Al-A'raf: (90-93) And the chiefs who...

It is known that the Almighty first clarified the extent of their misguidance through their rejection of Shu'ayb. Then, He clarified that they did not stop there, but rather misled others and blamed them for following him, saying: {If you follow Shu'ayb, then indeed you will be losers}. They disagreed, and some said: "Losers in religion." Others said: "Losers in this world, because he prevents you from taking excess from the wealth of the people." At this statement, their state of misguidance, first in themselves and second in misleading others, was perfected, so they deserved destruction. For this reason, the Almighty said: {Then the earthquake seized them}, which is the severe, destructive tremor. When this is combined with the severe, feared punishment mentioned by Allah concerning the story of the wrongdoers, the destruction becomes greater, because the punishment encompassed them from above them and from beneath their feet. {So they became in their dwellings}, meaning in their residences, {crouching/lifeless} (jāthimīn), meaning still, silent, without life. A detailed exposition of these terms has preceded.

Then the Almighty said: {Those who denied Shu'ayb, as if they had never lived therein}. There are two discussions regarding this:

There are two opinions:

1. One opinion is that the people "lived" (ghaniya) in their dwelling if their stay there was prolonged.
2. The second opinion is that the dwellings where their inhabitants resided—the singular being maghnan (dwelling place). A poet said:

And indeed they lived therein in the best of lives, In the shade of a firmly established kingdom.

He meant they resided there. Based on this interpretation, the saying {as if they had never lived therein} means as if they had never resided or settled there.

The second opinion: Al-Zajjaj said: {as if they had never lived therein} means as if they had never lived therein in affluence/self-sufficiency. It is said that a man ghaniya (yaghnī) if he becomes self-sufficient (istaghnā), and this is related to al-ghinā (wealth/affluence), which is the opposite of poverty.

If this is understood, we say: Based on both interpretations, Allah likened the state of these deniers to those who had never been in those dwellings at all. A poet said:

As if there had never been an intimate between Al-Hujun and As-Safa, Nor a night-talker conversing in Mecca. Nay, we were indeed its people, but the vicissitudes of nights and adverse fates destroyed us.

The phrase {as if they had never lived therein} indicates that this punishment was specific to those deniers. This indicates several things:

1. That this punishment occurred due to the creation of an active, choosing agent, and it was not merely an effect of the stars or nature. If it were so, it would have afflicted Shu'ayb's followers just as it afflicted the disbelievers.
2. It indicates that this choosing agent is knowledgeable of all particulars, to the extent that He can distinguish between the obedient and the disobedient.
3. It indicates a great miracle concerning Shu'ayb, because when the punishment descended from the sky and afflicted one group of people while sparing another, even though they were gathered in one town, this was among the greatest miracles.

Then the Almighty said: {Those who denied Shu'ayb were the losers}. The repetition of {Those who denied Shu'ayb} is to magnify their humiliation and emphasize the severity of the recompense they deserved due to their ignorance. The Arabs often repeat such phrases for emphasis and glorification. A man might say to another: "Your brother is the one who wronged us, your brother is the one who took our wealth, your brother is the one who violated our honor." Furthermore, since the people had said: {If you follow Shu'ayb, then indeed you will be losers}, the Almighty clarified that those who did not follow him and opposed him were the true losers.

Then the Almighty said: {So he turned away from them}. There is disagreement as to whether this was after the punishment descended upon them or before. This issue has been previously mentioned. Al-Kalbī said: He departed from among them, and no prophet's people were punished until the prophet was taken out from among them.

Then He said: {So how can I grieve for a disbelieving people?} Al-Asā (grief) means intense sorrow. Al-'Ajjāj said:

And his eyes streamed tears from excessive grief.

If this is understood, we say: There are two opinions regarding this verse:

The First Opinion: His sorrow intensified for his people because they were numerous, and he expected them to respond to faith. When that great destruction befell them, sorrow arose in his heart due to the connection, kinship, proximity, and long association. Then he consoled himself, saying: {So how can I grieve for a disbelieving people?} because they destroyed themselves due to their insistence on disbelief.

The Second Opinion: What is meant is: "I have already fulfilled my duty to you in conveying the message, giving advice, and warning you about what has befallen you, yet you did not listen to my word nor accept my counsel. {So how can I grieve for you?}" meaning they are not deserving of a person grieving for them. The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Yahya ibn Waththāb recited {So how} (fa-kayfa) with a kasra on the hamza (i.e., fa-kayfa).

**{And We sent not into any town a warner except that its people said: "We are not sent with what you have been sent with." Then We made the evil deeds resemble the good deeds for them, until they multiplied, and said: "Our fathers were afflicted with ease and hardship." So We seized them suddenly while they perceived not.}*