11:61 Hud (Hud)

أي: { و } أرسلنا { إِلَى ثَمُودَ } وهم: عاد الثانية، المعروفون، الذين يسكنون الحجر، ووادي القرى، { أَخَاهُمْ } في النسب { صَالِحًا } عبد الله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، يدعوهم إلى عبادة الله وحده، فـ { قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ } أي: وحدوه، وأخلصوا له الدين { مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ } لا من أهل السماء، ولا من أهل الأرض. { هُوَ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ } أي: خلقكم فيها { وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا } أي: استخلفكم فيها، وأنعم عليكم بالنعم الظاهرة والباطنة، ومكنكم في الأرض، تبنون، وتغرسون، وتزرعون، وتحرثون ما شئتم، وتنتفعون بمنافعها، وتستغلون مصالحها، فكما أنه لا شريك له في جميع ذلك، فلا تشركوا به في عبادته. { فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ } مما صدر منكم، من الكفر، والشرك، والمعاصي, وأقلعوا عنها، { ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ } أي: ارجعوا إليه بالتوبة النصوح، والإنابة، { إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ } أي: قريب ممن دعاه دعاء مسألة، أو دعاء عبادة، يجيبه بإعطائه سؤله، وقبول عبادته، وإثابته عليها، أجل الثواب، واعلم أن قربه تعالى نوعان: عام، وخاص، فالقرب العام: قربه بعلمه، من جميع الخلق، وهو المذكور في قوله تعالى: { وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ } والقرب الخاص: قربه من عابديه، وسائليه، ومحبيه، وهو المذكور في قوله تعالى { وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ } وفي هذه الآية، وفي قوله تعالى: { وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ } وهذا النوع، قرب يقتضي إلطافه تعالى، وإجابته لدعواتهم، وتحقيقه لمراداتهم، ولهذا يقرن، باسمه \"القريب\" اسمه \"المجيب\"

يقول تعالى "و" لقد أرسلنا "إلى ثمود" وهم الذين كانوا يسكنون مدائن الحجر بين تبوك والمدينة وكانوا بعد عاد فبعث الله منهم أخاهم صالحا فأمرهم بعبادة الله وحده ولهذا قال "هو أنشأكم من الأرض" أي ابتدأ خلقكم منها خلق منها أباكم آدم "واستعمركم فيها" أي جعلكم عمارا تعمرونها وتستغلونها "فاستغفروه" لسالف ذنوبكم "ثم توبوا إليه" فيما تستقبلونه "إن ربي قريب مجيب" كما قال تعالى "وإذا سألك عبادي عني فإني قريب أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان" الآية.

The Story of Salih and the People of Thamud

Allah, the Exalted, says,

و

(And) This is an introduction to that which is implied, "Verily, We sent."

إِلَى ثَمُودَ

(to Thamud) They were a group of people who were living in cities carved from the rocks, between Tabuk and Al-Madinah (in Arabia). They lived after the people of `Ad, so Allah sent to them,

أَخَاهُمْ صَـلِحاً

(their brother Salih.) He (Salih) commanded them to worship Allah alone. He said to them,

هُوَ أَنشَأَكُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّرْضِ

(He brought you forth from the earth) This means: `He began your creation from it (the earth). From it He created your father, Adam.'

وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا

(and settled you therein,) This means: `He made you prosperous in the earth. You are settled in it and you treasure it.'

فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ

(then ask forgiveness) `This is in reference to your previous sins. '

ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ

(and turn to Him in repentance.) `This is in reference to the future.'

إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيبٌ مُّجِيبٌ

(Certainly, my Lord is Near (to all by His knowledge), Responsive.) This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

(And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed Near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me.) 2:186

And We sent to Thamūd their brother from the tribe Sālih. He said ‘O my people worship God! affirm His Oneness. You have no god other than He. He it is Who produced you Who began your creation from the earth by creating your father Adam from it and has given you to live therein He has made you inhabitants living therein; so ask forgiveness of Him from idolatry then turn return to Him repentant through acts of obedience. Truly my Lord is Near to His creation by virtue of His knowledge Responsive’ to those who ask of Him.

After that, the next eight verses (61-68) carry the story of Sayyidna Salih peace be upon him. He was sent to the people of Thamud, another branch of the tribe of ` Ad. He too invited his people to believe in Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah. As customary, his people belied him and insisted that he must first make a she-camel of a specified description come out from the rock of the mountain in front of them in order to have them believe that he was a true prophet of Allah.

Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) warned them: If Allah Ta` ala shows you your custom-ordered miracles, and you still fail to believe, then, according to the customary practice of Allah, the punishment will come and destroy all of you. But, they remained obstinate and Allah Ta` a1a, in His perfect power, made the miracle they demanded manifest before them. The rock of the mountain in front of them split asunder. Out from it came the she-camel bearing the features specified by them. Allah Ta` ala ordered them not to harm that she-camel in any manner, otherwise the punishment will come upon them. But, they disobeyed this order as well, and killed the she-camel. Consequently, they were seized by Allah Ta` ala, Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) and his companions were saved from the punishment, and the rest of those people were destroyed by a Sound which was severe and terrifying.