Through comparative religious studies, we can find out if what is known as the prophet Shuaib in Islamic tradition is the same as someone named Yitro (Jethro) who is mentioned in the Bible.
This can be confirmed especially by paying attention to the statement in the Al-Quran (Surat Al Qasas verses 23-28), which discusses the encounter of the prophet Musa with a sheikh or leader of the Madyan people (whom commentators identify as the prophet Shuaib), who then married him to one of his daughters.
Then, with a similar story narrated in the Bible (Exodus 18), which mentions Jethro, a Kenite shepherd and priest of the Midianites, as the Prophet Moses' father-in-law.
The thing that needs attention here is the mention of Jethro as a Kenite shepherd.
Many people say that 'Keni' is the Hebrew translation of "Qeyniy". According to Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842), a German orientalist and Bible critic, the name comes from the name Cain (Qayin), the first son of the Prophet Adam.
Explanation of the name of the Kenite tribe as a derivation of the name Cain, son of Adam (source: www.blueletterbible.org)
The understanding that the Keni tribe are descendants of Cain is what underlies some groups who believe that the Keni tribe (a nomadic tribe that inhabited the ancient region of the Levant) is said to have originated or migrated from southern Asia. This is because, in the Samawi religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) it is believed that the Prophet Adam was revealed in India.
On the other hand, data from recent genetic studies basically implies that there was a wave of migration in prehistoric times originating from South Asia and Southeast Asia, which spread to Eurasia, the Middle East and Europe. (God willing, I will discuss more about this at another time)
Apart from the names of the prophets Shuaib and Jethro, there is also the name "Reuel" who is mentioned as Moses' father-in-law in the Bible Exodus 2: 18, but then again referred to as "Jethro" in Exodus 3: 1.
The fact that there are three names (Shuaib, Jethro, and Reuel) for the same person, does not need to make us ask the question "which is the real name?" because it can be said that everything is original and has its own meaningful value. Here are the meanings of these names...
The meaning of the names Shuaib, Jethro, and Reuel
Some circles say that the meaning of the name Syuaib is: "the one who shows the right path" , as mentioned in the book " Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam " (source here )
In the book "The Making of the Last Prophet: A Reconstruction of the Earliest Biography of Muhammad" by: Muammad Ibn Isq, Gordon Darnell Newby (1989) it is stated that the meaning of "Shu-ayb" is: branch / twig.
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| The meaning of the name Shu-ayb in the book The Making of the Last Prophet: A Reconstruction of the Earliest Biography of Muhammad (dokpri) |
In the book "Ismail Hakki Bursevi's Translation of and Commentary on Fus Al-ikam by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Volume 1" (1986) , it is stated that the meaning of "Shu-ayb" is: branching.
The meaning of the name Shu'ayb in the book Ismail Hakki Bursevi's Translation of and Commentary on Fus Al-ikam by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Volume 1 (1986) (dokpri)
I found the etymology of the name Shuaib in Urdu, which more or less shows the same meaning as mentioned above, namely: 'Shu' means: show/show; 'Ayb' means: fair/honest/moderate/middle/middle.
Thus, the overall meaning of the name 'shu-ayb' basically shows a very close relationship with the meaning of 'madyan' or 'midian' as "middle country" or "medieval country" which is a "bifurcation" between the eastern and western regions, as stated in has been discussed in the previous article "Finding Traces of Madyan, Aikah, and Rass People Mentioned in the Koran" .
This in turn also confirms my previous hypothesis that the name Madyan comes from the Sanskrit word 'madya' which means 'middle', and its form in European literature 'Midian' comes from the word 'mid' which also means 'middle' or 'middle'.
So, once again, the name Madyan does not come from the name of the Prophet Ibrahim's son, Madyan bin Ibrahim, as has been believed by many groups.
The meaning of 'Jethro' is: preeminence, while 'Reuel' is: God is a friend, as explained by RJ Rushdoony (1916-2001), a philosopher, historian and theologian, in his book "Exodus: Volume II of Commentaries on the Pentateuch”.
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| Explanation of the meaning of the names Jethro and Reuel in the book "Exodus: Volume II of Commentaries on the Pentateuch" (dokpri) |
The lesson that needs to be understood from this fact is that it is normal for a great figure at the level of a prophet to have many names. These names represent records of special aspects or essential values inherent in the destiny of that figure or prophet.
That's all. Hope it is useful. Regards.