Surah Al-'Ankabut, Ayah 36
Quran 29:36 · The Spider · Makki · Para 20 · Page 400
وَاِلٰی مَدْیَنَ اَخَاهُمْ شُعَیْبًا ۙ فَقَالَ یٰقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ وَارْجُوا الْیَوْمَ الْاٰخِرَ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ مُفْسِدِیْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Wa-ila madyana akhahumshuAAayban faqala ya qawmi oAAbudoo Allahawarjoo alyawma al-akhira wala taAAthaw feeal-ardi mufsideen
Saheeh International
And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb, and he said, "O my people, worship Allāh and expect the Last Day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
I sent to the people of Madyan their brother in lineage, Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him). He said: My people, worship Allah alone, and have hope by your worshipping Him for reward on the Last Day. Do not spread corruption on earth by committing and spreading sins.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 29:36–29:37
And to Madyan, We sent their brother Shu'ayb. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah and hope for the last Day, and commit no mischief on the earth as mischief-makers. (36)And they denied him; so the earthquake seized them, and they lay, prostrate in their dwellings (37)
Shu'ayb and His People
Allah tells us that His servant and Messenger Shu'ayb, peace be upon him, warned his people, the people of Madyan, and commanded them to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and to fear the wrath and punishment of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. He said:
يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَارْجُوا الْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ
(O my people! Worship Allah and hope for the last Day,) Ibn Jarir said: "Some of them said that this meant: Fear the Last Day." This is like the Ayah,
لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ
(for those who look forward to (meeting with) Allah and the Last Day)(60:6).
وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
(and commit no mischief on the earth as mischief-makers.) This is forbidding them to make mischief on earth by spreading corruption, which means going around doing evil to people. They used to cheat in weights and measures, and ambush people on the road; this is in addition to their disbelief in Allah and His Messenger. So Allah destroyed them with a mighty earthquake that convulsed their land, and the Sayhah (shout) which tore their hearts from their bodies, and the torment of the Day of Shade, when their souls were taken. This was the torment of a great day. We have already examined their story in detail in Surat Al-A'raf, Surat Hud and Surat Ash-Shu'ara'.
فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
(and they lay, prostrate in their dwellings.) Qatadah said, "They were dead." Others said that they were thrown on top of one another.