Surah Shuara ayat 141 Tafsir Quran 26:141

﴿كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾
[ الشعراء: 141]

26:141 Thamud denied the messengers

Thamūd denied the messengers

And just as averse were the people of Thamud (the Thamudites) who refused to accept Allahs message and Messengers

They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach.
( 136 )"This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ( 137 )"And we are not going to be punished.
( 138 )So they denied him, and We destroyed them.
Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers ( 139 )And verily your Lord, He is indeed the Almighty, the Most Merciful ( 140 ) The Response of the People of Hud, and Their Punishment Allah tells us how the people of Hud responded to him after he had warned them, encouraged them, and clearly explained the truth to them. قَالُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ( They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach." ) meaning, 'we will not give up our ways.' وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And we shall not leave our gods for your (mere ) saying! And we are not believers in you)( 11:53 ).
This is how it was, as Allah says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe )( 2:6 ). إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe )( 10:96 ).
And they said: إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients. ) Some scholars read this: "Khalq".
According to Ibn Mas'ud and according to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas – as reported from Al-'Awfi – and 'Alqamah and Mujahid, they meant, "What you have brought to us is nothing but the tales ( Akhlaq ) of the ancients." This is like what the idolators of Quraysh said: وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ( And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." )( 25:5 ) And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا - وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( Those who disbelieve say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it.
In fact, they have produced an injustice and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients..." )( 25:4-5 ) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down?" They say: "Tales of the ancient!" )( 16:24 ).
Some other scholars recited it, إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ) "as Khuluq," meaning their religion.
What they were following was the religion of the ancients, their fathers and grandfathers, as if they were saying: "We are following them, we will live as they lived and die as they died, and there will be no resurrection and no judgement." Hence they said: وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ( And we are not going to be punished. ) Allah's saying; فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) meaning, they continued to disbelieve and stubbornly oppose Allah's Prophet Hud, so Allah destroyed them.
The means of their destruction has been described in more than one place in the Qur'an: Allah sent against them a strong and furious wind, i.e., a fiercely blowing wind that was intensely cold.
Thus the means of their destruction was suited to their nature, for they were the strongest and fiercest of people, so Allah overpowered them with something that was even stronger and fiercer than them, as Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with 'Ad of Iram? Possesors of the pillars )( 89:6-7 ).
This refers to the former 'Ad, as Allah says: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ ( And that it is He Who destroyed the former 'Ad )( 53:50 ).
They were descendents of Iram bin Sam bin Nuh, ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Possesors of the pillars )( 89:7 ) They used to live among pillars.
Those who claim that Iram was a city take this idea from Isra'iliyyat narrations, from the words of Ka'b and Wahb, but there is no real basis for that.
Allah says: الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ ( The like of which were not created in the land )( 89:8 ).
meaning, nothing like this tribe was created in terms of might, power and tyranny.
If what was meant was a city, it would have said, "The like of which was not built in the land." And Allah says: فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ( As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength?" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them.
And they used to deny Our Ayat! )( 41:15 ) And Allah says: وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ ( And as for 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind! ) until His saying: حُسُومًا ( in succession )( 69:6-7 ) meaning, consecutively ( i.e., seven nights and eight days ). فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ ( so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed ), as if they were hollow trunks of date palms!)( 69:7 ) means, they were left as headless bodies, because the wind would come and carry one of them, then drop him on his head, so that his brains were spilled out, his head was broken and he was thrown aside, as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms. They used to build fortresses in the mountains and caves, and they dug ditches half as deep as a man is tall, but that did not help them against the command of Allah at all. إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ( Verily, the term given by Allah, when it comes, cannot be delayed )( 71:4 ).
Allah says here: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ - إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ - فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ - وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ( 141.
Thamud denied the Messengers. )( 142.
When their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa?" )( 143.
"I am a trustworthy Messenger to you." )( 144.
"So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me." )( 145.
"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of Al-'Alamin." ) Salih and the People of Thamud Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Salih, whom He sent to his people Thamud.
They were Arabs living in the city of Al-Hijr – which is between Wadi Al-Qura and Greater Syria.
Their location is well known.
In our explanation of Surat Al-A'raf, we mentioned the Hadiths which tell how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by their dwelling place when he wanted to launch a raid on Syria.
He went as far as Tabuk, then he went back to Al-Madinah to prepare himself for the campaign. Thamud came after 'Ad and before Ibrahim, peace be upon him.
Their Prophet Salih called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey whatever commands were conveyed to them, but they refused, rejecting him and opposing him.
He told them that he did not seek any reward from them for his call to them, but that he would seek the reward for that with Allah.
Then he reminded them of the blessings of Allah.

