11. Hud

[Shuʿayb said] I see you in prosperity: when Shuʿayb, peace be upon him, saw [the extent of] their misguidance by their idolatrous association and their veiledness to the Truth by [their worship of the idol] al-Jibt [Q. 4:51] and their desperation to acquire ephemera through all manner of vices and their extreme covetousness to garner wealth by means of the most evil characteristics, he bid them to desist from that, saying to them [in effect]: I see you [potentially] prospering in your preparedness with the possibility of actualising perfection and receiving guidance. Therefore I fear for you lest your sins should encompass you for your being veiled from the Truth, your halting with some other [besides God], diverting your reflective energies in their entirety to the pursuit of livelihood, your turning away from the final return and restricting your aspirations to the mere securing of the corrupt transient things instead of the actualising of the enduring righteous deeds, and because of your orienting yourselves towards the lower aspect instead of the higher aspect and your preoccupation with the bestial specific qualities instead of the human perfections. So adhere to the affirmation of Oneness and justice, separating yourselves from idolatrous association and injustice which is the sum-total of vices and the mother of ruinous dangers.

And do not be degenerate, in your corruption, that is, do not go to extremes or to the utmost in corruption, for injustice is the end-result of such [corruption], just as justice is the end-result of righteous work and the sum-total of virtues.

Does your [way of] prayer, to the end of this [verse],

He said, 'O my people, have you considered, in other words, tell me: what if I might be [acting] upon, a proof of certitude regarding [my] affirmation of the Oneness, from my Lord and that He has provided me with fair sustenance from Himḍ, in the way of cognitive and practical wisdom, as well as perfectedness and perfection by means of uprightness in affirming the Oneness, would it be right for me to abandon my forbidding of idolatrous association and injustice, and my desire to set things right by cleansing and adorning you [with righteous deeds]ḍ The apodosis of araÌaytum ('have you considered') has been omitted because it has [already] been indicated in similar [passages], as the aforementioned stories of Noah and Ṣāliḥ, peace be upon them both, and [indicated] by the words here that are specific to him: And I do not desire to be inconsistent before you, to the end of this [verse]: that is, that I should seek to procure transient this-worldly benefits [for myself] by committing the very injustices which I am forbidding you. I desire only to, set my soul and your souls right by acts of self-cleansing and preparation for the reception of wisdom so far as I am able. And I am only successful in setting things right, through God. In Him I trust and to Him I turn [repentant].

And ask forgiveness from your Lord, then repent to Him. Surely my Lord is ever-merciful, loving. He says, " Ask forgiveness from your Lord, for He is the forgiver and the servant-caresser-not as is fitting for the servant, but as is fitting for Him. No matter how many offenses the servant may have, in the end the Patron's bounty is more. It is the gentleness of lordhood that offers its gentle- ness to the attribute of servanthood: Whatever shortcoming servants may have, My unneediness is equal to it. Whatever may be unapproved from him, My loving kindness is on top of that. What- ever the servant may hope, My bounty is greater than that. " Surely my Lord is ever-merciful, loving. The loving is He who shows His love to His servants by His beautiful doing toward them. The loving is He who caresses the servant with His loving kindness and pours over him continual blessings so that the servant will become His friend. This is why He said to David, " O David, make Me beloved to My servants. Make My path clear to My servants and throw friendship for Me into their hearts. Teach them about My blessings and make My words sweet in their hearts. Tell them that I am the Lord with munificence and no niggardli- ness, with knowledge and no ignorance, with patience and no incapacity, with wrath but no annoy- ance. There is no change in My attributes and no alteration in My words. With Me the word does not change, and I do not wrong the servants [50:29]. " So, if the servant should fall short, not recognize what is rightfully due to this generosity, and not show gratitude for blessings, He will rebuke and say, " O son of Adam! You have not been fair to Me! I showed My love for you through blessings, and you showed your hate for Me through acts of disobedience. My good descends upon you, and your evil rises up to Me. " ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib narrated this hadith from the Prophet, who narrated it from God.