Quran Universe
7:90

وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦ لَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتُمۡ شُعَيۡبًا إِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّخَٰسِرُونَ

Waqala almalao allatheena kafaroo min qawmihi laini ittabaAAtum shuAAayban innakum ithan lakhasiroona

Said the eminent ones who disbelieved among his people, "If you should follow Shu'ayb, indeed, you would then be losers."

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd said
  2. ٱلۡمَلَأُthe chiefs
  3. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  4. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  5. مِنamong
  6. قَوۡمِهِۦhis people
  7. لَئِنِIf
  8. ٱتَّبَعۡتُمۡyou follow
  9. شُعَيۡبًاShuaib
  10. إِنَّكُمۡindeed,you
  11. إِذٗاthen
  12. لَّخَٰسِرُونَ(will be) certainly losers
Al-A'raf · 7:90Makkah

Follow him and you will lose, they warned.

The chiefs' fear campaign

The chiefs' claim
disbelieving chiefsspeak to the people
warn
follow Shuayband you will be losers
Who lost
the followerswhat the chiefs claimed
the denierswhat Allah showed

Ibn Kathir says this shows the depth of defiance in their hearts. The chiefs vowed to the people that following Shuayb would make them losers. Allah answered that claim with what came next, and the verses that follow turn the word losers back on those who said it.

Someone at work tells you that being honest in sales will cost you your bonus. Everyone cuts corners, they say. You will lose if you do not. Ask who really ends up losing.

Doing right will make me fall behind.

The ones who warn me about losing are not the ones who decide who loses.

Try this

Do one honest thing today that might cost you a little. Notice how it feels after.

Related11:9426:189
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said (to their people): "If you follow Shu'ayb, be sure then you will be the losers! (90)So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes (91)Those who belied Shu'ayb, became as if they had never dwelt there (in their homes). Those who belied Shu'ayb, they were the losers (92)

Allah describes the enormity of disbelief, rebellion, transgression and misguidance (of Shu'ayb's people) and the defiance of truth encrypted in their hearts. They vowed, saying,

لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ

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

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

(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 جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

(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,

أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ

(Does your Salah (prayer) command you...)[11:87] 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 كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ

("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,

فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

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

كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا

(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 كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ

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