(26:141) Thamud rejected the Messengers. *95

Thamud denied the messengers meaning

*95) For comparison, see Al-A'raf: 73-79, Hud: 61-68, AI-Hijr: 80-84, Bani Isra'il 59; and for further details, see An-Naml .
45-53, Az-Zariyat: 43-45, AI-Qamar: 23-31, AI-Haqqah: 4-5, Al-Fajr: 9, and Ash-Shams: 11.
_Thamud achieved power and glory after the destruction of 'Ad and as far as progress in civilization is concerned, they followed in the footsteps of their predecessors.
In their case, too, the standards of living went on rising higher and higher and the standards of humanity continued to fall lower and lower, suffering one deterioration after the other.
On the one hand, they erected large edifices on the plains and hewed beautiful houses out of the hills like those in the caves of Ellora and Ajanta in India, and on the other, they became addicted to idol-worship and the land was filled with tyranny and oppression.
The worst men became leaders and rulers in the land.
As such, Prophet Salih's message of Truth only appealed to the weak people belonging to the lower social strata and the people of the upper classes refused to believe in him.

 

They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach.
( 136 )"This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ( 137 )"And we are not going to be punished.
( 138 )So they denied him, and We destroyed them.
Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers ( 139 )And verily your Lord, He is indeed the Almighty, the Most Merciful ( 140 ) The Response of the People of Hud, and Their Punishment Allah tells us how the people of Hud responded to him after he had warned them, encouraged them, and clearly explained the truth to them. قَالُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ( They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach." ) meaning, 'we will not give up our ways.' وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And we shall not leave our gods for your (mere ) saying! And we are not believers in you)( 11:53 ).
This is how it was, as Allah says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe )( 2:6 ). إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe )( 10:96 ).
And they said: إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients. ) Some scholars read this: "Khalq".
According to Ibn Mas'ud and according to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas – as reported from Al-'Awfi – and 'Alqamah and Mujahid, they meant, "What you have brought to us is nothing but the tales ( Akhlaq ) of the ancients." This is like what the idolators of Quraysh said: وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ( And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." )( 25:5 ) And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا - وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( Those who disbelieve say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it.
In fact, they have produced an injustice and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients..." )( 25:4-5 ) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down?" They say: "Tales of the ancient!" )( 16:24 ).
Some other scholars recited it, إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ) "as Khuluq," meaning their religion.
What they were following was the religion of the ancients, their fathers and grandfathers, as if they were saying: "We are following them, we will live as they lived and die as they died, and there will be no resurrection and no judgement." Hence they said: وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ( And we are not going to be punished. ) Allah's saying; فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) meaning, they continued to disbelieve and stubbornly oppose Allah's Prophet Hud, so Allah destroyed them.
The means of their destruction has been described in more than one place in the Qur'an: Allah sent against them a strong and furious wind, i.e., a fiercely blowing wind that was intensely cold.
Thus the means of their destruction was suited to their nature, for they were the strongest and fiercest of people, so Allah overpowered them with something that was even stronger and fiercer than them, as Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with 'Ad of Iram? Possesors of the pillars )( 89:6-7 ).
This refers to the former 'Ad, as Allah says: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ ( And that it is He Who destroyed the former 'Ad )( 53:50 ).
They were descendents of Iram bin Sam bin Nuh, ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Possesors of the pillars )( 89:7 ) They used to live among pillars.
Those who claim that Iram was a city take this idea from Isra'iliyyat narrations, from the words of Ka'b and Wahb, but there is no real basis for that.
Allah says: الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ ( The like of which were not created in the land )( 89:8 ).
meaning, nothing like this tribe was created in terms of might, power and tyranny.
If what was meant was a city, it would have said, "The like of which was not built in the land." And Allah says: فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ( As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength?" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them.
And they used to deny Our Ayat! )( 41:15 ) And Allah says: وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ ( And as for 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind! ) until His saying: حُسُومًا ( in succession )( 69:6-7 ) meaning, consecutively ( i.e., seven nights and eight days ). فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ ( so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed ), as if they were hollow trunks of date palms!)( 69:7 ) means, they were left as headless bodies, because the wind would come and carry one of them, then drop him on his head, so that his brains were spilled out, his head was broken and he was thrown aside, as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms. They used to build fortresses in the mountains and caves, and they dug ditches half as deep as a man is tall, but that did not help them against the command of Allah at all. إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ( Verily, the term given by Allah, when it comes, cannot be delayed )( 71:4 ).
Allah says here: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ - إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ - فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ - وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ( 141.
Thamud denied the Messengers. )( 142.
When their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa?" )( 143.
"I am a trustworthy Messenger to you." )( 144.
"So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me." )( 145.
"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of Al-'Alamin." ) Salih and the People of Thamud Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Salih, whom He sent to his people Thamud.
They were Arabs living in the city of Al-Hijr – which is between Wadi Al-Qura and Greater Syria.
Their location is well known.
In our explanation of Surat Al-A'raf, we mentioned the Hadiths which tell how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by their dwelling place when he wanted to launch a raid on Syria.
He went as far as Tabuk, then he went back to Al-Madinah to prepare himself for the campaign. Thamud came after 'Ad and before Ibrahim, peace be upon him.
Their Prophet Salih called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey whatever commands were conveyed to them, but they refused, rejecting him and opposing him.
He told them that he did not seek any reward from them for his call to them, but that he would seek the reward for that with Allah.
Then he reminded them of the blessings of Allah.

( (The tribe of ) Thamud denied the messengers ( of Allah )) the people of Salih denied Salih just as they denied all the messengers that Salih mentioned to them.

Thamud (people) belied the Messenger.

Page 373 English transliteration