“The arrogant chiefs among his people said”—they were the nobles and leading men who followed their whims and amused themselves with their pleasures. When the truth came to them and they saw that it did not accord with their corrupt desires, they rejected it and arrogantly turned away from it. They said to their prophet Shuayb and the oppressed believers with him: “We will surely drive you, O Shuayb, and those who believe with you out of our town, or else you must return to our religion.” They wielded brute force against the truth, paying no regard to religion, covenant, or right. They cared only for and followed their whims and foolish minds, which led them to make this corrupt demand. They said: Either you and those with you return to our religion, or we will drive you out of our town.
Shuayb (peace be upon him) had been calling them in the hope that they would believe, yet now he was not even safe from their evil. They threatened to banish him from his homeland—though he and those with him had a greater right to it than they did—unless he followed them.
Shuayb (peace be upon him) “said” to them in astonishment at their words: “Even though we detest it?” That is: Are we to follow you in your false religion and creed even though we detest it because we know it to be false? Only someone with some inclination toward a religion is invited to embrace it. But how ⦗297⦘ could someone who openly forbids it and denounces those who follow it be called to embrace it?
“We would certainly have fabricated a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah had delivered us from it.” That is: Bear witness against us that, if we return to it after Allah has delivered us from it and saved us from its evil, we are liars who fabricate lies against Allah. We know that no fabrication is graver than ascribing a partner to Allah, though He is the One, the Unique, the Sole, the Self-Sufficient Master, who has taken neither child nor consort and has no partner in His dominion.
“It is not for us to return to it.” That is, it is impossible for people such as us to return to it, for this is inconceivable. Shuayb (peace be upon him) thus left them with no hope that he would agree with them, and did so in several ways. First, they detested their religion and abhorred the polytheism they practiced. Second, he declared their beliefs to be lies and called them to witness that, if he and those with him followed them, they would be liars.
Another was their acknowledgment of Allah’s favor upon them in having delivered them from it.
Another was that their returning to it after Allah had guided them was inconceivable in view of their present state: their hearts revered Allah Most High, acknowledged their servitude to Him, and affirmed that He alone is God, that worship is due to Him alone without partner, and that the gods of the polytheists are the falsest of falsehoods and utterly impossible.
This was also because Allah had favored them with minds by which they could distinguish truth from falsehood and guidance from misguidance.
As for Allah’s will and His irresistible decree concerning His creation, from which no one can escape even if every means converges and every power combines, they did not assert with certainty that they themselves would do or refrain from anything. Hence Shuayb made the exception: “It is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will.” That is, neither we nor anyone else can escape His will, which accords with His knowledge and wisdom. “Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge.” He knows what is good for His servants and how to govern their affairs accordingly. “In Allah we have placed our trust.” That is, we rely upon Him to keep us firm upon the straight path and protect us from every road leading to Hell. Whoever places his trust in Allah, He will suffice him and facilitate his religious and worldly affairs.
“Our Lord, judge between us and our people in truth”—that is, grant victory to the oppressed party who possesses the truth over the wrongdoer who stubbornly opposes it—“for You are the best of judges.” Allah brings decisive resolution to His servants in two ways. The first is through knowledge: He distinguishes truth from falsehood and guidance from misguidance, and makes clear who remains upright upon the path and who has deviated from it.
The second is through recompense: He inflicts punishment upon the wrongdoers while delivering and honoring the righteous. They therefore asked Allah to judge between them and their people with truth and justice, and to show them signs and lessons that would decisively separate the two parties.
“The disbelieving chiefs among his people said,” warning others against following Shuayb, “If you follow Shuayb, you will certainly be losers.” Their souls beguiled them into believing that loss and misery lay in following sound judgment and guidance. They did not realize that utter loss lay in persisting in their own misguidance and leading others astray. They came to know this when exemplary punishment befell them.
“Then the violent convulsion seized them”—that is, a severe earthquake—“and by morning they lay lifeless in their homes,” fallen dead and motionless.
Allah Most High described their ruin: “Those who denied Shuayb became as though they had never lived there.” It was as though they had never resided in their homes, enjoyed their open spaces, rested in their shade, dwelt amid their river-fed pastures, or eaten the fruits of their trees. Punishment suddenly overtook them (1), transporting them from a place of amusement, play, and pleasure to an abiding place of sorrow, misery, punishment, and the lowest depths. Hence He said: “Those who denied Shuayb were themselves the losers.” That is, loss was confined to them alone, for on the Day of Resurrection they lost their religion, themselves, and their families. Indeed, that is the evident loss—not the fate of those to whom they had said: “If you follow Shuayb, you will certainly be losers.”
When they perished, their prophet Shuayb (peace be upon him) turned away from them “and said,” reproaching and rebuking them as he addressed them after their death: “O my people, I certainly conveyed to you my Lord’s messages.” That is, I delivered and explained them to you until they had reached as deeply into you as they possibly could and penetrated your hearts. “And I gave you sincere counsel,” yet you did not accept my counsel or submit to my guidance. Instead, you defiantly disobeyed and transgressed.
“So how could I grieve for a disbelieving people?” That is, how could I grieve for people who possessed no goodness? Good came to them, but they rejected it and refused to accept it, and nothing but evil befitted them. Such people do not deserve to be mourned; rather, their destruction and obliteration are cause for rejoicing. O Allah, we seek refuge in You from disgrace and exposure! What misery and punishment could be greater than their reaching a state in which the one most sincerely concerned for them disowns them?