ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا۟ فِيهَا ۚ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ 92
Translations
Those who denied Shuʿayb - it was as though they had never resided there. Those who denied Shuʿayb - it was they who were the losers.
Transliteration
Alladhīna kadhdhabhū Shu'ayban ka-an lam yaghnaw fīhā. Alladhīna kadhdhabhū Shu'ayban kānū hum al-khāsirīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the destruction of the people of Madyan (Midian) who rejected the prophet Shu'ayb, stating they were annihilated as though they had never dwelt in prosperity in their land. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'as if they had never been in it in comfort' emphasizes the complete obliteration of their civilization and the erasure of their former glory, serving as a stark warning to those who reject divine guidance. The repetition of 'those who rejected Shu'ayb were the losers' underscores the inevitable consequence of rejecting prophetic truth—ultimate loss in both worldly and eternal terms.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Shu'ayb (Jethro) in Surah Al-A'raf, a Meccan chapter. The broader context describes how the people of Madyan engaged in fraud and dishonesty in commercial transactions, and when Shu'ayb warned them to worship Allah alone and cease their corrupt practices, they mocked and rejected him. This ayah concludes that narrative section, illustrating the divine punishment that befell them.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sunan Ibn Majah and other collections record that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) warned his followers against the practices of dishonesty in commerce that the people of Madyan engaged in, emphasizing that rejecting prophetic guidance leads to destruction.
Themes
Key Lesson
Rejecting the message of truth and guidance from Allah's messengers leads to irreversible loss and destruction, both materially and spiritually. The complete erasure of the people of Madyan despite their former prosperity serves as a timeless reminder that no worldly success can protect one from divine accountability.
Related Ayahs
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
And for every nation is a [specified] term. So when their time has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا۟ ۗ مَا بِصَاحِبِهِم مِّن جِنَّةٍ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
Then do they not give thought? There is in their companion [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] no madness. He is not but a clear warner.
وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَـٰنَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ ۖ وَأَلْقَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ ۚ قَالَ ٱبْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا۟ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِىَ ٱلْأَعْدَآءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people overpowered me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people."
۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
O children of Adam, take your adornment [i.e., wear your clothing] at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.