بعد هلاكِ عادٍ، خَلَفَتْهم قبيلةُ ثمودَ في السُّلطةِ والمجدِ. وقد وقعوا هم أيضاً في عبادةِ الأصنامِ. وكلَّما ازدادتْ ثروتُهم المادّيةُ، ازدادتْ أخلاقُهم السّيّئةُ، وقلَّتْ فضيلتُهم. وكقومِ عادٍ، شيّدوا بناياتٍ ضخمةً في السّهولِ، ونحتوا بيوتاً جميلةً في التّلالِ. وانتشرَ الظّلمُ والاضطهادُ حين تولّى أمرَ البلادِ رجالٌ أشرارٌ.

After the destruction of the Ad, the tribe of Thamud succeeded them in power and glory. They also fell to idol-worshipping. As their material wealth increased so, too, did their evil ways while their virtue decreased. Like the people of Ad, they erected huge buildings on the plains and hewed beautiful homes out of the hills. Tyranny and oppression became prevalent as evil men ruled the land.

فَأَرْسَلَ اللهُ إِلَيْهِمْ نَبِيَّهُ صَالِحًا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ. وَكَانَ اسْمُهُ صَالِحَ بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ، ابْنِ مَاسِحٍ، ابْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، ابْنِ حَادِرٍ، ابْنِ ثَمُودَ، ابْنِ عَاثِرٍ، ابْنِ إِرَمَ، ابْنِ نُوحٍ. فَدَعَا قَوْمَهُ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ اللهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَأَلَّا يُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا. وَبَيْنَمَا آمَنَ بِهِ بَعْضُهُمْ، كَفَرَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ وَآذَوْهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَالْفِعْلِ.

So Allah sent unto them His Prophet Salih (PBUH), a man from among them. His name was Salih Ibn Ubeid, Ibn Maseh, Ibn Ubeid, Ibn Hader, Ibn Thamud, Ibn Ather, Ibn Eram, Ibn Noah. He called his people to worship Allah alone, and to not associate partners with Him. While some of them believed him, the majority of them disbelieved and harmed him by both words and deeds.

قال صالحٌ لهم:

Salih directed them:

"يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ" (سورۃ هود: ٦١)

"O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other Ilah (god) but Him." (Ch 11:61)

كان صالح معروفاً بحكمته وطهارته وحسن خلقه، وكان قومه يحترمونه احتراماً كبيراً قبل أن ينزل عليه الوحي من الله. فقال له قومه:

Salih was known for his wisdom, purity and goodness and had been greatly respected by his people before Allah's revelation came to him. Salih's people said to him:

﴿قَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنْتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَٰذَا أَتَنْهَانَا أَنْ نَعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ﴾ [هود: ٦٢]

"O Salih! You have been among us as a figure of good hope and we wished for you to be our chief, till this, new thing which you have brought that we leave our gods and worship your God (Allah) alone! Do you now forbid us the worship of what our fathers have worshipped? But we are really in grave doubt as to that which you invite us to monotheism." (CH 11:62 Quran).

إنما أرادوا أن يعبدوا ما كان يعبد آباؤهم، بلا سبب ولا حجة ولا تفكير. وكانت الدلالة على رسالة صالح (عليه السلام) واضحة، ومع ذلك كان الظاهر أن أكثر قومه لا يصدقونه؛ فكانوا يشككون في كلامه، ويزعمون أنه مسحور، ويرون أنه لا يكف عن الدعوة. وخشية أن يزداد أتباعه، حاولوا صرفه عنها بتكليفه بأمر عظيم، وهو أن يثبت أنه رسول الله بإتيان معجزة: أن تخرج من الجبال ناقة فريدة. فمنح الله صالحًا هذه المعجزة، فخرجت من ناحية الجبل ناقة عظيمة فريدة. وقال المفسرون: إن قوم ثمود اجتمعوا في يوم من الأيام في مجتمعهم، فجاءهم نبي الله صالح (عليه السلام) فخاطبهم أن يؤمنوا بالله، مذكّرًا إياهم بنعم الله عليهم. ثم أشاروا إلى صخرة قائلين: "اطلب من ربك أن يُخرج لنا من هذه الصخرة ناقة حامل عشرة أشهر، طويلة جميلة." فقال صالح: "انظروا الآن! إن أرسل الله إليكم ما طلبتم، كما وصفتم تمامًا، فهل تؤمنون بما جئتُ به وتصدّقون بالرسالة التي أُرسلتُ بها؟" فأجابوا: "نعم." فأخذ عليهم بذلك عهدًا، ثم دعا الله سبحانه وتعالى أن يحقق مطلبهم.

They merely wanted to worship the same gods as their fathers had, with no reason, no proof, no thought. The proof of Salih's (PBUH) message was evident, but despite this it was obvious that most of his people did not believe him. They doubted his words, thinking he was charmed, and they saw that he would not stop preaching. Fearing that his followers would increase, they tried to put him off by assigning him an important task; to prove that he was a messenger of Allah by performing a miracle. Let a unique she camel issue from the mountains. Allah granted Salih this miracle and a huge, unique, she camel appeared from the direction of the mountain. The Quranic commentators said that the people of Thamud gathered on a certain day at their meeting place, and the prophet Salih (PBUH) came and addressed them to believe in Allah, reminding them of the favors Allah had granted them. Then pointing at a rock, they demanded: "Ask your Lord to make a she camel, which must be 10 months pregnant, tall and attractive, issue from the rock for us." Salih replied: "Look now! If Allah sends you what you have requested, just as you have described, will you believe in that which I have come to you with and have faith in the message I have been sent with?" They answered: "Yes." So he took a vow from them on this, then prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant their request.

