فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَٰفِرِينَ
7:69, 80; 46:24.
Commentary:
The words put in the mouth of Shu‘aib in this verse are full of pathos. Shu‘aib, like every true Prophet, feels deep grief and distress for his people, but then he tries to console his distressed heart by saying, How then should I sorrow for a disbelieving people, i.e. "These ungrateful people persistently refused to accept the truth from their Lord. They defied and disobeyed God’s Prophet and rejected His signs and thus drew upon themselves His wrath and brought about their ruin with their own hand. In spite of this my heart sorrows for them. Would that they had believed!"
7:69, 80; 46:24.
The words are full of extreme pathos. Shu‘aib, like every true Prophet, felt deep grief and distress for his people.