It says...

It says: “The chiefs of the arrogant among his people said to those who were considered weak – those of them who believed – ‘Do you know that Saleh is sent by his Lord?’ they said surely we believe in what he has been sent with’.” “Those who were arrogant said: ‘We, indeed, disbelieve in that which you believe’.” [^2] Of course, this conflict of two groups of believers and disbelievers existed among the peoples of many prophets, although some of them were deprived of even these adherents and nearly the totality of their people were rejecters of the truth.

Finally, in order to awaken them, Hadrat Saleh (as) began warning them, and made them aware of the painful chastisements of Allah. But not only they did not take counsel, but also took that very matter as a reason for their obstinacy, and persistently wanted him that they should be involved with the Divine punishment if he was truthful.[^3] But Saleh replied them as follows: “He said: ‘O my people!

Why will you hasten on the evil before the good?…” Why do you concentrate your thought on meeting the Divine punishment? If the Divine chastisement meets you, it will put an end to your life and there will not remain any time for you to believe. Let yourselves try the legitimacy of my statement by the grace and blessings of Allah which will embrace you as the result of Faith.

The verse continues saying: “…Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah so that you may be dealt with mercifully?” Why do you seek for evils and the descent of punishment? What is this obstinacy and arrogance for?

Those who rejected the call of prophets and asked for the promised punishment were not limited to the people of Saleh, this matter is repeatedly seen in the Qur’an concerning other peoples, too, including the people of Nuh.[^4] In relation to the Prophet of Islam (S) and some fanatic and obstinate polytheists, the Qur’an says: “And (remember) when they said: ‘O Allah!

If this (Qur’an) is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment’.” [^5] This is, indeed, surprising that some persons want to try the truthfulness of the call of the prophet by the way of Divine destructive punishment, not by the way of asking for Divine mercy; while certainly they do verify the probable legitimacy of those prophets in their hearts, though they deny it by tongue.