In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
To Thamud We sent their brother, Salih, and he said: “Worship God alone”, but they split into two contending factions.
Said (Salih): “My people, why do you seek to hasten evil instead of hoping for the good? Why do you not seek God’s forgiveness, so that you may be graced with His mercy?”
They answered: “We augur evil from you and those that follow you.” Said he: “The evil you augur can come only from God. You are indeed people undergoing a test.”
(The Ants; Al-Naml: 27: 45-47)
In the majority of cases when an account of the history of the Prophet Salih and his Thamud people is given, it constitutes part of a series of histories involving the Prophets Noah, Hud, Lot and Shuayb. Sometimes we also have an account of Abraham. In this surah, particular emphasis is given to prophets sent to the Children of Israel: Moses, David and Solomon. We have no account of Hud, Shuayb or Abraham.
In the present account of Salih’s history we have no mention of the she-camel which was the miracle given to him. Instead we have the episode involving nine wicked people who plotted to assassinate Salih and his household. They conspired against him when he was totally unaware, but God foiled their scheming, destroyed them and all their community, leaving the homes of the wrongdoers empty to serve as a lesson to following generations. He saved those who believed and led a God-fearing life. The idolaters in Makkah often passed by the destroyed dwellings of the Thamud people, but did not take heed.
“To Thamud We sent their brother, Salih, and he said: ‘Worship God alone’, but they split into two contending factions.” (Verse 45) In this verse the whole message Salih conveyed to his people is summed up in one point, “worship God alone,” which is the basis of the divine message to mankind in all generations, and with all prophets and messengers. Although everything around man in the universe and within man himself urges belief in this fundamental truth, humanity lived for countless generations denying or deriding this basic and simple fact. It continues to deliberately evade it today, taking divergent routes that lead it away from the right and straight path.
The surah mentions the attitude of Salih’s people after he had endeavored to persuade them to believe, but they split into two factions: One that responded to him and the other opposed him. The latter group was the majority, as we are told elsewhere in the Qur’an.
We then have a gap in the story, which is common in Qur’anic stories, and we sense that those who denied Salih’s message tried to hasten God’s punishment against which he had warned them, rather than praying for God’s guidance and mercy. In this they were the same as the Quraysh who also precipitated God’s punishment. Salih criticized this attitude of theirs and tried to direct them to seek God’s forgiveness, so that they might receive His mercy: “Said (Salih): My people, why do you seek to hasten evil instead of hoping for the good? Why do you not seek God’s forgiveness, so that you may be graced with His mercy?” (Verse 46)
The hearts of unbelievers could reach a level of corruption making them appeal to God saying: “God, if this be indeed Your revealed truth, then rain down upon us stones from the skies, or inflict grievous suffering on us.” (8: 32) They would say this rather than praying to God to guide them to believe in the truth He has revealed. While the quoted verse refers to what the Quraysh people said, Salih’s people said something similar, rejecting their Prophet’s appeals that they should repent, seek God’s forgiveness and pray for His mercy. They even justified their boredom with him and his followers by saying that they felt these brought them bad omen and that they expected evil to befall them as a result of their presence: “They answered: We augur evil from you and those that follow you.” (Verse 47)
The Arabic text uses the verb ittyrna, which is rendered here as “we augur evil”, referring to different superstitious habits of ignorant people who refuse to accept the clarity of faith. In Arabia a person who was about to take a serious decision would scare a bird. If the bird flew toward the right rather than the left, the man felt optimistic about his decision and went ahead with it. If the bird flew left, the man would be gloomy expecting evil. Needless to say, birds know nothing of the world that lies beyond our perception. Their spontaneous flights cannot tell us anything about the unknown. But it is ingrained within human nature that it cannot live without something unknown to which it attributes what lies beyond its knowledge and ability. When it does not attribute that, through faith, to God who knows all that lies beyond the reach of any creature’s perception, it attributes it to legends and superstitions that know no limit and follow no logic.
Many are those who deny God, and refuse to attribute to Him what lies beyond human perception, describing it as religious fallacy, while claiming for themselves a superior standard of knowledge incompatible with such myth. Yet at the same time they attach much importance to the number 13, or to a black cat crossing their path, or to lighting two cigarettes with one match, or some other superstitious notions. This is indicative of the way they resist human nature and its need for faith. Indeed human nature cannot dispense with faith in its attempt to explain many universal phenomena which human knowledge has not fathomed yet. Indeed some of these will always remain beyond the reach of human knowledge, because they exceed human ability that is given to man in accordance with his needs for his task of building human life on earth.
When Salih’s people said their stupid excuse which betrayed their superstitious confusion, Salih put the truth clearly before their eyes: “Said he: The evil you augur can come only from God.” (Verse 47) Everything that relates to your fortunes, future and destiny lies with God. He has set certain rules, commanded people to comply with His laws, and set clear before them the way to ensure their happiness. Whoever follows divine guidance will have its good results, without any need to scare a bird in order to decide what alternative to follow. Those who deviate from His guidance will reap evil results, even though their scared birds may reassure them by the direction of their flight.
“You are indeed people undergoing a test.” (Verse 47) You are certainly being tested with whatever happens to you, good or bad, and with God’s bounty that is given to you. Therefore, to keep alert, study events and recognize that they are part of the trial will ensure good results that can never be achieved through pursuing good or bad omens.