The story in short
- Arabic name
- شعيب
- English name
- Shuayb (often identified with Jethro)
- Named in the Quran
- 11 times
- Sent to
- The people of Madyan, and the companions of the thicket (al-Aykah)
- Main surahs
- Al-Araf, Hud, Ash-Shuara
- In the list of 25
- 13 of 25
In short: Shuayb was sent to Madyan, a people who worshipped others with Allah and cheated people by giving short measure. He called them to worship Allah alone, to give full measure and weight, and not to spread corruption. They mocked him and threatened to stone him and drive out the believers. Allah destroyed them with a blast, an earthquake and the punishment of the day of the cloud, and saved Shuayb and those who believed.
The story of Shuayb
Fair trade as part of faith
"And to Madyan their brother Shuayb. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale'" (11:84). He told them: "Give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption" (11:85). They also sat by the roads, threatening travellers and turning believers away from Allah's path (7:86).
Their answer
They mocked him: "O Shuayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship, or not do with our wealth what we please?" (11:87). He answered with words often quoted: "I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him I return" (11:88). They said that, were it not for his family, they would have stoned him (11:91), and threatened to expel him and the believers unless they returned to their religion (7:88).
The punishment
Surah Hud says "the shriek seized those who had wronged" (11:94). Surah Al-Araf says "the earthquake seized them" (7:91). In Surah Ash-Shuara, the companions of the thicket were taken by "the punishment of the day of the black cloud" (26:189). Scholars explain that these describe one event from different sides, or, for those who held that Madyan and the companions of the thicket were two peoples, two punishments. Shuayb said: "How could I grieve for a disbelieving people?" (7:93).
Key verses
وَيَٰقَوْمِ أَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْمِكْيَالَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾
Wa yaa qawmi awful mikyaala walmeezaana bilqisti wa laa tabkhasun naasa ashyaaa'ahum wa laa ta'saw fil ardi mufsideen
And O my people, give full measure and 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 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Hud
قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَرَزَقَنِى مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنْهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿٨٨﴾
Qaala yaa qawmi ara'aitum in kuntu 'alaa baiyinatim mir Rabbee wa razaqanee minhu rizqan hasanaa; wa maaa ureedu an ukhaalifakum ilaa maaa anhaakum 'anh; in ureedu illal islaaha mastata't; wa maa tawfeeqeee illaa billaah; 'alaihi tawakkaltu wa ilaihi uneeb
He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.
Quran 11:88 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Hud
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًۭا ۗ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَٰحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾
Wa ilaa Madyana akhaahum Shu'aybaa; qaala yaa qawmi' budul laaha maa lakum min ilaahin ghairuhoo qad jaaa'atkum baiyinatum mir Rabbikum fa awful kaila walmeezaana wa laa tabkhasun naasa ashyaa'ahum wa laa tufsidoo fil ardi ba'da islaahihaa; zaalikum khairul lakum in kuntum mu'mineen
And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers.
Quran 7:85 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Araf
Lessons from the story
- Honesty in trade is worship. Short-changing people is a sin the Quran ties to disbelief.
- Wealth is not free from Allah's guidance, whatever people say about "our money".
- "I only intend reform as much as I am able": do what you can and rely on Allah for the result.
- Prayer should shape how we live, including how we do business.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Shuayb, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Al-Araf 7:85-93
- Surah Hud 11:84-95
- Surah Ash-Shuara 26:176-191
- Surah Al-Ankabut 29:36-37
What is authentic, and what is not
Many scholars identified the old man of Madyan, whose daughter Musa married (28:23-28), with Shuayb. Others noted that the Quran does not name him there and that the timeline is hard to reconcile, so the matter is not settled. The title "the orator of the prophets" (khatib al-anbiya) for Shuayb is a description reported from early scholars, not an authentic hadith. Scholars also differ on whether Madyan and the companions of the thicket were one people or two.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
Who were the people of Madyan?
A trading people in north-west Arabia, near the Gulf of Aqaba, known for cheating in weights and measures (11:84-85).
Is Shuayb the father-in-law of Musa?
Many scholars said the old man of Madyan in 28:23-28 was Shuayb, but the Quran does not name him, and others disagreed. It is not settled.
What was the sin of the people of Shuayb?
Worshipping others with Allah, giving short measure and weight, blocking the roads and turning people from Allah's path (7:85-86).
How many times is Shuayb mentioned in the Quran?
11 times, in Surahs Al-Araf, Hud, Ash-Shuara and Al-Ankabut.
Sources
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Shuayb, and his tafsir of 7:85-93, 11:84-95 and 28:23-28.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.