Shuaib’s (AS) Message

Shuaib (AS) was a messenger sent to the people of a place called Madian, in Arabia. This was the same place that Musa (AS) went to after he had to leave Egypt. The people of Madian were corrupt and greedy; they were not fair in their business, and would often lie and use trickery to cheat people of their money. It is also said that they were the first people to make travellers pay fees to go through their lands. They lived well because of Allah’s mercy to them, but even then they were so greedy that they continued to lie and cheat people out of their money. They also did not believe in Allah.

Shuaib (AS) came to them with a simple message: ‘O my people, worship Allah, you have no other god besides him. I come to you with clear signs from Allah, so do not cheat in your business, give the full amount, and do not cause injustice against others. And don’t sit on every road threatening and stopping people from following the path of Allah.’

Allah had blessed Shuaib (AS) by making him a very good speaker. So he argued with his people very powerfully, but still they did not listen. The arrogant chiefs of Madian became angry at Shuaib (AS) and began to threaten him and the few people who had believed in him if they did not turn away from the religion of Allah. So Shuaib (AS) warned them that if they did this and did not follow him, they would have to face destruction by the hand of Allah.

Shuaib (AS) continued to tell his people to stop their evil practices, but they simply made fun of him. They claimed that Shuaib (AS) was preaching just so he could become even richer, but Shuaib (AS) promised them that he did not want a single penny from them and that his reward would be from Allah alone. Eventually, the people of Madian drove Shuaib (AS) and his followers out of the city because they did not want to hear the truth anymore.

Soon after, Allah struck the evil people of Madian with many punishments, till they were all wiped out from the face of the Earth. In the Quran, Allah mentions a terrible cry and a dark cloud, as well as an earthquake, after which all the disbelievers fell dead in their own homes. This may have been the eruption of a volcano which rained down fire and ash upon the disbelievers, killing them.

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