( وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ) (And to [the people of] Madyan): Madyan is the name of one of Prophet Ibrahim’s sons (PBUH). He went from the mountain of Sina to the bank of the Euphrates where he married and resided. Then his descendants grew and became a tribe and was called Madyan.
( أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ) ([We sent] their brother Shu’ayb): Prophet Shu’ayeb (PBUH). (their brother): He is one of them, He lived with them, they saw him and knew his life, everything was clearly laid out before their eyes.
We find that each section presents a type of malady of the people to whom the Prophets were sent. The people of Prophet Lut (PBUH) committed immorality; the people of Prophet Salih (PBUH) worshiped idols. Thus, the appropriate cure was sent to deal with each of their maladies.
( قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ ) (He said, “O my people, worship Allah): All Prophets (PBUT) were sent with one consistent Message: (worship Allah) that is, to obey His (swt) commandments and refrain from doing His (swt) prohibitions.
( مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ) (you have no deity other than Him): This is the calling for monotheism, that there is no other God but Allah (swt).
( قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ) (There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord): Prophet Shu’ayb (PBUH) did not specify what the clear evidence is, whether it was a miracle or the Message he was sent with.
( فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ) (So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation): After that the Prophet (PBUH) mentions to them four matters:
First, he said: (So fulfill the measure and weight) They used to manipulate measures and weights. Allah (swt) says:
وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ (1) الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ (2) وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ (3) أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ (4) لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (5) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (6)
((1) Woe to those who give less [than due] (2) Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full (3) But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss (4) Do they not think that they will be resurrected (5) For a tremendous Day (6) The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?) (Al-Mutaffifin)
One of the most important aims of Divine Religions is to preserve financial rights, which includes fulfilling measures and weights. When Allah (swt) commands that a person should be accurate with measurements and weights, the same command is declared for all people to be accurate when they are measuring and weighing for other people.
The second matter is: (and do not deprive people of their due). It is not only about fulfilling measurement and wrights, moreover, it is about not committing fraud, nor bribery, nor stealing…etc.
Thirdly: (and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation) Generally speaking, people should not spread corruption on earth after it was reformed. Allah (swt) created everything in its perfect form, however, corruption is manmade. The air is clean but humans pollute it with smoke, the water is pure but humans pollute it with litters, and so on. Allah (swt) says:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
(Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].) (Ar-Room: 41)
The Message of Prophet Shu’ayb (PBUH) is a command to fulfil measurements and weights, to not spread corruption on earth, and to not deprive others of their rights, so it is all about materialistic issues. In other Surahs of the Holy Quran, it clarifies that the topic of money is one of the most important and critical topics in matters concerning human beings. Allah (swt) says:
وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (26) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَخُونُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوا أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (27) وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ (28)
((26) And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things – that you might be grateful. (27) O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]. (28) And know that your properties and your children are but a trial and that Allah has with Him a great reward.) (Al-Anfal)
It is not only a matter of performing hundreds of prostrations, nor giving charity to the deprived and the poor, nor is it about fasting on Thursdays and Mondays, nor going to pilgrimage every year. More importantly, it is on how human beings deal with each other in financial matters and about the way a person handles other people’s rights. This is why Prophet Mohammad (saws) forbade the believer from allowing his heart to get attached to money, properties, and luxuries. He (saws) said:
“Wretched is the slave of the Dinar, the slave of the Dirham and the slave of the striped silk cloak. If he is given anything, he is satisfied; but if not, he is unsatisfied. He is wretched and will be thrown (into Hell) on his face, and if he is pricked with a thorn may find no relief.”[1]
The Arabic text of the Hadith uses the word (intakas) which not only means that person will be thrown into hell on his face, but another meaning for that word is that all issues concerning this person will retreat and get worse. (And if he is pricked with a thorn may find no relief): Meaning if he is harmed by a thorn, may he not be healed from that. The Prophet (saws) made this supplication upon those take other people’s rights and upon money collectors, because this matter concerns the rights of human beings. This is the reality about faith and the role it plays. It might be easier for someone to prostrate a thousand time than to pay a thousand pound. This is why the Prophet (saws) said:
“Prayer is a light, charity is proof“[2]
Charity is a proof of faith.
( ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ) (That is better for you, if you should be believers): To spread goodness and justice within society leads to a better outcome both in this life and in the Hereafter,.
The fourth matter is mentioned in the following verse:
[1] Al-Mujam Al-Aosat by Al-Tabarani, part 3, Hadith No. 2595.
[2] Sahih Muslim: The book of Purification, Hadith No. 223.