Shuaib | |
|---|---|
| Arabic:شُعَيْب,romanized: Shuʿayb | |
 Shuaib in prayer while the people are punished by God. | |
| Predecessor | Ayyub |
| Successor | Musa |
| Relatives | Issachar(grandfather) |
Shuaib,Shoaib,Shuayb orShuʿayb (Arabic:شُعَيْب,IPA:[ʃuʕajb]; meaning: "who shows the right path") is an ancientMidianiteprophet inIslam and the most revered prophet in theDruze faith.[1] Shuaib is sometimes identified with theHebrew biblicalJethro,Moses's father-in-law. Shuaib is mentioned in theQuran 11 times.[2] He is believed to have lived afterIbrahim (Abraham), andMuslims believe that he was sent as a prophet to the Midianites,[3] who are also known as theAṣḥāb al-Aykah ("Companions of the Wood") for their worship of a large tree.[4][5][6][7] To the Midianites, Shuaib proclaimed the "straight path", warning them to end their fraudulent ways[example needed]. When the community did not repent,God destroyed the community.[3][5]
AlongsideHud,Salih, andMuhammad, Shuaib is understood by Muslims as one of the fourArabian prophets sent by God.Ibn Kathir stated that he was known by Muslims as "the eloquent preacher amongst the prophets" because he was, according to tradition, granted talent and eloquence in his language.[8]
The Druze honor Shuaib as their principal prophet and hold an annual pilgrimage toNabi Shu’ayb—a site in theLower Galilee believed by Druze to be his tomb—from April 25 to 28, known asZiyara.[1]
The area to which Shuʿayb was sent to is namedMadyan in the Qur'an, known in English asMidian, which is frequently referred to in theHebrew Bible. The Midianites were said to be of Arab descent, though being neighbors of theBiblical Canaanites, they intermixed with them. It is said they were a wandering tribe, and that their principal territory at the time ofMoses was theSinai Peninsula. The historical region of Midian roughly corresponds to what is nowprovince ofTabuk inSaudi Arabia.[9][10]
According to theBook of Genesis, the Midianites were the descendants ofMidian, a son ofAbraham and his wifeKeturah: "Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah" (Genesis 25:1–2,King James Version).[11][12][13]
Midian can be considered as being part of theHejaz,[14] which is significant forMuslims as the region oftheir two holiest cities,Mecca andMedina.[15]
Jethro is mentioned in theBible (Exodus 3:1) as the father-in-law of Moses. Although Shuaib is frequently identified with the Midianite priest Jethro, most modern scholars reject this identification. Classical commentators, such asIbn Kathir, say Shuʿayb was a great-grandson of Abraham: Shuʿayb is believed to have been the son of Mikil, son of Midian, son of Abraham.[8] That would render impossible the identification with Jethro, who purportedly lived hundreds of years after Abraham.[16]
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The Qur'an states that Shuaib was appointed byGod to be a prophet to the people of Midian. The people of this land were said to be especially notorious for cheating others through dishonesty and for idolatry. Shuʿayb's prophecy mainly involved calling the Midianites to the correct path of God,[17] and forbidding them to worship false gods.
It is also said he told his people to stop being dishonest in their daily activities. Although he preached and prophesied for a sustained period of time, the majority of the people refused to listen to him. Shuayb, however, remained steadfast. He consistently preached powerfully against the wicked, telling them of the punishment that had befallen the sinful before them. Shuʿayb warned the people that their ignorance would lead to the destruction of Midian, giving historical examples of earlier prophets, includingNoah,Hud,Saleh andLot,[18] all of whose people had been destroyed by God.
The people taunted Shuʿayb and told him that, were it not for the prestigious family he came from, he would surely have beenstoned to death. Shuayb replied, "Is my family of more consideration with you than God?" When the Midianites refused to believe, they were destroyed by a mighty earthquake.[3] The Qur'an, however, mentions that Shuʿayb, and his believing companions, were rescued from the thunderous punishment.[18][19]
Shuayb's mission is often mentioned in the Qur'an with the mission of Noah, Hud, Saleh and Lot. Scholars have pointed out that these fiveprophets exemplify the early prophetic missions: The prophet would be sent to his community; the community would pay no attention to his warning and would instead threaten him with punishment; after years of preaching, God would ask him to leave his community, while his people were subsequently destroyed in a punishment. Scholars chronologically interpret the listing of the five prophets, so Shuʿayb was a descendant of Ibrahim andNuh (Noah).[20]
One claimed tomb of Shuayb is found inJordan,[21] 2 km (1.2 mi) west of the town ofMahis, in an area calledWādī Shuʿayb (Arabic:وَادِي شُعَيْب).[22]
![The shrine of Shuayb, as believed by the Druze and some Muslims,[23][24] near Hittin in the Galilee](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNabi-shurayb.jpg)
The GalileanShrine of Shu'ayb: theDruze believe the tomb of Nabi Shu'ayb is located nearHittin, in theLower Galilee.[23][24] Each year, on the 25th of April, the Druze gather at the site to discuss community affairs.[25]
There is also a tomb in the southwest ofIran, in the villageGuriyeh,Shushtar, which has been recorded as the tomb of Shuayb.[26]
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