كَذَّبَ أَصْحَـٰبُ لْـَٔيْكَةِ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ 176
Translations
The companions of the thicket [i.e., the people of Madyan] denied the messengers
Transliteration
Kazzaba ashabu al-aykati al-mursalin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the people of al-Aykah (a wooded settlement) who rejected the messengers sent to them, particularly the prophet Shu'ayb. According to classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir, al-Aykah was a people known for their dishonesty in commerce and rejection of divine guidance. The ayah emphasizes their collective disbelief and defiance against Allah's messengers, serving as a historical warning to believers about the consequences of rejecting prophetic guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which is structured as a series of narratives about different peoples who rejected their messengers. The surah was revealed in Mecca and recounts these historical accounts to comfort Prophet Muhammad and warn the Quraysh about the fate of those who reject the message. The mention of the people of al-Aykah specifically relates to the story of Prophet Shu'ayb and his community's rejection despite his signs.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly addresses this ayah, the broader narrative of Shu'ayb appears in various tafsir traditions. The theme of rejecting messengers is reinforced in numerous hadiths about the trials faced by prophets, such as those in Sahih Bukhari regarding the persecution of messengers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejecting the divine message and those who bring it leads to destruction, regardless of how prosperous or established a community may be. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to accept divine guidance humbly and not to follow the path of those who arrogantly dismiss the truth.