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wa-lammā jāʾa ʾamrunā najjaynā shuʿayban wa-lladhīna ʾāmanū maʿahū bi-raḥmatin minnā wa-ʾakhadhati lladhīna ẓalamū ṣ-ṣayḥatu fa-ʾaṣbaḥū fī diyārihim jāthimīna
When Our edict came, We delivered Shu‘ayb and the faithful who were with him by a mercy from Us. And the Cry seized those who were wrongdoers, whereat they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes,
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Hud – Verses 94 - 95
94. “And when Our Command came, We saved Shu‘ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us, and the (heavenly) Blast overtook those who were unjust, so they become motionless corpses in their abodes.”
95. “As if they had never dwelt there. Behold! Away with (people of) Madyan, even as were cast away (the people of) Thamud.”
Ultimately, the final stage did come. The Qur’an implies that when Allah’s Command for the punishment of this misguided, oppressing and obstinate people was issued, after Shu‘ayb and those who believed with him were saved by Divine favor and blessings, the terrible sound from the skies and the great death-dealing blast came over the people of Madyan and took them all by the throat. The verse says:
“And when Our Command came, We saved Shu‘ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us, and the (heavenly) Blast overtook those who were unjust...”
In the aftermath of the blast, the Qur’an indicates that the people of Shu‘ayb lay face down on the earth, they had died in their houses as a result of this great blast, and their corpses were left there to provide others with didactic lessons. Their lives were terminated in such a way that it was as if they had never existed there before. The verse continues saying:
“…so they become motionless corpses in their abodes.”
The Divine outrage is far superior in destruction than any other form of devastation, in the case of bombardment, for example, some people may have the chance to escape more or less unharmed, and some would remain alive after the event. However, when the time for Allah’s anger and punishment comes, it wipes the evildoers away in such a way that it is as if no one had ever lived there. The verse says:
“As if they had never dwelt there...”
Eventually, as was explained at the end of the stories of the peoples of ‘Ad and Thamud, Allah’s favor and blessings were removed from the people of Madyan as they had been removed from the people of Thamud. It says:
“…Behold! Away with (people of) Madyan, even as were cast away (the people of) Thamud.”