11. Surah Hud, Mecca 52
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ
أَخَاهُمْ
شُعَيْبًا...
11: 84. To the Madyan people (We sent) Shu'ayb, one of their own brethren:
...قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـهٍ غَيْرُهُ...
he said:
"O my people! worship God:
ye have no other god but Him.
...وَلاَ تَنقُصُواْ الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ...
And give not short measure or weight:
...إِنِّيَ أَرَاكُم بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّيَ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُّحِيطٍ ﴿٨٤﴾
I see you in prosperity, but I fear for you the Penalty of a Day that will compass (you) all round.
Transliteration Wa ila_ madyana akha_hum syu'aiba_(n), qa_la ya_ qaumi-'budulla_ha ma_ lakum min ila_hin gairuh(u_), wa la_ tanqusul mikya_la wal miza_na inni ara_kum bi khairiw wa inni akha_fu 'alaikum 'aza_ba yaumim muhit(in).
11: 84
Pickthall And unto Midian (We sent) their brother Shueyb. He said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other God save Him! And give not short measure and short weight. Lo! I see you well to do, and lo! I fear for you the doom of a besetting Day.
Yuksel To Midian was their brother Shuayb, he said, "My people, serve God, you have no god besides Him, and do not give short in the measure and weight. I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the retribution of a day that is surrounding."
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Ali’s comments:
1582. Cf. 7:85-93.
The location of Madyan is explained in n. 1053 to 7:85 and the chronological place of Shu'ayb in n. 1064 to 7:93.
The point of the reference here is different from that in Surah 7. Here the emphasis is on Allah's dealings with men and men's crooked and obstinate ways:
there the emphasis was rather on their treatment of their Prophet, thus throwing light on some of the sins of the Makkans in later times.
1583. The Midianites were a commercial people, and their besetting sin was commercial selfishness and fraudulent dealings in weights and measures.
Their Prophet tells them that that is the surest way to cut short their "prosperity", both in the material and the spiritual sense. When the Day of Judgment comes, it will search out their dealings through and through: "it will compass them all round," and they will not be able to escape then, however Much they may conceal their frauds in this world.