Surah Al-Hijr • Ayah 79

The Destruction of the Dwellers of Al-Aykah, the People of Shu`aybThe Dwellers of Al-Aykah, were the people of Shu`ayb. Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others said that Al-Aykah refers to intertwined trees. Their evildoing included associating partners with Allah (Shirk), banditry and cheating in weights and measures. Allah punished them with the Sayhah (the awful cry or torment), the earthquake, and the torment of the Day of Shadow. They lived near the people of Lut, but at a later time, and the people of Lut were known to them, which is why Allah says,وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ(They are both on an open route, plain to see.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and others said, "a visible route." This is why, when Shu`ayb warned his people, he said to them,وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ(And the people of Lut are not far off from you!) 11:89

اصحاب ایکہ کا المناک انجام ٭٭اصحاب ایکہ سے مراد قوم شعیب ہے۔ ایکہ کہتے ہیں درختوں کے جھنڈ کو۔ ان کا ظلم علاوہ شرک و کفر کے غارت گری اور ناپ تول کی کمی بھی تھی۔ ان کی بستی لوطیوں کے قریب تھی اور ان کا زمانہ بھی ان سے بہت قریب تھا۔ ان پر بھی ان کی پہیم شراتوں کی وجہ سے عذاب الٰہی آیا۔ یہ دونوں بستیاں بر سر شارع عام تھیں۔ شعیب علیہ السلام نے اپنی قوم کو ڈراتے ہوئے فرمایا تھا کہ «وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ» [11-هود:89] ‏ ” لوط کی قوم تم سے کچھ دور نہیں “۔صفحہ نمبر4367

آیت 79 فَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ ۘ وَاِنَّهُمَا لَبِاِمَامٍ مُّبِيْنٍ اس سے مراد وہی تجارتی شاہراہ ہے جس کا ذکر ابھی ہوا ہے۔ یہ اصحاب حجر کے مساکن سے بھی ہو کر گزرتی تھی جبکہ اہل مدین کی آبادیاں اور قوم لوط کی بستیاں بھی اسی شاہراہ پر واقع تھیں۔

CommentaryAikah means a dense forest. There are other views too. Some commentators say that there was a dense forest near Madyan, therefore, Aikah is actually the title of the people of Madyan. Others have said that the people of Aikah and the people of Madyan were two different people. It was after the destruction of one of them that Sayyidna Shu'ayb (علیہ السلام) was sent to the other.In Tafsir Ruh al-Ma’ ani, the following marfu` hadith appears with reference to Ibn ` Asakir:اِنَّ مَدیَنَ و اَصحَابَ الاَیکَۃِ اُمَّتَان بَعَثَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی اِلَیھِمَا شُعَیباًMadyan and the people of Aikah are two peoples. Allah Ta` ala sent Shu'ayb to them.And Al-Hijr is a valley situated in between Hijaz and Syria. It was inhabited by the people of Thamud.A Brief ExplanationDescribed at the beginning of the Surah was the hostility of the disbelievers of Makkah against the Holy Prophet ﷺ which also carried words of comfort for him briefly. Now, at the end of the Surah, more words of comfort appear to mollify his concern about their grudge and hostility.Here, he is being asked not to grieve over their hostile opposition because there is a day when all scores will be settled, and that is the day of Judgment, and it is bound to come as he has been told. Then, there is the fact that Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is there in between them but with truth and wisdom. The wise consid-eration behind this creation is that people should believe in the existence of the maker of the universe, attest to His Oneness and supremacy and obey His injunctions. Also present there is the consequence of not doing so, after the argument of Allah stands established, that the defaulter be punished. Since this promised punishment does not seem to come in full right here in this mortal world, it has to be somewhere else. For that, the time is fixed, the time of the Qiyamah, the Day of Judgment. And this Hour is sure to come. Everyone will be taken care of there.This being the wise arrangement of things, let him not grieve. The better course for him is to overlook their wicked behaviour in a gracious manner, that is, neither pay attention to their behavior nor complain about it. The reason is that his Lord is great as Creator and great as the Master Knower as well. He knows his patience and fortitude and He knows the evil mechanizations of his enemies too. Therefore, He is to exact the full return from them of what they have been doing.