Allah states here that the people of Thamud denied their Messenger Salih,
[فَقَالُواْ
أَبَشَراً مِّنَّا وَحِداً نَّتَّبِعُهُ إِنَّآ إِذاً لَّفِى ضَلَـلٍ وَسُعُرٍ
]
(And they said: "A man, alone among us -- shall we follow him Truly, then we
should be in error and distress!'') They said, `We would have earned failure and
loss if we all submitted to a man from among us.' They were amazed that the
Reminder was sent to him alone among them, and therefore, accused him of being a
liar,
[بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ
أَشِرٌ]
(Nay, he is an insolent liar!), means, he has tresspassed the limits in his
lies. Allah the Exalted responded,
[سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً
مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ ]
(Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!), thus
warning and threatening them and delivering a sure promise to them,
[إِنَّا مُرْسِلُواْ
النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَّهُمْ]
(Verily, We are sending the she-camel as a test for them.) To test and try
the people of Thamud, Allah sent to them a superb, pregnant female camel that
emerged from solid rock, according to their request, so that it would become a
proof against them from Allah, the Exalted. Thereafter, they were supposed to
believe in what was brought to them by Salih, peace be upon him. Allah ordered
His servant and Messenger Salih,
[فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ
وَاصْطَبِرْ]
(So watch them, and be patient!) Allah commanded, `await, O Salih, and see
what will become of them and be patient; verily the better end will be yours and
you will have success in this life and the Hereafter,'
[وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ
الْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ]
(And inform them that the water is to be shared between them) one day for her
to drink and one day for them to drink,
[قَالَ هَـذِهِ
نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ ]
(He said: "Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink, and you have a right
to drink (water) on a day, known.'') (26:155) Allah's statement,
[كُلُّ شِرْبٍ
مُّحْتَضَرٌ]
(each one's right to drink being established.) Mujahid said, "When she did
not drink, they would drink the water, and when she drank, they would drink her
milk.'' Allah the Exalted said;
[فَنَادَوْاْ
صَـحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ ]
(But they called their comrade and he took and killed.) According to the
Scholars of Tafsir, his name was Qudar bin Salif; he was the evilest among them,
[إِذِ انبَعَثَ
أَشْقَـهَا ]
(When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the
she-camel).)(91:12) Allah said here,
[فَتَعَاطَى]
(and he took) meaning to harm,
[فَعَقَرَفَكَيْفَ
كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ]
(and killed (her). Then, how was My torment and My warnings), `I tormented
them, so how was the torment I sent on them because of their disbe- lief in Me
and denying My Messenger'
[إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَحِدَةً فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ ]
(Verily, We sent against them a single Sayhah, and they became like straw
Al-Muhtazir.) They all perished and none of them remained. They were no more,
they died out, just as plants and grass dry and die out. As-Suddi said that they
became like the dry grass in the desert when it becomes burned and the wind
scatters it all about. Ibn Zayd said, "The Arabs used to erect fences (Hizar,
from which the word, Al-Muhtazir, is derived) made of dried bushes, around their
camels and cattle, so Allah said,
[كَهَشِيمِ
الْمُحْتَظِرِ]
(like straw Al-Muhtazir.)
[كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ
لُوطٍ بِالنُّذُرِ - إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَـصِباً إِلاَّ آلَ لُوطٍ
نَّجَّيْنَـهُم بِسَحَرٍ - نِّعْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى مَن شَكَرَ -
وَلَقَدْ أَنذَرَهُمْ بَطْشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوْاْ بِالنُّذُرِ - وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدُوهُ
عَن ضَيْفِهِ فَطَمَسْنَآ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ - وَلَقَدْ
صَبَّحَهُم بُكْرَةً عَذَابٌ مُّسْتَقِرٌّ - فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ وَلَقَدْ
يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ]
(33. The people of Lut denied the warnings.) (34. Verily, We sent against
them Hasib (a violent storm of stones), except the family of Lut, them We saved
in the last hour of the night,) (35. As a favor from Us. Thus do We reward him
who gives thanks.) (36. And he indeed had warned them of Our punishment, but
they doubted the warnings!) (37. And they indeed sought to shame his guests. So,
We blinded their eyes (saying), "Then taste you My torment and My warnings.'')
(38. And verily, an abiding torment seized them early in the morning.) (39. Then
taste you My torment and My warnings.) (40. And indeed, We have made the Qur'an
easy to understand and remember; then is there any that will remember)
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