How Was Thamud Destroyed for Disobeying Allah’s Command?
كيف أُهلك قوم ثمود لعصيانهم أمر الله؟
First, when their Prophet forbade them to kill the she-camel, he told them that Allah’s punishment would come soon after they killed her, if they did so. So when they carried out what they had conspired against the she-camel, their Prophet told them, “You have ˹only˺ three ˹more˺ days to enjoy life in your homes, this is an unfailing promise!” (Surah Hud 11:65) Second, when the day came that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had promised them through their Prophet, peace be upon him, Allah sent against them one great shout from Jibril, peace be upon him: their hearts were torn loose by it, the earth shook with them, and they fell lifeless, lying prostrate (jathimin), meaning that their chests were on the ground and their legs drawn in, as a rabbit crouches when its belly clings to the ground and it stays still without moving; this was how they perished. Third, the Quran mentions that the time of this shout was at daybreak: “But the ˹mighty˺ blast overtook them in the morning” (Al-Hijr 15:83). The exegetes mention that this violent tremor, which shook hearts and souls, was the result of the shout of a mighty angel who cried out at them on Sunday morning, because their Prophet, peace be upon him, had warned them and told them that the punishment would come after three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday morning the punishment fell upon them (Note: the original answer gave the three days as Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and the punishment as falling on Saturday morning; al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi report that the she-camel was killed on Wednesday, that the respite was Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and that the punishment came on Sunday morning, so this has been corrected). Allah said on the tongue of His Prophet Salih, peace be upon him: “This is an unfailing promise!” (Surah Hud 11:65) Fourth, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, described them in His Book: “leaving them like the twigs of fence-builders” (Surah Al-Qamar 54:31), that is, they became shattered, broken, torn and scattered here and there, like the firewood, sticks and grass of the pens made for sheep. Fifth, when they perished, Salih, peace be upon him, stood over them like one bidding them farewell; he stood over them while they lay lifeless and said, lamenting their state: “So he turned away from them, saying, ‘O my people! Surely I conveyed to you my Lord’s message and gave you ˹sincere˺ advice, but you do not like ˹sincere˺ advisors'” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:79), and he turned away from them and left. “Then they killed the she-camel, defying their Lord’s command, and challenged ˹Salih˺, ‘Bring us what you threaten us with, if you are ˹truly˺ one of the messengers.’ Then an ˹overwhelming˺ earthquake struck them, and they fell lifeless in their homes. So he turned away from them, saying, ‘O my people! Surely I conveyed to you my Lord’s message and gave you ˹sincere˺ advice, but you do not like ˹sincere˺ advisors'” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:77-79). “As for Thamud, We showed them guidance, but they preferred blindness over guidance. So the blast of a disgracing punishment overtook them for what they used to commit” (Surah Fussilat 41:17). “Indeed, We sent against them ˹only˺ one ˹mighty˺ blast, leaving them like the twigs of fence-builders. And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?” (Surah Al-Qamar 54:31-32). (Note: the quotations above include Al-A’raf 7:79 and Al-Qamar 54:32; the references in the original answer, 7:77-78 and 54:31, have been extended to 7:77-79 and 54:31-32.)
أولا، لما نهاهم نبيهم عن قتل الناقة، ذكر لهم أن عذاب الله قريب من قتلهم لها إن فعلوا ذلك، فلما نفذوا ما تآمروا به على الناقة قال لهم نبيهم: تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ (هود: 65). ثانيا، لما جاء اليوم الذي وعدهم الله عز وجل به على لسان نبيهم عليه السلام، أرسل الله عليهم صيحة عظيمة واحدة من جبريل عليه السلام، فانخلعت لها قلوبهم، وارتجفت بهم الأرض، فخروا جاثمين، ومعنى جاثمين: بأن صدورهم كانت في الأرض والسيقان مقبوضة، كما يجثو الأرنب إذا التصقت بطونها بها وسكنت لا تتحرك، فكانت هذه صفة هلاكهم. ثالثا، في القرآن الكريم ذُكر أن وقت هذه الصيحة كان عند طلوع الصبح: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ (الحجر: 83)، وقد ذكر المفسرون أن هذه الهزة العنيفة التي اضطربت لها القلوب والنفوس كانت نتيجة صيحة لملك عظيم صاح فيهم صباح الأحد، لأن نبيهم عليه السلام قد أنذرهم وأبلغهم أن العذاب بعد ثلاثة أيام: الخميس والجمعة والسبت، وفي صباح يوم الأحد حل بهم العذاب (ملاحظة: ورد في الجواب الأصلي أن أيام المهلة الأربعاء والخميس والجمعة وأن العذاب حل صباح السبت؛ والذي ذكره الطبري وابن كثير والقرطبي أن الناقة عُقرت يوم الأربعاء، وأن المهلة كانت الخميس والجمعة والسبت، وأن العذاب حل صباح الأحد، فصُحح)، وقد قال الله على لسان نبيه صالح عليه السلام: ذَلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ (هود: 65). رابعا، قد وصفهم الله عز وجل في كتابه بقوله: فَكَانُوا كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ (القمر: 31)، أي صاروا مهشمين محطمين ممزقين مبعثرين هنا وهناك، كحطب وخشب وعشب الحظائر التي تُجعل للأغنام. خامسا، لما هلكوا وقف عليهم صالح عليه السلام كالمودّع لهم، وقف عليهم وهم خامدون وقال يرثي لحالهم: فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ (الأعراف: 79)، وتولى عنهم وانصرف. فَعَقَرُوا النَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ ائْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ ﴿٧٨﴾ فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ ﴿٧٩﴾ (سورة الأعراف: 77-79). وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (سورة فصلت: 17). إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَكَانُوا كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ ﴿٣١﴾ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ (سورة القمر: 31-32). (ملاحظة: يشمل النص المقتبس الآية 79 من سورة الأعراف والآية 32 من سورة القمر، وكانت الإحالتان في الجواب الأصلي تنتهيان بالآية 78 وبالآية 31، فصححتا.)
