless in their homes, matching their earlier mocking words about his prayer and his message with a punishing cry that cut off their voices. In another surah He described that the punishment of the Day of the Canopy overtook them, answering their own challenge when they said that pieces of the sky should fall on them if he was truthful.
Ibn Kathir explained that all these descriptions refer to one combined punishment. They were struck by intense heat while the wind was withheld for several days, so that no shade or underground shelter benefited them. They fled into the open land and a cloud shaded them, so they gathered under it seeking relief.
When they were all under it, the cloud rained down sparks and flames, the earth shook beneath them and the Shout came from above, their souls were taken and their bodies destroyed, and they were left fallen on their knees in their homes as if they had never lived there.
The People of the Thicket are the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Some mufassireen, such as Qatadah and others, claimed that the people of the thicket were a different nation from the people of Madyan.
They argued that in the surah where Allah says that the people of the thicket denied the messengers, He did not say that Shuayb عليه السلام was their brother, while in the accounts of Madyan He described Shuayb as their brother, and they also pointed to the mention of the Day of the Canopy as a distinct punishment.
Ibn Kathir said this view as weak and answered that when Allah mentioned them in connection with the thicket that they worshipped, it did not suit the nobility of brotherhood, so He did not mention it there, but when He linked them to their tribe and lineage He said “to Madyan as their brother Shuayb,” which is from the subtle beauty of Qur’an expression.
As for the different punishments, if mentioning the Day of the Canopy alone proved a separate nation, then mentioning the earthquake and the Shout separately would require making yet more nations, which no one with understanding would say.
Rather, Allah related about the people of the thicket the same blame He related about the people of Madyan, especially their cheating in measure and weight, showing that they are one nation who were punished with several types of torment, each mentioned where it best fits the surrounding verses.
The Rescue of Shuayb عليه السلام and the Believers with Him
Allah saved Shuayb عليه السلام and those who believed with him by a mercy from Himself when His command came. The Shout and the earthquake seized those who had wronged, and by morning they were lifeless in their homes as if they had never lived there, and Allah declared that Madyan was far removed just as Thamud had been driven far.
The people who had said, “If you follow Shuayb you will then be losers,” themselves became the true losers, while Allah honoured Shuayb عليه السلام and his followers with rescue and safety.
After their destruction, Shuayb عليه السلام turned away from the ruins of his people and said that he had indeed conveyed to them the messages of his Lord and had sincerely advised them, then he asked how he could grieve over a people who disbelieve.
He had done what was required of him, but they did not accept advice and did not fear the Day of exposure, so they received the might of Allah that cannot be resisted, and he was free of grief for those who rejected faith until the end.
Full Article
The Story of Madyan, the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
The Story of Shuayb عليه السلام in the Qur’an
Verses from Surah al Araf
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ وَإِن كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ آمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ آسَى عَلَى قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ
Shuayb عليه السلام was sent to Madyan, as their brother, and he said:
‘My people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. Clear proof has come to you from your Lord.
So give full measure and weight, and do not reduce the things that belong to the people, and do not spread corruption in the earth after it has been set right. That is better for you, if you are believers.
Do not sit on every road, frightening people, turning away from the path of Allah those who believe in Him, and seeking to make that path crooked. Remember when you were few, and He increased you, and look how the end was for those who spread corruption.
If a group among you has believed in what I have been sent with, and a group has not believed, then be patient until Allah judges between us. He is the best of judges.
The leaders who were proud among his people said, “We will certainly drive you out, Shuayb, and those who have believed with you, from our town, or you must return to our religion.”
He said, “Even if we dislike it? We would indeed be forging a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah has rescued us from it. It is not for us to return to it unless Allah our Lord wills. Our Lord has encompassed all things in knowledge. In Allah we put our trust. Our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth. You are the best of those who decide.”
The leaders who disbelieved among his people said, “If you follow Shuayb, then you will surely be losers.”
So the earthquake seized them, and by morning they were lying lifeless in their homes, as if they had never lived there. Those who had denied Shuayb were the losers.
He turned away from them and said, “My people, I have indeed conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you sincerely. How can I grieve for a people who disbelieve?”‘
Verses from Surah Hud
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِنِّي أَرَاكُم بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُّحِيطٍ وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ وَيَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ
Shuayb عليه السلام was sent to Madyan as their brother. He said:
‘My people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. Do not reduce measure or weight. I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the punishment of an all surrounding day.
