LessonsConclusion: Departing from the Apparent Demands of ContextQuiz

لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا
O Shu‘ayb, we will expel you and those who believe with you from our town, or you will all return to our way. (Al-A‘raf 7:88)

The collective address uses “لَتَعُودُنَّ” (“you shall return”) for a group with different prior states. Return applies by predominance to the collective expression; it does not imply that Prophet Shu‘ayb had previously followed that false religion.

The individual histories of the persons addressed must be distinguished from the shared form of address.

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Taghlib in directly addressing a mixed audience

Conclusion: Departing from the Apparent Demands of Context

لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا
O Shu‘ayb, we will expel you and those who believe with you from our town, or you will all return to our way. (Al-A‘raf 7:88)

The collective address uses “لَتَعُودُنَّ” (“you shall return”) for a group with different prior states. Return applies by predominance to the collective expression; it does not imply that Prophet Shu‘ayb had previously followed that false religion.

The individual histories of the persons addressed must be distinguished from the shared form of address.