Overall meaning : The haughty leaders among the people of Shu’ayb said, 'We will surely expel you, Shu’ayb, and your fellow believers from our town unless you and they follow our religion.’ He said, 'What! Will you make us follow your religion against our will even though we abhor it?! We would certainly be inventing a lie against Allah if we followed your religion after Allah has saved us from it. It is not for us to follow your false religion unless Allah, our Lord, so wills. Our Lord’s knowledge encompasses all things. We have put our trust in Allah in all our affairs.’ 'Our Lord,’ he then prayed, 'judge between us and our people with Your just judgement. You are the best to decide.’
But the arrogant leaders among his people, who were obstinately bent on unbelief, said to their followers, 'Indeed, if you follow Shu’ayb, you will be the losers.’
The unbelievers among Shu’ayb’s people were then overtaken by a mighty earthquake, and there they lay lifeless, prostrate on the ground.
It was as if those who rejected Shu’ayb and called him a liar had never lived and prospered there. Those who rejected Shu’ayb were indeed the losers.
He turned away from them, rebukingly saying, 'I conveyed to you, my people, the message of my Lord and gave you good and sincere advice. How can I then grieve for an unbelieving people?!’