Surah 7. Al-A'raf

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-25 [2], 26-31 [3], 32-39 [4], 40-47 [5], 48-53 [6], 54-58 [7], 59-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-84 [10], 85-93 [11], 94-99 [12], 100-108 [13], 109-126 [14], 127-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-157 [19], 158-162 [20], 163-171 [21], 172-181 [22], 182-188 [23], 189-206 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 85-93وَ اِلٰیAnd toمَدْیَنَMadyanاَخَاهُمْhis brotherشُعَیْبًا ؕShuaibقَالَHe saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!اعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahمَاnotلَكُمْfor youمِّنْanyاِلٰهٍgodغَیْرُهٗ ؕother than HimقَدْVerilyجَآءَتْكُمْhas came to youبَیِّنَةٌa clear proofمِّنْfromرَّبِّكُمْyour LordفَاَوْفُواSo give fullالْكَیْلَ[the] measureوَ الْمِیْزَانَand the weightوَ لَاand (do) notتَبْخَسُواdepriveالنَّاسَ[the] peopleاَشْیَآءَهُمْin their thingsوَ لَاand (do) notتُفْسِدُوْاcause corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthبَعْدَafterاِصْلَاحِهَا ؕits reformationذٰلِكُمْThatخَیْرٌ(is) betterلَّكُمْfor youاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areمُّؤْمِنِیْنَۚbelievers وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْعُدُوْاsitبِكُلِّon everyصِرَاطٍpathتُوْعِدُوْنَthreateningوَ تَصُدُّوْنَand hinderingعَنْfromسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمَنْ(those) whoاٰمَنَbelieveبِهٖin Himوَ تَبْغُوْنَهَاand seeking (to make) itعِوَجًا ۚcrookedوَ اذْكُرُوْۤاAnd rememberاِذْwhenكُنْتُمْyou wereقَلِیْلًاfewفَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۪and He increased youوَ انْظُرُوْاAnd seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالْمُفْسِدِیْنَ (of) the corrupters وَ اِنْAnd ifكَانَ(there) isطَآىِٕفَةٌa groupمِّنْكُمْamong youاٰمَنُوْا(who has) believedبِالَّذِیْۤin that whichاُرْسِلْتُI have been sentبِهٖwith [it]وَ طَآىِٕفَةٌand a groupلَّمْnotیُؤْمِنُوْاthey believeفَاصْبِرُوْاthen be patientحَتّٰیuntilیَحْكُمَjudgesاللّٰهُAllahبَیْنَنَا ۚbetween usوَ هُوَAnd Heخَیْرُ(is the) Bestالْحٰكِمِیْنَ (of) [the] Judges 7. Al-A'raf Page 162قَالَSaidالْمَلَاُthe chiefsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoاسْتَكْبَرُوْاwere arrogantمِنْamongقَوْمِهٖhis peopleلَنُخْرِجَنَّكَWe will surely drive you outیٰشُعَیْبُO Shuaib!وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoاٰمَنُوْا(have) believedمَعَكَwith youمِنْfromقَرْیَتِنَاۤour cityاَوْorلَتَعُوْدُنَّyou must returnفِیْtoمِلَّتِنَا ؕour religionقَالَHe saidاَوَ لَوْEven ifكُنَّاwe areكٰرِهِیْنَ۫(the) ones who hate (it) قَدِVerilyافْتَرَیْنَاwe would have fabricatedعَلَیagainstاللّٰهِAllahكَذِبًاa lieاِنْifعُدْنَاwe returnedفِیْinمِلَّتِكُمْyour religionبَعْدَafterاِذْ[when]نَجّٰىنَاsaved usاللّٰهُAllahمِنْهَا ؕfrom itوَ مَاAnd notیَكُوْنُit isلَنَاۤfor usاَنْthatنَّعُوْدَwe returnفِیْهَاۤin itاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatیَّشَآءَwillsاللّٰهُAllahرَبُّنَا ؕour LordوَسِعَEncompassesرَبُّنَا(by) Our Lordكُلَّeveryشَیْءٍthingعِلْمًا ؕ(in) knowledgeعَلَیUponاللّٰهِAllahتَوَكَّلْنَا ؕwe put our trustرَبَّنَاOur LordافْتَحْDecideبَیْنَنَاbetween usوَ بَیْنَand betweenقَوْمِنَاour peopleبِالْحَقِّin truthوَ اَنْتَand Youخَیْرُ(are the) Bestالْفٰتِحِیْنَ (of) those who Decide وَ قَالَAnd saidالْمَلَاُthe chiefsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedمِنْamongقَوْمِهٖhis peopleلَىِٕنِIfاتَّبَعْتُمْyou followشُعَیْبًاShuaibاِنَّكُمْindeed youاِذًاthenلَّخٰسِرُوْنَ (will be) certainly losers فَاَخَذَتْهُمُThen seized themالرَّجْفَةُthe earthquakeفَاَصْبَحُوْاthen they becameفِیْinدَارِهِمْtheir home(s)جٰثِمِیْنَfallen prone الَّذِیْنَThose whoكَذَّبُوْاdeniedشُعَیْبًاShuaibكَاَنْ(became) as ifلَّمْnotیَغْنَوْاthey (had) livedفِیْهَا ۛۚthereinاَلَّذِیْنَThose whoكَذَّبُوْاdeniedشُعَیْبًاShuaibكَانُوْاthey wereهُمُthemالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers فَتَوَلّٰیSo he turned awayعَنْهُمْfrom themوَ قَالَand saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!لَقَدْVerilyاَبْلَغْتُكُمْI (have) conveyed to youرِسٰلٰتِ(the) Messagesرَبِّیْ(of) my Lordوَ نَصَحْتُand advisedلَكُمْ ۚ[to] youفَكَیْفَSo how couldاٰسٰیI grieveعَلٰیforقَوْمٍa peopleكٰفِرِیْنَ۠(who are) disbelievers

