Prophet Shu'ayb and the People of Madyan

Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Madyan (Midian), a commercial community located in northwestern Arabia near the Gulf of Aqaba. The Quran also mentions him in connection with the People of the Thicket (Ashab al-Aykah). Shu'ayb's mission was distinctive in that, beyond the fundamental call to Tawhid, he specifically addressed economic corruption, fraud in weights and measures, and highway robbery. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reportedly called Shu'ayb "the orator of the prophets" (khatib al-anbiya) due to his eloquence in argumentation.

The Message

Shu'ayb called his people to worship Allah alone and to establish economic justice: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed, I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day" (Quran 11:84). He further said: "Give full measure and full weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption" (Quran 11:85). His message connected worship of Allah with honest dealings among people, showing that true faith must manifest in just behavior.

The People's Response

The people of Madyan responded with mockery and threats. They said: "O Shu'ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please?" (Quran 11:87). This response reveals their attitude: they saw religion as a private matter that should not interfere with their economic practices. They considered cheating in business their right and resented any prophetic instruction about how they conducted trade. Some threatened to stone Shu'ayb and expel him and his followers from the city.

The Punishment

When they persisted in their rejection, the punishment came: "And the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home fallen prone" (Quran 7:91). In another passage, the punishment is described as the shadow (of a cloud) that then rained fire: "So the punishment of the day of the shadow seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day" (Quran 26:189). The people of Madyan were destroyed for combining two sins: shirk (polytheism) and economic fraud. Their story is a warning to every society that tolerates cheating and exploitation in commerce while claiming religious piety. Economic justice is not separate from worship of Allah; it is an expression of it.