Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:85

Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) was called the "Orator of the Prophets" due to his eloquent way of addressing his people. They were people who habitually defrauded in weights and measures.

"There has come to you a clear evidence from your Lord": A miracle testifying to the truth of my prophethood, which obligates you to believe in me, to accept what I command, and to desist from what I forbid you. "So fulfill [the measure] and do not defraud."

If you ask: What was his miracle? I say: It is established that he had a miracle because of the verse, "There has come to you a clear evidence from your Lord," and because a claimant to prophethood must have a miracle to testify for him and confirm him; otherwise, his claim would be invalid, and he would be a pretender, not a prophet. However, his miracle is not mentioned in the Qur'an, just as most of the miracles of our Prophet (peace be upon him) are not mentioned therein. Among the miracles of Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) are: the story of the staff of Moses (peace be upon him) fighting the dragon when he was entrusted with his sheep; the birth of spotted sheep specifically when he was promised that the spotted ones from their offspring would be his; and the staff of Adam (peace be upon him) falling into his hand on seven occasions, among other signs. These all occurred before Moses (peace be upon him) was commissioned as a prophet, so they were miracles for Shuʿayb.

If you ask: Why was it said "the kayl (measure) and the mīzān (scale)," and why was it not said "the mikyal (measuring vessel) and the mīzān," as in the Surah of Hūd (peace be upon him)? I say: By kayl, the instrument of measuring—the mikyal—is intended, or that which is measured is called kayl, just as one says ʿaysh (life/sustenance) for that by which one lives. Or, it means: "Fulfill the measure and the weighing of the scale." It is also possible that mīzān is like mīʿād (appointment) and mīlād (birth), meaning a verbal noun (maṣdar).

It is said: "I bakhas-tu-hu his right," meaning I diminished it for him. From this, the tax (maks) is called bakhas. In their proverbs: "You think her foolish, yet she is a defrauder (bākhis)." It is said "their ashyāʾ (things)" because they used to defraud people in everything in their transactions, or they were tax collectors who would not leave anything without taxing it, as the rulers of the two Sanctuaries do. It is narrated that when a stranger entered their town, they would take his high-quality coins, claim they were counterfeit, cut them into pieces, and then take them at a clear loss or give him counterfeit coins in return.

"After its reformation": After the reformation therein, meaning: do not cause corruption in it after the righteous prophets and their followers, who acted according to their laws, had reformed it. The genitive construction here is like the saying, "Nay, the plot of the night and the day" (Sabaʾ: 33), meaning your plotting during the night and the day, or after the reformation of its people.

"That is better for you": This refers to what was mentioned regarding fulfilling the measure and scale and abandoning fraud and corruption on earth, or to acting upon what he commanded and forbade them. "Better for you" means in terms of humanity, good reputation, and the profit and gain you seek, for people are more inclined to trade with you if they know you to be honest and fair.

"If you are believers": If you are those who believe me in my saying that "that is better for you."

"And do not sit on every path": Do not follow the example of Satan in his saying, "I will surely sit for them on Your straight path" (Al-Aʿrāf: 16). "Sit on every path" means on every path of the paths of religion. The evidence that "the path" refers to the path of truth is his saying, "And you obstruct from the path of Allah." The position of "threatening" and what is conjoined to it is the accusative state (ḥāl), meaning: do not sit there threatening and obstructing from the path of Allah.

If you ask: The path of truth is one, as in "And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way" (Al-Anʿām: 153). So how is it said "on every path"? I say: The path of truth is one, but it branches out into many different branches of knowledge, limits, and rulings. Whenever they saw someone embarking on any of these, they would threaten and obstruct them.

If you ask: To what does the pronoun in "in it" and "you seek it" refer? I say: To "every path." The meaning is: you threaten those who believe in it and obstruct them from it. He placed the explicit noun—which is "the path of Allah"—in place of the pronoun to further condemn their actions and indicate the greatness of that from which they obstruct. It is said they used to sit on the roads and observation points, saying to those who passed by, "Shuʿayb is a liar, so do not let him seduce you away from your religion," just as the Quraysh used to do in Mecca. It is also said they were highway robbers, or that they were tax collectors.

"And you seek it [to be] crooked": You seek for the path of Allah to be crooked, meaning you describe it to people as a crooked, non-straight path to obstruct them from following it and entering it. Or, it may be mockery of them, implying they seek for it something that is impossible, for the path of truth cannot be crooked.

"And remember when you were few": "When" (idh) is a direct object, not an adverb of time. Meaning: remember, by way of gratitude, the time when you were few in number.

"And He increased you": Allah increased and multiplied your numbers. It is said that Madyan, son of Ibrahim, married the daughter of Lot, and she bore children, and Allah cast blessing and growth into their lineage, so they increased and spread. It is also possible it means: when you were poor, He made you wealthy. Or, when you were few and humiliated, He honored you with a multitude of numbers and strength.

"The end of the corrupters": The final outcome of those who corrupted before you from the nations, such as the people of Noah, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, and Lot, for they were close in time to what befell the people of the overturned cities (al-muʾtafikah).

"So be patient": Wait and expect.

"Until Allah judges between us": Meaning between the two parties, by granting victory to the people of truth over the people of falsehood and manifesting them over them. This is a threat to the disbelievers of Allah's retribution against them, like His saying, "So wait; indeed, we are waiting with you" (Al-Tawbah: 52). Or, it is an exhortation to the believers and an encouragement to be patient and endure the harm they received from the polytheists until Allah judges between them and takes revenge for them. It is also possible that it is an address to both parties: let the believers be patient with the harm of the disbelievers, and let the disbelievers be patient with what displeases them regarding the faith of those who believed, until Allah judges and distinguishes the evil from the good.

"And He is the best of judges": Because His judgment is truth and justice, in which there is no fear of oppression.