Tarikh (al-Tabari) 104
The story of Salih (peace and blessings be upon him)
بَعَثَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِمْ بَعْدَ هَلَاكِ قَوْمِ عَادٍ صَالِحَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ جَاذِرِ بْنِ جَابِرِ بْنِ ثَمُودَ وكَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْأَصْنَامَ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنْ يَخْلَعُوا الْأَصْنَامَ وَالْأَنْدَادَ، وَلَا يُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا فَآمَنَتْ بِهِ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَكَفَرَ جُمْهُورُهُمْ، وَنَالُوا مِنْهُ بِالْمَقَالِ وَالْفَعَالِ، وَهَمُّوا بِقَتْلِهِ وَلَمْ يَعْتَبِرُوا بِمَا حدث لعاد؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْ سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ. أَيْ إِنَّمَا جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ لِتَعْتَبِرُوا بِمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ، وَتَعْمَلُوا بِخِلَافِ عَمَلِهِمْ، وَأَبَاحَ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ الْأَرْضَ تَبْنُونَ فِي سُهُولِهَا الْقُصُورَ، وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ. أَيْ حَاذِقِينَ فِي صَنْعَتِهَا وَإِتْقَانِهَا وَإِحْكَامِهَا، فَقَابِلُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ بِالشُّكْرِ وَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ لَهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُخَالَفَتَهُ، وَالْعُدُولَ عَنْ طَاعَتِهِ فَإِنَّ عَاقِبَةَ ذَلِكَ وَخِيمَةٌ؛ وَلِهَذَا وَعَظَهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ: أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَاهُنَا آمِنِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ. أَيْ مُتَرَاكِمٌ كَثِيرٌ حَسَنٌ بَهِيٌّ نَاضِجٌ وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ وَلَا تُطِيعُوا أَمْرَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ الَّذِينَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ. وَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَيْضًا: يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ هُوَ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا. أَيْ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَأَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَكُمْ عُمَّارَهَا. أَيْ أَعْطَاكُمُوهَا بِمَا فِيهَا مِنَ الزُّرُوعِ وَالثِّمَارِ فَهُوَ الْخَالِقُ الرَّزَّاقُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يَسْتَحِقُّ الْعِبَادَةَ وَحْدَهُ لَا سِوَاهُ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ، ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ. أَيْ أَقْلِعُوا عَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ، وَأَقْبِلُوا عَلَى عِبَادَتِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَقْبَلُ مِنْكُمْ، وَيَتَجَاوَزُ عَنْكُمْ إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ قَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنْتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَذَا. أَيْ قَدْ كُنَّا نَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ عَقْلُكَ كَامِلًا قَبْلَ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ، وَهِيَ دُعَاؤُكَ إِيَّانَا إِلَى إِفْرَادِ الْعِبَادَةِ لِلَّهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَتَرْكِ مَا كُنَّا نَعْبُدُهُ مِنَ الْأَنْدَادِ، وَالْعُدُولِ عَنْ دِينِ الْآبَاءِ وَالْأَجْدَادِ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالُوا: أَتَنْهَانَا أَنْ نَعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَآتَانِي مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَنْ يَنْصُرُنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ فَمَا تَزِيدُونَنِي غَيْرَ تَخْسِيرٍ. وَهَذَا تَلَطُّفٌ مِنْهُ لَهُمْ فِي الْعِبَارَةِ وَلِينِ الْجَانِبِ، وَحُسْنُ تَأَتٍّ فِي الدَّعْوَةِ لَهُمْ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ. أَيْ فَمَا ظَنُّكُمْ إِنْ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ كَمَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ، وَأَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَيْهِ ؟ مَاذَا عُذْرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ؟ وَمَاذَا يُخَلِّصُكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ؟ وَأَنْتُمْ تَطْلُبُونَ مِنِّي أَنْ أَتْرُكَ دُعَاءَكُمْ إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ ؟ وَأَنَا لَا يُمْكِنُنِي هَذَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيَّ، وَلَوْ تَرَكْتُهُ لَمَا قَدَرَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ وَلَا مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ أَنْ يُجِيرَنِي مِنْهُ، وَلَا يَنْصُرَنِي فَأَنَا لَا أَزَالُ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ، وَقَالُوا لَهُ أَيْضًا: إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ. أَيْ مِنَ الْمَسْحُورِينَ. يَعْنُونَ مَسْحُورًا لَا تَدْرِي مَا تَقُولُ فِي دُعَائِكَ إِيَّانَا إِلَى إِفْرَادِ الْعِبَادَةِ لِلَّهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَخَلْعِ مَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْأَنْدَادِ. وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِ الْجُمْهُورُ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْمُسَحَّرِينَ الْمَسْحُورُونَ. وَقِيلَ: مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ. أَيْ مِمَّنْ لَهُ سَحْرٌ وَهِيَ الرِّئَةُ كَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ بَشَرٌ لَهُ سَحْرٌ. وَالْأَوَّلُ أَظْهَرُ لِقَوْلِهِمْ بَعْدَ هَذَا: مَا أَنْتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا. وَقَوْلُهُمْ: فَأْتِ بِآيَةٍ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ.
