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Aykah is considered to be an area full of trees or a very lush region filled with greenery. The village of the people in question was situated in the middle of this lush green area.

 

For their guidance, the Allah azza wajal sent Nabi Shuaib Alayhis Salaam. As for the message which he gave them, this is presented in Surah Shurah (26) as follows from verses 176 to 189:

 

کَذَّبَ اَصْحٰبُ لْـَٔـیۡکَۃِ الْمُرْسَلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۷۶﴾ۚۖ اِذْ قَالَ لَہُمْ شُعَیۡبٌ اَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿۱۷۷﴾ۚ اِنِّیۡ لَکُمْ رَسُوۡلٌ اَمِیۡنٌ ﴿۱۷۸﴾ۙ فَاتَّقُوا اللہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوۡنِ ﴿۱۷۹﴾ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَسْـَٔلُکُمْ عَلَیۡہِ مِنْ اَجْرٍۚاِنْ اَجْرِیَ اِلَّا عَلٰی رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۰﴾ؕ اَوْفُوا الْکَیۡلَ وَ لَا تَکُوۡنُوۡا مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۱﴾ۚ وَزِنُوۡا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِیۡمِ ﴿۱۸۲﴾ۚ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ اَشْیَآءَہُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ مُفْسِدِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۳﴾ۚ وَ اتَّقُوا الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَکُمْ وَ الْجِبِلَّۃَ الْاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۴﴾ؕ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّمَاۤ اَنۡتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۵﴾ۙ وَمَاۤ اَنۡتَ اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَ اِنۡ نَّظُنُّکَ لَمِنَ الْکٰذِبِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۶﴾ۚ فَاَسْقِطْ عَلَیۡنَا کِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ اِنۡ کُنۡتَ مِنَ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸۷﴾ؕ قَالَ رَبِّیۡۤ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۸﴾ فَکَذَّبُوۡہُ فَاَخَذَہُمْ عَذَابُ یَوْمِ الظُّلَّۃِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ عَذَابَ یَوْمٍ عَظِیۡمٍ ﴿۱۸۹﴾

“The people of the forest belied the Messengers. When Shoaib said to them, ‘do you not fear? Undoubtedly, I am a trusted Messenger of Allah for you. Therefore fear Allah and obey me. And I ask you no wage for it, my wage is only upon Him Who is Lord of the worlds. Fulfil the measure and be not of those who give less. And weigh with a straight balance. And give not the things of the people decreasing, and wander not in the earth spreading mischief. And fear Him Who created you and the earlier people.’ They said, ‘you are being be-witched. You are not, but a man like us, and undoubtedly, we consider you a liar. Therefore, cause to fall upon us a fragment of the sky, if you are truthful.’ He said, ‘My Lord knows well what are your doings.’ Then they belied him, therefore, the torment of the day of shadow overtook them. Undoubtedly, it was a torment of a great day.”

 

In brief, these people of the forest, after listening to these wise words of Nabi Shuaib Alayhis Salaam, belied him and refused to listen to his advice. They even went to the extent to saying that if he was a true Prophet, he should send down on them a form of punishment which would prove his Prophethood. The punishment sent to them was as follows.

 

In the Hadith Shareef it is mentioned that one of the Doors of Hell was slightly opened to them which resulted in this people suffering from extreme hot weather. As they began to experience this extremely hot weather, most of them decided to go indoors to escape it. They also started to throw water over themselves to cool themselves. However, none of these things created any peace and comfort for them. The heat was so extreme that some of their bodies began to burn from this heat. Suddenly, the Allah azza wajal sent a cloud which covered the entire village like an umbrella and it was cool and comfortable under this cloud. The entire village then appeared under this cloud to seek comfort from it. When everyone in this village came under this cloud, there was a sudden and severe earthquake. Fire began to rain down from the sky and every one of them burnt to death. These people, in their idiotic behaviour, had challenged Nabi Shuaib Alayhis Salaam to bring down punishment upon them and this is exactly what happened. (Tafseer Saawi)

 

It must also be remembered that Nabi Shuaib Alayhis Salaam was sent to two communities to guide them towards guidance. The first were the people Madain and the second were these people of the forest. Both of these communities belied his message and saw for themselves their ultimate destruction. Both of these communities had insulted him and had rejected his message. As for the people of Madain, it is reported that Jibra’eel Ameen Alayhis Salaam had appeared and through his voice the entire area had turned upside down and everyone was destroyed.