Topic: People Of The Wood (Ashabul-Aikah)

26:177; 38:14; 50:15.

Important Words:

ان (surely) is a common Arabic word giving a number of meanings, e.g., if; not; verily or surely; because; when. It is sometimes redundant (Lane).

الایکة (the Wood), the plural of which is الایك is derived from the verb ایك (ayika). ایك الشجر means, the trees grew thick and formed a wood. الایکة means, a collection of numerous tangled or dense trees, particularly (though not necessarily) of the kind called سدر and الاك (wild berries); a thicket (Aqrab & Lane).

Commentary:

The word الایکة seems to refer to Midian in the vicinity of which there existed tangled and luxuriant trees after which these people or a section thereof were called اصحاب الایکة. Midian lay in the Sinai Peninsula, a few miles from the sea. It was originally the name of a tribe who were descended from Abraham through Keturah and who had settled in the locality known after their ancestor Midian, son of Keturah. They were good businessmen and carried on trade with India through Bahrain or Aden. When, however, their business flourished, they resorted to illicit methods in trade (26:184).

The fact that, according to the Quran, the Prophet Shu‘aib was sent both to اصحاب الایکة i.e. People of the Wood (26:177, 178) and اصحاب مدین i.e. People of Midian (11:85) shows that both are the names of the same people or, rather, of two sections of the same people who had adopted two different kinds of trade, one living on commerce and the other keeping herds of camels and sheep and selling milk, wool, etc. Two sections of the same people living in the same town are generally seen to be following different trades in such towns as are situated on the borders of jungles and forests. So the people of al-Aikah is another section of the tribe of Shu‘aib (26:177, 178) who has also been spoken of as having been sent to the people of Midian (7:86, 11:85 & 29:37).

Further evidence of the close relationship of the "People of the Wood" with the "People of Midian" is furnished by the fact that identical faults have been ascribed in the Quran to both. Speaking of the latter, the Quran says: So give full measure and full weight, and diminish not unto people their things, and create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order (7:86), while Shu‘aib addresses the former in the following words: Give full measure, and be not of those who give less. And weigh with the true balance. And diminish not to men their things, nor act corruptly in the earth, making mischief (26:182-184). This shows that the "People of the Wood" and the "People of Midian" (to whom Prophet Shu‘aib was sent) belonged to the same parent tribe and had adopted different forms of trade. It may also be noted here that Midian was both the name of the tribe and the town they lived in, at the head of the gulf of ‘Aqabah, and near it was situated the wilderness or Aikah abounding in dwarf trees of the species of wild plums and affording shelter to camels, sheep and goats. For a description of the ایکة or wood near Midian, see "The Gold Mines of Midian" by Sir Richard Francis Burton.

15:79; 38:14; 50:15.

Important Words:

الایکة (the wood) is derived from the verb أیک (ayika). أیک الشجر means, the trees grew thick and formed a wood. الایکةmeans, a collection of numerous tangled or dense trees of the kind of lotus and wild berries; a thicket (Lane & Aqrab). See also 15:79.

Commentary:

The word الایکة seems to refer to Midian in the neighbourhood of which there existed tangled and luxuriant trees after which these people or a section thereof were called اصحاب الایکة. Midian lay in the Sinai Peninsula, a few miles from the sea. It was originally the name of a tribe who were descended from Abraham through Katurah and who had settled in the locality known after their ancestor Midian, son of Katurah.

The fact that according to the Quran the Prophet Shu‘aib was sent both to اصحاب الایکة i.e. People of the Wood and اصحاب مدین i.e. People of Midian (7:86 & 11:85) shows that both these were the names of two sections of the same people, Shu‘aib particularly belonging to the section known as مدین, because where in the Quran he is stated as having been sent to صدین he is described as "their brother" and where he is mentioned as having been sent to اصحاب الایکة the words "their brother" are omitted.

Further evidence of the close relationship of the "People of the Wood" with the "People of Midian" is furnished by the fact that identical faults have been ascribed in the Quran to both. Compare 26:182-184, 7:86 & 11:85-86. It may further be noted that Midian was both the name of the tribe and the town in which they lived. It was situated at the head of the gulf of Aqaba and near it was the wilderness or Aikah abounding in dwarf trees of the species of wild plumbs and affording shelter to camels, sheep and goats. See also 15:79.

15:79; 26:177; 50:15.

Commentary:

According to the Quran, اصحاب الایکة (Dwellers of the Wood) and اصحاب مدین (People of Median) are names of the same people, or rather, of two sections of the same people, who had adopted two different kinds of trade, one living on commerce and the other keeping herds of camels and sheep and selling milk, wood, etc. Thus, اصحاب الایکة is a section of the tribe of the Prophet Shu‘aib (26:177, 178), who has also been mentioned as having been sent to the People of Median (7:86, 11:85 & 29:37).

15:79; 26:177; 38:14.

15:80; 26:140; 38:15.

Commentary:

For اصحاب الأیکة (Dwellers of the Wood) see 15:79 and for the People of Tubba‘ 44:38. The verse purports to say that the above-mentioned peoples were warned by their respective Prophets that if they rejected them, they would be punished in this world and would also have to account for their sins in the next. The first warning was literally fulfilled and, therefore, the second one is also bound to be fulfilled.