Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Verse 176

Tafsir of 26:176

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 deification of Al-Aykah, which was a tree which they used to worship; it was said that it was a group of trees which were tangled, like trees in a thicket. For this reason, when Allah said that the companions of Al-Aykah denied the Messengers, He did not say, "When their brother Shu`ayb said to them." Rather, He said: إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ شُعَيْبٌ (When Shu`ayb said to them) He is not described as belonging to them because of the meaning that was inherent in the name given to them even though he was their brother by blood. Some people did not notice this point, so they thought that the dwellers of Al-Aykah were different from the people of Madyan, and claimed that Shu`ayb was sent to two nations; some said that he was sent to three. أَصْحَبُ لَْيْكَةِ (The companions of Al-Aykah) were the people of Shu`ayb. This was the view of Ishaq bin Bishr.…

Source: Ibn Kathir (Abridged)