7-85 And to Midian (We sent) their brother Shu‘aib. He said: O my people, serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. Clear proof indeed has come to you from your Lord,a so give full measure and weight and diminish not to men their things, and make not mischief in the land after its reform. This is better for you, if you are believers.b
وَإِلىٰ مَديَنَ أَخاهُم شُعَيبًا ۗ قالَ يا قَومِ اعبُدُوا اللَّهَ ما لَكُم مِن إِلٰهٍ غَيرُهُ ۖ قَد جاءَتكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِن رَبِّكُم ۖ فَأَوفُوا الكَيلَ وَالميزانَ وَلا تَبخَسُوا النّاسَ أَشياءَهُم وَلا تُفسِدوا فِي الأَرضِ بَعدَ إِصلاحِها ۚ ذٰلِكُم خَيرٌ لَكُم إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ (۸۵)
7-85a: Shuaib was a descendant of Abraham in the fifth generation and so chronologically his mention comes after Lot. According to the Bible, Midian was the name of a son of Abraham from his third wife Ketura. There is a city of this name on the Red Sea where the progeny of Midian settled. Besides this section, Shuaib is mentioned in the following places in the Quran: 11:84-95, 15:78-79, 26:176-191, 29:36-37.
7-85b: كَيۡل – Its past tense is کَالَ and كَيۡل means to measure grain. The meaning of اکتَلۡتُ عَلَیۡهِ is I measured it with that. الَّذينَ إِذَا اكتالوا عَلَى النّاسِ يَستَوفونَ وَإِذا كالوهُم (Who when they take the measure from men, take it fully, and when they measure out…) (83:2-3). Although كَيۡل is specific to measure but metaphorically it means to act justly in all transactions. The meaning of كَيلَ بَعيرٍ (12:65) is مقداَر حَمۡل بَعیر (the measure of a camel load). فَأَرسِل مَعَنا أَخانا نَكتَل (so send with us our brother that we may get the measure (12:63) (R).
ميزانَ – See note 7:8a. The term ميزانَ meaning to weigh or keep a balance is used in a generic sense and it indicates that both in speech and actions one must consider what is just and proper (R).
تَبخَسُوا – بَخۡس means something that is a little defective, as in وَشَرَوهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخسٍ (And they sold him for a small price) (12:20) and it is used to reduce the worth of something unjustly (R).
7-86 And lie not in wait on every road, threatening and turning away from Allah’s way him who believes in Him and seeking to make it crooked. And remember when you were few, then He multiplied you, and see what was the end of the mischief-makers!a
وَلا تَقعُدوا بِكُلِّ صِراطٍ توعِدونَ وَتَصُدّونَ عَن سَبيلِ اللَّهِ مَن آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبغونَها عِوَجًا ۚ وَاذكُروا إِذ كُنتُم قَليلًا فَكَثَّرَكُم ۖ وَانظُروا كَيفَ كانَ عاقِبَةُ المُفسِدينَ (۸۶)
7-86a: The statement lie not in wait on every road can be literal and used in the sense of committing highway robbery as is the normal way to commit such crimes, but its use could also be metaphorical and بِكُلِّ صِراطٍ may mean waylay people on every path of truth. The opponents of the Holy Prophet acted in this manner as well and it is to point to them that this behavior of Saleh’s enemies is recounted.
7-87 And if there is a party of you who believe in that wherewith I am sent and another party who believe not, then wait patiently till Allah judges between us; and He is the Best of Judges.
وَإِن كانَ طائِفَةٌ مِنكُم آمَنوا بِالَّذي أُرسِلتُ بِهِ وَطائِفَةٌ لَم يُؤمِنوا فَاصبِروا حَتّىٰ يَحكُمَ اللَّهُ بَينَنا ۚ وَهُوَ خَيرُ الحاكِمينَ (۸۷)
7-88 The arrogant chiefs of his people said: We will certainly turn thee out, O Shu‘aib, and those who believe with thee from our town, or you shall come back to our religion. He said: Even though we dislike (it)?a
قالَ المَلَأُ الَّذينَ استَكبَروا مِن قَومِهِ لَنُخرِجَنَّكَ يا شُعَيبُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَكَ مِن قَريَتِنا أَو لَتَعودُنَّ في مِلَّتِنا ۚ قالَ أَوَلَو كُنّا كارِهينَ (۸۸)
7-88a: لَتَعودُنَّ – The literal meaning of عود is to turn away from a thing and then to return to it whether physically, or verbally or by determination (R). Some linguists have taken عاد to mean صار (reach a stage where). Prophets do not digress even from the right path leave alone attributing any sinful act to them. The word عود is used because the condition of the nation was generally one of disbelief or because it was the national religion. This is the reason why the arrogant chiefs use the word مِلَّتِنا , that is call this religion their religion and Shuaib in reply calls it مِلَّتِكُم that is, your religion. Another reason why the use of the word عود is permissible is because the mention here is not only of Shuaib but also of وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا (those who believe) and without a doubt these people had left disbelief to come over to Islam. The argument espoused here that how can people come to a religion that they dislike is worthy of reflection by those who believe that the Mehdi will force the people under the threat of sword to become Muslims even though in their hearts they dislike the beliefs.
