Surah Naml ayat 45 Tafsir Quran 27:45

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ﴾
[ النمل: 45]

27:45 And We had certainly sent to Thamud their brother Salih, [saying], "Worship Allah," and at once they were two parties conflicting.

And verily We sent to Thamūd their brother in terms of his belonging to the same tribe Sālih with the following decree ‘Worship God!’ affirm His Oneness. And lo! they then became two parties quarrelling with one another over religion one party having become believers upon his arrival as messenger to them and the other party disbelievers.

And We sent to Thamud -the Thamudites- their brother Saleh to exhort them to pay low submissive reverence for Allah but they were divided among themselves into two parties occasioning disputes against each other leading to hostile feeling and action

Salih and Thamud Allah tells us about Thamud and how they responded to their Prophet Salih, when Allah sent him to call them to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate. فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ( Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other. ) Mujahid said, "These were believers and disbelievers." This is like the Ayah, قَالَ الْمَلاَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مّن رَّبّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ ( The leaders of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord." They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent." Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in." ) ( 7:75-76 ) قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ ( He said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good" ) meaning, `why are you praying for the punishment to come, and not asking Allah for His mercy' Then he said: لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَقَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ ( "Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy" They said: "We augur an omen from you and those with you." ) This means: "We do not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you." Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would say, "This is because of Salih and his companions." Mujahid said, "They regarded them as bad omens." This is similar to what Allah said about the people of Fir`awn: فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ ( But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him ) ( 7:131 ).
And Allah says: وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ( And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allah," but if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say: "All things are from Allah." ) ( 4:78 ) i.e., by virtue of His will and decree.
And Allah tells us about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them: قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ قَالُواْ طَـئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ ( They (people ) said: "For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us." They ( Messengers ) said: "Your omens are with yourselves!) ( 36:18 ) And these people Thamud said: اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ ( "We augur an omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your omen is of Allah; ) meaning, Allah will punish you for that. بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ ( nay, but you are a people that are being tested. ) Qatadah said: "You are being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey." The apparent meaning of the phrase تُفْتَنُونَ ( are being tested ) is: you will be left to get carried away in your state of misguidance.

(27:45) And *57 to Thamud We sent their brother Salih (with the message)that they should worship Allah, but they divided themselves forthwith into two wrangling groups. *58

And We had certainly sent to Thamud meaning

*57) For comparison.
see Al-A'raf: 73-79, Hud: 61-68, Ash-Shu'ara': 141159, AI-Qamar: 23-32, Ash-Shams: 11-15.

*58) That is, as soon as the Prophet Salih embarked on his mission, his people were divined into two groups, the believers and the disbelievers, and a conflict started between them as stated elsewhere in the Qur'an: " The chiefs of his tribe, who .were full of pride, said to those who had believed from among the oppressed people, 'Do you know it for certain that Salih is a Messenger from his Lord?' They replied, `Indeed, we believe in the message with which he has been sent.' But those who had arrogant assumption of superiority, said, `We deny that which you believe'. " ( Al-A'raf: 75-76 ).
One should note that precisely the same situation arose in Makkah at the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ( may Allah's peace be upon him ).
The nation was divided into two factions and a conflict started between them.
Therefore, this story fully applied to the conditions in which these verses were revealed.

 

Salih and Thamud Allah tells us about Thamud and how they responded to their Prophet Salih, when Allah sent him to call them to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate. فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ( Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other. ) Mujahid said, "These were believers and disbelievers." This is like the Ayah, قَالَ الْمَلاَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مّن رَّبّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ ( The leaders of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord." They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent." Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in." ) ( 7:75-76 ) قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ ( He said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good" ) meaning, `why are you praying for the punishment to come, and not asking Allah for His mercy' Then he said: لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَقَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ ( "Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy" They said: "We augur an omen from you and those with you." ) This means: "We do not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you." Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would say, "This is because of Salih and his companions." Mujahid said, "They regarded them as bad omens." This is similar to what Allah said about the people of Fir`awn: فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ ( But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him ) ( 7:131 ).
And Allah says: وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ( And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allah," but if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say: "All things are from Allah." ) ( 4:78 ) i.e., by virtue of His will and decree.
And Allah tells us about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them: قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ قَالُواْ طَـئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ ( They (people ) said: "For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us." They ( Messengers ) said: "Your omens are with yourselves!) ( 36:18 ) And these people Thamud said: اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ ( "We augur an omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your omen is of Allah; ) meaning, Allah will punish you for that. بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ ( nay, but you are a people that are being tested. ) Qatadah said: "You are being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey." The apparent meaning of the phrase تُفْتَنُونَ ( are being tested ) is: you will be left to get carried away in your state of misguidance.

( And We verily sent until Thamud their brother ) their Prophet ( Salih, saying: Worship Allah ) that you should say to them: profess Allah’s divine Oneness, and repent to Him from disbelief and idolatry. ( And lo! they (then ) became two parties) one believing and the other disbelieving, ( quarrelling ) regarding Religion.

And indeed We sent to Thamud their brother Salih (Saleh), saying: "Worship Allah (Alone and none else). Then look! They became two parties (believers and disbelievers) quarreling with each other."

Page 381 English transliteration