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
وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَآءَتْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
And you do not resent us except because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You]."
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتِهِمَآ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ يَرَىٰكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُۥ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.
فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ
But those who wronged among them changed [the words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them. So We sent upon them a punishment from the sky for the wrong that they were doing.
أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ أَن جَآءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِّنكُمْ لِيُنذِرَكُمْ وَلِتَتَّقُوا۟ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
Then do you wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from among you, that he may warn you and that you may fear Allāh so you might receive mercy?"