The story of Prophet Shu'aib^-AS‘s nation is also an episode from the same series. He was deputed to the famous city of Madyan in Syria, of which he was himself a native. The People of Madyan indulged in worshipping trees, as is seen in the Hindu mythology even today. Their business dealings were also similar to those of Hindus, for they never hesitated to cheat in weight and measure. They would chip off gold from the gold coins and circulate them in the market for full price.

 

A Trading Malpractice

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Prophet Shu’aib^-AS invited his people to worship only Allah^-SWT , as no one else deserved it. He called upon them to desist from dishonesty in weight and measure when dealing with people, as Allah^-SWT had blessed them with so much wealth and prosperity. He warned them that usurping the rights of others by giving them less in measure or weight is a crime, which diminishes the blessings, while disbelief and polytheism invite devastation both in this world and the Akhirah. According to Hadith those who are dishonest in measurement and weighing are punished by famine and inflation. According to scholars usurping the rights of others, or not discharging one's duties honestly fall in the same category. For instance, if a servant drawing salary from the employer fails to attend to his job according to the terms of employment, or if the employees in offices, hospitals and other institutions show negligence, they are also guilty of the same offence. Such dishonesty invokes punishment in the form of escalation in the cost of living, which can only be averted by dutifulness and honest dealings. Today people are victims of inflation but look for other solutions to get rid of it.

 

He told his nation that dishonesty in weight and measure was such an enormous crime that it spread mischief all over the world. It is just as the blood circulation reaches each cell of the body, fulfilling its requirement. If it is stopped or blocked from reaching any part of the body, it degenerates. Consequently the whole body suffers the ensuing pain. Or if any of the main arteries of the heart is blocked, it causes sudden death. Similarly, when a person's rights are denied, either through dishonesty in weight and measurement in matters of mutual dealings or by negligence in discharging the assigned duties, the entire nation becomes diseased. Today we rot with ills caused by our own dishonesty but woe unto the intellectuals who seek refuge under Western democracy or socialism. For sure, the former is a splendid sham, while the latter is the last and most horrid form of oppression and tyranny. Alas! If only they could study the golden and celestial codes of Islam.

 

He further told his people that it was ironical that they considered themselves to be honest and rightly guided inspite of indulging in disbelief and polytheism. Whereas faith demands that one should be content with what can be acquired through permissible and lawful means. That indeed is the best of provisions. However, if it is adulterated by depriving others of their rights, the associated blessings are also replaced by affliction. He warned them that if they did not give up their sins, he would not be able to help them in any way. He could not force them to mend their ways, nor could he rescue them if they persisted on evil. They resorted to sarcasm towards his piety and Salat. They questioned why he refuted their ancestral religion and objected on how they spent their own money, whereas they had an absolute right on their possessions. Since Prophet Shu'aib^-AS  was an extremely devoted worshipper, they passed venomous remarks on his worship and believed that worship and mutual dealings were two entirely unrelated things. Today also the pious segment of the society is advised to concentrate on their worship, and not to bother about the politics or other affairs of the country. But it must be remembered that after faith, the most important concern is mutual dealings, followed by individual worships.

 

Personal Conduct

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But they insisted that a noble, sagacious, and virtuous person like Prophet Shu’aib^-AS need not bother about the malpractices of others. Since the lives of the Prophets^–AS are exemplary, their childhood and youth stand out from the rest of the society in goodness and virtue. Even the infidels acknowledged the perfection of their character. Therefore, the reformers and the saints must exhibit an exemplary character, which can be very effective for the purpose of preaching.

 

Prophet Shu'aib^-AS informed them that he himself was the first one to reject the malpractices from which he forbade them. They ought to have known that his words did not contradict his practices. He was not indulging in malpractices to amass wealth while preaching them not to do so. They must know very well that Allah^-SWT had blessed him with the best of provisions: wealth, knowledge, wisdom and the light of Prophethood. He^-SWT had also blessed him with miracles as clear evidence and he only desired to reform them so that they could lead an honourable life in this world and win eternal bliss in the Akhirah. And as far as he was concerned, he was going to put in all that he had in order to accomplish his mission. They could neither deter him by pleading nor by force. Whatever he had was purely due to Allah^-SWT ’s Blessing. He exerted all his energy and power in Allah^-SWT ’s obedience and it was only Him^-SWT that he relied upon with his heart and soul. Anabat (turning to) is in fact that most secret resolution of the heart whereby it decides where to associate itself and as a result, one's entire practical life is moulded accordingly.

 

Hostility To Prophets as And Aulia Invokes Allah^-SWT ’s Wrath

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He warned his people that mere prejudices against him must not drown them deeper into the sin. Such an attitude shall invoke Allah^-SWT ’s Wrath, as was suffered by the People of Prophets Nuh^-AS , Hud^-AS and Salih^-AS. The ordeal of the People of Lut^-AS was also recent and provided ample lessons for them to renounce their wickedness. Besides, persisting on sin only to oppose the nobles in order to fail them in their mission or to vex them openly invites His^-SWT Punishment.

 

He advised his people to seek Allah^-SWT ’s Forgiveness from the core of their hearts and vow never to commit these sins again, as He^-SWT is very Clement and Merciful and loves His^-SWT bondsmen. He^-SWT would certainly forgive them, he said, and grant them the capacity to stay away from evil in future. All they had to do was to turn to Him^-SWT and seek His^-SWT Forgiveness. But alas! History repeats itself and sin strips the heart of its understanding, rendering it deaf, dumb and blind. It then fails to accept anything good. So finally they told Prophet Shu'aib^–as that whatever he had said did not make any sense to them. They did not see anything remarkable about him. He was an ordinary and humble human being whom they tolerated only because of his tribe, in order to maintain peace in the society. Otherwise they would have stoned him to death publicly as in their eyes he enjoyed no significance.

 

He remorsefully announced that they were indeed unfortunate for they respected his clan and had no regard for the Almighty Allah^-SWT , Whose Prophet^-AS he was! And they must remember that his Rabb^-SWT is fully Aware of their deeds and is Omnipotent over everything. He^-SWT could seize them whenever it pleased Him^-SWT . So if they had decided to defy him, they were free to persist on their misdeeds and wait for His^-SWT Decision. And it would soon be clear as to who suffered by His^-SWT Punishment and was destroyed. This would also prove as to who the liar was, so together they must wait for the hour.

 

In the end, Allah^-SWT ’s Punishment struck. Once again, while doom gripped the non believers, Allah^-SWT ’s Mercy was being showered on the Prophet^-AS and his followers. Thus Prophet Shu’aib^-AS and those who believed in him were delivered while every soul including his abode perished as a result of an awfully shrill cry, leaving behind morbid remains of their settlement, as if these had never been inhabited. Listen carefully O' people, that the dwellers of Madyan were afflicted in the same way as the Thamud had once been.