7-89 Indeed we should have forged a lie against Allah, if we go back to your religion after Allah has delivered us from it. And it is not for us to go back to it, unless Allah our Lord please.a Our Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. In Allah do we trust. Our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth, and Thou art the Best of Deciders.b
قَدِ افتَرَينا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِن عُدنا في مِلَّتِكُم بَعدَ إِذ نَجّانَا اللَّهُ مِنها ۚ وَما يَكونُ لَنا أَن نَعودَ فيها إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنا ۚ وَسِعَ رَبُّنا كُلَّ شَيءٍ عِلمًا ۚ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلنا ۚ رَبَّنَا افتَح بَينَنا وَبَينَ قَومِنا بِالحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيرُ الفاتِحينَ (۸۹)
7-89a: إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنا – On the one hand the believers forcefully assert that how can they go back to a state of disbelief but on the other hand, they create an exception that if Allah pleases then whatever he pleases may occur. There is no doubt that the moral fiber of everyone is not equally strong and even the belief of prophets is subject to fear and optimism because they too are humans. However, the reality to which attention is drawn here is that the disbelievers wanted to forcibly convert Shuaib and his companions to unbelief. All believers are not alike, and some cannot keep company with the prophet under compulsion and coercion. Hence it is stated that if Allah wills that some of these believers revert then it would be so but that they will not revert under their free will. There is an indication in this tactic of compulsion and coercion to similar tactics employed against Muslims. It is also made known through the narration of Shuaib and his companions that no person after becoming Muslim can revert to unbelief. History bears testimony that apart from the hypocrites who converted for ulterior motives while being inimical to Islam, no Muslim apostatized.
7:89b: افتَح – فاتح – The literal meaning of فتح is to remove chains and shackles. This can be physical chains so that the process is visible, as in فتح الباب etcetera and in وَلَمّا فَتَحوا مَتاعَهُم (And when they opened their goods) (12:65), or mental chains that can only be discerned by the intellect. This includes for example removing anxiety and sorrow by giving wealth and riches as in: فَتَحنا عَلَيهِم أَبوابَ كُلِّ شَيءٍ (We opened for them the gates of all things) (6:44), لَفَتَحنا عَلَيهِم بَرَكاتٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَالأَرضِ (We would certainly have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth) (7:96) or the grant of knowledge as in إِنّا فَتَحنا لَكَ فَتحًا مُبينًا (Surely We have granted thee a clear victory) (48:1) where some people have taken the purport to be the grant of knowledge and guidance. This knowledge and guidance is the means of being rewarded and reaching a position of great glory and also for achieving protection from sins. The meaning of فتح or فتح قضیتہ between two persons is to settle their mutual disagreement or strife and this is the meaning implied here.
7-90 And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said: If you follow Shu‘aib, you are surely losers.
وَقالَ المَلَأُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا مِن قَومِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعتُم شُعَيبًا إِنَّكُم إِذًا لَخاسِرونَ (۹۰)
7-91 So the earthquake overtook them, and they were motionless bodies in their abode—
فَأَخَذَتهُمُ الرَّجفَةُ فَأَصبَحوا في دارِهِم جاثِمينَ (۹۱)
7-92 Those who called Shu‘aib a liar were as though they had never dwelt therein — those who called Shu‘aib a liar, they were the losers.
الَّذينَ كَذَّبوا شُعَيبًا كَأَن لَم يَغنَوا فيهَا ۚ الَّذينَ كَذَّبوا شُعَيبًا كانوا هُمُ الخاسِرينَ (۹۲)
7-93 So he turned away from them and said: O my people, indeed I delivered to you the messages of my Lord and I gave you good advice; how, then, should I be sorry for a disbelieving people?a
فَتَوَلّىٰ عَنهُم وَقالَ يا قَومِ لَقَد أَبلَغتُكُم رِسالاتِ رَبّي وَنَصَحتُ لَكُم ۖ فَكَيفَ آسىٰ عَلىٰ قَومٍ كافِرينَ (۹۳)
7-93a: Prophets are full of human kindness but after they have fully discharged their duty of preaching to the disbelievers, there is no room left for regret at what befalls them. As far as humanly possible, prophets try to reform the disbelievers but when they do not accept them or listen to them, the prophets accept the decree of Allah. Being sorry now is of no use. However when there is time to effect reform, they pay no heed to the strongest opposition in order to save the disbelievers from the consequences of their actions. There is so much sympathy for the disbelievers in their heart that in the case of the Holy Prophet, Allah says in the Quran: لَعَلَّكَ باخِعٌ نَفسَكَ أَلّا يَكونوا مُؤمِنينَ (Perhaps thou wilt kill thyself with grief because they believe not) (26:3).
Bayan-ul-Quran 