أَمَرَ اللهُ الصَّخْرَةَ البَعِيدَةَ أَنْ تَنْشَقَّ، فَتُخْرِجَ نَاقَةً عَظِيمَةً حَامِلاً بِعَشْرَةِ أَشْهُرٍ. وَلَمَّا وَقَعَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ عَلَيْهَا، دُهِشُوا. لَقَدْ رَأَوْا أَمْرًا عَظِيمًا، وَمَشْهَدًا عَجِيبًا، وَقُدْرَةً بَاهِرَةً، وَدَلِيلًا وَاضِحًا! آمَنَ بِذَلِكَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِ صَالِحٍ، وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ اسْتَمَرُّوا فِي كُفْرِهِمْ وَعِنَادِهِمْ وَضَلَالِهِمْ. قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:

Allah ordered the distant rock to split asunder, to bringing forth a great ten month pregnant she camel. When their eyes set on it, they were amazed. They saw a great thing, a wonderful sight, a dazzling power and clear evidence! A number of Salih's people believed, yet most of them continued in their disbelief, stubbornness, and going astray. Allah the Almighty said:

وَبَدَأَ الكَافِرُونَ الآنَ يَشْكُونَ مِنْ أَنَّ هٰذِهِ النَّاقَةَ الضَّخْمَةَ ذَاتَ الصِّفَاتِ الغَرِيبَةِ تَشْرَبُ مُعْظَمَ المَاءِ وَتُخِيفُ مَوَاشِيَهُمْ.

The disbeliveers now began complaining that this huge she camel with its unusual qualities drank most of the water and frightened their cattle.

فَدَبَّرُوا مُؤَامَرَةً لِقَتْلِ النَّاقَةِ، وَاسْتَعَانُوا بِنِسَائِهِمْ لِإِغْوَاءِ الرِّجَالِ لِتَنْفِيذِ أَوَامِرِهِمْ. فَعَرَضَتْ صَدُوقُ بِنْتُ مَحْيَا، وَكَانَتْ مِنْ أُسْرَةٍ غَنِيَّةٍ وَشَرِيفَةٍ، نَفْسَهَا عَلَى شَابٍّ يُدْعَى مُصْرَعَ بْنَ مِهْرَجٍ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ يَعْقِرَ النَّاقَةَ. وَعَرَضَتْ عَنِيزَةُ، وَهِيَ عَجُوزٌ، إِحْدَى بَنَاتِهَا عَلَى شَابٍّ آخَرَ، قُدَارِ بْنِ سَالِفٍ، مُقَابِلَ قَتْلِ النَّاقَةِ. وَلَا عَجَبَ أَنْ تُغْرَى هَؤُلَاءِ الشَّبَابُ، فَشَرَعُوا فِي الْبَحْثِ عَنْ سَبْعَةٍ آخَرِينَ يُعِينُونَهُمْ.

They laid a plot to kill the camel, and sought the help of their women folk to tempt the men to carry out their commands. Saduq bint of Mahya, who was from a rich and noble family, offered herself to a young man named Masrai Ibn Mahraj on condition that he hamstring the camel. Aniza, an old woman, offered one of her daughters to a young man, Qudar Ibn Saluf, in return for killing the camel. Naturally these young men were tempted and set about finding seven others to assist them.

كانوا يراقبون الناقة عن كثب، يلاحظون كل حركاتها. وعندما جاءت الناقة لتشرب من البئر، رماها مصدع بسهم في ساقها. حاولت الهرب لكنها أُعيقت بسبب السهم. تبعها قدار وضربها بالسيف في ساقها الأخرى. ولما سقطت على الأرض، طعنها بسيفه.

They watched the camel closely, observing all its movements. As the she camel came to drink at the well, Masarai shot it in the leg with an arrow. It tried to escape but was hampered by the arrow. Qudar followed the camel and struck it with a sword in the other leg. As it fell to the ground, he pierced it with his sword.

قُوبل القتلةُ باستقبالِ الأبطال، وهُتف لهم بالأناشيد، ونُظمت فيهم القصائدُ مدحًا وإشادة.

The killers were given a hero's welcome, cheered with songs and poetry composed in their praise.

وَسَخِرُوا مِنْ صَالِحٍ بِكِبْرِهِمْ، فَحَذَّرَهُمْ قَائِلًا: "تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أُخْرَى، ثُمَّ يَنْزِلُ بِكُمُ الْعَذَابُ." وَكَانَ صَالِحٌ يَأْمُلُ أَنْ يُدْرِكُوا حَمَاقَةَ صَنِيعِهِمْ وَيُغَيِّرُوا مَوْقِفَهُمْ قَبْلَ انْقِضَاءِ الْأَيَّامِ الثَّلَاثَةِ.

In their arrogance they mocked Salih, but he warned them: "Enjoy life for 3 more days then the punishment will descend upon you." Salih was hoping that they would see the folly of their ways and change their attitude before the three days went out.