Tarikh (al-Tabari) 107
The story of Salih (peace and blessings be upon him)
وحَمَلَهُمُ الْكُفْرُ وَالضَّلَالُ وَالْعِنَادُ عَلَى اسْتِبْعَادِ الْحَقِّ، وَوُقُوعِ الْعَذَابِ بِهِمْ فَلِهَذَا قَالَ لَهُمْ صَالِحٌ: تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ. أَيْ غَيْرَ يَوْمِهِمْ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يُصَدِّقُوهُ أَيْضًا فِي هَذَا الْوَعْدِ الْأَكِيدِ، بَلْ لَمَّا أَمْسَوْا هَمُّوا بِقَتْلِهِ، وَأَرَادُوا فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ أَنْ يُلْحِقُوهُ بِالنَّاقَةِ وَقَالُوا: نَخْرُجُ فَتَرَى النَّاسُ أَنَّنَا نُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ فَنَأْتِي الْغَارَ الَّذِي عَلَى طَرِيقِ صَالِحٍ فَنَكُونُ فِيهِ، فَإِذَا جَاءَ اللَّيْلُ وَخَرَجَ صَالِحٌ إِلَى مَسْجِدِهِ قَتَلْنَاهُ، ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْغَارِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْنَا إِلَى رِحَالِنَا، وَقُلْنَا مَا شَهِدْنَا قَتْلَهُ فَيُصَدِّقُنَا قَوْمُهُ. وَكَانَ صَالِحٌ لَا يَبِيتُ مَعَهُمْ، كَانَ يَخْرُجُ إِلَى مَسْجِدٍ لَهُ يُعْرَفُ بِمَسْجِدِ صَالِحٍ فَيَبِيتُ فِيهِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا الْغَارَ سَقَطَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ صَخْرَةٌ فَقَتَلَتْهُمْ، فَانْطَلَقَ رِجَالٌ مِمَّنْ عَرَفَ الْحَالَ إِلَى الْغَارِ فَرَأَوْهُمْ هَلْكَى، فَعَادُوا يَصِيحُونَ: إِنَّ صَالِحًا أَمَرَهُمْ بِقَتْلِ أَوْلَادِهِمْ، ثُمَّ قَتَلَهُمْ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّمَا كَانَ تَقَاسُمُ التِّسْعَةِ عَلَى قَتْلِ صَالِحٍ بَعْدَ عَقْرِ النَّاقَةِ وَإِنْذَارِ صَالِحٍ إِيَّاهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ التِّسْعَةَ الَّذِينَ عَقَرُوا النَّاقَةَ قَالُوا: تَعَالَوْا فَلْنَقْتُلْ صَالِحًا فَإِنْ كَانَ صَادِقًا عَجَّلْنَا قَتْلَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ كَاذِبًا أَلْحَقْنَاهُ بِالنَّاقَةِ، فَأَتَوْهُ لَيْلًا فِي أَهْلِهِ فَدَمَغَتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِالْحِجَارَةِ فَهَلَكُوا، فَأَتَى أَصْحَابُهُمْ فَرَأَوْهُمْ هَلْكَى فَقَالُوا لِصَالِحٍ: أَنْتَ قَتَلْتَهُمْ، وَأَرَادُوا قَتْلَهُ، فَمَنَعَهُمْ عَشِيرَتُهُ وَقَالُوا: إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَنْذَرَكُمُ الْعَذَابَ، فَإِنْ كَانَ صَادِقًا فَلَا تَزِيدُوا رَبَّكُمْ غَضَبًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ كَاذِبًا فَنَحْنُ نُسَلِّمُهُ إِلَيْكُمْ، فَعَادُوا عَنْهُ، فَعَلَى الْقَوْلِ الْأَوَّلِ يَكُونُ التِّسْعَةُ الَّذِينَ تَقَاسَمُوا غَيْرَ الَّذِينَ عَقَرُوا النَّاقَةَ، وَالثَّانِي أَصَحُّ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ. أَيْ لَنَكْبِسَنَّهُ فِي دَارِهِ مَعَ أَهْلِهِ فَلَنَقْتُلَنَّهُ، ثُمَّ نَجْحَدَنَّ قَتْلَهُ، وَنُنْكِرَنَّ ذَلِكَ إِنْ طَالَبَنَا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ بِدَمِهِ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالُوا: ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ. وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُوا إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ وَأَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ. وَأَصْبَحَتْ ثَمُودُ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ، وَهُوَ الْيَوْمُ الْأَوَّلُ مِنْ أَيَّامِ النَّظِرَةِ، وَوُجُوهُهُمْ مُصْفَرَّةٌ، كَمَا أَنْذَرَهُمْ صَالِحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَوْا نَادَوْا بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ: أَلَا