Stories of the Prophets | Episode (6) | The story of Saleh, peace be upon him

0:00 Stories of the Prophets... Stories of the Prophets... peace be upon them.

0:08 The prayers of Allah, followed by His peace,

0:13 Be upon the best of all creation,

0:19 The resolute ones of high standing,

0:23 And the light of guidance... the story of Salih, peace be upon him.

0:30 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:34 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

0:37 And may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

0:40 And upon all his family and companions.

0:44 To proceed... In the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula,

0:50 Between the regions of Hijaz and Tabuk,

0:53 The tribe of Thamud used to dwell.

0:56 In a region known as Al-Hijr,

0:59 Located away from the Prophetic city of Medina,

1:02 By approximately 400 kilometers.

1:05 They were an Arab tribe.

1:07 Their people were arrogant and wicked,

1:11 And they were also highly skilled,

1:14 Meaning they were masters of carving into the mountains.

1:17 Allah had granted them great physical strength,

1:20 So they began carving homes out of the mountains,

1:23 And building palaces in the plains.

1:26 Despite this, Allah had expanded their provision,

1:31 Providing them with gardens, crops, and palm trees.

1:35 Allah had granted them long lives on earth,

1:38 So they lived for a very long time,

1:41 And flourished in the land for many years.

1:44 Yet, despite all this bounty they enjoyed,

1:48 They did not thank Allah, the Glorified and Exalted.

1:52 Instead, they associated partners with Him and worshipped idols,

1:55 They were lax regarding forbidden acts,

1:57 And they committed grave sins.

2:00 Among the people of Thamud, and among their nobles,

2:03 Was a man called Salih.

2:06 He was of noble and high lineage among them,

2:09 And possessed sound judgment and wisdom.

2:12 They would turn to him to resolve their disputes,

2:15 And consult him in the affairs of their lives.

2:19 Salih was not pleased with the polytheism his people practiced,

2:24 Nor with their ingratitude for the blessings of Allah.

2:27 So he withdrew from them to tend to his sheep,

2:30 Eating of their meat and drinking of their milk.

2:34 Then Allah, the Exalted, chose him as a prophet,

2:37 And sent him to his people as a messenger,

2:40 To warn and caution them,

2:43 And to guide them back to the path of righteousness.

2:46 Salih, peace be upon him, obeyed the command of Allah,

2:50 And began calling his people to monotheism.

2:54 He said to them,

2:56 "O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him."

3:00 Just as was the call of all the prophets before and after him,

3:05 For their message was one.

3:07 They did not compete with their people for positions of power,

3:10 Nor did they ask them for any of their wealth.

3:14 They only called them to worship Allah alone, with no partner.

3:20 But how did Thamud respond to the call of their prophet Salih, peace be upon him?

3:26 They denied him, mocked him, and rejected his message.

3:32 They said to him,

3:34 "O Salih, we used to see wisdom in you,

3:38 And we counted you among our nobles.

3:42 So how is it that you now forbid us from worshipping what our fathers worshipped?

3:47 Do you want us to believe you?

3:50 We are in doubt regarding your words and suspicious of your affair.

3:55 You, O Salih, are merely bewitched."

3:58 Salih, peace be upon him, did not pay heed to their words,

4:02 But continued to call them, warn them,

4:05 And frighten them with the punishment of Allah,

4:09 Reminding them of the blessings Allah had bestowed upon them,

4:14 And warning them of the fate of the perished nations before them,

4:18 Like the people of 'Ad.

4:20 But they abandoned their reason,

4:22 And persisted in their tyranny and stubbornness.

4:26 They said mockingly,

4:28 "Could Allah find no one else to send to us?"

4:32 "And if we follow you, we would be worse than the insane."

4:37 Allah, the Exalted, says:

4:40 "And to Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih.

4:44 He said, 'O my people, worship Allah;

4:47 You have no god other than Him.

