7:90 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

{ وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ ْ} محذرين عن اتباع شعيب، { لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ ْ} هذا ما سولت لهم أنفسهم أن الخسارة والشقاء في اتباع الرشد والهدى، ولم يدروا أن الخسارة كل الخسارة في لزوم ما هم عليه من الضلال والإضلال، وقد علموا ذلك حين وقع بهم النكال.

يخبر تعالى عن شدة كفرهم وتمردهم وعتوهم وما هم فيه من الضلال وما جبلت عليه قلوبهم من المخالفة للحق ولهذا أقسموا وقالوا "لئن اتبعتم شعيبا إنكم إذا لخاسرون".

لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّخَـسِرُونَ

("If you follow Shu`ayb, be sure then you will be the losers!") Allah answered them,

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمْ جَـثِمِينَ

(So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes) Allah said that the earthquake shook them, as punishment for threatening to expel Shu`ayb and his followers. Allah mentioned their end again in Suah Hud,

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِى دِيَـرِهِمْ جَـثِمِينَ

(And when Our commandment came, We saved Shu`ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us. And the Sayhah (loud cry) seized the wrongdoers, and they lay (dead) prostrate in their homes.) 11:94 This Ayah mentions the Sayhah (cry) that struck them after they mocked Shu`ayb, saying,

أَصَلَوَتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ

(Does your Salah (prayer) command you...) so it was befitting to mention here the cry that made them silence. In Surat Ash-Shu`ara', Allah said,

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

(But they belied him, so the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them. Indeed that was the torment of a Great Day) 26:189 because they challenged Shu`ayb,

فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ

("So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!") 26:187. Therefore, Allah stated that each of these forms of punishment struck them on the Day of the Shadow. First,

فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ

(So the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them) 26:189 when a gloomy cloud came over them (containing) fire, flames and a tremendous light. Next, a cry from the sky descended on them and a tremor shook them from beneath. Consequently, their souls were captured, their lives were taken and their bodies became idle,

فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمْ جَـثِمِينَ

(and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes). Allah said next,

كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْاْ فِيهَآ

(They became as if they had never dwelt there) meaning, after the torment seized them, it looked as if they never dwelled in the land from which they wanted to expel their Messenger Shu`ayb and his followers. Here, Allah refuted their earlier statement,

الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ شُعَيْبًا كَانُواْ هُمُ الْخَـسِرِينَ

(Those who belied Shu`ayb, they were the losers.)

Said the council of those of his people who disbelieved that is some said to others ‘Verily if la-in the lām is for oaths you follow Shu‘ayb you shall indeed be losers’.

Reported in the third verse (90) is a misleading statement of the arrogant chiefs of the people of Sayyidna Shu'aib (علیہ السلام) which they made while talking among themselves, or said that to their followers: that is, ` if you are to follow Shu'aib, then you are sure losers.' (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit from 'Ata' )

The account of the punishment of these wicked people was given in the fourth verse (91) in the following words: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّ‌جْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِ‌هِمْ جَاثِمِينَ ﴿91﴾ (So, the earthquake seized them, and they were [ found dead ] in their homes fallen on their knees).