ISTANBUL - 1433 / 2012 Istanbul 1433 / 2012 Publisher : Erkam Publishing House Original title : Nebiler Silsilesi 2 (Ders Kitabı) Author : Osman Nuri Topbaş Editor : Dr. Faruk Kanger, Lokman Helvacı Redaction : Süleyman Derin Translator : Özlem Şahin ISBN : 978-9944-83-449-0 Cover and Typeset : Râsim Şakiroğlu ERKAM YAYIN VE SANAYİ MAMÜLLERİ A.Ş. } Addres s: Organize Sanayi Bölgesi Turgut Özal CaD. No: 117/4 İkitelli / İSTANBUL Tel : (+90 212) 671 07 00 (Pbx) Faks: (+90 212) 671 07 17 } Addsress: Ankara Caddesi Nakipoğlu İşhanı No: 60/5 Cağaloğl u / İSTANBUL Tel : (+90 212) 513 35 80 STUDENT’S BOOK THE CHAIN OF PROPHETS -II- Osman Nuri TOPBAŞ ERKAM PUBLISHING The prophet Shu’ayb (upon whom be peace) The prophet Musa (upon whom be peace) The prophet Harun (upon whom be peace) The prophet Shu’ayb (peace be upon him) It is narrated that the prophet Shu’ayb came either from the lineage of the prophet Ibrahim or from that of the prophet Salih. On his mother’s side his lineage reaches as far back as the daughter of the prophet Lut and he is also considered to be the cousin of the prophet Ayyub (Job). The prophet Shu’ayb is also the father-in-law of the prophet Musa (peace be upon him). The prophet Shu’ayb was sent as a prophet to the people of Madyan and al-Aiyka, two neighbouring countries settled in a terrain amongst mountains and forests. He was born and raised in Madyan and belonged to a noble family. His youth was spent amongst the tribe of Madyan. This region was filled with a people who were mis- guided and astray however the prophet Shu’ayb lived a life distant from them, pure and clean. With this pure life, he was an example for the people and advised them and called them to good. The prophet Shu’ayb would pray often and paid meticuluous attention to the rights of others. Whenever measuring and weighing something in particular, he would do his utmost to make sure that no rights were infringed upon. He would advise others to do the same and in any case of injustice he would take great care in ensuring that the deserved got what was owing to them. After these two tribes were destroyed, the prophet Shu’ayb settled in Mecca together with those who believed in him and spent the last part of his life there. He passed away there and is buried at the Ka’bah, under the golden rainwater spout, that is located within the hatim (the semi-circular wall opposite, but not connected to, the north-west wall of the Kaaba and which is believed to contain the graves of the prophet Ismail and his mother Hagar). The Madyans Madyan is a region that extends from the gulf of Aqabah to the valley of Humus. This tribe took their name, Madyan, from a tribe who lived there. The Madyans had abandoned worship of and obedience to Allah and chose the paths of deviation and rebellion, worshipping instead idols and statues. 7 The city of the people of Madyan was located upon a caravan route and thus its people were occupied with trade. However trickery had become widespread amongst them and they had gone so far as to make it their trade and art. Whenever they purchased something they would weigh their item as less than it was, thus paying a lower price. But whenever they sold an item, they would show their scales to be great thus giving less product and accepting more money. In fact, they would use different scales, one for purchasing and one for selling. The Madyans would ambush the people and lay hold of a portion of their goods. They would seize the goods of foreigners and strangers in particular, using various forms of intrigue. In their dealings with other human beings they would be deceitful and unjust and cause much suffering. They did not appreciate the value of the abundant bounties that Allah had bestowed upon them nor did they show gratitude for them. They rebelled against Allah and showed ingratitude to Him by worshipping idols instead. In short, the creed of the Madyans consisted of the following: idol-worship; lack of compliance with the rules of trade; all forms of deceit, trickery and their favourite profession, profiteering. That is, in Madyan, which was lacking in all elevated principles, could be found a complete collapse, in terms of belief, and also politically, economically and morally. It was whilst they were in this state of dissipation, that Allah Most High sent them the prophet Shu’ayb. The prophet Shu’ayb gave them fine advice. He explained to them the commands and prohibitions of Allah. He advised them to abandon associating partners with Allah and worship Him alone; to leave injustice when weighing in their trade; to believe in the last day; and to refrain from creating mischief on the earth. He informed them of the severe nature of Allah’s punishment and also of how His bounties were unable to be enumerated. This event is explained in the Qur’an as follows: ‘And to Madyan their brother Shu‘ayb. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah! You have no god apart from Him. Do not give short measure and short weight. I see you prospering and I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day’ (Hud, 11:84) 8 ‘And to Madyan We sent their brother Shu‘ayb who said, ‘My people, worship Allah! You have no other god than Him. A Clear Sign has come to you from your Lord. Give full measure and full weight. Do not diminish people’s goods. Do not cause corruption in the land after it has been put right. That is better for you if you are believers. Do not lie in wait on every path- way, threatening people, barring those who have faith from the Way of Allah, desiring to make it crooked. Remember when you were few and He increased your number: see the final fate of the corrupters!’ (A’raf, 7:85, 86) ‘And to Madyan We sent their brother Shu‘ayb, he said, ‘My people, worship Allah and look to the Last Day and do not act unjustly on earth, corrupting it’ (Ankabut, 29:36). The tribe of Shu’ayb made it a practice of weighing goods that they were to purchase as less and goods that they were to sell as greater than their actual weight. The prophet Shu’ayb would continually visit his people and warn them about this. In addition he would caution them that if they did not abandon this behaviour and turn away from it, then all of the bounties that had been bestowed upon them would be taken back from them. Allah Most High had bestowed much property and bounties on this tribe. Thus they had no right to deceive others and overstep their limits in this way. After that the prophet Shu’ayb taught them the principles of trade namely to give complete measure and weight in purchasing and selling and be content with what one would normally profit. This is because in normal profit there was security and safety in trade and business and in observing the rights of others is virtuousness in the eyes of Allah. The prophet Shu’ayb continued in his advice as follows: ‘What endures with Allah is better for you if you are believers. I am not set over you as your keeper’ (Hud, 11:86) That is, I cannot prevent you from your evil deeds, and neither can I prevent the bounties that you pos- sess from being taken back from you due to your ingratitude. My duty is only to preach to you what I have been informed of. In the above verses, the prophet Shu’ayb invited his people to five things: 1. To accept belief in the oneness of Allah and to worship Him alone. 2. To accept him as their prophet. 3. To give complete measure and weight when weighing goods and to be just and avoid deceit. 4. To observe the rights of all human beings. To abandon all acts of extortion, thievery, bribery, brig- andy, and all evil deeds both open and in secret. 5. To refrain from creating mischief and corruption in religion and in worldly matters. These five principles that the prophet Shu’ayb invited his people to can be summarised as a ‘reverence for Allah’s commands and mercy and compassion to His creatures’. This invitation of the prophet Shu’ayb brought about a great effect in the people around him. People would come in groups to visit him and they would believe in him and comply with what he informed them of. Despite this, there still remained many people who did not believe in him. These new rules began to disturb and anger those who did not believe. They belittled the lawful profit that they gained. By saying: “No one can become wealthy with this normal profit” they invited each other to injustice and wrongdoing. This rebellious tribe would say: ‘Shu‘ayb, do your prayers instruct you that we should abandon what our fathers wor- shipped or stop doing whatever we want to with our wealth? You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided!’ (Hûd, 11:87) 9 By prayer they meant religion. This is because the ritual prayer is the most comprehensive and greatest acts of worship of the religion and in fact represents the religion itself. ‘(Shu’ayb) said, ‘My people! What do you think? If I do possess a Clear Sign from my Lord and He has given me His good provision, I would clearly not want to go behind your backs and do something I have forbidden you to do.