English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 11: Hud — Hud (Revealed at Makkah: 10 sections, 123 verses)
Section 8 (Verses 11:84–11:95): History of Shuaib
Translation:
وَ اِلٰی مَدۡیَنَ اَخَاہُمۡ شُعَیۡبًا ؕ قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰہٍ غَیۡرُہٗ ؕ وَ لَا تَنۡقُصُوا الۡمِکۡیَالَ وَ الۡمِیۡزَانَ اِنِّیۡۤ اَرٰىکُمۡ بِخَیۡرٍ وَّ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ مُّحِیۡطٍ ﴿۸۴﴾
11:84 And to Midian (We sent) their brother Shuaib. He said: My people, serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. And do not give short measure and weight. I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing day.
وَ یٰقَوۡمِ اَوۡفُوا الۡمِکۡیَالَ وَ الۡمِیۡزَانَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ وَ لَا تَبۡخَسُوا النَّاسَ اَشۡیَآءَہُمۡ وَ لَا تَعۡثَوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِیۡنَ ﴿۸۵﴾
11:85 And, my people, give full measure and weight justly, and do not defraud people of their things, nor act corruptly in the land, making mischief.
بَقِیَّتُ اللّٰہِ خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ۬ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَنَا عَلَیۡکُمۡ بِحَفِیۡظٍ ﴿۸۶﴾
11:86 What remains with Allah is better for you, if you are believers.1 And I am not a keeper over you.
قَالُوۡا یٰشُعَیۡبُ اَصَلٰوتُکَ تَاۡمُرُکَ اَنۡ نَّتۡرُکَ مَا یَعۡبُدُ اٰبَآؤُنَاۤ اَوۡ اَنۡ نَّفۡعَلَ فِیۡۤ اَمۡوَالِنَا مَا نَشٰٓؤُاؕ اِنَّکَ لَاَنۡتَ الۡحَلِیۡمُ الرَّشِیۡدُ ﴿۸۷﴾
11:87 They said: Shuaib, does your prayer enjoin you that we should give up what our fathers worshipped or that we should not do what we please with regard to our property? So you are the one who is the forbearing, the right-directing!
قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اَرَءَیۡتُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُ عَلٰی بَیِّنَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّیۡ وَ رَزَقَنِیۡ مِنۡہُ رِزۡقًا حَسَنًا ؕ وَ مَاۤ اُرِیۡدُ اَنۡ اُخَالِفَکُمۡ اِلٰی مَاۤ اَنۡہٰکُمۡ عَنۡہُ ؕ اِنۡ اُرِیۡدُ اِلَّا الۡاِصۡلَاحَ مَا اسۡتَطَعۡتُ ؕ وَ مَا تَوۡفِیۡقِیۡۤ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہِ ؕعَلَیۡہِ تَوَکَّلۡتُ وَ اِلَیۡہِ اُنِیۡبُ ﴿۸۸﴾
11:88 He said: My people, do you see if I have a clear proof from my Lord and He has given me a goodly sustenance from Himself? And I do not desire to act in opposition to you, in what I forbid you. I desire nothing but reform, so far as I am able. And with none but Allah is the direction of my affair to a right issue. In Him I trust and to Him I turn.
وَ یٰقَوۡمِ لَا یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ شِقَاقِیۡۤ اَنۡ یُّصِیۡبَکُمۡ مِّثۡلُ مَاۤ اَصَابَ قَوۡمَ نُوۡحٍ اَوۡ قَوۡمَ ہُوۡدٍ اَوۡ قَوۡمَ صٰلِحٍ ؕ وَ مَا قَوۡمُ لُوۡطٍ مِّنۡکُمۡ بِبَعِیۡدٍ ﴿۸۹﴾
11:89 And, my people, do not let opposition to me make you guilty so that there may befall you the like of what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hūd, or the people of Sālih. Nor are the people of Lot far off from you.
وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡا رَبَّکُمۡ ثُمَّ تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِ ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ رَحِیۡمٌ وَّدُوۡدٌ ﴿۹۰﴾
11:90 And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him. Surely my Lord is Merciful, Loving-kind.
قَالُوۡا یٰشُعَیۡبُ مَا نَفۡقَہُ کَثِیۡرًا مِّمَّا تَقُوۡلُ وَ اِنَّا لَنَرٰىکَ فِیۡنَا ضَعِیۡفًا ۚ وَ لَوۡ لَا رَہۡطُکَ لَرَجَمۡنٰکَ ۫ وَ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ عَلَیۡنَا بِعَزِیۡزٍ ﴿۹۱﴾
11:91 They said: Shuaib, we do not understand much of what you say and surely we see you to be weak among us. And if it were not for your family, we would surely stone you, and you are not strong against us.
قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اَرَہۡطِیۡۤ اَعَزُّ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ اتَّخَذۡتُمُوۡہُ وَرَآءَکُمۡ ظِہۡرِیًّا ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ مُحِیۡطٌ ﴿۹۲﴾
11:92 He said: My people, is my family more esteemed by you than Allah? And you neglect Him as a thing cast behind your backs! Surely my Lord encompasses what you do.
وَ یٰقَوۡمِ اعۡمَلُوۡا عَلٰی مَکَانَتِکُمۡ اِنِّیۡ عَامِلٌ ؕ سَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ۙ مَنۡ یَّاۡتِیۡہِ عَذَابٌ یُّخۡزِیۡہِ وَ مَنۡ ہُوَ کَاذِبٌ ؕ وَ ارۡتَقِبُوۡۤا اِنِّیۡ مَعَکُمۡ رَقِیۡبٌ ﴿۹۳﴾
11:93 And, my people, act according to your ability, I too am acting. You will soon know upon whom will come the punishment, that will dis-grace him, and who is a liar. And watch, surely I too am watching with you.
وَ لَمَّا جَآءَ اَمۡرُنَا نَجَّیۡنَا شُعَیۡبًا وَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَہٗ بِرَحۡمَۃٍ مِّنَّا وَ اَخَذَتِ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّیۡحَۃُ فَاَصۡبَحُوۡا فِیۡ دِیَارِہِمۡ جٰثِمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۴﴾
11:94 And when Our decree came to pass, We delivered Shuaib and those who believed with him by mercy from Us. And the cry overtook those who did wrong, so they were motionless bodies in their abodes,
کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ یَغۡنَوۡا فِیۡہَا ؕ اَلَا بُعۡدًا لِّمَدۡیَنَ کَمَا بَعِدَتۡ ثَمُوۡدُ ﴿٪۹۵﴾
11:95 as though they had never dwelt in them. So away with Midian, just as Thamūd perished!
Commentary:
- Baqiyyat Allāh would properly signify that part of man’s doing which remains with Allah, i.e., the righteous or good works, of which the recompense remains, the word conveying the same significance as bāqiyāt in 18:46 and 19:76. But it may also mean what Allah leaves to you after you have paid the dues of others. ↩