How Did Thamud Respond to Prophet Saleh’s Call?
كيف رد قوم ثمود على دعوة النبي صالح؟
First, they rebuked him for his call, calling out “O Saleh,” which is an indication of reprimand. Second, they said to him that before he said what he did, they had high hopes in him and believed he would be a master they obeyed, but his call had changed his standing with them. “They argued, ‘O Salih! We truly had high hopes in you before this. How dare you forbid us to worship what our forefathers had worshipped? We are certainly in alarming doubt about what you are inviting us to.'” (Surah Hud 11:62) Third, they accused him of being bewitched, and a conceited liar claiming to be something he was not. Fourth, they said they were a group, so how could a group follow one individual? “‘How can we follow one ˹average˺ human being from among us? We would then truly be misguided and insane. Has the revelation been sent down ˹only˺ to him out of ˹all of˺ us? In fact, he is a boastful liar.’ ˹It was revealed to Salih,˺ ‘They will soon know who the boastful liar is.'” (Surah Al-Qamar 54:24-26) Fifth, the people were obstinate toward their Prophet and asked him for a sign, that the rock should crack and produce a she-camel. “And O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a sign for you. So leave her to graze freely on Allah’s earth and do her no harm, or a swift punishment will overtake you!” (Surah Hud 11:64) “They replied, ‘You are simply bewitched! You are only a human being like us, so bring forth a sign if what you say is true.’ Salih said, ‘Here is a camel. She will have her turn to drink as you have yours, each on an appointed day.'” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:153-155) Sixth, they began testing the weak believers among Saleh’s followers by questioning their faith, telling them, do you really know that Saleh is truthful, meaning we do not think you believed in him with certainty but merely follow blindly, and perhaps this is what the Quran refers to in Allah’s words, “who spread corruption throughout the land, never setting things right.” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:152) Seventh, they told their Prophet that they saw a bad omen in him, since his presence had led to their differences and separation. “They replied, ‘You and your followers are a bad omen for us.’ He responded, ‘Your omens are destined by Allah. In fact, you are only a people being tested.'” (Surah An-Naml 27:47) Eighth, the people decided to kill their Prophet Saleh, gathering together and swearing by Allah that they would do so at night so no one would see them, and that if Saleh’s relatives asked them about the killer: “We will deny knowing anything about it and reject it, and swear that we are telling the truth.” “They vowed, ‘Let us swear by Allah that we will take him and his family down by night. Then we will certainly say to his closest heirs, “We did not witness the murder of his family. We are definitely telling the truth.”‘” (Surah An-Naml 27:49) “We are sending the she-camel as a test for them. So watch them closely, and have patience. And tell them that the water must be divided between them, each taking a turn to drink” (Surah Al-Qamar 54:27-28).
أولا، جعلوا يوبخونه على هذه الدعوة، “يا صالح”، فقصد النداء هنا هو التوبيخ. ثانيا، قالوا له: إنك قبل أن تقول مقالتك كنا نرجو أن يكون فيك الخير، وأن تكون فينا سيدا مطاعا، لكن دعوتك غيّرت مكانتك. قَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا ۖ أَتَنْهَانَا أَن نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ (هود: 62). ثالثا، اتهموه بأنه رجل مسحور، وأنه كاذب معجب بنفسه مدعٍ ما ليس فيه. رابعا، قالوا إنهم جماعة، فكيف تتبع الجماعة فردا واحدا؟ فَقَالُوا أَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَاحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُهُ إِنَّا إِذًا لَّفِي ضَلَالٍ وَسُعُرٍ. أَأُلْقِيَ الذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِن بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ. سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًا مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الْأَشِرُ (القمر: 24-26). خامسا، تعنّت القوم على نبيهم عليه السلام فطلبوا منه آية، وذلك بأن تنفلق الصخرة عن ناقة. وَيَا قَوْمِ هَـٰذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ قَرِيبٌ (هود: 64). قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ. مَا أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا فَأْتِ بِآيَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ. قَالَ هَـٰذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ (الشعراء: 153-155). سادسا، جعلوا يمتحنون أتباع نبيهم صالح من الضعفاء المؤمنين بطريق تشكيكهم في إيمانهم، ويقولون لهم: أتعلمون أن صالحا صادق أم كاذب، أي لا نظنكم آمنتم به عن يقين بل هو عن ضلالة وعماية، ولعل هذا من جنس ما أشار إليه القرآن في قوله تعالى: الَّذِينَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ (الشعراء: 152). سابعا، قالوا لنبيهم عليه السلام: تشاءمنا من وجودك بيننا، فوجودك أدى إلى اختلافنا وافتراقنا. قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ ۚ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ (النمل: 47). ثامنا، تمالأ القوم على قتل نبيهم صالح عليه السلام، بل إنهم اجتمعوا وأقسموا بالله أنهم سيفعلون ذلك ليلا لئلا يشعر بهم أحد، فإن سألهم أقرباء صالح عن القاتل: ننكر معرفتنا بذلك وننفيه، ونحلف أنا لصادقون. قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ (النمل: 49). إِنَّا مُرْسِلُو النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَّهُمْ فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ وَاصْطَبِرْ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلُّ شِرْبٍ مُّحْتَضَرٌ ﴿٢٨﴾ (سورة القمر: 27-28).
