A mafi yawancin lokuta idan aka ba da labarin tarihin Annabi Şāliĥ da Thamūd, yana zama wani ɓangare na jerin tarihoshi da suka shafi Annabawa Nuhu, Hud, Lut da Shu`ayb. Wani lokacin ma akan ba da labarin Ibrahim. A cikin wannan sūrah, an fi mayar da hankali ga annabawan da aka aiko wa Banu Isra'ila:

In the majority of cases when an account of the history of the Prophet Şāliĥ and the Thamūd is given, it constitutes part of a series of histories involving the Prophets Noah, Had, Lot and Shu`ayb. Sometimes we also have an account of Abraham. In this sūrah, particular emphasis is given to prophets sent to the Children of Israel:

Musa, Dawud da Sulaiman. Ba mu da wani bayani game da Hud, Shu'aibu ko Ibrahim.

Moses, David and Solomon. We have no account of Hūd, Shu`ayb or Abraham.

A cikin wannan labarin na Ṣāliḥ ba a ambaci rakumiyar she wadda ita ce mu'ujizar da aka ba shi ba. Maimakon haka, an kawo labarin wasu mutum tara azzalumai waɗanda suka shirya kashe shi da iyalinsa. Sun ƙulla masa makirci alhali yana cikin rashin sani, amma Allah ya warware shirinsu, ya halakar da su da al'ummarsu, ya bar gidajen azzalumai babu kowa a cikinsu, ya zama darasi ga al'ummomi masu zuwa. Ya ceci waɗanda suka yi imani kuma suka rayu cikin tsoron Allah. Mushrikan Makka sau da yawa suna wucewa ta cikin gidajen Thamūd da aka hallaka, duk da haka ba su yi lura ba.

In the present account of Şāliĥ we have no mention of the she- camel which was the miracle given to him. Instead, we are given the episode involving nine wicked people who plotted to assassinate him and his household. They conspired against him when he was totally unaware, but God foiled their scheming, destroyed them and their community, leaving the homes of the wrongdoers empty to serve as a lesson to following generations. He saved those who believed and led God-fearing lives. The idolaters in Makkah often passed by the destroyed dwellings of the Thamūd, yet still they did not take heed.

"Zuwa ga Thamūd Mun aika musu da ɗan'uwansu, Şāliĥ, sai ya ce: “Ku bauta wa Allah kaɗai”, amma suka rabu zuwa ƙungiyoyi biyu masu gaba da juna.” (Aya ta 45) A cikin wannan aya, dukkan saƙon da Şāliĥ ya isar wa mutanensa an taƙaita shi a cikin mahimmin batu guda ɗaya, “ku bauta wa Allah kaɗai”, wanda shi ne tushen saƙon Allah zuwa ga ɗan Adam a dukkan zamunna, da dukkan annabawa da manzanni. Duk da cewa komai da ke kewaye da mutum a sararin samaniya da kuma cikin kansa yana kiran imani da wannan gaskiya ta asali, ɗan Adam ya rayu tsawon zamunna marasa adadi yana musanta ko yin izgili ga wannan gaskiya mai sauƙi kuma ta asali. Har yau yana ci gaba da kauce mata da gangan, yana bin hanyoyi daban-daban da ke kai shi nesa da tafarki madaidaici kuma miƙaƙƙe.

“To the Thamūd We sent their brother, Şāliĥ, and he said: “Worship God alone’, but they split into two contending factions.” (Verse 45) In this verse the whole message Şāliĥ conveyed to his people is summed up in one point, “worship God alone,’ which is the basis of the divine message to mankind throughout all generations, and with all prophets and messengers. Although everything around man in the universe and within man himself urges belief in this fundamental truth, humanity lived for countless generations denying or deriding this basic and simple fact. It continues to deliberately evade it today, taking divergent routes that lead it away from the right and straight path.

Suratun ta ambaci halin mutanen Salih bayan ya yi ƙoƙari ya shawo kansu su yi imani, amma sun rabu zuwa ƙungiyoyi biyu: wata da ta amsa masa, da kuma wata da ta ƙi shi. Ƙungiyar da ta ƙi ita ce mafi yawa, kamar yadda aka faɗa mana a wasu wurare na Alƙur'ani.

The sūrah mentions the attitude of Şāliĥ’s people after he had endeavoured to persuade them to believe, but they split into two factions: one that responded to him and the other who opposed him. The latter formed the majority, as we are told elsewhere in the Qur’ān.

Muna jin cewa akwai wani gibi a cikin labarin, kamar yadda aka saba a cikin labaran Alƙur'ani, cewa waɗanda suka ƙaryata saƙon Şāliĥ sun yi ƙoƙarin hanzarta azabar God wadda ya gargaɗe su da ita, maimakon yin addu'a neman shiriyar God da rahamarsa. A cikin wannan sun zama kamar Quraishawa, waɗanda su ma suka hanzarta azabar God. Şāliĥ ya soki halayensu, ya kuma yi ƙoƙarin nuna musu su nemi gafarar God, domin su samu rahamarsa: "Ya ce [Şāliĥ]: Ya mutanena, don me kuke neman hanzarta mugunta maimakon ku sa rai ga alheri? Don me ba ku neman gafarar God, domin a ba ku rahamarsa?" (Aya ta 46)

We then have a gap in the story, which is common in Qur’ānic narration, and we sense that those who denied Şāliĥ’s message tried to hasten God’s punishment against which he had warned them, rather than praying for God’s guidance and mercy. In this they were the same as the Quraysh who also precipitated God’s punishment. Şāliĥ criticized their attitude and tried to direct them to seek God’s forgiveness, so that they might receive His mercy: “Said [Şāliĥ]: My people, why do you seek to hasten evil instead of hoping for the good? Why do you not seek God’s forgiveness, so that you may be graced with His mercy?” (Verse 46)