84- AND TO MADIAN WE SENT THEIR BROTHER SHOIB, HE
SAID: “O MY PEOPLE, WORSHIP ALLAH, YOU HAVE NO GOD OTHER THAN HIM, AND DO NOT
CHEAT IN MEASURE AND WEIGHT, I SEE THAT YOU ARE DOING WELL, AND I FEAR FOR YOU
THE PUNISHMENT OF AN ALL EMBRACING DAY”.
85- “MY PEOPLE, FULFIL THE MEASURES AND THE WEIGHTS,
AND DO NOT UNDERVALUE PEOPLE’S THINGS, AND DO NOT GO THROUGH THE EARTH CAUSING
MISCHIEF”.
86- “WHAT ALLAH GIVES YOU (WITHOUT CHEATING) IS
BETTER FOR YOU IF YOU ARE BELIEVERS, AND I CAN NOT PROTECT YOU (FROM ALLAH)”.
Allah the Highest sent all His prophets and messengers with
the same message, that of calling people to believe in Allah the Highest, and
to worship and obey him.
Allah the Highest sent Shoib to the people of Madian, and he
was one of them, which is why he was called their brother.
Calling people to believe in Allah the Highest is the most
important and foremost duty of the prophets and messengers, and after that comes
commanding them to obey Allah’s
commands.
There is usually a prevalent sin among the people the prophet
is sent to, and Allah the Highest directs His prophets to command the stoppage
of this sin.In the case of the people
of Madian at the time, it was cheating in weighing and measuring when they
bought and sold.
This means cheating people and not giving them their money’s
worth of goods.This may include selling
faulty goods, or selling used goods as new, or selling some goods on the basis
of having certain specifications, while they are not as good as they are claimed
to be.
It also includes not paying the money owed by them, or not
paying them fully, or unnecessarily delaying their payment.
Allah the Highest also forbids us from undervaluing people’s
good and paying less than it is worth.One might do that if a person is ignorant of the value of his goods, or
if a person needs to sell his goods in a hurry because of some emergency. Using such circumstances to under value and
under pay people for their goods is a form of cheating.It is not clever and it is not taking an
opportunity.
Allah the Highest is also forbidding them and us from causing
mischief through the Earth.This
mischief means all the acts and deeds Allah the Highest has forbidden us to do.
Allah the Highest is telling us that we do not need to cheat
or do wrong to make our living.Allah
the Highest provides for us better in the Halal money we have and in the great
reward of Paradise for those who believe in Him and obey Him.
Shoib, peace upon him, duty was to deliver the message, which
he delivered, he then has no power to protect people from Allah’s
punishment.Allah the Highest said: “THE MESSENGER’S DUTY IS ONLY TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE,
AND ALLAH KNOWS WHAT YOU REVEAL AND WHAT YOU HIDE”.(S:5 A:99)