1. From Respect to Reproach in a Single Message | من الاحترام إلى التوبيخ برسالة واحدة
Thamud’s own words reveal that Saleh (peace be upon him) had been well regarded among them before his call to Tawheed, someone they had hoped would lead them. His single message calling them away from their forefathers’ idols was enough to completely reverse their view of him, a pattern echoed in how Nuh’s people treated him, covered in How Did Nuh’s People React to His Call?
تكشف كلمات ثمود أنفسهم أن صالحا كان محل تقدير بينهم قبل دعوته إلى التوحيد، وأنهم كانوا يأملون أن يكون قائدا لهم. وكانت رسالته الواحدة التي تدعوهم للابتعاد عن أصنام آبائهم كافية لقلب نظرتهم إليه تماما، وهو نمط يتكرر في معاملة قوم نوح له، كما تناولنا في مقال كيف كان رد فعل قوم نوح على دعوته إلى الله؟
2. Targeting the Weakest Believers | استهداف أضعف المؤمنين
Beyond confronting Saleh directly, Thamud’s elite specifically sought out the weaker believers among his followers to sow doubt in their faith. The Quran records the exchange: the arrogant chiefs asked the lowly who believed whether they were certain Salih had been sent by his Lord, and the believers affirmed their faith in what he was sent with (7:75).
بعيدا عن مواجهة صالح مباشرة، سعى كبراء ثمود تحديدا إلى استهداف المستضعفين من أتباعه لزرع الشك في إيمانهم. ويسجل القرآن هذا الحوار: سأل الملأ الذين استكبروا الذين استُضعفوا ممن آمن: أتعلمون أن صالحا مرسل من ربه؟ فأكد المؤمنون إيمانهم بما أُرسل به (الأعراف 7:75).
3. From Insults to a Planned Assassination | من الإهانات إلى مؤامرة اغتيال مدبرة
Thamud’s opposition escalated in clear stages, from mockery and blame, to accusations that he was bewitched, to superstition about bad omens, and finally to nine specific men conspiring to murder Saleh and his family in secret while planning to lie about it afterward. This premeditated plot, contrasted with the open defiance described in How Did Thamud Challenge Their Prophet Saleh?, marks the point at which rejection turned into active criminal conspiracy.
تصاعدت معارضة ثمود عبر مراحل واضحة، من السخرية واللوم، إلى اتهامه بأنه مسحور، إلى الخرافة حول التشاؤم، وأخيرا إلى تسعة رجال محددين يتآمرون على قتل صالح وأهله سرا مع التخطيط للكذب بشأن ذلك لاحقا. وتُمثل هذه المؤامرة المدبرة مسبقا، بخلاف التحدي العلني الذي تناولناه في مقال كيف تحدت ثمود نبيهم صالح؟، النقطة التي تحول فيها الرفض إلى تآمر إجرامي فعلي.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How did Thamud initially respond to Saleh’s call?
With reproach, telling him they had held high hopes for him before his call to abandon their forefathers’ idols.
What accusations did they make against Saleh?
That he was bewitched, a boastful liar, and that a single individual should not be followed by an entire group.
How far did their opposition to Saleh escalate?
Nine of their elite conspired to murder him and his family in secret at night.