Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 176-191كَذَّبَDeniedاَصْحٰبُ(the) companionsلْـَٔیْكَةِ(of the) Woodالْمُرْسَلِیْنَۚۖthe Messengers اِذْWhenقَالَsaidلَهُمْto themشُعَیْبٌShuaibاَلَاWill notتَتَّقُوْنَۚyou fear (Allah) اِنِّیْIndeed I amلَكُمْto youرَسُوْلٌa Messengerاَمِیْنٌۙtrustworthy فَاتَّقُواSo fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ اَطِیْعُوْنِۚand obey me وَ مَاۤAnd notاَسْـَٔلُكُمْI ask (of) youعَلَیْهِfor itمِنْanyاَجْرٍ ۚpaymentاِنْNotاَجْرِیَ(is) my paymentاِلَّاexceptعَلٰیfromرَبِّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَؕ(of) the worlds اَوْفُواGive fullالْكَیْلَmeasureوَ لَاand (do) notتَكُوْنُوْاbeمِنَofالْمُخْسِرِیْنَۚthose who cause loss وَزِنُوْاAnd weighبِالْقِسْطَاسِwith a balanceالْمُسْتَقِیْمِۚ[the] even وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَبْخَسُواdepriveالنَّاسَpeopleاَشْیَآءَهُمْ(of) their thingsوَ لَاand (do) notتَعْثَوْاcommit evilفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمُفْسِدِیْنَۚspreading corruption 26. Ash-Shu'ara Page 375وَ اتَّقُواAnd fearالَّذِیْthe One Whoخَلَقَكُمْcreated youوَ الْجِبِلَّةَand the generationsالْاَوَّلِیْنَؕthe former قَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنَّمَاۤOnlyاَنْتَyouمِنَ(are) ofالْمُسَحَّرِیْنَۙthose bewitched وَ مَاۤAnd notاَنْتَyouاِلَّا(are) exceptبَشَرٌa manمِّثْلُنَاlike usوَ اِنْand indeedنَّظُنُّكَwe think youلَمِنَsurely (are) ofالْكٰذِبِیْنَۚthe liars فَاَسْقِطْThen cause to fallعَلَیْنَاupon usكِسَفًاfragmentsمِّنَofالسَّمَآءِthe skyاِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَؕthe truthful قَالَHe saidرَبِّیْۤMy Lordاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ you do فَكَذَّبُوْهُBut they denied himفَاَخَذَهُمْso seized themعَذَابُ(the) punishmentیَوْمِ(of the) dayالظُّلَّةِ ؕ(of) the shadowاِنَّهٗIndeed itكَانَwasعَذَابَ(the) punishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayعَظِیْمٍ Great اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً ؕsurely is a signوَ مَاbut notكَانَareاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themمُّؤْمِنِیْنَ believers وَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَهُوَsurely Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمُ۠the Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 176-191

(26:176) The people of Aykah also gave the lie to the Messengers.¹¹⁵

(26:177) Recall, when Shuayb said to them: "Have you no fear?

(26:178) I am a trustworthy Messenger to you.

(26:179) So fear Allah and obey me.

(26:180) I ask of you no reward for this. My reward is with none but the Lord of the Universe.

(26:181) Fill up the measure and do not diminish the goods of people,

(26:182) weigh with an even balance

(26:183) and do not deliver short, and do not go about creating mischief in the land,

(26:184) and have fear of Him Who created you and the earlier generations."

(26:185) They said: "You are no more than one of those who have been bewitched,

(26:186) you are only a mortal like us. Indeed we believe that you are an utter liar.

(26:187) So cause a piece of the sky to fall upon us if you are truthful."

(26:188) Shuayb said: "My Lord knows well all what you do."¹¹⁶

(26:189) Then they branded him a liar, whereupon the chastisement of the Day of Canopy overtook them.¹¹⁷ It was the chastisement of a very awesome day.

(26:190) Surely there is a Sign in this, but most of them would not believe.

(26:191) Verily Your Lord is Immensely Mighty, Most Compassionate.

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Commentary

115. The story of the people of Aykah is succinctly mentioned in Surah al-Hijr (15:78-84.) Qur’anic commentators, however, disagree on the identity of the people of Aykah and Madyan (Midian). Were these two separate communities, or are they the names of the same people? Some scholars consider them two different peoples on the authority of the following verse: “And to Midian, We sent forth their brother Shu‘ayb” (al-A ‘raf 7:85). It is significant that in the present surah the people of Aykah are mentioned, but the Qur’an does not use the words “their brother” (akhahum) but only says: “Recall when Shu‘ayb said to them ...” (al-Shu‘ara’ 26:177). Conversely, other scholars who believe that Midian and Aykah refer to the same people, base their opinion on the similarity between the traits of the peoples of Midian and Aykah referred to in Surah al-A‘raf and Surah Hud respectively. (For comparison see Hud 11:84—95, al-A ‘raf 7:85-93, al-Hijr 15:78-84 and the present set of verses — Ed.) Furthermore, the message and the exhortation of the Prophet Shu ‘ayb addressed to the people of Aykah were similar to those he delivered to the people of Midian. Significantly, the ultimate end of Aykah and Midian was also identical.