قَدْ مَضَى يَوْمٌ مِنَ الْأَجَلِ، ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي مِنْ أَيَّامِ التَّأْجِيلِ، وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَوُجُوهُهُمْ مُحْمَرَّةٌ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَوْا نَادَوْا: أَلَا قَدْ مَضَى يَوْمَانِ مِنَ الْأَجَلِ، ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الْمَتَاعِ، وَهُوَ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ، وَوُجُوهُهُمْ مُسْوَدَّةٌ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَوْا نَادَوْا: أَلَا قَدْ مَضَى الْأَجَلُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ صَبِيحَةُ يَوْمِ الْأَحَدِ تَحَنَّطُوا وَتَأَهَّبُوا، وَقَعَدُوا يَنْظُرُونَ مَاذَا يَحِلُّ بِهِمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالنَّكَالِ وَالنِّقْمَةِ لَا يَدْرُونَ كَيْفَ يُفْعَلُ بِهِمْ، وَلَا مِنْ أَيِّ جِهَةٍ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ، فَلَمَّا أَشْرَقَتِ الشَّمْسُ جَاءَتْهُمْ صَيْحَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ، وَرَجْفَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ مِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْهُمْ، فَفَاضَتِ الْأَرْوَاحُ وَزَهَقَتِ النُّفُوسُ، وَسَكَنَتِ الْحَرَكَاتُ، وَخَشَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ، وَحُقَّتِ الْحَقَائِقُ، فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ جُثَثًا لَا أَرْوَاحَ فِيهَا، وَلَا حِرَاكَ بِهَا قَالُوا: وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا جَارِيَةٌ كَانَتْ مُقْعَدَةً، وَاسْمُهَا: كَلْبَةُ بِنْتُ السَّلْقِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهَا: الزُّرَيْعَةُ. وَكَانَتْ شَدِيدَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْعَدَاوَةِ لِصَالِحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْعَذَابَ أُطْلِقَتْ رِجْلَاهَا، فَقَامَتْ تَسْعَى كَأَسْرَعِ شَيْءٍ فَأَتَتْ حَيًّا مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَأَخْبَرَتْهُمْ بِمَا رَأَتْ وَمَا حَلَّ بِقَوْمِهَا، وَاسْتَسْقَتْهُمْ مَاءً، فَلَمَّا شَرِبَتْ مَاتَتْ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا. أَيْ لَمْ يُقِيمُوا فِيهَا فِي سَعَةٍ، وَرِزْقٍ، وَغَنَاءٍ: أَلَا إِنَّ ثَمُودَ كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِثَمُودَ. أَيْ نَادَى عَلَيْهِمْ لِسَانُ الْقَدَرِ بِهَذَا. قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا مَرَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْحِجْرِ قَالَ: لَا تَسْأَلُوا الْآيَاتِ فَقَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمُ صَالِحٍ فَكَانَتْ يَعْنِي النَّاقَةَ تَرِدُ مِنْ هَذَا الْفَجِّ، وَتَصْدُرُ مِنْ هَذَا الْفَجِّ فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَعَقَرُوهَا، وَكَانَتْ تَشْرَبُ مَاءَهُمْ يَوْمًا، وَيَشْرَبُونَ لَبَنَهَا يَوْمًا، فَعَقَرُوهَا، فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَيْحَةٌ أَهْمَدَ اللَّهُ مَنْ تَحْتَ أَدِيمِ السَّمَاءِ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا كَانَ فِي حَرَمِ اللَّهِ. فَقَالُوا: مَنْ هُوَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ: هُوَ أَبُو رِغَالٍ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ مِنَ الْحَرَمِ أَصَابَهُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَهُ. وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَلَى شَرْطِ مُسْلِمٍ، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ السِّتَّةِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وعن إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ مَرَّ بِقَبْرِ أَبِي رِغَالٍ، فَقَالَ: أَتَدْرُونَ مَنْ هَذَا ؟ قَالُوا: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ: هَذَا قَبْرُ أَبِي رِغَالٍ رَجُلٍ مِنْ ثَمُودَ كَانَ فِي حَرَمِ اللَّهِ، فَمَنَعَهُ حَرَمُ اللَّهِ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ أَصَابَهُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَهُ، فَدُفِنَ هَاهُنَا وَدُفِنَ مَعَهُ غُصْنٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ. فَنَزَلَ الْقَوْمُ فَابْتَدَرُوهُ بِأَسْيَافِهِمْ فَبَحَثُوا عَنْهُ، فَاسْتَخْرَجُوا الْغُصْنَ. خطاب صالح قومه بعد هلاكهم وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَكِنْ لَا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ. إِخْبَارٌ عَنْ صَالِحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ خَاطَبَ قَوْمَهُ بَعْدَ هَلَاكِهِمْ، وَقَدْ أَخَذَ فِي الذَّهَابِ عَنْ مَحِلَّتِهِمْ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا قَائِلًا لَهُمْ: يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ. أَيْ جَهَدْتُ فِي هِدَايَتِكُمْ بِكُلِّ مَا أَمْكَنَنِي، وَحَرَصْتُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِقَوْلِي وَفِعْلِي وَنِيَّتِي وَلَكِنْ لَا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ. أَيْ لَمْ تَكُنْ سَجَايَاكُمْ تَقْبَلُ الْحَقَّ وَلَا تُرِيدُهُ، فَلِهَذَا صِرْتُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَلِيمِ الْمُسْتَمِرِّ بِكُمُ الْمُتَّصِلِ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ، وَلَيْسَ لِي فِيكُمْ حِيلَةٌ، وَلَا لِي بِالدَّفْعِ عَنْكُمْ يَدَانِ، وَالَّذِي وَجَبَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ أَدَاءِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَالنُّصْحِ لَكُمْ قَدْ فَعَلْتُهُ وَبَذَلْتُهُ لَكُمْ، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ. وَهَكَذَا خَاطَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَهْلَ قَلِيبِ بَدْرٍ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ، وَقَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَقَدْ رَكِبَ رَاحِلَتَهُ، وَأَمَرَ بِالرَّحِيلِ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَهْلَ الْقَلِيبِ هَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ مَا وَعَدَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا، فَإِنِّي قَدْ وَجَدْتُ مَا وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي حَقًّا. وَقَالَ لَهُمْ فِيمَا قَالَ: بِئْسَ عَشِيرَةُ النَّبِيِّ كُنْتُمْ لِنَبِيِّكُمْ كَذَّبْتُمُونِي وَصَدَّقَنِي النَّاسُ، وَأَخْرَجْتُمُونِي وَآوَانِي النَّاسُ، وَقَاتَلْتُمُونِي وَنَصَرَنِي النَّاسُ، فَبِئْسَ عَشِيرَةُ النَّبِيِّ كُنْتُمْ لِنَبِيِّكُمْ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُخَاطِبُ أَقْوَامًا قَدْ جَيَّفُوا. فَقَالَ: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ لِمَا أَقُولُ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَا يُجِيبُونَ. وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ أَنَّ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ كَانَتْ أَعْمَارُهُمْ طَوِيلَةً، فَكَانُوا يَبْنُونَ الْبُيُوتَ مِنَ الْمَدَرِ فَتَخْرَبُ قَبْلَ مَوْتِ الْوَاحِدِ مِنْهُمْ، فَنَحَتُوا لَهُمْ بُيُوتًا فِي الْجِبَالِ، وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّ صَالِحًا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَمَّا سَأَلُوهُ آيَةً، فَأَخْرَجَ اللَّهُ لَهُمُ النَّاقَةَ مِنَ الصَّخْرَةِ أَمَرَهُمْ بِهَا وَبِالْوَلَدِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي