ভূমিকা

“And We presented Our signs to them, but they turned away from them.” The Arabic word ‘Al-Hijr’ is the name of a town in which the nation of Thamūd used to live. It also generally refers to a dwelling place as well. The term /hijr/ also refers to the lap of the mother and Arabic phrase Hijr-i-’Ism a’il and /hujrah/ are the derivatives of the same word. [^1] Thus, the name of this Surah has been taken from this verse.

The verse says: “And indeed the inhabitants of Hijr (also) rejected the messengers.” One can conclude from the Qur’anic term /mursalin/ (messengers) that ‘the inhabitants of Hijr’ had also some prophets other than Hadrat-i-Salih. Some commentators say as the rejection of one prophet is, in fact, the rejection of all prophets, hence the term /mursalin/ has been mentioned here in this verse.

“And they used to hew secure houses in the mountains.” 83. “So the (violent) blast overtook them in the morning.” 84. “And what they used to earn did not avail them.” Those people were quite heedless of theological issues and of religious matters, and paid no attention to such things.

On the contrary, regarding their worldly life and livelihood, they were so earnest that they maximized the security of their houses by building and setting them up through cutting stones and rocks within the mountains.