在大多数情况下,讲述先知萨利赫与赛莫德人的历史时,它是一系列历史故事的一部分,其中涉及先知努哈、胡德、鲁特和舒艾卜的故事。有时也会提到易卜拉欣的故事。在本章中,特别强调了被派遣到以色列后裔中的先知。

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:

穆萨、达伍德和素莱曼。我们没有关于呼德、舒阿卜和易卜拉欣的记载。

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

在本段叙述中，我们没有提到作为先知撒利哈的神迹所赐予的那只母驼。取而代之的是一段关于九个邪恶之人的故事，他们密谋刺杀撒利哈及其家人。他们在他毫无察觉时策划阴谋，但真主挫败了他们的诡计，毁灭了他们和他们的族群，使不义者的房屋空无一人，以此作为后世的教训。真主拯救了那些信仰并敬畏真主、虔诚生活的人。麦加的多神教徒经常路过被毁灭的萨莫德族的废墟，然而他们仍然不加醒悟。

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.

“至于赛莫德人，我派遣了他们的兄弟萨利赫，他说：‘你们只应崇拜真主。’但他们分裂成两个互相争执的派别。”（第45节） 在这节经文中，萨利赫传达给其民众的全部信息被概括为一点：“只应崇拜真主”。这是历代以来真主向人类所降示的启示的根基，也是所有先知和使者共同的主张。尽管宇宙万物和人自身都在催促人们相信这一根本真理，人类却在无数个世代中否认或嘲笑这一基本而简单的事实。时至今日，人类仍在刻意回避它，走上各种偏离正道的歧途。

“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.

这一章经文提到了萨利赫的族人在他努力劝导他们信道之后的态度，但他们分成了两派：一派接受了他的呼吁，另一派则反对他。反对的一派人数占多数，正如《古兰经》在别处所述。

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.

我们接着看到故事中出现了一处空白，这在《古兰经》的叙述中并不罕见。我们感觉到，那些否认萨利赫讯息的人，竟试图加速他所警告的真主的惩罚，而不是祈求真主的引导与慈悯。在这一点上，他们与古莱什人相同，后者也促使了真主惩罚的降临。萨利赫批评了他们的这种态度，并试图引导他们寻求真主的宽恕，以便他们能够获得真主的慈悯："他说：'我的民众啊！你们为什么要求速降灾祸，而不求福利呢？你们为什么不求真主饶恕你们，以便你们蒙受怜悯呢？'"（第46节）

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)

不信者的心可能堕落到这样的地步：他们向真主祈求说："真主啊，如果这确实是你所启示的真理，那就从天上降下石头来惩罚我们，或者give us严厉的痛苦吧。"（8：32）他们这样说，而不是祈求真主引导他们信仰祂所启示的真理。虽然这节经文指的是古莱氏人所说的话，但沙利哈的族人也说过类似的话，他们拒绝接受先知让他们悔改、求真主饶恕并祈求祂怜悯的呼吁。他们甚至为自己对先知及其追随者的恼怒辩解，说这些人是不吉利的征兆，并认为他们的存在会给自己带来灾祸："他们回答说：我们认为你和跟随你的人是不祥的。"（第47节）

The hearts of unbelievers can reach such a level of corruption that they appeal to God, saying: “God, if this be indeed Your revealed truth, then rain down upon us stones from the skies, or inflict grievous suffering on us.” (8: 32) They say this rather than praying to God to guide them to believe in the truth He has revealed. While this verse refers to what the Quraysh said, Şāliĥ’s people said something similar, rejecting their prophet’s appeals that they should repent, seek God’s forgiveness and pray for His mercy. They even justified their irritation with him and his followers by saying that they constituted a bad omen and that they expected evil to befall them as a result of their presence: “They answered: We augur evil from you and those that follow you.” (Verse 47)