Kaththabat thamoodu bitaghwaha (surah Shams: 11)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(91:11) In their presumptuous insolence the Thamud *7 called the Truth a lie *8

Kazzabat Samoodu bi taghwaahaaa

*7) The things stated in principle in the above verses, are now being explained by as historical precedent or what it is a precedent and how it relates to what has been stated above, one should consider well in .the. light of the other statements of the Qur'an the two basic truths which have been expressed in w. 7-10.
Firstly, in these it has been stated that attar creating the human self on balanced and sound nature, Allah inspired it with its fujur and its tagva. The Qur'an along with stating this truth also makes explicit that this inspirational knowledge of fujur and tagva is not enough for every man that he may by himself obtain detailed guidance from it, but for this purpose Allah gave detailed guidance to the Prophets through Revelation in which it was explained what is fujur and what it applies to, which one should avoid, and what is tagva which one should attain and develop, if man does not accept and acknowledge this clear and definite guidance sent down through Revelation, he can neither avoid fujur not find the way to taqva.
Secondly, in these verses it has been stated that, the rewards and punishments are the necessary results which accrue from adoption of either fujur or taqva The result of clieansing the self of fujur and developing it ,with taqva is eternal success aad the result of suppressing its good tendencies and causing it to be overwhelmed with fujur is.failure, ruin and destruction.
To make man understand this truth a historical precedent is being cited and for this the tribe of Thamud has been taken as an illustration, for the various tribes destroyed in antiquity the territory of the Thamud was closest to Makkah. In northern Hijaz its historical ruins were extant. which the people of Makkah passed by during their trade journeys to Syria, auf the way this tribe has been frequently referred to in the pre-Islamic poetry shows that its destruction was a common subject of talk among the Arabs.
*8) "Belied the truth": belied the Prophethood of the Prophet Salih, who was sent for their guidance. On account of their rebellious attitude they were not prepared to give up the fujur in which they were involved, and they were not inclined to accept the tagva to which the Prophet Salih was calling them. For details, see Al-A'raf: 73-76, Hud: 61-62, Ash-Shu`ara': 141-153, An-Naml: 45-49, Al-Qamar: 23-25.