Let Not Your Dislike of Me

And O my people, let not my shiqāq cause you to suffer the fate similar to that of the people of Nūḥ, or Hūd, or Ṣāliḥ; and the people of Lūṭ are not far off from you.

The people of Shuʿayb were despising Shuʿayb. They hated Shuʿayb (peace be upon him); they disliked him. Sayyidunā Shuʿayb was telling them: do not let this personal problem that you have with me prevent you from the truth and your salvation. Just because you dislike me — just because you have developed a sour relationship with me — doesn't mean that you should prevent yourselves from this good. This good belongs to Allah; it's not mine.

This is what caused the Yahūd in Madīnah to disbelieve in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was not a Jew. They threw themselves in the Hellfire because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was not one of them. Jealousy and hatred prevented them from the truth, even though they knew that he's the Messenger of Allah.

Shuʿayb is telling them: don't make this thing between us prevent you from being Muslim. And don't let this between us cause the same fate of Hūd and Ṣāliḥ and the other nations. Don't let the fate that happened to them happen to you, just because you don't get along with me.

And then he told them: wa mā qawmu Lūṭin minkum bi-baʿīd — and the people of Lūṭ are not far away from you. The mufassirūn say this could mean either one of these two meanings. Wa mā qawmu Lūṭin minkum bi-baʿīd: and the people of Lūṭ are not far away from you. Either they are not far away from you in terms of distance — and that is true, because the people of Madyan were close to the people of Lūṭ in terms of proximity, distance. The second meaning is that they're not far away in terms of time: so they were not far apart in terms of time. Either one of these meanings could be right, or both of them. They knew the fate of the people of Lūṭ; they knew what happened to Lūṭ. Nevertheless, they did not believe.

And then he said: wa-staghfirū rabbakum thumma tūbū ilayhi, inna rabbī raḥīmun wadūd. Seek forgiveness from Allah — and this is the advice that every Nabī has given to his followers. Ask Allah for forgiveness. So we all say: nastaghfiru Allāha al-ʿAẓīm. O Allah (swt), forgive us all for our sins.