If You Follow Shuʿayb, You Will Be the Losers

They threatened Shuʿayb (peace be upon him). They said: wa qāla al-malaʾu alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi la-ini-ttabaʿtum Shuʿayban innakum idhan la-khāsirūn. The chiefs — see, the chiefs; always the trouble comes from the leadership. The chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said to their people: if you follow Shuʿayb, be sure then you will be of the losers. They started telling the people: don't follow Shuʿayb, otherwise you would lose.

The punishment of Allah (swt) came on them. Fa-akhadhathumu al-rajfatu fa-aṣbaḥū fī dārihim jāthimīn: so the earthquake seized them, and they lay dead, prostrate, in their homes.

The mufassirūn say the punishment of the people of Shuʿayb happened this way. Clouds came over their heads. And then the wind stopped, so the air ceased to move; it was still. That was a punishment — because without air circulation, humidity builds up; the air is stuffy and hot. They were living under that air for days. The air is still; it's not moving at all; no breeze. This is a condition that we can never go through, because it never happens: always, air is moving. But imagine the air is still, it's not moving at all, and the humidity is building up, and clouds over their heads — so it's filled with humidity. And that was a preparation for the punishment of the earthquake that came, and shook them, and destroyed them all.

Allah (swt) says: alladhīna kadhdhabū Shuʿayban ka-an lam yaghnaw fīhā. Those who belied Shuʿayb became as if they had never lived there before. After that earthquake, you come and see the town of Madyan: it looks like a ghost town, as if nobody was living there before. This financial district, so to say — or financial centre — became nothing.

Alladhīna kadhdhabū Shuʿayban kānū humu al-khāsirīn. Allāhu akbar. Those who belied Shuʿayb, they were the losers. The leaders were saying: if you follow Shuʿayb, you would be of those who are losers. Allah (swt) says: those who disbelieved in Shuʿayb, they were the losers.

And he said: fa-tawallā ʿanhum wa qāla yā qawmi laqad ablaghtukum risālāti rabbī wa naṣaḥtu lakum, fa-kayfa āsā ʿalā qawmin kāfirīn. When they were dead, Shuʿayb looked at their bodies, and started speaking to their dead bodies. Shuʿayb said: O my people, I have indeed conveyed my Lord's message unto you, and I have given you good advice.

He's telling his people, when they're dead: I have fulfilled my mission; I have done my part. And Allah has fulfilled His promise on me, and He has fulfilled His promise on you. I have conveyed the message to you, and you refused to follow it. And then he said: then how can I feel sorry for the disbelieving people?

He is looking at their dead bodies, and he is still telling them: I have no sorrow for you. Why? Because how can I have sorrow in my heart for the disbelievers? The ones who displeased Allah, I am displeased with them. The ones whom Allah (swt) was angry with, I despise them. And I have no sorrow for you. This is the story of Sayyidunā Shuʿayb.