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wa-ʾilā madyana ʾakhāhum shuʿayban qāla yā-qawmi ʿbudū llāha mā lakum min ʾilāhin ghayruhū qad jāʾatkum bayyinatun min rabbikum fa-ʾawfū l-kayla wa-l-mīzāna wa-lā tabkhasū n-nāsa ʾashyāʾahum wa-lā tufsidū fī l-ʾarḍi baʿda ʾiṣlāḥihā dhālikum khayrun lakum ʾin kuntum muʾminīna
And to [the people of] Midian [We sent] Shu‘ayb, their brother. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah! You have no other god besides Him. There has certainly come to you a manifest proof from your Lord. Observe fully the measure and the balance, and do not cheat the people of their goods, and do not cause corruption on the earth after its restoration. That is better for you, if you are faithful.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘A’raf, Verse 85
Shu'ayb exhorts his people to believe in and stick to the Unity of Allah -His rejection and the punishment.
85. "And (We sent) unto (the people of) Madyan their brother Shu'ayb. He said: 'O' my people! Serve Allah ! You have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. Therefore give full measure and weight and do not diminish to men their things, and do not make mischief in the earth after its improvement. This is better for you, if you are believers."
Jethro's Messengership in Madyan
Jethro, whose genealogical tree, according to the history records, with several dynasties reaches Abraham, was missioned to go towards the inhabitants of Madyan. At that time, Madyan was one of the cities of Syria the people of which were mostly merchants. Idolatry, short weighing, defraudation and falsification in social relationships were fully current among them. The explanation of the conflict and dispute between this great prophet (as) and the inhabitants of Madyan is stated in several Suras of the Qur'an, and in Surah Hud, No.11 and Surah Ash-Shu'ara, No.26, in particular.
In this current verse, the Qur'an says that Allah sent to the people of Madyan their brother Jethro. The verse says:
Then the verse adds that Shu'ayb, like all other prophets, began his invitation with the subject of Monotheism and, as the Qur'an remarks:
He emphasized that not only the mentioned ordinance was the command of wisdom, but also it was proved by the clear evidences that had come from their Lord for them. The verse says:
Next to the invitation to monotheism, he tried to struggle against their social, economical, and ethical corruptions. At first, he restrained them from defraudation, falsification in social relationships which they were polluted with, and told them now that the path of Allah was revealed to them they should pay the right measure and weight so that the due things of people might not be diminished. The verse says:
Then, he points to one of other wrong actions of those people, and says:
It is certain that none may make profit from making mischief, irrespective of ethical mischief, faithlessness, and insecurity. So, at the end of the verse, it adds: