Tarikh (al-Tabari) 105
The story of Salih (peace and blessings be upon him)
وَلَمْ يَزَلْ صَالِحٌ عليه السلام يَدْعُوهُمْ فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَاؤُهُ إِلَّا طُغْيَانًا ولَمْ يَتْبَعْهُ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مُسْتَضْعَفُونَ، فَلَمَّا أَلَحَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ، وَالتَّحْذِيرِ، وَالتَّخْوِيفِ سَأَلُوهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بِخَارِقٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَى صِدْقِ مَا جَاءَهُمْ بِهِ قَالَ هَذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ. وَقَالَ: قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْمُفَسِّرُونَ: أَنَّ ثَمُودَ اجْتَمَعُوا يَوْمًا فِي نَادِيهِمْ، فَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَالِحٌ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَذَكَّرَهُمْ وَحَذَّرَهُمْ وَوَعَظَهُمْ وَأَمَرَهُمْ، فَقَالُوا لَهُ: إِنْ أَنْتَ أَخْرَجْتَ لَنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ وَأَشَارُوا إِلَى صَخْرَةٍ هُنَاكَ نَاقَةً مِنْ صِفَتِهَا كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ، وَذَكَرُوا أَوْصَافًا سَمَّوْهَا وَنَعَتُوهَا وَتَعَنَّتُوا فِيهَا، وَأَنْ تَكُونَ عُشَرَاءَ طَوِيلَةً مِنْ صِفَتِهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ لَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ صَالِحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَجَبْتُكُمْ إِلَى مَا سَأَلْتُمْ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي طَلَبْتُمْ أَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ. وَتُصَدِّقُونِي فِيمَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ. قَالُوا: نَعَمْ. فَأَخَذَ عُهُودَهُمْ وَمَوَاثِيقَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى مُصَلَّاهُ فَصَلَّى لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ، ثُمَّ دَعَا رَبَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يُجِيبَهُمْ إِلَى مَا طَلَبُوا فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةَ أَنْ تَنْفَطِرَ عَنْ نَاقَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ كَوْمَاءَ عُشَرَاءَ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الْمَطْلُوبِ الَّذِي طَلَبُوا وَعَلَى الصِّفَةِ الَّتِي نَعَتُوا، فَلَمَّا عَايَنُوهَا كَذَلِكَ رَأَوْا أَمْرًا عَظِيمًا، وَمَنْظَرًا هَائِلًا، وَقُدْرَةً بَاهِرَةً، وَدَلِيلًا قَاطِعًا، وَبُرْهَانًا سَاطِعًا فَآمَنَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَاسْتَمَرَّ أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَى كُفْرِهِمْ وَضَلَالِهِمْ وَعِنَادِهِمْ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا. أَيْ جَحَدُوا بِهَا، وَلَمْ يَتَّبِعُوا الْحَقَّ بِسَبَبِهَا. أَيْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ، وَكَانَ رَئِيسُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا جُنْدَعَ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ مِخْلَاةَ بْنِ لَبِيدِ بْنِ جَوَّاسٍ، وَكَانَ مِنْ رُؤَسَائِهِمْ، وَهُمْ بَقِيَّةُ الْأَشْرَافِ بِالْإِسْلَامِ فَصَدَّهُمْ ذُؤَابُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ لَبِيدٍ، وَالْحُبَابُ صَاحِبُ أَوْثَانِهِمْ، وَرَبَابُ بْنُ صَمْعَرِ بْنِ جَلْهَسٍ، وَدَعَا جُنْدَعٌ ابْنَ عَمِّهِ شِهَابَ بْنَ خَلِيفَةَ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ فَهَمَّ بِالْإِسْلَامِ فَنَهَاهُ أُولَئِكَ فَمَالَ إِلَيْهِمْ. شعر مهرش بن غنمة بن الدميل فَقَالَ فِي ذَلِكَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يُقَالُ لَهُ: مِهْرَشُ بْنُ غَنْمَةَ بْنِ الدُّمَيْلِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ شِعْرًا: وَكَانَتْ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْ آلِ عَمْرٍو إِلَى دِينِ النَّبِيِّ دَعَوْا شِهَابَا عَزِيزَ ثَمُودَ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا فَهَمَّ بِأَنْ يُجِيبَ وَلَوْ أَجَابَا لَأَصْبَحَ صَالِحٌ فِينَا عَزِيزًا وَمَا عَدَلُوا بِصَاحِبِهِمْ ذُؤَابَا وَلَكِنَّ الْغُوَاةَ مِنْ آلِ حِجْرٍ تَوَلَّوْا بَعْدَ رُشْدِهِمُ ذِئَابَا وَلِهَذَا قَالَ لَهُمْ صَالِحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً. أَضَافَهَا لِلَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِضَافَةَ تَشْرِيفٍ وَتَعْظِيمٍ، كَقَوْلِهِ: بَيْتُ اللَّهِ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ. لَكُمْ آيَةً. أَيْ دَلِيلًا عَلَى صِدْقِ مَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ قَرِيبٌ. فَاتَّفَقَ الْحَالُ عَلَى أَنْ تَبْقَى هَذِهِ النَّاقَةُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ تَرْعَى حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ مِنْ أَرْضِهِمْ، وَتَرِدُ الْمَاءَ يَوْمًا بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ، وَكَانَتْ إِذَا وَرَدَتِ الْمَاءَ تَشْرَبُ مَاءَ الْبِئْرِ يَوْمَهَا ذَلِكَ فَكَانُوا يَرْفَعُونَ حَاجَتَهُمْ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فِي يَوْمِهِمْ لِغَدِهِمْ، وَيُقَالُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَشْرَبُونَ مِنْ لَبَنِهَا كِفَايَتَهُمْ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: لَهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّا مُرْسِلُو النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَهُمْ. أَيِ اخْتِبَارًا لَهُمْ أَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا أَمْ يَكْفُرُونَ ؟ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ: فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ أَيِ انْتَظِرْ مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ، وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ فَسَيَأْتِيكَ الْخَبَرُ عَلَى جَلِيَّةٍ وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ كُلُّ شِرْبٍ مُحْتَضَرٌ.