My people, give full measure and weight with justice. Do not reduce the things that belong to the people, and do not go about the earth spreading corruption.
What remains for you from Allah is better for you, if you are believers, and I am not a guardian over you.
They said, “Shuayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship, or that we should not do with our wealth what we wish? You are indeed the forbearing, the rightly guided.”
He said, “My people, tell me, if I am upon clear proof from my Lord and He has given me good provision from Him? I do not wish to do the opposite of what I forbid you from. I only want to set things right as far as I can. My success is only with Allah. Upon Him I rely and to Him I turn in repentance.
My people, do not let your opposition to me lead you to be struck by what struck the people of Nuh, the people of Hud, or the people of Salih. The people of Lut are not far from you.
Ask forgiveness from your Lord then turn to Him in repentance. My Lord is indeed Merciful, Loving.”
They said, “Shuayb, we do not understand much of what you say. We see you weak among us. If not for your clan, we would have stoned you, and you are not dear to us.”
He said, “My people, is my clan more honoured in your sight than Allah while you put Him behind your backs? My Lord encompasses what you do.
My people, act according to your position, I am acting. You will soon know who will be visited by a punishment that will disgrace him, and who is a liar. Wait, I am waiting with you.”
When Our command came, We rescued Shuayb and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, and the Shout seized those who had done wrong, and by morning they were lying lifeless in their homes, as if they had never lived there. Away with Madyan, just as Thamud were removed.’
Verses from Surah al Hijr
وَإِن كَانَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ لَظَالِمِينَ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ
The people of the thicket were indeed wrongdoers, so We took revenge on them. Both of those places lie on a clear highway that is seen.
Verses from Surah al Shuara
كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ شُعَيْبٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ أَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِينَ وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ وَاتَّقُوا الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالْجِبِلَّةَ الْأَوَّلِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ وَمَا أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَإِن نَّظُنُّكَ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ قَالَ رَبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
The people of the thicket denied the messengers when Shuayb said to them,
‘Will you not be mindful of Allah? I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So be mindful of Allah and obey me. I do not ask you for any wage for this. My wage is only with the Lord of all the worlds.
Give full measure and do not be of those who give less. Weigh with a straight and just balance. Do not reduce the things that belong to the people and do not go about the earth spreading corruption.
Be mindful of the One who created you and created the earlier generations.’
They said, ‘You are only one of those under a spell. You are only a human being like ourselves, and we think you are one of the liars. Make pieces of the sky fall on us if you are among the truthful.’
He said, ‘My Lord knows best what you do.’
They denied him, so the punishment of the Day of the Canopy seized them. It was indeed the punishment of a tremendous day. In that there is a sign, but most of them were not believers, and your Lord is indeed the Mighty, the Merciful.
The People of Shuayb عليه السلام
The people of Madyan were Arabs. They lived in their town called Madyan, close to the land of Maan, at the edge of Sham on the side that faces Hijaz, near the lake of the people of Lut عليه السلام. They came not long after them. Madyan is the name of a tribe by which the town was known.
Shuayb’s Call to His People to Worship Allah Alone
The people of Madyan were disbelievers. They used to cut off travellers on the road, spread fear among those who passed, and they worshipped the thicket, which was a tree from the thick trees with a dense wood all around it.
They were among the worst of people in dealing with others. They reduced measure and weight, cheated in them, took more than their right and gave less than what was due.
So Allah sent to them a man from themselves, he was the Messenger of Allah Shuayb عليه السلام. He called them to worship Allah alone with no partner, and he forbade them from these ugly actions: taking away the rights of people and frightening them on their paths and roads.
Some people believed in him and most denied him until Allah brought on them severe punishment. He is the Protecting Friend and the Praiseworthy.
Allah the Exalted said:
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
‘Shuayb was sent to Madyan as their brother and said, “My people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. Clear proof has come to you from your Lord.”‘
That is, a clear sign, a firm proof and a decisive evidence that what I have brought to you is true and that He has sent me.
Then Allah says:
فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا
‘So give full measure and weight, and do not reduce the things that belong to the people, and do not spread corruption in the earth after it has been set right.’
Then He says:
ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
‘That is better for you, if you are believers.’
Ibn Jarir (At Tabari): said that what is meant is: what remains for you of profit after you give full measure and weight is better for you than taking the wealth of people by cheating and giving less. He transmitted this explanation and said that it is good, and it is similar to His saying:
قُل لَّا يَسْتَوِي الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ الْخَبِيثِ
‘Say, the bad and the good are not equal, even if the great amount of the bad impresses you.’
The meaning is that the little that is lawful is better for you than the great amount that is unlawful, because the lawful is blessed even if it is little, and the unlawful is wiped out even if it is much. Allah the Exalted said:
يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ
‘Allah effaces usury and makes charity grow.’
The point is that lawful profit is blessed even if it is small, and unlawful wealth does not benefit even if it is large. For this reason the Prophet of Allah Shuayb said:
بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
‘What remains for you from Allah is better for you, if you are believers.’
Then Allah says on his tongue:
وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ
‘I am not a guardian over you.’
That is, do what I have ordered you for the sake of Allah and hoping for His reward, not to be seen by me or others.
The Response of His People
Allah says:
قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ
They said this in a way of mockery, belittling and ridicule. The meaning is: is it your prayer which you pray that commands you to prevent us so that we worship only your god and leave what our earlier fathers and first forefathers worshipped, or that we only deal in the way that you approve of and leave the ways of trading which you dislike, even if we are pleased with them?
Then they said, with sarcasm:
إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ
‘You are indeed the forbearing, the rightly guided.’
Ibn Abbas, Maymun ibn Mihran, Ibn Jurayj, Zayd ibn Aslam and Ibn Jarir said that these enemies of Allah said that in a mocking way. (Mentioned by Ibn Jarir in Jami al Bayan 987.)
Shuayb’s Clarification and Sincerity
Allah says:
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
This is gentle speech to them, calling them to the truth with the clearest wording. He says to them:
‘My people, tell me, if I am upon clear proof from my Lord, that He has truly sent me to you, and He has granted me good provision from Him, that is, prophethood and messengership, and yet this has been hidden from you, then what can I do about you?
I am not trying to do the opposite of what I forbid you from. I do not command you to anything except that I am the first to act upon it, and if I forbid you from something I am the first to leave it.
I only want to set things right in belief and action, as far as I am able. My success in all of this is only through Allah. In all my affairs I rely upon Him and to Him I turn and return.’
This is the praiseworthy quality of the messengers and those who follow them, and the opposite of this is the blameworthy quality of those who oppose them. Those latter people say what they do not do. About them Allah said:
أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
‘Do you order the people to do good and forget yourselves while you recite the Book? Will you not understand?’
In the authentic collections there is from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said:
These are the qualities of those who oppose the prophets among the wicked and the wretched. As for the noble leaders, the people of knowledge who fear their Lord in secret, their state is as the Prophet of Allah Shuayb described himself:
إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
‘I only want to set things right as far as I can. My success is only with Allah. Upon Him I rely and to Him I turn.’
That is, in all my words and deeds I want only to reform and to bring about good, as much as I am able. My success is in every state only with Allah. Upon Him I rely in all matters and to Him I turn with repentance and return. This is encouragement and attraction to the way of truth.
Then he moved from encouragement to warning and said:
وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ
‘My people, do not let your opposition to me lead you to be struck by what struck the people of Nuh or the people of Hud or the people of Salih, and the people of Lut are not far from you.’
That is, do not let hatred of me and dislike of what I have brought push you to continue in your misguidance and ignorance, so that Allah brings upon you the same punishment and harshness that He brought on those similar to you from the people of Nuh, the people of Hud and the people of Salih.
As for the saying:
وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ
‘The people of Lut are not far from you,’
some said it means not far from you in time, that their story had occurred not long before and that what Allah had done to them was known to them.
Others said that it means not far from you in place and land. Others said not far from you in your ugly qualities, such as cutting off travellers, taking peoples wealth openly and secretly by different tricks and doubtful excuses. The meaning can include all of this, for they were not far from them in time, in place or in their evil characteristics.
Then he mixed warning with encouragement and said:
وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ
‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord then turn to Him in repentance. My Lord is indeed Merciful, Loving.’
