Tafsir of Surah Hood - Verse 68

The Conversation between Salih and the People of Thamud

Allah, the Exalted, mentions what transpired in the discussion between Salih and his people. Allah informs of their ignorance and obstinacy in their statement,

قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـذَا

(You have been among us as a figure of good hope till this!) They were saying in this, "We had hope in your strong intellect before you began saying what you have said."

أَتَنْهَانَآ أَن نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءابَاؤُنَا

(Do you (now) forbid us the worship of what our fathers have worshipped) "what those who were before us were upon."

وَإِنَّنَا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ

(But we are really in grave doubt as to that which you invite us.) This alludes to the great amount of doubt that they had.

قَالَ يقَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى

(He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord...") `In reference to what He (Allah) has sent me with to you, I am upon conviction and sure evidence.'

وَءَاتَـنِى مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَن يَنصُرُنِى مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ

(and there has come to me a mercy from Him, who then can help me against Allah, if I were to disobey Him) `and abandon calling you to the truth and the worship of Allah alone. If I did so, you would not be able to bring me any benefit, nor increase me

غَيْرَ تَخْسِيرٍ

(but in loss.)' This means loss and ruin.

According to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, these three days were Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the punishment descended upon them: وَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ (And those who transgressed were caught by the Cry - 67). This awesome Cry was that of the archangel, Sayyidna Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) which was far more terrorizing that the combined thunderbolts of worldly lightening could ever be, something human senses could not take. All hearts were rent apart by the horrific sound resulting in the mass destruction of those people.

From this verse we learn that the people of Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) were destroyed by a severe Sound, but what Surah al-A` raf says about them is: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّ‌جْفَةُ (So, the earthquake seized them - 7:78, 91) which, as obvious, tells us that the punishment visiting them was that of the earthquake. Commentator al-Qurtubi has said that there is no contradiction here. It is possible that the earthquake came first and then they all were destroyed by the severe Sound. Allah knows best.

Salih repeatedly told his community that he was the Lord’s messenger and that if they did not accept what he had to say, they would be seized upon by God. However, his community did not take his words seriously, even although they did not disbelieve in God and prophethood. The reason was that Salih had only theoretical reasoning to prove his prophethood, and it is a weakness of human beings that they are hardly ready to give up a familiar thing in favour of an unfamiliar thing merely on the basis of theoretical argument. When Salih’s community were not ready to bow to his word, at their demand a tangible miracle was performed as a final sign. This was a she-camel which came out of a solid rock before their very eyes. It is the law of God that the appearance of such a sign indicates that the period of testing is coming to an end. Salih thereupon, announced that they should repent and accept his word: otherwise all of them would be destroyed. But those who are not impressed by theoretical arguments, fail to learn a lesson even from tangible signs. So, even then, Salih’s community did not refrain from arrogance and they even went to the extent of slaying the she-camel. Thereafter, there being no question of any further respite for them, Salih was commanded to leave his community which, at that time, was settled in Western Arabia. Accompanied by his sincere companions, he therefore left for Syria. Subsequently, a horrible earthquake swallowed up the entire community, killing everyone.