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Translation of Verse 85-93

85. And We sent to Madyan¹³⁴ their brother, Shuaib.¹³⁵ He said: “O my people ! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him. Verily, a clear proof has come to you from your Lord ; ¹³⁶ so give full measure and full weight; and do not defraud people of their things; ¹³⁷ do not act corruptly on the earth after, it has been set at right.¹³⁸ This is better for you if you are to believe.¹³⁹

86. “And do not squat on every road threatening¹⁴⁰ the people and debarring believers from the path of Allah, nor seek to make that path crooked. Remember how he increased¹⁴¹ your number when you were few. And see what was the end of those who acted corruptly”.

87. “And if there is a group among you who believes in the message with which I have been sent, and a group which does not believe, then have patience until Allah judges between us, and He is the best of the Judges.”

88. The nobles of his people, who were vainglorious, ¹⁴² said: “Surely, we will drive you O Shuaib and those who believe with you, out of our township unless you return to our religion.” He replied: “Even though we hate it?¹⁴³

89. “We should have invented a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah has delivered us from it,¹⁴⁴ It is not possible for us to return to it unless Allah (so) will it,¹⁴⁵ Our Lord’s knowledge embraces everything. We put our trust in Allah. Our Lord ! judge rightly between us and our people, Your are the best of judges.”

90. The nobles of his community, who were infidels, said (to their people ): “If you follow Shuaib, then truly you will be the losers.”¹⁴⁶

91. Thereupon a shocking catastrophe overtook them,¹⁴⁷ and they lay prone in their dwellings.

92. Those who belied Shuaib became as if they had never dwelt there; those who belied Shuaib were the losers.¹⁴⁸

93. So Shuaib left¹⁴⁹ them saying: “I conveyed to you, my people! the messages of my Lord, and I gave you good counsel; then how can I grieve for the people who are unbelievers.”