That is, leave what you are doing, and turn to your Lord who is Merciful to His servants, more merciful to them than a mother is to her child. He is Loving, that is, He loves His believing servants, and whoever turns to Him, He turns to him, even if he has repented from very great sins.
Their Contempt for Shuayb عليه السلام
Allah says:
قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ
It is related from Ibn Abbas, Saeed ibn Jubayr and al Thawri that they said he was weak in his eyesight.(Mentioned by Ibn Jarir in Jami al Bayan 12/62.)
Their words,
‘We do not understand much of what you say,’
mean, we do not accept it nor love it, and we do not want it. We have no desire for it and we do not turn to it, just as the disbelievers of Quraysh said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِي آذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِن بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَ
‘They say, our hearts are wrapped in coverings from what you call us to, and in our ears is heaviness, and between us and you is a barrier, so act, we are acting.’
Their words,
وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا
‘We see you weak among us,’
mean, you are pushed aside and have no supporter. Then they added:
وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ
‘If not for your clan we would have stoned you.’
That is, this is because of their deep disbelief and ugly stubbornness. They were saying, we despise you and have no respect for you. If it were not for your people and tribe among us, we would kill you by stoning.
Shuayb answered:
يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
‘My people, is my clan more honoured in your sight than Allah, while you have put Him behind your backs? My Lord encompasses what you do.’
That is, do you fear my people and tribe and show regard for me because of them, and you do not fear Allah and do not show regard to Him, even though I am His messenger to you? So my clan has become more honoured than Allah in your sight. You have taken Allah behind your backs, as if you do not know Him. My Lord, however, surrounds all that you do in His knowledge and His power, and He will repay you for it when you return to Him.
His Warning عليه السلام of Allah’s Punishment
Then he increased their warning and said:
وَيَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ
‘My people, act according to your position, I am acting. You will soon know who will be visited by a punishment that will disgrace him, and who is a liar. Wait, I am waiting with you.’
This is a very strong threat and a clear warning, that they should continue on their path and way and direction, but that they would then know who would have the good end in this life and the next, and upon whom disgrace and destruction would come.
What he says is similar to what Allah mentioned in Surah al Araf on his tongue:
وَإِن كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ آمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ
‘If a group among you has believed in what I have been sent with and a group has not believed, then be patient until Allah judges between us. He is the best of judges.’
His Dua’ (Supplication) عليه السلام Against His People
Allah says:
قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ
The arrogant leaders among his people demanded, according to their false claim, that he should return those who had believed with him to their religion. Shuayb came forth to argue and defend his believing people and said:
‘Even if we dislike it? We would indeed be forging a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah has rescued us from it.
It is not for us to return to it unless Allah our Lord wills. Our Lord has encompassed everything in knowledge. In Allah we put our trust. Our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth. You are the best of those who decide.’
He explains that those believers will not return to their religion by free choice, because faith, when its sweetness enters the heart, no one rejects it. No one turns away from it and leaves it, and there is no way for any person to become detached from it after knowing it, except through compulsion and force.
So he says that they will not return to them willingly. If a return occurs it would only be with Allah’s universal will, not His love, and that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything. They then entrust their affair to Allah and say:
رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ
‘Our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of those who decide.’
That is, judge between us and them with a just judgment. He had already been patient with them, had called them, and had explained the truth clearly. So he asked his Lord to send quickly upon them the punishment they deserved. The dua of the messengers when they seek help against those who deny them is never turned back.
The Destruction of the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted says:
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
He mentioned in Surah al Araf that the earthquake seized them, that is, the earth shook under them with a very strong shaking, which ripped their souls out of their bodies and made every living creature in their town like lifeless stone. Their bodies were left fallen on their knees, without souls, without movement, without senses.
Allah had gathered on them many kinds of punishments and different forms of revenge and trial because of the ugly qualities that were in them.
He brought on them a severe earthquake that stopped their movements, and a great Shout that cut off their voices, and a cloud which shaded them and from which sparks of fire were sent down upon them from every side. But He mentioned in every surah what fits its context and suits its flow.
In the narration in Surah al Araf they had shaken the messenger of Allah and the believers with threats, and had promised to drive them out of their town or make them return to their religion. So Allah said:
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
‘The earthquake seized them and by morning they were lying lifeless in their homes.’
So He answered their shaking with an earthquake and their frightening with real fear. That suits the context and its link with what came before.
