historical

Companions of the Thicket

أصحاب الأيكة

The Companions of the Thicket (أصحاب الأيكة) represent a community recounted in the Quran whose story offers profound lessons. They are described as a people who were [wrongdoers] and who [denied the messengers] sent to guide them. While some scholars connect them to the people of Midian, to whom Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) was sent, their distinct mention in various surahs underscores their significance as a standalone warning. The Quran reminds us that [All denied the messengers, so My threat was justly fulfilled], emphasizing that their rejection of divine guidance ultimately led to their destruction. Their narrative serves as a poignant reminder in Islamic tradition about the consequences of arrogance, injustice, and turning away from the truth. Their fate, alongside other heedless communities like [Thamud and the people of Lot], encourages believers to reflect on the importance of heeding divine messages and upholding justice in society.

Quran 4 verses

15:78View in graph

وَإِن كَانَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأَيْكَةِ لَظَٰلِمِينَ

Wa in kaana Ashaabul Aikati lazaalimeen

And the companions of the thicket were [also] wrongdoers.

اور بَن کے رہنے والے (یعنی قوم شعیب کے لوگ) بھی گنہگار تھے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Aikah means a dense forest. There are other views too. Some commentators say that there was a dense forest near Madyan, therefore, Aikah is actually the title of the people of Madyan. Others have said that the people of Aikah and the people of Madyan were two different people. It was afte...

Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And certainly in has been softened in other words understand it as being innahu the dwellers in the wood a huddle of trees near Midian — these were the people of the prophet Shu‘ayb — were evildoers for denying Shu‘ayb.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Destruction of the Dwellers of Al-Aykah, the People of Shu`ayb The Dwellers of Al-Aykah, were the people of Shu`ayb. Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others said that Al-Aykah refers to intertwined trees. Their evildoing included associating partners with Allah (Shirk), banditry and cheating in weights an...

26:176View in graph

كَذَّبَ أَصْحَٰبُ لْـَٔيْكَةِ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

Kazzaba As haabul Aykatil mursaleen

The companions of the thicket denied the messengers

اور بن کے رہنے والوں نے بھی پیغمبروں کو جھٹلایا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَأَمْطَرْ‌نَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرً‌ا ۖ فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ‌ الْمُنذَرِ‌ينَ and subjected them to a terrible rain. So evil was the rain of those who were warned. - 26:173 This verse has confirmed that if a man commits sodomy, he may be punished with throwing a wall on him or by throwing him down from a high...

Tafsir al-Jalalayn: The dwellers in the wood a variant reading for ashābu’l-aykati has ashābu laykata a thicket of trees near Midian denied the messengers

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Shu`ayb and His Preaching to the Dwellers of Al-Aykah The companions of Al-Aykah were the people of Madyan, according to the most correct view. The Prophet of Allah Shu`ayb was one of them, but it does not say here, their brother Shu`ayb, because they called themselves by a name denoting their deifi...

38:13View in graph

وَثَمُودُ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ وَأَصْحَٰبُ لْـَٔيْكَةِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ

Wa Samoodu wa qawmu Lootinw wa Ashaabul 'Aykah; ulaaa'ikal Ahzaab

And [the tribe of] Thamud and the people of Lot and the companions of the thicket. Those are the companies.

اور ثمود اور لوط کی قوم اور بن کے رہنے والے بھی۔ یہی وہ گروہ ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: أُولَـٰئِكَ الْأَحْزَابُ (They were the [ strong ] groups. - 38:13) One explanation of this statement is that it is the description of the word 'groups' in verse 11. In other words, 'these are the groups or Confederates that have been pointed out in this verse.' Maulana Thanavi (رح) has gone by this...

Tafsir al-Jalalayn: and Thamūd and the people of Lot and the dwellers in the wood a small forest namely the people of Shu‘ayb peace be upon him — those were the factions.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): A Reminder of Those Who were destroyed among the Previous Nations Allah tells us about those past nations and the punishment and vengeance that struck them for their going against the Messengers and disbelieving in the Prophets, peace be upon them. We have already seen their stories in detail in num...

50:14View in graph

وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأَيْكَةِ وَقَوْمُ تُبَّعٍ كُلٌّ كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ

Wa Ashaabul Aykati wa qawmu Tubba'; kullun kazzabar Rusula fahaqqa wa'eed

And the companions of the thicket and the people of Tubba'. All denied the messengers, so My threat was justly fulfilled.

اور بن کے رہنے والے اور تُبّع کی قوم۔ (غرض) ان سب نے پیغمبروں کو جھٹلایا تو ہمارا وعید (عذاب) بھی پورا ہو کر رہا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Dwellers of Aikah Aikah means a dense bush; wood; forest; jungle, These people resided in such a place. Holy Prophet Shu'aib (علیہ السلام) was sent to this nation. They disobeyed him and were destroyed by Divine punishment. People of Tubba' Tubba' was the title of the king of Yemen. The necessary ex...

Tafsir al-Jalalayn: and the dwellers in the wood a small forest — the people of Shu‘ayb — and the people of Tubba‘ — a king who ruled in Yemen; he had submitted to God and had summoned his people to the same submission to God but they denied him. Each of those mentioned denied the messengers as your tribe Quraysh have ...

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Reminding the Quraysh of the Destruction of earlier Disbelieving Nations Allah the Exalted warns the disbelievers of Quraysh and reminds them of the punishment and painful torment that He sent in this life on their likes, who disbelieved before them. For instance, Allah the Exalted punished the peop...

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Companions of the Thicket

Quran 4 verses

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