Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Holy Quran Text. Translation & Commentary (the Example Commentary in Brief)(volume Three) The Fate of Thamood (verse No. 61) We studied the admonitory story of the people of A"d, which is now followed by that of the Thamood. The fate of A"d and Thamood, two mighty peoples of the ancient Arabia, was very awful and shocking. They rejected God's Message and went on their own evil way; and Allah's wrath wiped them out as if they had never existed!
Salih too, is called their brother in the above verse for being so compassionate and well-wishing to his citizens, as a brother of them could have been. Salih's message in principle was the same as that of other apostles. It was mainly to believe in the only one true God who [ 181 ] created them and settled then on the earth to own it and to flourish and prepare it to suit life; and also to get rid of all the idols, fetishes and false gods:ِ ``O, my people! Worship Allah!
You have no God other than He, Who made you from the earth and assigned you to built, cultivate and flourish it.'' Worthy of note is here that; Allah has not said to have flourished the earth and then given it to us. On contrary he says that we have to flourish and prepare it for our settlement. قَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوّاً قَبْلَ هَذَا أَتَنْهَانَا أَنْ نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِي شَكّ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيب(( 62 )) 62- THEY SAID:ِ ``O, SALIH!
YOU HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF HOPE AMONG US SO FAR. DO YOU FORBID US THE WORSHIP OF WHAT OUR FATHERS WORSHIP, WHILE WE ARE SERIOUSLY IN DOUBT CONCERNING THAT TO WHICH YOU CALL US?'' قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَة مِنْ رَبِّي وَآتَانِي مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَنْ يَنصُرُنِي مِنْ اللهِ إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ فَمَا تَزِيدُونَنِي غَيْرَ تَخْسِير(( 63 )) 63- HE SAID:ِ ``O, MY PEOPLE!
WHAT THEN IF I STAND UPON AN EVIDENCE (CLEAR PROOF) FROM MY LORD, AND THAT HE HAS BESTOWED ON ME A MERCY FROM HIM. WHO WOULD THEN PROTECT ME FROM ALLAH, IF I DISOBEY HIM? THEREFORE YOU ADD NOTHING TO ME EXCEPT LOSS.'' وَيَا قَوْمِ هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللهِ وَلاَ تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوء فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ قَرِيبٌ(( 64 )) [ 182 ] 64ِAND O, MY PEOPLE! THIS IS THE SHE-CAMEL OF ALLAH, WHICH IS A SIGN FOR YOU.
SO LEAVE HER TO GRAZE ON ALLAH'S LAND, AND TOUCH HER NOT BADLY (DO NOT HARM HER) LEST YOU BE SEIZED BY A NEAR TORMENT.