Sãleh
Thamûd disbelieved the messengers.

Saleh was a messenger of God sent to Thamûd, his own people: "To Thamûd we sent their brother Sãleh" (7:73). Thamûd came after the people of 'Ãd and inherited their place on earth. They were a prosperous people who built mansions in the valleys and carved homes out of the mountains (7:74). They had gardens and springs, crops, and date palms with delicious fruit (26:147-149). Saleh brought the same message every messenger brought: "worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him." He called them to seek God's forgiveness and repent, assuring them, "My Lord is always near, responsive" (11:61). He asked no wage from them. His reward came only from the Lord of the universe (26:145).
His people had respected him until he spoke. "O Sãleh, you used to be popular among us before this," they said. "Are you enjoining us from worshiping what our parents are worshiping?" (11:62). They called him bewitched and said he was only a human like them, and they demanded a miracle (26:153-154; 54:24-25). The community split into two feuding factions (27:45). The arrogant leaders challenged the common people who believed: "How do you know that Sãleh is sent by his Lord?" The believers answered, "The message he brought has made us believers" (7:75-76). Some called Saleh and his followers a bad omen (27:47). Nine wicked men in the city swore by God to kill him and his family by night and then deny any part in it. God, however, countered their plot (27:48-50).
God gave them the sign they had asked for: a camel, "GOD's camel, to serve as a sign for you" (7:73), sent "as a test for them" (54:27). The water was to be divided. She would drink on her own assigned day, separate from theirs, and she was to graze freely on God's land. Saleh warned them not to harm her, or a retribution would come (26:155-156; 54:28; 11:64). They followed the worst among them and persuaded one of their own to kill her, and he did it (54:29; 91:12). Then, openly defying their Lord, they dared Saleh to bring the doom he had warned them about (7:77).
Saleh told them, "You have only three days to live. This is a prophecy that is inevitable" (11:65). The punishment came as a quake, as one blow, as lightning that struck them while they watched. They were left dead in their homes "like harvested hay," as if they had never lived there (7:78; 54:31; 51:44-45; 11:67-68). God saved Saleh and those who believed with him (11:66). Saleh turned away from them, saying, "I have delivered my Lord's message to you, and advised you, but you do not like any advisers" (7:79).
The Quran draws several lessons from Saleh's story. Thamûd were given guidance but "preferred blindness over guidance" (41:17). Holding on to the religion of their parents made them reject the truth when it came. God always saves "those who believe and lead a righteous life" (27:53; 41:18), and their ruined homes stand as "a lesson for people who know" (27:52). The Quran also uses the camel to explain why miracles of that old kind were stopped. Thamûd were shown "a profound (miracle), but they transgressed against it" (17:59). The newsletter makes the contrast: Saleh's sign was the famous camel, limited to its own time and place, while the Quran is a miracle that lasts and can be checked by anyone. The Quran's own judgment is sober. "This should be a lesson, but most people are not believers" (26:158), and "those who came after them remain heedless" (91:15).
Verses
SubmissionAI can make mistakes. Check the sources.
Thamûd disbelieved the messengers.
Their brother Sãleh said to them, "Would you not be righteous?
"I am an honest messenger to you.
"You shall reverence GOD, and obey me.
"I do not ask you for any wage; my wage comes only from the Lord of the universe.
"Do you suppose you will be left forever, secure in this state?
"You enjoy gardens and springs.
"And crops and date palms with delicious fruits.
"You carve out of the mountains luxurious mansions.
"You shall reverence GOD, and obey me.
"Do not obey the transgressors.
"Who commit evil, not good works."
They said, "You are bewitched.
"You are no more than a human like us. Produce a miracle, if you are truthful."
He said, "Here is a camel that will drink only on a day that is assigned to her; a day that is different from your specified days of drinking.
"Do not touch her with any harm, lest you incur retribution on an awesome day."
They slaughtered her, and thus incurred sorrow.
The retribution overwhelmed them. This should be a lesson, but most people are not believers.
To Thamûd we sent their brother Sãleh. He said, "O my people, worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him. He initiated you from the earth, then settled you in it. You shall seek His forgiveness, then repent to Him. My Lord is always near, responsive."
They said, "O Sãleh, you used to be popular among us before this. Are you enjoining us from worshiping what our parents are worshiping? We are full of doubt concerning everything you have told us."
He said, "O my people, what if I have solid proof from my Lord, and mercy from Him? Who would support me against GOD, if I disobeyed Him? You can only augment my loss.
"O my people, this is GOD's camel to serve as a proof for you. You shall let her eat from GOD's earth, and do not touch her with any harm, lest you incur an immediate retribution."
They slaughtered her. He then said, "You have only three days to live. This is a prophecy that is inevitable."
When our judgment came, we saved Sãleh and those who believed with him by mercy from us, from the humiliation of that day. Your Lord is the Most Powerful, the Almighty.
Those who transgressed were annihilated by the disaster, leaving them in their homes, dead.
It was as if they never lived there. Indeed, Thamûd have rejected their Lord. Absolutely, Thamûd have incurred their annihilation.
We have sent to Thamûd their brother Sãleh, saying, "You shall worship GOD." But they turned into two feuding factions.
He said, "O my people, why do you hasten to commit evil instead of good works? If only you implore GOD for forgiveness, you may attain mercy."
They said, "We consider you a bad omen for us, you and those who joined you." He said, "Your omen is fully controlled by GOD. Indeed, you are deviant people."
There were nine gangsters in the city who were wicked, and never did anything good.
They said, "Let us swear by GOD that we kill him and his people, then tell his tribe, 'We know nothing about their death. We are truthful.'"
They plotted and schemed, but we also plotted and schemed, while they did not perceive.
Note the consequences of their plotting; we annihilated them and all their people.
To Thamûd we sent their brother Sãleh. He said, "O my people, worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him. Proof has been provided for you from your Lord: here is GOD's camel, to serve as a sign for you. Let her eat from GOD's land, and do not touch her with any harm, lest you incur a painful retribution.
"Recall that He made you inheritors after 'Ãd, and established you on earth, building mansions in its valleys, and carving homes from its mountains. You shall remember GOD's blessings, and do not roam the earth corruptingly."
The arrogant leaders among his people said to the common people who believed, "How do you know that Sãleh is sent by his Lord?" They said, "The message he brought has made us believers."
The arrogant ones said, "We disbelieve in what you believe in."
Subsequently, they slaughtered the camel, rebelled against their Lord's command, and said, "O Sãleh, bring the doom you threaten us with, if you are really a messenger."
Consequently, the quake annihilated them, leaving them dead in their homes.
He turned away from them, saying, "O my people, I have delivered my Lord's message to you, and advised you, but you do not like any advisers."
Thamûd rejected the warnings.
They said, "Shall we follow one of us; a human being? We will then go astray, then end up in Hell.
"Did the message come down to him, instead of us? He is a flagrant liar."
They will find out tomorrow who the flagrant liar is.
We are sending the camel as a test for them. Watch them and be patient.
Inform them that the water shall be divided among them; (the camel) shall be allowed to drink on her designated day.
But they persuaded their friend to kill (the camel), and he obliged.
Consequently, how terrible was My retribution! They have been warned.
We sent upon them one blow, whereupon they became like harvested hay.