Shu’ayb assured his people that he was a trustworthy divine envoy and that he would gain nothing from their belief in God, as only God could reward him. The Qur’an describes some of the exchanges between Shu’ayb (may peace be upon him) and the leaders of his community.

And to Midian (We sent) their brother Shu’ayb. He said, “O my people, worship God, you have no other god than He. And diminish not the measure and the balance. I see you are prosperous and I fear for you the torment of an encompassing day. O my people, fill up the measure and the balance justly and wrong not the people in their goods. And do not spread mischief in the land, working corruption. God’s remainder is better for you, if you are believers; and I am not a guardian over you.”
    They said, “O Shu’ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave that our fathers worshipped, or to do as we will with our goods? You were always sagacious and wise.” (11:84- 87)

At first, the people reacted to Shu’ayb with mockery, refusing to acknowledge that he was speaking for his Lord. They wondered if his prayers – implying that he had invented them – induced him to make such preposterous demands on them. They remarked that he was always known to be intelligent and wise. Therefore, then, what had come over him to say such strange things? 

The Qur’an later refers to envoys (plural), though only Shu’ayb was sent to his people: Denying one prophet means to deny them all.

The people of the Thicket cried lies to the envoys when Shu’ayb said to them, “Will you not be God-fearing? I am for you a trustworthy messenger, so fear God and obey me. I ask of you no wage for this, my wage falls upon the Lord of all beings. Fill up the measure and be not cheaters, and weigh with the true balance, and wrong not the people in their goods, and do not spread mischief in the earth, working corruption. Fear Him who created you, and the generations of the ancients.”
    They said, “You are merely one of those who are bewitched; you are but a human being like us; indeed we think you are one of the liars. Make bits of the heavens fall down on us, if you are telling the truth. He said, “My Lord knows very well what you are doing.”  (26:176-188)

In these verses, the people accuse Shu’ayb of being bewitched. Why else would he claim to receive messages from heaven though he was a mere mortal, no different from them? To crown their sarcasm, they challenged him to prove he was telling the truth by causing pieces of the heavens to fall upon them. He replied that it was entirely up to their Creator to punish them as He saw fit, for He was fully aware of all they did. Nevertheless, as Shu’ayb was exceptionally patient and persistent, he continued to try to convince his people and warned them that they should not allow their impatience with him to cloud their judgment and to avoid punishment. They responded with more sarcasm and threats, saying that everything he said was meaningless and that they couldn’t even understand much of it. They also claimed that if it wasn’t for his clan, they would have stoned him to death.

He said, “O my people, what think you? If I stand upon a clear sign from my Lord, and He has provided me with fair provision from Him, and I desire not to come behind you, betaking me to that which I forbid you. I desire only to set things right, so far as I am able. My succor is only with God. In him I have put my trust and to Him I humbly turn.
    “O my people, let not the breach with me move you, so that you are stricken with the like of what struck the people of Nuh, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih, and the people of Lot are not far away from you. And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then repent to Him; my lord is indeed Compassionate, Loving.”
    They said, “O Shu’ayb, we understand not much of what you say. Indeed we see you weak among us. But for your clan, we would have stoned you, for you are not strong against us.”
    He said, “O my people. Is my clan stronger against you than God? Have you taken Him as something to be thrust behind you? My Lord encompasses the things you do. O my people, act according to your station; I (too) am acting. Certainly you will know to whom will come the torment that will degrade him, and who is a liar. And be upon the watch; I shall be with you, watching.” (11:88-93)

Shu’ayb finds it absurd that his people were more fearful of his clan than of God. He wondered how they could turn their backs on Him and pretend that He did not exist? He knew that sooner or later, their punishment would come; thus he attempted to warn them. Another passage in the Qur’an narrates that Shu’ayb gave his people more counsel and reminded them he had shown them a sign from their Lord. There is no explicit description of the sign, which indicates that this particular detail is of no significance for the development of the story. The leaders of the community are described as being arrogant and threatened him. They warned Shu’ayb and his followers to revert to polytheism or be driven out. They made it clear that Shu’ayb’s followers and others who might be deciding whether to believe in his message would suffer great loss.