The first person to devise a balance for measurement for the people was Prophet Shuaib (a.s). However, as time passed by, his people began to indulge in weighing less than the weights – this sin being an addition to their other sins of not believing Allah and rejecting the Prophets.
When weighing for themselves they would weigh correctly, but when they would sell their products, they would sell less than the weights and indulge in fraud.
They were leading a life of ease, comfort and Abundance till their king ordered them to hoard goods and commit cheating in weights. Prophet Shuaib (a.s) advised the king and the people to refrain from these evils but to no avail; on the contrary, upon the king’s orders, Prophet Shuaib (a.s) and his followers were thrown out of the city. When this took place, Divine chastisement descended upon them.7
A wave of intense heat overtook them – so severe that neither shade nor water could provide any relief. Subsequent to this intense heat wave, a cloud appeared over their heads and a cool breeze began to blow prompting all the people to gather under the cloud to escape from the severe heat. When all the people had gathered under it, sparks of fire began to rain down upon from it while simultaneously the ground beneath them began to shake vigourously leaving all of them crumpled and burnt. The duration of this sequence of chastisement has been reported to be nine days and consisted of a scorching wind, hot water and a severe earthquake.( Tarikh-e-Anbiya, vol. 2, pg. 34 )