جَوْفِهَا، وَحَذَّرَهُمْ بَأْسَ اللَّهِ إِنْ هُمْ نَالُوهَا بِسُوءٍ، وَأَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ سَيَعْقِرُونَهَا، وَيَكُونُ سَبَبُ هَلَاكِهِمْ ذَلِكَ، وَذَكَرَ لَهُمْ صِفَةَ عَاقِرِهَا، وَأَنَّهُ أَحْمَرُ أَزْرَقُ أَصْهَبُ، فَبَعَثُوا الْقَوَابِلَ فِي الْبَلَدِ مَتَى وَجَدُوا مَوْلُودًا بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ يَقْتُلْنَهُ، فَكَانُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ دَهْرًا طَوِيلًا، وَانْقَرَضَ جِيلٌ وَأَتَى جِيلٌ آخَرُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَعْصَارِ خَطَبَ رَئِيسٌ مِنْ رُؤَسَائِهِمْ عَلَى ابْنِهِ بِنْتَ آخَرَ مِثْلِهِ فِي الرِّيَاسَةِ، فَزَوَّجَهُ فَوُلِدَ بَيْنَهُمَا عَاقِرُ النَّاقَةِ، وَهُوَ قُدَارُ بْنُ سَالِفٍ، فَلَمْ تَتَمَكَّنِ الْقَوَابِلُ مِنْ قَتْلِهِ لِشَرَفِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَجَدَّيْهِ فِيهِمْ، فَنَشَأَ نَشْأَةً سَرِيعَةً فَكَانَ يَشِبُّ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ، كَمَا يَشِبُّ غَيْرُهُ فِي شَهْرٍ، حَتَّى كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ خَرَجَ مُطَاعًا فِيهِمْ رَئِيسًا بَيْنَهُمْ، فَسَوَّلَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ عَقْرَ النَّاقَةِ، وَاتَّبَعَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثَمَانِيَةٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ، وَهُمُ التِّسْعَةُ الَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا قَتْلَ صَالِحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَلَمَّا وَقَعَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ مَا وَقَعَ مِنْ عَقْرِ النَّاقَةِ، وَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ صَالِحًا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ جَاءَهُمْ بَاكِيًا عَلَيْهَا فَتَلَقَّوْهُ يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَيَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ هَذَا لَمْ يَقَعْ عَنْ مَلَأٍ مِنَّا، وَإِنَّمَا فَعَلَ هَذَا هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَحْدَاثُ فِينَا، فَيُقَالُ إِنَّهُ أَمَرَهُمْ بِاسْتِدْرَاكِ سَقْبِهَا حَتَّى يُحْسِنُوا إِلَيْهِ عِوَضًا عَنْهَا، فَذَهَبُوا وَرَاءَهُ فَصَعِدَ جَبَلًا هُنَاكَ، فَلَمَّا تَصَاعَدُوا فِيهِ وَرَاءَهُ تَعَالَى الْجَبَلُ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَ فَلَا يَنَالُهُ الطَّيْرُ، وَبَكَى الْفَصِيلُ حَتَّى سَالَتْ دُمُوعُهُ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ صَالِحًا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَرَغَا ثَلَاثًا فَعِنْدَهَا قَالَ صَالِحٌ: تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ. وَأَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ يُصْبِحُونَ مِنْ غَدِهِمْ صُفْرًا، ثُمَّ تَحْمَرُّ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي الثَّانِي، وَفِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ تَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهُهُمْ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الرَّابِعِ أَتَتْهُمُ صَيْحَةٌ فِيهَا صَوْتُ كُلِّ صَاعِقَةٍ فَأَخْمَدَتْهُمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ، وَفِي بَعْضِ هَذَا السِّيَاقِ نَظَرٌ وَمُخَالَفَةٌ لِظَاهِرِ مَا يُفْهَمُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فِي شَأْنِهِمْ وَقِصَّتِهِمْ، كَمَا قَدَّمْنَا. وَاللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ، وَهُوَ حَسْبُنَا وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ.