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Commentary

134. Madyan is the name of the tribe and also the name of a region. This tribe descended from the offsprings of prophet Ibrahim’s son, Madyan, who was born of his third wife, Qatura. In the Bible, it is stated–

“Abraham took another wife, whose name was Ketu’rah. She bore him ....................Mid’ian.” (Gen 25:1)

The region got its “name from the name of the tribe.

Madyan is situated on the banks of the Red Sea in north-west of Arabia. Its time is 1600 B.C. (circa) that is before the time of prophet Moosa.

135. Prophet Shuaib belonged to the tribe of Madyan. Allah had sent him as a prophet to his people.

136. A Prophet has a very high position on account of his virtuous character, and when he presents Allah’s message, which is received by him as revelation, then his very existence becomes a convincing proof of Allah’s message, and the, people who hold on to their healthy, normal nature find no difficulty in recognising him (the prophet).

137. The Madyan people were a business community, in whom the evil of dishonesty had become rampant. They used to interfere with the measures and weights and to sell short to the consumer, deceiving him in all their dealings. Selling short or deceiving the consumer is a great sin, the seriousness of which can be judged by reading the earlier verses of Surah Mutaffifeen.

138. This has been explained in Note No.89.

139. That is: If you accept faith, you will clearly realize that in the affairs of life the attitude or the policy which you have been directed to adopt by God is better for you and in your own interest.
The nobles of his people, who were vainglorious, said: “Surely, we will drive you O Shuaib and those who believe with you, out of our township unless you return to our religion. “He replied: “Even though we hate it? (Al-Quran)

140. It seems that the people of Madyan were professional criminals; they used to squat on the road, waiting for travellers, and used to threaten any passerby or a caravan and loot them.

141. The family of Madyan in the beginning was a small one. But Allah increased the number of its members to such an extent that it became a tribe and a community. But instead of being grateful to Allah for this divine favour, they became ungrateful.

142. Whether it is wealth or power, it creates conceit and pride in a man’s mentality. In such a state the man considers truth as insignificant and looks down on the followers of truth. This type of mentality which was seen in the leaders and nobles of the past is also seen in the present day leaders and big capitalists.

143. That is: Why this compulsion, just because it is your national religion? If a person thinks that the religion of the people of his community or nation is false, and if he does not want to attach himself to that relegion, then will he be forced to stick to that religion? If this is done, then what about the freedom of conscience, which is the natural right of a man, and in the matter of belief and faith, what weight has force in the scale of intelligence!

144. It does not mean that prophet Shuaib was earlier following a polytheistic religion and subsequently embraced Islam, but that he uttered these words in view of his companions who were first idolaters and later on accepted the true faith, because so far as a prophet is concerned he believes in the religion of nature even before conferment of prophethood; he does not soil himself with the impurity of polytheism.

145. That is: It is our firm decision that we would not give up our belief in the Unity of Allah at any cost, but in this connection we do not rely on ourselves but on Allah, because in the tussle between rejection and faith, firmness in faith , depends on the guidance from Allah only.

146. That is: Your world will be ruined. The materialists and the world-loving people always consider following the teachings of the prophets and leading a life of truth and purity as a hinderance in the material progress and a means of loss in the world.

147. At another place in Quran, this catastrophe has been termed as ‘Saihah’ (terrific explosion). It seems that lightning had struck them a terrific noise and it shook them so terribly that they fell to the ground face down and could not rise again.

148. They had said that those who would follow Shuaib would be lost or destroyed, but in actuality it was they who were lost and were destroyed.

The punishment which overtook the community of Shuaib struck only those people who had belied Shuaib and had refused to accept Allah’s message.

149. Allah had informed prophet Shuaib of the coming catastrophe, and therefore, he went away with his followers before the punishment was unleashed. And while leaving his community what pathetic words were uttered by prophet Shuaib for his community!