We Do Not Understand Much of What You Say

Sayyidunā Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) insisted on these points, and kept on making daʿwah to them. Because they didn't want to understand what he's saying, and they didn't attempt to learn it. They said: O Shuʿayb, we do not understand a lot of what you are saying. We don't understand.

This is not because Shuʿayb wasn't clear. Sayyidunā Shuʿayb was Khaṭīb al-Anbiyāʾ: he was speaker of the anbiyāʾ, the prophets. He was very clear, and very eloquent, and he would drive the information to them as clear as possible. But they didn't want to understand, so they didn't understand. They did not want to, because they were shutting their ears. They said: we don't understand what you say.

And then they said: wa innā la-narāka fīnā ḍaʿīfā — and we see you as a weak man. They only understand the language of force. You're a weak man; we see you as weak, ḍaʿīf. And the only reason why they're not getting rid of him by killing him is: wa law lā rahṭuka la-rajamnāka, wa mā anta ʿalaynā bi-ʿazīz. Were it not for your family, we should certainly have stoned you, and you are not powerful against us.

Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) was from a noble, strong family. Why? Because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says that after Sayyidunā Lūṭ, Allah (swt) has sent every messenger in a strong family. We talked about Lūṭ last night, when he said: I wish that I could lean on a source of power — because Sayyidunā Lūṭ didn't have any family members with him. He was alone in Sadūm. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says: mā baʿatha Allāhu nabiyyan baʿda Lūṭin illā fī manʿatin min qawmih. Any prophet that was sent after Lūṭ was sent in a strong family. So Shuʿayb was sent in a strong family.

So the people of Shuʿayb are saying: if it wasn't for your family, we would kill you, and stone you, and get rid of you — and you can't do anything. We have no respect for you as an individual, and if it's not for the sake of your family, we would kill you. The message is clear: we don't respect you; you're worthless in our eyes; it's only for the sake of your family that we're sparing your life.