In Surah Hud He mentioned that the Shout seized them and they became lifeless in their homes. That is because they had said to their prophet, in mockery, belittling and ridicule:
أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ
So it was suitable to mention the Shout, which is like a rebuke to them for such ugly speech with which they faced that noble, eloquent, truthful messenger. The Shout came upon them and killed them, together with the earthquake which stopped them.
In Surah al Shuara Allah mentioned that the punishment of the Day of the Canopy took them. That was in answer to what they themselves had asked and wished when they said:
فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
‘Make pieces of the sky fall on us if you are truthful.’
Allah, who hears and knows, said:
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
‘They denied him, so the punishment of the Day of the Canopy seized them. It was indeed the punishment of a tremendous day.’
Their story shows those subtle differences between the accounts in the surahs which match the different settings, and that each punishment mentioned is one part of what met them.
The People of the Thicket are the People of Shuayb عليه السلام
Some mufasireen, such as Qatadah and others, claimed that the people of the thicket were a different nation from the people of Madyan. This saying is weak. Their evidence was two things.
The first is that in Surah al Shuara Allah says:
كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ شُعَيْبٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
He did not say there, ‘their brother Shuayb’, while He says in Surah al Araf and Surah Hud:
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا
To Madyan as their brother Shuayb.
The second is that He mentioned their punishment as the punishment of the Day of the Canopy, whereas, He said about the others that the earthquake or the Shout seized them.
The reply to the first point is that Allah did not mention brotherhood in the place where He said:
كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
because He described them by their worship of the thicket and this does not suit the mention of brotherhood here. When He linked them to the tribe and the lineage, He said,
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا
and mentioned Shuayb as their brother. This difference is from the fine, precious points of expression in the Qur’an.
As for their proof from the mention of the Day of the Canopy, then if that on its own was proof that they are a different nation, the mention of the earthquake and the Shout elsewhere would be proof that they are yet two other nations. No one who understands anything of this field would say that.
Allah, in fact, has related about the people of the thicket the same blame that He related about the people of Madyan, such as their cheating in measure and weight.
This shows that they are really one nation who were punished by many kinds of torment. In each place He mentions what suits the wording around it.
Allah says:
فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ
They said that a fierce heat struck them and Allah stopped the wind from blowing for seven days. No water or shade helped them and even going into underground shelters was of no use. They fled from their town into the open land.
Then a cloud shaded them and they gathered under it to be in its shade. When they had all come together under it, Allah made that cloud rain down sparks and flames upon them, the earth shook under them and the Shout came from the sky. Their souls were taken and their bodies destroyed.
فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ
‘By morning they were lying lifeless in their homes. Those who denied Shuayb were as if they had never lived there. Those who denied Shuayb were the losers.’
The Rescue of Shuayb عليه السلام and the Believers with Him
Allah saved Shuayb and those who believed with him. He says, and He is the truest of those who speak:
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ
‘When Our command came, We rescued Shuayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us, and the Shout seized those who had done wrong, and by morning they were lying lifeless in their homes, as if they had never lived there. Away with Madyan, just as Thamud were removed.’
He also says:
وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ
‘The leaders who disbelieved among his people said, “If you follow Shuayb, you will then be losers.” So the earthquake seized them and by morning they were lying lifeless in their homes, as if they had never lived there. Those who denied Shuayb were the losers.’
This came as the opposite of their saying,
لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ
‘If you follow Shuayb you will then be losers.’
Then Allah mentions about their prophet that he sorrowfully addressed them after their destruction, blaming and reproaching them:
فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ آسَى عَلَى قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ
‘He turned away from them and said, “My people, I have indeed conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you sincerely. How can I grieve for a people who disbelieve?”‘
That is, he turned from them and left their ruined homes after they had been destroyed and said, meaning, I have done what was necessary for me. I have conveyed fully, sincerely advised you, and tried to guide you in every way I was able.
None of that benefited you, because Allah does not guide the one He leaves to stray and they have no helpers. So I do not grieve over you, for you did not accept advice, nor did you fear the Day when you will be exposed.
For this reason he said,
‘How can I grieve for a people who disbelieve?’
That is, people who do not accept the truth and do not return to it and do not turn towards it. Upon them fell the might of Allah which cannot be pushed back or resisted. No one can escape what Allah has decreed for him.