4:51 “And unto (the tribe of) Thamud (We sent) their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, Ye have no other Allah save Him. He brought you forth from the earth and hath made you husband it. So ask forgiveness of Him and turn unto Him repentant. Lo! my Lord is Nigh, Responsive.” (11:61)

4:55 And settled you in it, so ask forgiveness of Him,

4:59 Then repent to Him.'

5:05 “And unto (the tribe of) Thamud (We sent) their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, Ye have no other Allah save Him. He brought you forth from the earth and hath made you husband it. So ask forgiveness of Him and turn unto Him repentant. Lo! my Lord is Nigh, Responsive.” (11:61)

5:11 “They said: O Salih! Thou hast been among us hitherto as that wherein our hope was placed. Dost thou ask us not to worship what our fathers worshipped? Lo! we verily are in grave doubt concerning that to which thou callest us.” (11:62)

5:19 “They said: O Salih! Thou hast been among us hitherto as that wherein our hope was placed. Dost thou ask us not to worship what our fathers worshipped? Lo! we verily are in grave doubt concerning that to which thou callest us.” (11:62)

5:25 And indeed, we are in doubt [about what you invite us to].

5:29 “They said: O Salih! Thou hast been among us hitherto as that wherein our hope was placed. Dost thou ask us not to worship what our fathers worshipped? Lo! we verily are in grave doubt concerning that to which thou callest us.” (11:62)

5:38 And the Exalted says:

5:40 "Thamud denied the messengers.

5:43 “When their brother Salih said unto them: Will ye not ward off (evil)?” (26:142)

5:50 Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

5:54 So fear Allah and obey me.

5:57 And I do not ask you for it any payment; my reward is only from the Lord of the worlds.

6:05 Will you be left in what is here, secure,

6:10 Within gardens and springs,

6:15 And crops and palm trees with soft fruit?

6:20 And you carve from the mountains, homes, with skill.

6:26 So fear Allah and obey me."

6:30 And the Exalted says:

6:32 "Thamud denied the warners."

6:36 “For they said; Is it a mortal man, alone among us, that we are to follow? Then indeed we should fall into error and madness.” (54:24)

6:42 “For they said; Is it a mortal man, alone among us, that we are to follow? Then indeed we should fall into error and madness.” (54:24)

6:46 “Hath the remembrance been given unto him alone among us? Nay, but he is a rash liar.” (54:25)

6:50 “Hath the remembrance been given unto him alone among us? Nay, but he is a rash liar.” (54:25)

6:53 “(Unto their warner it was said): To-morrow they will know who is the rash liar.” (54:26)

6:58 Then the people of Thamud resorted to a method of defiance,

7:03 And demanded of Salih, peace be upon him,

7:06 That he bring them a sign as proof of his truthfulness and evidence for his claim.

7:11 They asked him to bring forth a she-camel from the great rock near their well.

7:18 And they promised him that if he did what they asked,

7:21 They would believe in him and accept his truth.

7:25 So Salih, peace be upon him, prayed to his Lord,

7:29 And asked Him to grant them what they requested,

7:32 Out of his desire for them to embrace Islam.

7:35 So Allah answered him,

7:38 And gave them what they asked,

7:40 But under specific conditions.

7:43 The rock split open,

7:45 And the people witnessed the she-camel,

7:47 Emerging from that solid rock,

7:50 A sign for the Prophet of Allah, Salih, peace be upon him,

7:54 And a proof against them.

7:56 Their prophet Salih, peace be upon him, said to them,

8:00 "Allah has brought forth this she-camel for you as you requested.

8:05 She shall have her day to drink from the well,

8:09 And you shall have your day to drink.

8:11 Do not interfere with her on her drinking day,

8:14 And let this she-camel graze in the land of Allah,

8:18 And do not touch her with harm."

8:21 These are the commands of the Lord of the worlds,

8:24 So do not disobey them, lest a painful punishment befall you.