Further research shows that both opinions seem to be correct in the sense that the people of Midian and Aykah were two separate branches of the same tribe. The progeny of Abraham from his wife (or slave girl) Catarrh (Qattura) is known among the Arabs and Israelites as the Children of Catarrh (Bani Qatura.) The most prominent branch of this tribe is known as the Midianites after their ancestor Midian, son of Abraham. They lived in the territory between northern Arabia and southern Palestine and along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of ‘Aqabah. Their capital was Midian. According to Abu al-Fida’, Midian (Madyan) was located at five days’ journey from Aykah (present-day ‘Aqabah) on the western coast of the Gulf of ‘Aqabah. The rest of the Children of Catarrh or the Banu Qatura, among whom the Dedanites are relatively better known, settled in the territory between Tayma’, Tabuk and al- ‘Ula’ in northern Arabia.

Their main city was Tabuk, the Aykah of ancient times (Yaqut in his Mu‘jam al- Buldan writes in his entry on Aykah that: it was the ancient name of Tabuk.) (See Yaqut al-Hamawi, Mu ‘jam al-Buldan, q.v. ‘al- Aykah”, Vol. 1, p. 291 — Ed.)

Perhaps the reason behind sending the same Prophet to people of both. Aykah and Midian was their common ancestry. Both spoke the same language and their territories bordered each other. It is also possible that they shared common territories and that they intermarried. Thus their societies had a mixture of both tribes’ features. Both were societies of professional traders and both had similar vices and moral weaknesses. The early books of the Bible often identify that these people worshipped Baal-peor. At the time of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their entry in these territories, the people there were already contaminated by idolatry and adultery. (See Numbers 25:1-5; 31:15-17.)

Furthermore, these people occupied two main international trade routes, one joining Yemen with Syria and the other linking the Persian Gulf with Egypt. Taking advantage of their geographical location, they charged the caravans, which passed through their territory, exorbitant fees, in essence, rendering the trade route unsafe for peaceful commerce. Essentially, they were little more than highway robbers The Qur’an mentions that both lived “on a well-known highway” (al-Hijr 15:79), and their thieving is also identified in Surah al-A “raf in the following words. “and do not lie in ambush by every path (of life) seeking to overawe or to hinder from the path of Allah those who believe, nor seek to make the path crooked. Remember, how you were once few, and then He multiplied you, and keep in mind what was the end of the mischief-makers” (7: 86)

These were the reason why God sent to both tribes the same Prophet who delivered to them the same Message. For details of the story of the Prophet Shu‘ayb and the people of Midian see Al Araf (7: 58-93); Hud (11: 84-95), and al Ankabut (29: 36-7).

and their thieving is also identified in Surah al-A “raf in the following people of Midian were destroyed by a violent earthquake: “Thereupon a shocking catastrophe seized them, and they remained prostrate in their dwellings” (al-A ‘raf 7:91), and “... the blast seized those who were engaged in wrong-doing, so they lay lifeless in their homes” (Hud 1 1:94).

116. Shu’ayb made it clear that it did not lie in his power to bring a scourge upon them. It was only in God’s power to do so and God was fully aware of their misdeeds. If He considered it fit to send His scourge, He would do so.

There was an implicit warning for the Quraysh in the demand of the people of Aykah to their Prophet, that he should bring God’s scourge upon them. There was also a warning to the Quraysh in the answer that the Prophet Shuayb gave to his people. This because the Quraysh had also asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) to bring God’s scourge upon them: “… or you cause the sky to fall on us in pieces as you clamed, or you bring Allah and the angels before us, face to face” (Bani Isra il 17: 92). The subtle Message that is here being given to the Quraysh with reference to the people of Aykah is that the answer the people of Aykah received from their Prophet, Shu’ayb, was also the answer Muhammad (peace be on him) gave to them.

117. The details of this punishment are not mentioned in the Quran or Hadith. What can be gleaned from the text is this: because these people had asked that a scourge be brought down upon them from the sky, God sent a cloud which hung over them like a canopy until they were destroyed by an evil rain. The Quran makes it very clear that the punishment meted out to the people of Midian was different from that meted out to the people of Aykah. The latter were destroyed by a scourge in the form of a canopy of cloud but the people of Midian were destroyed by a violent earthquake: Thereupon a shocking catastrophe seized them, and they remained prostrate in their dwellings”. (al Araf 7: 91), and “…. The blast seized those who were engaged in wrong-doing, so they lay lifeless in their homes” (Hud 11: 94).

It is not right, therefore, to identify the people of Midian and Aykah as one and the same people. Some Qur’anic commentators have also attempted to elaborate upon the “punishment of the Day of Canopy”, but we do not know the sources of their information. Tabari quoted the following statement from Abd Allah ibn Abbas’: “Reject anything stated by the learned about the punishment of the Day of Canopy as a lie.” (See Tabari, Tafsir, comments on _ Surah al-Shu’ara (26: 189).