Allah tells us about Thamud and how they responded to their Prophet Salih,
when Allah sent him to call them to worship Allah alone, with no partner or
associate.
[فَإِذَا هُمْ
فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ]
(Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other.) Mujahid
said, "These were believers and disbelievers.'' This is like the Ayah,
[قَالَ الْمَلاَ
الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءامَنَ
مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مّن رَّبّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا
بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى
ءامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ]
(The leaders of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who
were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one
sent from his Lord.'' They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has
been sent.'' Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which
you believe in.'') (7:75-76)
[قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ
تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ]
(He said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good'')
meaning, `why are you praying for the punishment to come, and not asking Allah
for His mercy' Then he said:
[لَوْلاَ
تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَقَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ
وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ]
("Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy''
They said: "We augur an omen from you and those with you.'') This means: "We do
not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you.''
Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would
say, "This is because of Salih and his companions.'' Mujahid said, "They
regarded them as bad omens.'' This is similar to what Allah said about the
people of Fir`awn:
[فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ
الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ
بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ]
(But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this.'' And if evil
afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him) (7:131).
And Allah says:
[وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ
حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ
يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ]
(And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allah,'' but if some
evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you.'' Say: "All things are from
Allah.'') (4:78) i.e., by virtue of His will and decree. And Allah tells us
about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them:
[قَالُواْ إِنَّا
تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ
مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ]
[قَالُواْ طَـئِرُكُم
مَّعَكُمْ]
(They (people) said: "For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we
will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us.'' They
(Messengers) said: "Your omens are with yourselves!) (36:18) And these people
[Thamud] said:
[اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ
وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ]
("We augur an omen from you and those with you.'' He said: "Your omen is of
Allah;) meaning, Allah will punish you for that.
[بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ
تُفْتَنُونَ]
(nay, but you are a people that are being tested.) Qatadah said: "You are
being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey.'' The apparent meaning of
the phrase
[تُفْتَنُونَ]
(are being tested) is: you will be left to get carried away in your state of
misguidance.
[وَكَانَ فِى
الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ -
قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ
لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَـدِقُونَ - وَمَكَرُواْ
مَكْراً وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْراً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ - فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ
عَـقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ - فَتِلْكَ
بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لاّيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ
يَعْلَمُونَ - وَأَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ]
(48. And there were in the city nine Rahtin, who made mischief in the land,
and would not reform.) (49. They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we
shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and thereafter we
will surely say to his near relatives: `We witnessed not the destruction of his
household, and verily, we are telling the truth.''') (50. So, they plotted a
plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.) (51. Then see how was
the end of their plot! Verily, We destroyed them and their nation all together.)
(52. These are their houses in utter ruin, for they did wrong. Verily, in this
is indeed an Ayah for people who know.) (53. And We saved those who believed,
and had Taqwa of Allah.)
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