8:31 Yet, despite the power of this sign and their witnessing of it,

8:34 None believed in the Prophet of Allah, Salih, peace be upon him,

8:38 Except a few of his people from among the oppressed.

8:42 And the majority remained in their disbelief and stubbornness.

8:46 The people of Thamud spent days watching the she-camel of Allah,

8:50 As she walked among them,

8:52 And drank from their water,

8:54 While they did not approach her with harm.

8:58 Then Satan incited them,

9:00 And they began to hatch plots,

9:03 Conspiring among themselves to kill the she-camel out of injustice and disbelief.

9:08 It is mentioned in the reports,

9:12 That a prostitute came to a man among them,

9:16 Called Misra' ibn Muharrij,

9:19 And offered herself to him.

9:21 She was a beautiful woman,

9:23 And she said to him,

9:25 "I will marry you, and my dowry shall be that you kill the she-camel of Salih."

9:30 And another old woman came to a man called Qudar ibn Salif,

9:36 And said to him,

9:38 "I have four daughters,

9:40 I will marry you to whichever of them you wish,

9:42 If you kill the she-camel of Salih."

9:45 These two men met,

9:49 Ibn Muharrij and Qudar,

9:51 And called their companions to kill the she-camel.

9:55 Seven others responded to them,

9:58 So they became a group of nine men in the city,

10:01 Causing corruption therein and not reforming.

10:04 These were the heads of the sedition,

10:07 Even though everyone had consented to the killing of the she-camel.

10:11 It is narrated that the one who hamstrung the she-camel said to his people,

10:15 "I will not kill her until you all agree to it."

10:19 So they began going around and asking the people,

10:22 Even entering upon women in their private quarters,

10:25 Saying, "Do you agree that the she-camel be killed?"

10:29 And they would say, "Yes."

10:31 They even asked the children,

10:33 "Do you agree that the she-camel be hamstrung?"

10:36 And they would say, "Yes."

10:38 At that point, Qudar ibn Salif grew bold,

10:42 Along with his companion Ibn Muharrij and those with them,

10:45 And they lay in wait for the she-camel at her watering place.

10:49 Ibn Muharrij shot her with an arrow,

10:52 And the arrow struck her leg.

10:55 Then the women went out, roaming the parts of the tribe,

10:59 Having unveiled their faces,

11:01 And uncovered their hair,

11:03 And they began shouting to the men,

11:06 "Kill the she-camel! Kill the she-camel!"

11:09 Then Qudar ibn Salif rose against her,

11:12 And struck her with his sword,

11:14 Piercing her throat,

11:17 And she fell dead.

11:19 And Qudar ibn Salif was,

11:21 The most wretched of Thamud,

11:23 Who bore the greatest burden of sin for killing the she-camel.

11:27 Then the people of Thamud said to their prophet, defiantly,

11:32 "O Salih, bring us what you promise us of punishment,

11:37 If you are truly one of the truthful messengers."

11:41 Salih, peace be upon him, said to them,

11:44 "O my people, why do you hasten the evil of the punishment before the good?

11:50 Have you asked Allah for forgiveness?

11:52 Perhaps He might have mercy on you."

11:54 But this approach was of no use to them.

11:58 So Allah withheld the rain from them from the sky,

12:01 As a warning and a caution to them.

12:04 They said, "We have not been denied rain,

12:07 Except because of Salih and those with him.

12:10 For he has angered our gods,

12:13 And they are a source of bad omen for us,

12:16 And we have taken them as an evil omen."

12:18 At that point, those men swore,

12:21 The leaders of disbelief, that they would kill Salih, peace be upon him,

12:26 After they had killed the she-camel.

12:29 Their plan was to ambush him at night and kill him,

12:34 Then, when the people woke, they would say to the family and kin of Salih,

12:40 "We did not know of his killing until now,

12:43 And we are indeed truthful.

12:46 Allah the Almighty said:

12:50 “And We verily sent unto Thamud their brother Salih, saying: Worship Allah. And lo! they (then became two parties quarrelling.” (27:45)

12:55 That they should worship Allah.

