They said: "O Shu'ayb! Does your Salah command you that we give up what our fathers used to worship, or that we give up doing what we like with our property? Verily, you are the forbearer, right-minded! (87)
The Response of Shu'ayb's People
They said to Shu'ayb, in mockery,
أَصَلَاتُكَ
(Does your Salah) Al-A'mash said, "This means your reading."
تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا
(command you that we give up what our fathers used to worship,) meaning the idols and statues.
أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ
(or that we give up doing what we like with our property?) This means, "Should we abandon our practice of lightening the scales because of your statement This is our wealth and we will do with it as we please." Al-Hasan said concerning Allah's statement,
أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا
(Does your Salah command you that we give up what our fathers used to worship,)[11:87] "By Allah, this means that his prayer commanded them to abandon what their fathers used to worship." At-Thawri said concerning Allah's statement,
أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ
(or that we give up doing what we like with our property?) "They were speaking in reference to the paying of Zakah (charity)."
إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ
(Verily, you are the forbearer right-minded!) Ibn 'Abbas, Maymun bin Mihran, Ibn Jurayj, Ibn Aslam, and Ibn Jarir all said, "These enemies of Allah were only saying this in mockery. May Allah disfigure them and curse them from ever receiving His mercy. And verily, He did so."