Do Muslims believe in Jethro?
Yes, Muslims believe in the prophet Shu'ayb, who is often identified with Jethro. Shu'ayb was sent to the people of Madyan (Midian) and told them to worship Allah and trade honestly. Whether he is the same man as Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, is debated among scholars.
Shu'ayb in the Quran
Shu'ayb is named 11 times in the Quran, and his story appears in Surahs al-A'raf, Hud and ash-Shu'ara. Like every prophet, he began with the same call:
Believing in him is part of believing in all of Allah's prophets. See Do I have to believe in all the prophets to become Muslim?
The prophet of honest business
What makes Shu'ayb stand out is his focus on fair trade. His people cheated with weights and measures, short-changed customers and robbed travelers. He told them, "Give full measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due" (Quran 7:85). They mocked him: "Does your prayer command you that we should... do with our wealth what we please?" (Quran 11:87). Most of them refused, and they were destroyed by a great earthquake and a mighty blast (Quran 7:91, 11:94).
His message is very modern: faith isn't just prayer, it's how you deal with money and people every day.
Is Shu'ayb the same as Jethro?
When Moses fled Egypt, he arrived at Madyan, helped two young women water their flock, and later married one of them after working for their elderly father for eight or ten years (Quran 28:22–28). The Bible calls Moses' father-in-law Jethro (also Reuel), a priest of Midian. See Do Muslims believe in Moses?
The Quran doesn't name the old man. Many Muslims, and many commentators, say he was Shu'ayb. Other scholars, including Ibn Kathir, doubted this, pointing out that Shu'ayb's people were destroyed long before Moses' time, and suggested the man may have been a relative or a righteous believer from Madyan. Both views are held respectfully; it isn't a matter of faith.
A shared figure
Jethro is honored in Judaism and Christianity as a wise adviser to Moses, and the Druze community also reveres Nabi Shu'ayb. For converts, he's a reminder of how much the faiths share. See Do Muslims believe in the Bible?
- Shu'ayb is a prophet sent to Madyan (Midian).
- He called for worship of Allah and honest weights and measures.
- Many link him with Jethro, Moses' father-in-law; others disagree.
- The Quran doesn't name Moses' father-in-law.
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