12:58 “And We verily sent unto Thamud their brother Salih, saying: Worship Allah. And lo! they (then became two parties quarrelling.” (27:45)

13:02 “He said: O my people! Why will ye hasten on the evil rather than the good? Why will ye not ask pardon of Allah, that ye may receive mercy.” (27:46)

13:06 With evil before good.

13:09 Why do you not seek the forgiveness of Allah?

13:12 That you may receive mercy.

13:15 “They said: We augur evil of thee and those with thee. He said: Your evil augury is with Allah. Nay, but ye are folk that are being tested.” (27:47)

13:20 “They said: We augur evil of thee and those with thee. He said: Your evil augury is with Allah. Nay, but ye are folk that are being tested.” (27:47)

13:25 “They said: We augur evil of thee and those with thee. He said: Your evil augury is with Allah. Nay, but ye are folk that are being tested.” (27:47)

13:30 “And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and reformed not.” (27:48)

13:38 “They said: Swear one to another by Allah that we verily will attack him and his household by night, and afterward we will surely say unto his friend: We witnessed not the destruction of his household. And lo! we are truthtellers.” (27:49)

13:44 Then we shall say to their guardian:

13:50 “They said: Swear one to another by Allah that we verily will attack him and his household by night, and afterward we will surely say unto his friend: We witnessed not the destruction of his household. And lo! we are truthtellers.” (27:49)

13:53 And we are indeed truthful.

13:56 So Allah the Almighty revealed to Salih, peace be upon him:

14:01 To promise them that the torment would arrive after three days.

14:07 And Allah commanded him to depart from among them, along with those who followed him from among the believers.

14:13 So Salih, peace be upon him, informed them of what Allah had commanded him.

14:17 And he departed with those who believed with him.

14:20 Thus, Allah saved them from the painful torment.

14:24 As for the people of Thamud:

14:26 They awoke on the first day with their faces turned yellow.

14:30 Each one of them saw the yellowness on his brother's face.

14:34 Then doubt began to circulate within their souls.

14:37 Is this the beginning of the torment with which Salih threatened us?

14:43 On the second day, they awoke with their faces turned red like blood.

14:49 At that point, they became certain of the torment.

14:52 On the third day, they awoke with their faces turned black.

14:58 So they began digging their own graves with their hands, awaiting destruction.

15:03 On that day, the earthquake seized them from beneath their feet.

15:08 And the blast overtook them from above them.

15:11 Until it destroyed them all.

15:14 And the humiliating torment seized them.

15:17 So they became like the dry stubble of a pen-builder.

15:20 Meaning like withered plants that have become fragmented and scattered in a sheepfold.

15:26 Trampled by their feet.

15:29 Salih, peace be upon him, passed by his people while they were dead.

15:35 And he began to address them, saying:

15:38 “And (Salih) turned from them and said: O my people! I delivered my Lord's message unto you and gave you good advice, but ye love not good advisers.” (7:79)

15:42 But you are a people who do not love those who give sincere advice.

15:47 Allah the Almighty said:

15:49 “O my people! This is the camel of Allah, a token unto you, so suffer her to feed in Allah's earth, and touch her not with harm lest a near torment seize you.” (11:64)

15:55 So leave her to eat on Allah’s earth.

15:58 And do not touch her with harm.

16:04 Lest a near torment seize you.

16:10 But they hamstrung her, so he said:

16:12 “But they hamstrung her, and then he said: Enjoy life in your dwelling-place three days! This is a threat that will not be belied.” (11:65)

16:18 “But they hamstrung her, and then he said: Enjoy life in your dwelling-place three days! This is a threat that will not be belied.” (11:65)

16:22 So when Our command came:

16:26 We saved Salih.

16:32 And those who believed with him.

16:35 By a mercy from Us.

16:41 And from the disgrace of that day.