1. A Deadline Given, Not a Surprise | مهلة أُعطيت لا مفاجأة
Thamud were not struck down the instant they killed the she-camel; they were given a precise three-day window first. This delay, an “unfailing promise” rather than an immediate strike, mirrors the pattern of warning before punishment seen throughout Nuh’s centuries-long ministry, covered in What Punishment Did Allah Send to the People of Noah?, showing that even in judgment, Allah gives clear notice.
لم تُهلك ثمود في اللحظة التي قتلوا فيها الناقة؛ بل أُعطوا مهلة محددة بثلاثة أيام أولا. وهذا التأخير، “وعد غير مكذوب” لا ضربة فورية، يعكس نمط التحذير قبل العقاب الذي رأيناه عبر رسالة نوح التي استمرت قرونا، كما تناولنا في مقال ما العقاب الذي أرسله الله لقوم نوح؟، مما يُظهر أن الله يمنح إنذارا واضحا حتى في الحكم.
2. A Single Sound, Total Devastation | صوت واحد، دمار شامل
Unlike the flood that overtook Nuh’s people over an extended process, Thamud’s destruction came through a single instantaneous shout, powerful enough to still their hearts and leave an entire nation motionless in one moment, unlike the wind that destroyed Aad over seven nights and eight days (69:7). The Quran gathers these punishments in one verse: “So We seized each ˹people˺ for their sin: against some of them We sent a storm of stones, some were overtaken by a ˹mighty˺ blast, some We caused the earth to swallow, and some We drowned” (29:40).
خلافا للطوفان الذي أهلك قوم نوح عبر عملية ممتدة، جاء هلاك ثمود بصيحة واحدة فورية، قوية بما يكفي لتسكين قلوبهم وترك أمة بأكملها بلا حراك في لحظة واحدة. ويجمع القرآن هذه العقوبات في آية واحدة: “فكلا أخذنا بذنبه فمنهم من أرسلنا عليه حاصبا ومنهم من أخذته الصيحة ومنهم من خسفنا به الأرض ومنهم من أغرقنا” (العنكبوت: 40).
3. Saleh’s Final Words to the Dead | كلمات صالح الأخيرة للأموات
Saleh’s farewell address to his destroyed people, delivered after their destruction, is a striking image of a Prophet’s continued sincerity even toward those who had rejected and plotted against him. His words affirm that he had fulfilled his duty completely, echoing the same principle of conveying the message without controlling its reception explored in Was Guiding the People One of the Prophet’s Responsibilities?
خطاب صالح الوداعي لقومه المهلَكين، الذي أُلقي بعد هلاكهم، صورة مؤثرة لإخلاص نبي مستمر حتى تجاه من رفضوه وتآمروا عليه. وتؤكد كلماته أنه أدى واجبه كاملا، مما يعكس المبدأ ذاته المتمثل في تبليغ الرسالة دون التحكم في تلقيها، الذي تناولناه في مقال هل كانت هداية الناس من مسؤوليات النبي؟
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How much warning did Thamud get before their punishment?
Three days, after which the punishment arrived exactly as promised.
What form did Thamud’s punishment take?
A single overwhelming shout, on the fourth morning according to the exegetes, leaving them lifeless where they knelt.
What did Saleh say after his people were destroyed?
He addressed their bodies, affirming he had conveyed Allah’s message and given them sincere advice, which they had not welcomed.