Surah Hud · سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ · Juz 12
Q 11:92
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَهْطِىٓ أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَآءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا ۖ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
Translations
He said, "O my people, is my family more respected for power by you than Allah? But you put Him behind your backs [in neglect]. Indeed, my Lord is encompassing of what you do.Il dit: «O mon peuple, mon clan est-il à vos yeux plus puissant qu'Allah à qui vous tournez ouvertement le dos? Mon Seigneur embrasse (en Sa science) tout ce que vous œuvrez.Tafsir
Shu’ayb said to his people: O my people, is my family more respectable and honoured to you than Allah, your Lord? Did you throw Allah behind you when you did not accept the prophet He sent to you? My Lord surrounds what you do. No action of yours is hidden from Him. He will repay your behaviour in the world with destruction, and in the Afterlife with punishment.
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
They said: "O Shu'ayb! We do not understand much of what you say, and we see you weak among us. Were it not for your family, you would have been stoned, and you are not powerful against us. (91)He said: "O my people! Is then my family of more weight with you than Allah? And you have cast Him away behind your backs. Verily, my Lord is surrounding all that you do. (92)
The Response of Shu'ayb's People
They said,
يَا شُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ
(O Shu'ayb! We do not understand) This means that we do not comprehend.
كَثِيرًا
(much) 'most of what you say'. Ath-Thawri said, "He (Shu'ayb) was called the orator of the Prophets." As-Suddi said,
وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا
(and we see you weak among us.) "They meant, 'You are only one person.'" Abu Rawq said, "They meant, 'You are despised, because your tribe is not upon your religion.'"
وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ
(Were it not for your family, you would have been stoned,) This means, your people. Were it not for their powerful position over the people of Madyan, they would have stoned him to death. Some said that this means with rocks. It has also been said that this means that they would have cursed and insulted him verbally.
وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ
(and you are not powerful against us.) This means, "You have no position of power over us."
Shu'ayb's Refutation of His People
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ
(He said: "O my people! Is then my family of more weight with you than Allah?")
He says: You would leave me alone out of respect for my people but not out of respect for the greatness of the Lord, the Most Blessed and Exalted? Does not your awe of Allah prevent you from harming His Prophet? Indeed you have placed the fear of Allah,
وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا
(behind your backs.) This means that you have thrown it behind you. You do not obey it, nor do you respect it.
إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
(Verily, my Lord is surrounding all that you do.) This means that He knows all of your actions and He will reward you according to them.
Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net