Shuʿayb: Either You Get Out, or You Return to Our Way

There follows the remaining part of the account of Shuʿayb (peace be upon him), which had begun in the previous juzʾ, at verse 85. Here the account is continued, beginning at verse 88. It must be remembered that this is Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: the Aʿrāf itself, the place between Paradise and the Fire, has already been treated. These now are various historical accounts of the prophets, from which lessons are to be taken. Allah (swt) says that the people of Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) said: we shall evict you, we shall drive you out, we shall put you out of here — you and those who have believed in you — out of our district; you may not stay here.

Aw la-taʿūdunna fī millatinā: either you go out, or you return to our way of thinking; you return to our religion, our doctrine, our beliefs, our way of life and system. And the answer Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) gives is: even if we are unwilling? In a manner, one's freedom of rights is gone. He did not say so, there being probably no notion of freedom of rights in that sense, as a slogan. But lessons may be drawn from all of it; one may appreciate and sympathise with the situation. It is the recurrence of a generic notion: either be as we are, or get out. There have been presidents of the world, presidents of great countries, who say: go back where you came from if you will not be like us. As though there were but one way of being in a given place. What must be understood is that Western countries are cosmopolitan. They are built upon their people. Hence whoever is there contributes. They contribute. They are not single systems of one ideology. That is the whole notion of the Western system. That is why they must incorporate everyone, and everyone then has a voice. And that is why Muslims make their mark wherever they go — whether in their food, or in their need for worship.

Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) says: we should be transgressing, we should be slandering Allah (swt) and inventing a lie against Him, were we to return to your dīn after Allah delivered us from it. Allah gave us deliverance from it. If Allah wills, He may make us do whatever He wishes, for our Lord knows everything; He encompasses everything in knowledge; and upon Him do we rely. Often, in dealing with attacks upon us — accusations, complaints, criticisms — we try to meet them directly, without thinking of Allah. What this teaches is that one must indeed deal with them and must answer, but that it must be ʿalā Allāhi tawakkalnā: upon Allah do we rely. One must rely upon Allah. One must have Allah in mind while answering and while considering the matter.

And consider the duʿāʾ they make: rabbanā ftaḥ baynanā. This would be a fine duʿāʾ to keep making when we feel vulnerable, and when we are under threat of attack or under attack: rabbanā ftaḥ baynanā wa-bayna qawminā bi-l-ḥaqq. Consider the situation in India at present; consider what the Rohingya face. So: our Lord, rabbanā ftaḥ baynanā wa-bayna qawminā bi-l-ḥaqq — resolve the matter between us, open it, decide it, by the truth; wa-anta khayru al-fātiḥīn, and You are the best of those who open and who decide.