Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 73

(Ayah 73) ➊ { وَ اِلٰى ثَمُوْدَ:} Thamud is also counted among the oldest nations of Arabia; after ‘Ad, it is the most famous nation, which is why some have also referred to it as “the second ‘Ad.” Their dwelling was in the northwestern region of Arabia, which is still known today as “Al-Hijr.” See Surah Al-Hijr (80) (Ibn Kathir). Some scholars say that due to the scarcity of water in their area, they were called Thamud, because “thamd” means little water. On the highway from Madinah to Tabuk, leading to Syria, there is a city famous as Madain Salih; this was the capital of the Thamud nation. In Surah Ash-Shu‘ara (146–149), Allah Almighty has mentioned their architectural and agricultural expertise. Even now, a considerable number of those buildings exist which Thamud carved out of the mountains, and around them is a vast field where they used to farm. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped near Tabuk, he and his companions stayed near the houses of Thamud in Al-Hijr. People drank water from the wells from which Thamud used to drink, kneaded dough with that water, and cooked food in pots. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered, they threw away the pots and fed the dough to the camels. Then he moved on and camped at the well from which (Salih’s) she-camel used to drink. He forbade entering the houses of those upon whom punishment had descended and said: “Do not enter the houses of those who wronged themselves unless you are weeping, for I fear that the same punishment may befall you as befell them.” [ أحمد : 117/2، ح : ۵۹۸۹۔ مسلم : ۲۹۸۰ ]
That well still exists, but it has dried up. (Ibn Kathir) There is a long hadith narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) descended at Al-Hijr, he gave a sermon and said: “O people! Do not ask your Prophet for signs (miracles). See, the people of Salih asked their Prophet to send them a she-camel, so it would come from that mountain pass and drink their water on the day it was her turn, and they would obtain as much milk from her as they would be satisfied with water.” [ مستدرک حاکم : 340/2، ح ۳۳۰۴۔ صححہ الحاکم ووافقہ الذہبی ] Some travelogues mention that the crack in the mountain from which the she-camel emerged as a miracle still exists. Ibn Kathir has named this rock “Al-Katibah.” (Al-Bidayah) But after thousands of years, to declare any crack as the place from which the she-camel emerged without solid evidence is nothing more than shooting arrows in the dark.
➋ { اَخَاهُمْ صٰلِحًا:} Hafiz Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) has stated their genealogy as follows: Salih bin ‘Ubaid bin Asif bin Mashih bin ‘Ubaid bin Hazir bin Thamud. (Baghawi) Further, it is stated: ‘Athir bin Iram bin Sam bin Nuh. Thamud had two brothers, after whom the two tribes of Tasm and Jadis are famous. (Ibn Kathir) However, the accuracy of genealogies from that era is not certain, as we have no reliable source for them. Some have written that on the eastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula is the grave of Salih (peace be upon him), which is still a place of visitation, and in the same peninsula near Mount Musa, the footprint of Salih’s she-camel is known. But as I have quoted from Mulla ‘Ali Qari under Ayah (65), except for our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the grave of no other Prophet is known, and it does not take long to make a footprint; yes, if there were a solid source of knowledge, that would be another matter, but it is not present here.
➌ {هٰذِهٖ نَاقَةُ اللّٰهِ:} In Surah Ash-Shu‘ara (148–159), it is mentioned that Salih (peace be upon him) invited his people to the oneness of Allah, to accept his prophethood and obedience, and to refrain from spreading corruption in the land. They called him bewitched and a man like themselves, and rejected him, demanding a miracle as proof of his prophethood. Salih (peace be upon him) prayed to Allah Almighty, and Allah sent a she-camel, which was a wondrous miracle: one day she would drink all their water, and the next day it would be their and their animals’ turn. The Qur’an and Hadith do not detail how the she-camel appeared, but in histories and tafsirs it is mentioned that a mountain rock split and the she-camel emerged from it. Salih (peace be upon him) warned them that if they harmed the she-camel, a great and painful punishment would seize them. Then nine miscreants among them plotted to attack and martyr Salih (peace be upon him) and his family at night, the details of which are in Surah An-Naml (48–53). Eventually, they killed the she-camel, and then the punishment descended upon them, the details of which are mentioned here and in Surahs Hud, Ash-Shu‘ara, An-Naml, Ash-Shams, etc., and will be discussed at their respective places. {’’ نَاقَةُ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} Although all she-camels, indeed the entire universe, belongs to Allah, this particular she-camel was specifically called “Allah’s she-camel” to indicate her greatness and miraculous nature, just as all houses belong to Allah, yet {’’بيت اﷲ‘‘} is used for the one in Makkah.
➍ { وَ لَا تَمَسُّوْهَا بِسُوْٓءٍ فَيَاْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ:} That is, if you harm or injure her, Allah’s punishment will descend upon you.