Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (1/268)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

[The Story of Midian—the People of Shuʿayb, upon him be peace]

The Exalted says in Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, following the account of the people of Lot:

“And to Midian We sent their brother Shuʿayb. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. A clear proof has come to you from your Lord, so give full measure and weight, do not defraud people of their goods, and do not sow corruption in the land after it has been set aright. That is better for you, if you would but believe.
Do not sit on every road, threatening, turning away from the path of Allah those who believe in Him, and seeking to make it crooked. Remember when you were few and He multiplied you; so look at how the corrupters ended up.
If some of you believe in what I have been sent with while others do not, then be patient until Allah judges between us; He is the best of judges.’
The arrogant notables of his people said, ‘We will surely drive you, Shuʿayb, and those who have believed with you, out of our town unless you return to our religion.’ He said, ‘Even though we detest it?
We would indeed be fabricating a lie against Allah if we were to return to your faith after Allah has delivered us from it. It is not for us to return to it unless Allah our Lord so wills. Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge. In Allah we place our trust. Our Lord, decide between us and our people in truth; You are the best of those who give decision.’
The disbelieving leaders of his people said, ‘If you follow Shuʿayb, you will surely be losers.’
Then the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless in their homes—
those who had denied Shuʿayb, as though they had never prospered there; those who denied Shuʿayb were indeed the losers.
So he turned away from them and said, ‘My people, I conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and gave you sincere advice; how then should I grieve for a people who persist in disbelief?’” (al-Aʿrāf 7:85–93)

And He says in Sūrat Hūd, again after the story of Lot:

“And to Midian We sent their brother Shuʿayb. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Do not diminish the measure and the balance. I see you in prosperity, yet I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day.
My people, give full measure and weight with justice, do not defraud people of their goods, and do not act wickedly in the land, spreading corruption.
What remains [lawfully] from Allah is better for you, if you are believers; and I am not a guardian over you.’
They said, ‘Shuʿayb, does your prayer command you that we should abandon what our forefathers worship, or that we should cease doing with our wealth whatever we please? You are, indeed—in your own eyes—the forbearing, the rightly guided!’
He said, ‘My people, tell me: what if I stand on clear evidence from my Lord and He has granted me a goodly provision from Himself? I do not wish, in opposition to you, to do what I forbid you. I desire only reform, so far as I am able. My success rests only with Allah; in Him I trust and to Him I turn.
My people, let not your opposition to me cause you to suffer what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hūd, or the people of Ṣāliḥ; and the people of Lot are not far from you.
Seek forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance; surely my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving.’
They said, ‘Shuʿayb, we do not understand much of what you say, and we see you weak among us. Were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you—you hold no great status with us.’
He said, ‘My clan is dearer to you than Allah, that you cast Him behind you, neglected? Truly my Lord encompasses all that you do.
My people, act according to your position; I too am acting. You will soon know on whom a humiliating punishment will come and who is a liar. So watch, and I too am watching with you.’
When Our command came, We saved Shuʿayb and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, and the Blast seized those who had done wrong, so that by morning they lay lifeless in their homes—
as though they had never prospered there. Away with Midian, just as Thamūd were cast away.” (Hūd 11:84–95)

[قصة مدين قوم شعيب (عليه السلام) ] قال الله تعالى في سورة الأعراف بعد قصَّة قوم لوط: ﴿وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (٨٥) وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنْتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (٨٦) وَإِنْ كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْكُمْ آمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ (٨٧) قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَاشُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ (٨٨) قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُمْ بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَنْ نَعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ (٨٩) وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ (٩٠) فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ (٩١) الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ (٩٢) فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَاقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ آسَى عَلَى قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ﴾ [الأعراف: ٨٥ - ٩٣] . وقال في سورة هود بعد قصة قوم لوط أيضًا: ﴿وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا تَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُحِيطٍ (٨٤) وَيَاقَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ (٨٥) بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ (٨٦) قَالُوا يَاشُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ نَتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنْتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ (٨٧) قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي 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 (٨٨) وَيَاقَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمْ مِثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِنْكُمْ بِبَعِيدٍ (٨٩) وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ (٩٠) قَالُوا يَاشُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ (٩١) قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ (٩٢) وَيَاقَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ (٩٣) وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ (٩٤) كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ﴾ [هود: ٨٤ - ٩٥] .