Ash-Shu'ara 26:158
The Poets · Juz 19 · Page 373
فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٥٨
And the punishment seized them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 26:153–159
The Response of Thamud, Their Demand for a Sign, and Their Punishment
Allah tells us how Thamud responded to their Prophet Salih, upon him be peace, when he called them to worship their Lord, may He be glorified.
قَالُواْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ
(They said: "You are only of those bewitched!") Mujahid said, "They meant he was one affected by witchcraft." Then they said:
مَآ أَنتَ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا
(You are but a human being like us.) meaning, `how can you receive Revelation when we do not' This is like the Ayah where they are described as saying:
أَءُلْقِىَ الذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِن بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ - سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ
("Is it that the Reminder is sent to him alone from among us Nay, he is an insolent liar!" Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!) (54:26-27) Then they asked him for a sign to prove that what he brought to them from their Lord was the truth. A crowd of them gathered and demanded that he immediately bring forth from the rock a she-camel that was ten months pregnant, and they pointed to a certain rock in their midst. Allah's Prophet Salih made them promise that if he responded to their request, they would believe in him and follow him. So they agreed to that. The Prophet of Allah Salih, peace be upon him, stood and prayed, then he prayed to Allah to grant them their request. Then the rock to which they had pointed split open, revealing a she-camel that was ten months pregnant, excactly as they had requested. So some of them believed, but most of them disbelieved.
قَالَ هَذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
(He said: "Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink (water), and you have a right to drink (water) (each) on a day, known.) meaning, `she will drink from your water one day, and on the next day you will drink from it.'
وَلاَ تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
(And touch her not with harm, lest the torment of a Great Day should seize you.) He warned them of the punishment of Allah if they should do her any harm. The she-camel stayed among them for a while, drinking the water, eating leaves and grazing, and they benefitted from her milk which they took in sufficient quantities for every one to drink his fill. After this had gone on for a long time, and the time for their destruction drew near, they conspired to kill her:
فَعَقَرُوهَا فَأَصْبَحُواْ نَدِمِينَ فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ
(But they killed her, and then they became regretful. So, the torment overtook them.) Their land was shaken by a strong earthquake, and there came to them an overwhelming Sayhah (shout) which took their hearts from their places. They were overtaken by events which they were not expecting, so they were left (dead), lying prostrate in their homes.
إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
(Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers. And verily your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.)
Page 373
26:137
إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا خُلُقُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٣٧
This is not but the custom of the former peoples,
26:138
وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ١٣٨
And we are not to be punished."
26:139
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٣٩
And they denied him, so We destroyed them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
26:140
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٤٠
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
26:141
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٤١
Thamūd denied the messengers
26:142
إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُمۡ أَخُوهُمۡ صَٰلِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٤٢
When their brother Ṣāliḥ said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
26:143
إِنِّي لَكُمۡ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٞ ١٤٣
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.
26:144
فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ١٤٤
So fear Allāh and obey me.
26:145
وَمَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۡ أَجۡرٍۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٤٥
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
26:146
أَتُتۡرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَٰهُنَآ ءَامِنِينَ ١٤٦
Will you be left in what is here, secure [from death],
26:147
فِي جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ ١٤٧
Within gardens and springs
26:148
وَزُرُوعٖ وَنَخۡلٖ طَلۡعُهَا هَضِيمٞ ١٤٨
And fields of crops and palm trees with softened fruit?
26:149
وَتَنۡحِتُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا فَٰرِهِينَ ١٤٩
And you carve out of the mountains, homes, with skill.
26:150
فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ١٥٠
So fear Allāh and obey me.
26:151
وَلَا تُطِيعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ١٥١
And do not obey the order of the transgressors,
26:152
ٱلَّذِينَ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ ١٥٢
Who cause corruption in the land and do not amend."
26:153
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَحَّرِينَ ١٥٣
They said, "You are only of those affected by magic.
26:154
مَآ أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا فَأۡتِ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ ١٥٤
You are but a man like ourselves, so bring a sign, if you should be of the truthful."
26:155
قَالَ هَٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةٞ لَّهَا شِرۡبٞ وَلَكُمۡ شِرۡبُ يَوۡمٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ ١٥٥
He said, "This is a she-camel.1 For her is a [time of] drink, and for you is a [time of] drink, [each] on a known day.
1 translator’s note
- Miraculously sent to them as a sign by Allāh. ↩
26:156
وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٖ فَيَأۡخُذَكُمۡ عَذَابُ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٥٦
And do not touch her with harm, lest you be seized by the punishment of a terrible day."
26:157
فَعَقَرُوهَا فَأَصۡبَحُواْ نَٰدِمِينَ ١٥٧
But they hamstrung her and so became regretful.
26:158
فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٥٨
And the punishment seized them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
26:159
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٥٩
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy