The divine speech of the Holy Quran, like a luminous lamp, illuminates the path of guidance for humanity and, through narrations of previous nations, presents everlasting lessons for contemplation and admonition. Among these, the story of Prophet Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm) and his invitation to the people of Madyan serves as a mirror reflecting the ugliness of corruption, misguidance, and obstructing the path of faith. This treatise, by reflecting on verse 86 of Surah Al-Arf, examines the invitation of Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm) and his admonitions to his people. The objective is to elucidate, through a profound and comprehensive perspective, the messages of this verse in the light of Quranic and mystical analyses, so as to serve as guidance for seekers of truth and travellers on the path of salvation.
وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنْتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
And do not sit on every path which you threaten, and prevent from the way of Allah those who believe in Him, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you; and look how was the end of the corrupters.
Verse 86 of Surah Al-Arf forms part of the discourse of Prophet Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm) with the people of Madyan, who were addressed by the divine messenger due to their social and economic corruptions, including deceitful trade, threatening the believers, and leading people astray. This verse, like a shining star in the firmament of guidance, deters the nation from deviation and invites reflection on divine blessings and the ultimate fate of the corrupters. The commentator elucidates this verse in clear, colloquial language within the context of the life of the people of Madyan, linking it to contemporary issues and alluding to the complexities of maintaining faith in the modern world.
The phrase وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ (And do not sit on every path which you threaten) signifies a prohibition against lying in wait on roads and threatening believers with deceptive promises. These promises, like a misleading mirage, led people away from the path of truth and weakened faith in their hearts through false insinuations. The people of Madyan, through propaganda and deceit, drew people towards sin and deviation, using promises such as denial of God or justification of sin to obscure the path of guidance.
The phrase وَتَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ (and prevent from the way of Allah those who believe in Him) refers to blocking the believers from the path of God. The people of Madyan, like a strong wall against the light of guidance, obstructed the path of faith for believers, deterring them from treading the path of truth through doubts and deceit. This act not only weakened faith but also led social order towards corruption.
The phrase وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا (seeking to make it [seem] deviant) points to the distortion of Gods path and leading people towards deviation. This distortion, like a thorn in the way of guidance, rendered the path difficult for seekers of truth. The people of Madyan, by falsifying the truth and presenting a misleading image of religion, drove people astray.
The phrase وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنْتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ (And remember when you were few and He increased you) invites the people to recall divine blessings, including the increase of population, power, and wealth. These blessings, like a merciful rain, were bestowed upon the people of Madyan; yet, instead of gratitude, they turned to corruption and misguidance. This call serves as a warning to appreciate blessings and assume responsibility accordingly.
The phrase وَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (And look how was the end of the corrupters) invites reflection upon the fate of the corrupt. This fate, like a mirror, displays the ominous consequences of injustice and corruption. The commentator emphasises this phrase, urging the people of Madyan to learn from history and refrain from repeating the mistakes of their predecessors.
The corruption of the people of Madyan is encapsulated in leading people astray, threatening believers, and distorting the path of God. This corruption, like a lethal poison, not only kills faith in hearts but also drives social order towards destruction. The commentator regards these actions as social injustice which inevitably leads to societal ruin.
The commentator compares the invitation of Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm) with that of Prophet Lt (Alayhis-Salm), highlighting differences in the corruptions of these two peoples. The corruption of the people of Lt, like a consuming fire, annihilated faith, whereas the corruption of the people of Madyan, like a creeping current, weakened both faith and social order. This difference reflects the variety of sins and the corresponding responses of the prophets.
The commentator, referring to surveillance technologies such as devices monitoring conversations and privacy, points to the complexities of life in the contemporary world. These technologies, like an invisible shadow, place humans under pressure and surveillance, making the preservation of faith arduous. He believes that under such conditions, only the infallibles can remain protected from moral and spiritual pollution.
The commentator compares the deceptive promises of the people of Madyan with todays misleading propaganda. These promises, like spider webs, trap humans in deception and distance them from truth. He regards such deceptions as tools to weaken faith and mislead society.
Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm), like a blazing torch, called the people of Madyan to monotheism, justice, and abstaining from misguidance. By forbidding deceitful trade, threatening believers, and distorting Gods path, he endeavoured towards social reform and strengthening faith. This invitation, like a refreshing breeze, showed believers the way of salvation.
The commentator emphasises that faith is perfected through righteous deeds. The people of Madyan, due to neglecting divine blessings and leading people astray, deserved punishment. This lesson is a wake-up call, urging humanity to assume responsibility for blessings and refrain from corruption.
The commentator, emphasising the phrase عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (the end of the corrupters), regards the destruction of the oppressors as a certain outcome and a divine law. This law, like a flowing river, applies in all times and places, and no oppressor can escape it.
The commentator considers the world to have inevitabilities and causalities that encompass all humans, whether believers or non-believers. These necessities, like an immutable law, bring human deeds to their due ends. Referring to social and moral pressures, he speaks of the difficulties of maintaining faith, portraying this challenge as a towering mountain confronting humanity.
This treatise, reflecting on verse 86 of Surah Al-Arf and Quranic lectures, portrayed the invitation of Prophet Shuayb (Alayhis-Salm) to the people of Madyan. This invitation, like a celestial call, restrained the nation from misguidance, threatening believers, and distorting Gods path, while urging gratitude for blessings and learning from the fate of the corrupt. The commentator linked these concepts to the contemporary world, elucidating the challenges of preserving faith against technologies and social deceptions, and highlighting the role of the prophets in guiding and reforming society. These lessons, like glowing torches, illuminate the way for seekers of truth, leading them towards justice, faith, and abstention from corruption.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