Translation
✧ Their disbelief, error, and obstinacy carried them to deem the truth far-fetched and to deem that punishment would not befall them. For this reason Ṣāliḥ said to them: “Enjoy yourselves in your abode for three days”—that is, besides that day of theirs. They did not believe him in this firm warning either; rather, when evening came, they resolved to kill him, and they intended, as they claimed, to join him to the she-camel. They said: “We shall go out so that the people see that we intend to travel, then come to the cave that is on Ṣāliḥ’s path and be in it. When night falls and Ṣāliḥ goes out to his place of prayer, we shall kill him, then return to the cave, then depart to our baggage, and say, ‘We did not witness his killing,’ so that his people will believe us.” Ṣāliḥ used not to spend the night among them; he used to go out to a place of prayer of his known as the mosque of Ṣāliḥ and spend the night in it. When they entered the cave, a boulder fell upon them and killed them. Men from those who knew the situation went to the cave and saw them dead, then returned crying out: “Ṣāliḥ commanded them to kill their children, then he killed them.” It is also said: The nine’s swearing together to kill Ṣāliḥ occurred only after the hamstringing of the she-camel and Ṣāliḥ’s warning them of punishment. That is because the nine who hamstrung the she-camel said: “Come, let us kill Ṣāliḥ. If he is truthful, we shall have hastened his death; if he is a liar, we shall have joined him to the she-camel.” So they came to him at night among his family, and the angels crushed them with stones, and they perished. Their companions came and saw them dead, and said to Ṣāliḥ: “You killed them,” and they wanted to kill him. His clan prevented them and said: “He has warned you of punishment. If he is truthful, do not increase your Lord in wrath; if he is a liar, we shall hand him over to you.” So they turned away from him. On the first report, the nine who swore together were other than those who hamstrung the she-camel; the second is more sound, and God knows best. They said: “Swear by God that we shall attack him by night, he and his household”—that is, we shall fall upon him in his house with his household and kill him, then we shall deny his killing and disavow it if his heirs demand his blood from us. For this reason they said: “Then we shall say to his heir, ‘We did not witness the destruction of his household, and we are indeed truthful.’” God Almighty said: “And they devised a scheme, and We devised a scheme while they perceived not. So behold how was the outcome of their scheme—that We destroyed them and their people all together. Those are their houses, fallen in ruin because of the wrong they did. Surely in that is a sign for a people who know. And We saved those who believed and were God-fearing.” Thamūd awoke on Thursday, the first of the days of respite, with their faces yellow, just as Ṣāliḥ ﷺ had warned them. When evening came, they called out all together: “Lo, one day of the appointed term has passed.” Then they awoke on the second day of the appointed term, Friday, with their faces red. When evening came, they called out: “Lo, two days of the appointed term have passed.” Then they awoke on the third of the days of enjoyment, Saturday, with their faces black. When evening came, they called out: “Lo, the appointed term has passed.” When Sunday morning came, they perfumed themselves and prepared, and sat watching what punishment, exemplary requital, and vengeance would descend upon them, not knowing how it would be done to them nor from which direction the punishment would come to them. When the sun rose, a shout came to them from the sky above them, and a severe quake from beneath them; the spirits overflowed, the souls departed, movements ceased, voices fell silent, and realities were made true: they awoke in their abode crouching, corpses with no spirits in them and no movement in them. They said: None of them remained except a girl who was crippled, whose name was Kalbah bt. al-Salq, and she was called al-Zurayʿah. She was intense in disbelief and enmity toward Ṣāliḥ ﷺ. When she saw the punishment, her legs were released, and she rose running as fast as anything, came to an Arab tribe, and told them what she had seen and what had befallen her people. She asked them for water, and when she drank, she died. God Almighty said: “As though they had not dwelt therein”—that is, they had not remained therein in ease, provision, and sufficiency: “Lo, Thamūd disbelieved in their Lord. Lo, away with Thamūd”—that is, the tongue of destiny called out against them with this. Al-Imām Aḥmad said with his chain of transmission from Jābir who said: When the Messenger of God ﷺ passed by al-Ḥijr, he said: “Do not ask for signs, for the people of Ṣāliḥ asked for them, and it—meaning the she-camel—used to come down to water from this mountain pass and go out from this mountain pass. But they rebelled against the command of their Lord and hamstrung her. She used to drink their water one day, and they used to drink her milk one day; then they hamstrung her. So a shout seized them: God destroyed everyone of them beneath the canopy of heaven except one man who was in the sanctuary of God.” They said: “Who is he, O Messenger of God?” He said: “He is Abū Righāl. When he left the sanctuary, what befell his people befell