Translation
✧ And Ṣāliḥ ﷺ kept calling them, but his call only increased them in tyranny, and none followed him except a few who were oppressed. When he persisted in calling them, warning them, and frightening them, they asked him to bring them a supernatural sign that would indicate the truth of what he had brought them. He said: “This is a she-camel; for her is a drinking and for you is the drinking of a known day. And do not touch her with harm, lest the punishment of a great day seize you.” And he said: “There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you. So leave her to eat in Allah's earth and do not touch her with harm, lest a painful punishment seize you.” And the Most High said: “And We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her.” The commentators have mentioned that Thamūd gathered one day in their assembly, and the Messenger of Allah, Ṣāliḥ, came to them and called them to Allah, reminded them, warned them, admonished them, and commanded them. They said to him: “If you bring out for us from this rock”—and they pointed to a rock there—“a she-camel of such-and-such a description,” and they mentioned descriptions that they specified and characterized, being obstinate in them, and that it be a ten-month pregnant, tall she-camel of such-and-such a description. The Prophet Ṣāliḥ ﷺ said to them: “Do you see that if I respond to you with what you asked, in the manner you requested, will you believe in what I have brought you and affirm me in what I was sent with?” They said: “Yes.” So he took their pledges and covenants on that. Then he stood at his place of prayer and prayed to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as much as was decreed for him. Then he called upon his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, to answer them to what they requested. So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, commanded that rock to split open, revealing a great she-camel, hump-backed, ten-month pregnant, in the requested manner that they asked for and in the description that they specified. When they saw it thus, they saw a great matter, a terrifying sight, dazzling power, a decisive proof, and a shining evidence. Many of them believed, but most of them persisted in their disbelief, error, and obstinacy. For this reason He said: “but they wronged her,” meaning they denied her and did not follow the truth because of her, meaning most of them. The chief of those who believed was Jundaʿ b. ʿAmr b. Mikhlāh b. Labīd b. Jawwās, and he was among their chiefs, while the rest of the nobles remained in Islam, but Dhuʾāb b. ʿUmar b. Labīd, al-Ḥubāb the keeper of their idols, and Rabāb b. Ṣamʿar b. Jalhas turned them away. Jundaʿ called his cousin Shihāb b. Khalīfa, who was one of their nobles, and he was about to embrace Islam, but those ones forbade him, so he inclined to them. A man of the Muslims named Mihrash b. Ghanma b. al-Dumayl, may Allah have mercy on him, said poetry about that: A band of the family of ʿAmr called Shihāb to the religion of the Prophet, the mighty one of Thamūd, all of them together. He was about to answer, and had he answered, Ṣāliḥ would have become mighty among us. They did not consider their companion Dhuʾāb equal, but the misguided ones of the family of Ḥijr turned away after their right guidance like wolves. For this reason Ṣāliḥ ﷺ said to them: “This is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you.” He attributed it to Allah, Glorified and Exalted, as an attribution of honor and veneration, like His saying: “the House of Allah” and “the servant of Allah.” “A sign for you,” meaning a proof of the truth of what I have brought you. “So leave her to eat in Allah's earth and do not touch her with harm, lest a near punishment seize you.” The situation was agreed upon that this she-camel should remain among them, grazing wherever she wished in their land, and coming to the water one day after another. When she came to the water, she would drink the water of the well on that day, so they would store up their need of water on their day for the next day. It is said that they used to drink from her milk enough for their needs. For this reason He said: “For her is a drinking and for you is the drinking of a known day.” And for this reason the Most High said: “Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as a trial for them,” meaning as a test for them: will they believe in her or disbelieve? And Allah knows best what they do. “So watch them,” meaning await what will come of their affair, and be patient with their harm, for the news will come to you clearly. “And inform them that the water is to be divided between them, each drinking attended.”
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.