In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent

The Thamood people, too, denied God’s messengers.

Their brother Salih said to them: “Will you have no fear of God? I am a Messenger (sent by Him) to you, worthy of all trust. So, fear God and pay heed to me. No reward whatever do I ask of you for it: My reward is only from the Lord of all the worlds.

“Will you be left secure (forever) in the midst of what you have here, among gardens and springs and plantations and palm trees laden with ripe fruit? You carve dwellings out of the mountains with great skill. So, fear God and pay heed to me. And pay no heed to the counsel of those who are given to excesses — who spread corruption on earth instead of setting things to rights.”

They said: “You are but one who has been bewitched. You are only a human being like us. So bring us a sign if you are a man of truth.”

He said: “Here is a she-camel: She shall have her drinking share, and you shall have your drinking share, each on an appointed day. Do not harm her, lest suffering befall you on an awesome day.”

But they cruelly slew her; then they became regretful. So the suffering befell them. Indeed, there is in this a sure sign; yet most of them will not believe. And indeed it is your Lord who is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

(The Poets: Al-Shu’ara: 26: 141-159)

Commentary by Sayyid Qutb

The same call is repeated by every messenger. The surah uses the same words as it reports what each messenger said to his people. It thus stresses the unity of the message in its basis and essence, which is summed up in the belief in God’s oneness, fearing Him and obeying His messenger.

The surah then adds what was special in Thamood’s case and conditions. They used to inhabit an area known as Al-Hijr, in North Arabia, between the Hijaz and Syria. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions passed by their area on their way to Tabuk, and saw the ruins of their city. In this account of their history we see their brother, Salih, reminding them of the blessings God has favored them with and warning them against its being withdrawn from them. He also warns them of the impending reckoning and accountability: “Will you be left secure (forever) in the midst of what you have here, among gardens and springs and plantations and palm trees laden with ripe fruit? You carve dwellings out of the mountains with great skill.”

They enjoyed all this luxury that Salih describes here, but they pay no attention to it and how it came about. Nor do they express any gratitude to the One who has blessed them with it. Hence, their brother describes it in full to awaken their hearts to appreciate it and fear its withdrawal. What he says to them alerts slumbering minds and awakens the desire to preserve it: “Will you be left secure in the midst of what you have here?” Do you think that you will be left to enjoy all such luxury you have been blessed with? Their luxury is given a further air of splendor, as it is unspecified. Do you, then, feel secure that it could never be terminated or withdrawn? Will you be left in such gardens, springs, plantations and palm trees that give you dates so ripe that are very easy to digest? Will you be left in those homes you skillfully carve out in rocky mountains, giving them an extra air of splendor?

Having touched their hearts with this reminder, Salih calls on them to fear God, remain obedient and separate themselves from those who pay no heed to what is right and indulge instead in corruption: “So, fear God and pay heed to me. And pay no heed to the counsel of those who are given to excesses — who spread corruption on earth instead of setting things to rights.”

His words, however, do not touch their hardened hearts, and they pay no attention to him: “They said: You are but one who has been bewitched. You are only a human being like us. So bring us a sign if you are a man of truth.” They first describe him as one bewitched and, as such, does not know what he is talking about. It is as though only a madman will call on his people to worship God alone.

“You are only a human being like us.” This point has always troubled people whenever a messenger of God addressed them. They always had a flawed concept of what a messenger should be like. They could not understand God’s wisdom of choosing ordinary people as His messengers, nor could they appreciate the honor God grants to mankind by choosing His messengers from among themselves, making them the leaders who receive light and guidance from Him. They felt that a messenger of God should be of a different type of creation, since he brings them information from on high, and tells them of the realm that lies beyond their perception. The fact is that humanity could not appreciate that God has honored man, giving him the ability to be in direct contact with the Supreme Society while he is still on earth, going about his life in the normal way: Eating, drinking, going to sleep, getting married and walking about in the streets and market places, and experiencing all the desires and feelings that occur to an ordinary person.

In all generations people demanded from each messenger a miracle to prove that he is truly sent by God as His messenger. “Bring us a sign if you are a man of truth.” Thus, Thamood demanded a miracle and God responded to His servant, Salih, giving him a sign in the form of a she-camel. We will not try to give details of its physical appearance, as did some commentators on the Qur’an, because we have no authentic reliable source giving such description. We will only say that she was a miracle, like the people of Thamood asked for: “He said: Here is a she-camel: She shall have her drinking share, and you shall have your drinking share, each on an appointed day. Do not harm her, lest suffering befall you on an awesome day.”

Thus, Salih produced the she-camel making it a condition that the place they watered their cattle at should be divided between them, leaving it all for the she-camel one day and taking whatever they wanted from it on the following day. They would not trespass her rights on her day, and she would not come near them on their day. Thus, her days and her drinking are separate from them. He warned them against doing her any harm, for that would ensure that mighty suffering would befall them.

What did this miraculous sign do to the stubborn and arrogant Thamood people? It did not inspire those hardened hearts to accept the true faith. Nor did it give light to their souls living in the dark. The challenge she represented was there for them to meet, but they did not care. Nor did they even fulfill their pledges: “But they cruelly slew her; then they became regretful.” The ones who actually slew her were those who spread corruption in the land.

Salih had given them clear warnings, making them very serious, but they feared nothing. Hence, they all share the offense, and the punishment was accordingly inflicted on them all. They had regretted their crime, but their regret was too late. Hence, “So the suffering befell them.” No details are given of the punishment in order to give an impression of the speed of events.

Then the usual comment at the end of each story: “Indeed, there is in this a sure sign; yet most of them will not believe. And indeed it is your Lord who is the Mighty One, the Merciful.”