11-84 And to Midian (We sent) their brother Shu‘aib. He said: O my people, serve Allah, you have no other god save Him. And give not short measure and weight. I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the chastisement of an all-encompassing day:a
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًۭا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا۟ ٱلْمِكْيَالَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ ۚ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُم بِخَيْرٍۢ وَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍۢ مُّحِيطٍۢ (۸۴)
11-84a: خیر – It is something that everyone desires, and its opposite is شر . A thing can also be called خیر when compared to another thing, as for example having مال کثیر (great wealth) may be called خیر . The purport here is worldly blessings or a state of ease.
For an explanation of the rest of the terms in this verse see7:85b.
11-85 And, O my people, give full measure and weight justly, and defraud not men of their things, and act not corruptly in the land, making mischief:
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ أَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْمِكْيَالَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ (۸۵)
11-86 What remains with Allah is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not a keeper over you.a
بَقِيَّتُ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍۢ (۸۶)
11-86a: بَقِيَّتُ ٱللَّهِ – بقاء is for something to stay firmly in its former condition. The only everlasting and unchanging Being is that of Allah and the continuance or بقا of everything else is dependent on Him. This is also the case with the denizens of paradise. ٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ (the ever abiding good works) (18:46) are those good works whose reward keeps on giving even after a person has gone, and this is also the purport of بَقِيَّتُ ٱللَّهِ where بقاء is annexed with ٱللَّهِ (R). It has also been interpreted to mean obedience to Allah or the sustenance from Allah (IJ).
11-87 They said: O Shu‘aib, does thy prayer enjoin thee that we should forsake what our fathers worshipped or that we should not do what we please with regard to our property? Forsooth thou art the forbearing, the right-directing one!a
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰشُعَيْبُ أَصَلَوٰتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَآ أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِنَا مَا نَشَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ ٱلْحَلِيمُ ٱلرَّشِيدُ (۸۷)
11-87: Apparently the meaning of what they said seems to be that if you want to pray, keep on praying why do you interfere in our matters; we worship in our own manner like our forefathers used to; as to property, it belongs to us and we will do with it as we want and give less or more as we want. Some have said that that their calling Shuaib forbearing, the right-directing one is by way of cynicism, that is you presume to be forbearing and right directing but most probably they were convinced of Shuaib’s forbearance and that he was right directing.
11-88 He said: O my people, see you if I have a clear proof from my Lord and He has given me a goodly sustenance from Himself. And I desire not to act in opposition to you, in that which I forbid you. I desire nothing but reform, so far as I am able. And with none but Allah is the direction of my affair to a right issue. In Him I trust and to Him I turn.a
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَرَزَقَنِى مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنْهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَـٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ (۸۸)
11-88a: رزق حسن – By رِزْقًا حَسَنًۭا what is meant here is prophethood and wisdom (RM) because that is the sustenance that is specifically given to prophets. In response to their statement of no interference in their affairs, Shuaib’s response is that he wants to reform them and what he is proposing for them is what he is practicing himself and this shows that he considers these changes as beneficial.
11-89 And, O my people, let not opposition to me make you guilty so that there may befall you the like of that which befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih. Nor are the people of Lot far off from you.a
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِىٓ أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَآ أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَـٰلِحٍۢ ۚ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍۢ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍۢ (۸۹)
11-89a: It is very clearly stated here that the punishment for the people of Noah is like the punishment inflicted on the people of Hud, Salih, and Lot. This shows that the punishment inflicted by the flood of Noah was only for the nation of Noah and not for the whole world. Wherever in the Quran there is a narration of the people of Noah, the narration is very similar to the narration of the people of other prophets.
11-90 And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him. Surely my Lord is Merciful, Loving-kind.a
وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى رَحِيمٌۭ وَدُودٌۭ (۹۰)
11-90a: وَدُودٌۭ – For وُدّ see 2-105a. It is to love a thing and more than that to have a desire for it to happen. وَدُودٌۭ is a person who has affection for humanity that is consideration for people and their protection is also included in it; or also included in the description of وَدُودٌۭ is that Allah keeps on bringing such nations that love Him and He loves them (R).
11-91 They said: O Shu‘aib, we understand not much of what thou sayest and surely we see thee to be weak among us. And were it not for thy family, we would surely stone thee, and thou art not mighty against us.a
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰشُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًۭا مِّمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَىٰكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًۭا ۖ وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَـٰكَ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍۢ (۹۱)
11-91a: رَهْطُ – The رَهْطُ of a person is his nation or tribe. It also manifests that the number is three or from seven to ten (LA).
The story about Shuaib’s blindness: The teachings of prophets is so simple that even ordinary persons can understand it. Hence their saying that they did not understand him is tantamount to their stating that we do not care about what you are saying because you are not a powerful person among us so that we should listen to you. This is what is meant by ضَعِيفًۭ. The meaning of ضَعِيفًۭ as blind, attributed to Ibn Abbas is not correct because prophets are free from such defects. The statement here is that we see thee to be weak among us, by which is meant that compared to us you are weak. If the meaning of ضَعِيفًۭ is taken to be blind, then not only is the literal meaning of the word incorrect, but the sentence becomes meaningless because finding someone blind among them does not make sense.
11-92 He said: O my people, is my family more esteemed by you than Allah? And you neglect Him as a thing cast behind your backs! Surely my Lord encompasses what you do.
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَهْطِىٓ أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَآءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا ۖ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌۭ (۹۲)
11-92a: ظِهْرِيًّ – ظَھۡر means back and ظِهْرِيًّ means an animal that is prepared for riding and also something that is thrown at the back (R). This last meaning is what is meant here.
11-93 And, O my people, act according to your ability, I too am acting. You will come to know soon who it is on whom will light the punishment that will disgrace him, and who it is that is a liar. And watch, surely I too am watching with you.
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّى عَـٰمِلٌۭ ۖ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌۭ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَـٰذِبٌۭ ۖ وَٱرْتَقِبُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌۭ (۹۳)
11-94 And when Our decree came to pass, We delivered Shu‘aib and those who believed with him by mercy from Us. And the cry overtook those who were iniquitous, so they were motionless bodies in their abodes,
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًۭا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَـٰرِهِمْ جَـٰثِمِينَ (۹۴)
11-95 As though they had never dwelt in them. So away with Midian, just as Thamud perished!
كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا۟ فِيهَآ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًۭا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ (۹۵)
Bayan-ul-Quran 