Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (596)

“Indeed, in that is a sign, yet most of them would not believe. And indeed, your Lord—He is the Almighty, the Most Merciful.” (176–191) “The people of the Thicket denied the messengers.”

The people of the Thicket—that is, the people of gardens whose trees were densely intertwined (1)—were the people of Midian. They denied their prophet Shuayb, who brought the same message as the other messengers.

“When Shuayb said to them, ‘Will you not fear?’” He meant: Will you not fear Allah Most High and thus abandon the disbelief and sins that provoke His displeasure ⦗597⦘ and anger?

“I am indeed a trustworthy messenger to you.” This requires you to fear Allah and obey me.

Alongside their polytheism, they would give short measure and weight. He therefore said to them: “Give full measure”—that is, make it complete and exact—“and do not be among those who cause loss,” who deprive people of their property and take it from them by giving short measure and weight.

“And weigh with an even balance”—that is, a just scale that does not tip unfairly.

(1) This is the reading in B; A reads: *ashjāruhu* (“its trees,” with a masculine singular pronoun).

﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ * وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾ ﴿١٧٦ - ١٩١﴾ ﴿كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الأيْكَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾ . أصحاب الأيكة: أي: البساتين الملتفة أشجارها (١) وهم أصحاب مدين، فكذبوا نبيهم شعيبا، الذي جاء بما جاء به المرسلون. ﴿إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ شُعَيْبٌ أَلا تَتَّقُونَ﴾ الله تعالى، فتتركون ما يسخطه ⦗٥٩٧⦘ ويغضبه، من الكفر والمعاصي. ﴿إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ﴾ يترتب على ذلك، أن تتقوا الله وتطيعون. وكانوا - مع شركهم - يبخسون المكاييل والموازين، فلذلك قال لهم: ﴿أَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ﴾ أي: أتموه وأكملوه ﴿وَلا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِينَ﴾ الذين ينقصون الناس أموالهم ويسلبونها ببخس المكيال والميزان. ﴿وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ﴾ أي: بالميزان العادل، الذي لا يميل.

(١) كذا في ب، وفي أ: أشجاره.