him.” This ḥadīth meets Muslim’s criterion, but it is not found in any of the six books, and God knows best. And from Ismāʿīl b. Umayyah, that the Prophet ﷺ passed by the grave of Abū Righāl and said: “Do you know who this is?” They said: “God and His Messenger know best.” He said: “This is the grave of Abū Righāl, a man of Thamūd who was in the sanctuary of God. The sanctuary of God protected him from God’s punishment, but when he left it, what befell his people befell him, and he was buried here, and a branch of gold was buried with him.” So the people dismounted and raced to it with their swords, searched for it, and extracted the branch. Ṣāliḥ’s address to his people after their destruction and the word of God Almighty: “So he turned away from them and said: O my people, I have conveyed to you the message of my Lord and counseled you, but you do not love sincere counselors.” This is a report about Ṣāliḥ ﷺ, that he addressed his people after their destruction while he had begun to depart from their abode to another place, saying to them: “O my people, I have conveyed to you the message of my Lord and counseled you”—that is, I strove in guiding you with all that I could, and I was eager for that by my word, deed, and intention—“but you do not love sincere counselors”—that is, your natures did not accept the truth nor desire it; for this reason you have come to what you are in of painful, abiding punishment that clings to you and continues forever. I have no device for you, nor do I have hands to ward it off from you. What was incumbent upon me of delivering the message and counseling you I have done and expended for you, but God does what He wills. Likewise the Prophet ﷺ addressed the people of the well of Badr after three nights: he stood over them after mounting his riding beast and ordering departure at the end of the night, and said: “O people of the well, have you found what your Lord promised you to be true? For I have found what my Lord promised me to be true.” And among what he said to them: “What an evil kinsfolk of a prophet you were to your prophet! You called me a liar while the people believed me; you expelled me while the people sheltered me; you fought me while the people helped me. What an evil kinsfolk of a prophet you were to your prophet.” ʿUmar said to him: “O Messenger of God, do you address people who have become carcasses?” He said: “By Him in whose hand is my soul, you are no better at hearing what I say than they are, but they do not answer.” It has been mentioned that the people of Ṣāliḥ had long lifespans. They used to build houses of mud brick, and these would fall into ruin before one of them died, so they carved houses for themselves in the mountains. They mentioned that when they asked Ṣāliḥ ﷺ for a sign, and God brought out for them the she-camel from the rock, he commanded them regarding her and regarding the young that was in her belly, warned them of God’s might if they harmed her, and told them that they would hamstring her and that this would be the cause of their destruction. He described to them the hamstringer: that he would be red, blue-eyed, and fair-skinned. So they sent midwives throughout the land: whenever they found a newborn with this description, they killed him. They remained upon that for a long age, and one generation passed away and another came. When it was in some of the ages, a chief of their chiefs sought in marriage for his son the daughter of another like him in chieftainship, and he married him, and between them was born the hamstringer of the she-camel, Qudār b. Sālif. The midwives were unable to kill him because of the nobility of his parents and grandparents among them. He grew quickly: he matured in a week as another matured in a month, until his affair came to the point that he went out among them as one obeyed, a chief among them. His soul enticed him to hamstring the she-camel, and eight of their nobles followed him in that—these being the nine who intended to kill Ṣāliḥ ﷺ. When what happened of their hamstringing the she-camel came to pass and that reached Ṣāliḥ ﷺ, he came to them weeping over her. They met him, excusing themselves to him and saying: “This did not happen by counsel from us; only these youths among us did it.” It is said that he commanded them to catch her young so that they might treat it well in her place. They went after it, and it climbed a mountain there. When they climbed after it, the mountain rose until it was so high that birds could not reach it, and the young wept until its tears flowed. Then it turned to face Ṣāliḥ ﷺ, and it lowed three times. At that point Ṣāliḥ said: “Enjoy yourselves in your abode for three days: that is a promise not to be belied.” He told them that they would awake on the morrow yellow, then their faces would turn red on the second, and on the third day their faces would turn black. When the fourth day came, a shout came to them in which was the sound of every thunderbolt, and it destroyed them, and they awoke in their abode crouching. In some of this narrative there is scrutiny and contradiction to what is apparently understood from the Qurʾān concerning their affair and their story, as we have presented. And God, glorified and exalted, knows best what is correct. He is sufficient for us, and excellent is the Disposer of affairs.
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