Translation
✧ After the destruction of the people of ʿĀd, Allah, exalted be He, sent to them Ṣāliḥ b. ʿUbayd b. Jādhir b. Jābir b. Thamūd. They used to worship idols, so he called them to the worship of Allah alone, with no partner, and to cast off the idols and rivals and not associate anything with Him. A group of them believed in him, while the majority disbelieved and harmed him with words and deeds, and they resolved to kill him, taking no lesson from what had happened to ʿĀd. Therefore their prophet ﷺ said to them: "Worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. A clear proof has come to you from your Lord: this is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you, so leave her to graze in Allah's land and do not touch her with harm, lest a painful punishment seize you. And remember when He made you successors after ʿĀd and settled you in the land, where you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve the mountains into houses. So remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse in the earth, spreading corruption." That is, He only made you successors after them so that you might take heed of what befell them and act contrary to their deeds. He has permitted you this land: you build palaces in its plains and carve houses from the mountains, skillfully. That is, skilled in their craft, perfecting and firming it. So meet Allah's favor with gratitude, righteous deeds, and worship of Him alone, with no partner. Beware of opposing Him and deviating from obedience to Him, for the outcome of that is dire. Hence he admonished them with his words: "Will you be left secure in what is here—in gardens and springs, and crops and date-palms with slender spathes?" That is, piled up, abundant, beautiful, radiant, ripe. "And you carve houses from the mountains, skillfully. So fear Allah and obey me, and do not obey the command of the extravagant, who spread corruption in the earth and do not set things right." He also said to them: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. He produced you from the earth and made you dwell in it." That is, He is the One who created you, bringing you forth from the earth and making you its inhabitants. That is, He gave it to you with its crops and fruits, so He is the Creator, the Provider, and He alone deserves worship, none besides Him. So ask His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance. That is, desist from what you are upon and turn to His worship, for He will accept from you and pardon you. "Indeed, my Lord is near, responsive." They said, "O Ṣāliḥ, you had been a source of hope among us before this." That is, we had hoped that your mind was complete before this statement of yours—your calling us to devote worship to Allah alone and to abandon what we worship of rivals and to turn away from the religion of the fathers and forefathers. Hence they said: "Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? Indeed, we are in disquieting doubt about what you call us to." He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has given me mercy from Him, who will help me against Allah if I disobey Him? You would only increase me in loss." This is his gentleness toward them in expression, mildness of manner, and excellent care in calling them to good. That is, what do you think if the matter is as I tell you and call you to? What excuse will you have before Allah? What will deliver you in His presence? You ask me to abandon calling you to His obedience, but I cannot do this, because it is obligatory upon me. If I left it, none of you or anyone else could protect me from Him or help me. So I will not cease calling you to Allah alone, with no partner, until Allah judges between me and you. They also said to him: "You are only one of the bewitched." That is, one of the bewitched. They mean: bewitched, not knowing what you say in calling us to devote worship to Allah alone and to cast off other rivals. This statement is held by the majority to mean the bewitched. It is also said: "of the bewitched," meaning one who has a windpipe—as if they say: you are only a human with a windpipe. The first view is more evident because of their saying after this: "You are nothing but a human like us," and their saying: "Then bring a sign, if you are of the truthful."
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.