16:44 “So, when Our commandment came to pass, We saved Salih, and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, from the ignominy of that day. Lo, thy Lord! He is the Strong, the Mighty.” (11:66)

16:51 “And the (awful) Cry overtook those who did wrong, so that morning found them prostrate in their dwellings,” (11:67)

16:54 And they lay prone in their homes.

16:59 As if they had never prospered therein.

17:02 Verily, Thamud disbelieved in their Lord.

17:07 Verily, away with Thamud.

17:12 Honorable brothers:

17:14 Allah the Almighty has mentioned Salih:

17:17 Peace be upon him, in the Noble Qur'an:

17:19 Nine times.

17:21 And He mentioned his tribe, Thamud:

17:23 Twenty times.

17:25 And we have in the story of Salih, peace be upon him:

17:28 With his people, many lessons and examples.

17:31 Among the most important of them:

17:34 First, the final outcome is always:

17:37 For the prophets of Allah the Almighty, peace be upon them.

17:41 For after tyranny reaches its peak:

17:44 Salvation comes for the believing servants of Allah.

17:48 And destruction for His disbelieving enemies.

17:51 For Allah the Almighty grants respite, but He does not neglect.

17:55 Second:

17:57 Signs, no matter how clear they are:

18:00 The criminals will not believe in them nor be guided by them.

18:04 Just as was the case with the people of Thamud.

18:07 They saw the she-camel standing right before them as they had requested.

18:11 Yet, they did not believe.

18:14 Third:

18:16 Abandoning the truth due to the fewness of its followers and supporters:

18:21 Or following falsehood due to the multitude of its followers:

18:24 Is a disease that has existed among people since ancient times.

18:27 For the people of Thamud said:

18:30 “For they said; Is it a mortal man, alone among us, that we are to follow? Then indeed we should fall into error and madness.” (54:24)

18:33 “For they said; Is it a mortal man, alone among us, that we are to follow? Then indeed we should fall into error and madness.” (54:24)

18:36 Fourth:

18:38 One who is pleased with an act is like the one who performs it in the rulings of the Hereafter:

18:43 In the sight of Allah the Almighty.

18:45 For Allah mentioned in His Book:

18:47 That the one who hamstrung the she-camel was one man among them.

18:51 While the rest were pleased with that.

18:54 Therefore, He attributed the act in some verses to all of them.

18:59 So He said:

19:00 "So they hamstrung her."

19:02 Thus, Allah covered them all with torment.

19:05 And none of them were saved except those who were not pleased with that.

19:09 And they are the believers.

19:11 As for what relates to the rulings of this world:

19:14 They only apply to those who manifest the action and the speech.

19:18 Fifth:

19:20 A Muslim should take a lesson and an example:

19:23 If he passes by the dwellings of those who were punished.

19:26 Like the people of Thamud in the region of Al-Hijr.

19:29 For it is narrated from Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both:

19:32 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

19:35 Passed by the settlements of Thamud.

19:37 The people drew water from the wells.

19:40 And they kneaded their dough.

19:42 So the Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded them:

19:46 And they poured out the pots.

19:48 And they fed the dough to the camels.

19:50 And he, peace be upon him, forbade them:

19:53 From entering upon the people who were punished.

19:56 And he said:

19:57 "I fear that what befell them might befall you."

20:02 "Do not enter upon them."

20:04 Then he covered himself with his garment while he was on his mount.

20:08 And he said:

20:10 "Do not enter upon these people who were punished."

20:13 "Unless you are weeping."

20:16 "For if you are not weeping, then do not enter upon them."

20:21 And we now see some ignorant people going to those places and taking pictures there.

20:27 And rejoicing and laughing.

20:29 This is contrary to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, guided us to.

20:37 The hadith has a remainder, if Allah wills.

20:40 And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

20:43 And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad.

20:47 And upon all his family and companions.

20:50 You have been with the stories of the prophets.

Stories of the Prophets | Episode (6) | The story of Saleh, peace be upon him

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