فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَـٰلَـٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَـٰفِرِينَ 93
Translations
And he [i.e., Shuʿayb] turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you, so how could I grieve for a disbelieving people?"
Transliteration
Fatawallā 'anhum wa-qāla yā-qawmi laqad ablaghtukum risālāti rabbī wa-nasahtu lakum fa-kayfa āsā 'alā qawmin kāfirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the final words of Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) to the people of Madyan after they rejected his message. He turned away from them, having fulfilled his prophetic duty by conveying Allah's messages and offering sincere counsel, and expressed his grief at their disbelief. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, Shu'ayb's turning away symbolizes the completion of the call to Allah and the inevitability of divine judgment upon those who reject guidance despite clear proofs.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Shu'ayb's mission within Surah Al-A'raf, a Meccan surah that extensively details the stories of various prophets and their peoples. The context portrays Shu'ayb's warning against dishonesty in commerce and the worship of idols, and his people's stubborn rejection. This passage illustrates the spiritual state of a messenger after exhausting all means of persuasion.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to the concept of 'husn al-nasihah' (sincere counsel). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Ad-dīn an-nasīhah' (The religion is sincere counsel) - Sahih Muslim. Additionally, the ayah reflects the Prophet's experience of rejection as mentioned in Surah 26:3-4 regarding his own call to his people.
Themes
Key Lesson
A believer who sincerely conveys the truth and offers genuine counsel has fulfilled their obligation before Allah, regardless of whether people accept or reject the message. Our responsibility is to communicate with wisdom and compassion, but the outcome rests with Allah alone.