Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/235)

Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

The Story of Ṣāliḥ, upon him be peace

Thamūd—the second ʿĀd—lived in al-Ḥijr and the surrounding region. They possessed abundant herds of livestock as well as tilled fields and crops, and blessings kept pouring down upon them. Out on the plains they raised ornate palaces, while in the mountains they carved out finely crafted dwellings. Yet they became arrogant, denied those favors, and worshipped others beside Allah. So Allah sent to them their brother Ṣāliḥ, a man from their own clan whose lineage and noble descent they knew, whose virtue and completeness they acknowledged, and whose truthfulness and trustworthiness were unquestioned. He called them to Allah, to devote their religion sincerely to Him, and to abandon whatever they had been worshipping apart from Him. He reminded them of Allah’s favors and of the “days of Allah”—His dealings with the neighboring nations—but only a few believed.

When he set forth the proofs and clear evidences for the necessity of affirming Allah’s oneness, they recoiled, rejected, and grew arrogant, saying, “O Ṣāliḥ! You had indeed been a source of hope among us before this” (Q 11:62). In other words, “We had imagined that you would surpass us all because of your excellence, fine character, and good manners.” By these very words they admitted his virtues before he even spoke; nothing lowered him in their eyes except that he summoned them to worship the Creator instead of created beings and to eternal happiness. His only “offense” was that he opposed their misguided forefathers—who had been even more astray than they were!

He then brought them a tremendous proof, a sign, an evidence, and a mercy for the entire tribe, saying, “This is Allah’s she-camel” (Q 11:64)—a creature unlike any other in her nature, nobility, and benefits—“a sign for you” of my truthfulness and of the breadth of your Lord’s mercy. “So leave her to graze in Allah’s land”; her provision is with Allah, while her benefit is yours. She will drink from the water one day, and the whole tribe will gather at her udder, each person departing with his vessels filled; on the following day you may drink. She continued in that fashion for as long as Allah willed.

قصة صالح ﵊ كانتْ ثمودُ -وهيَ عادٌ الثانية- يسكنونَ في «الحِجْرِ» وما حولَها، وكانوا أهلَ مواشٍ كثيرةٍ، وأهلَ حروثٍ وزروعٍ، وتواصلَتْ عليهم النعمُ، فكانوا يتخذونَ من السهولِ قصورًا مزخرفةً، ومن الجبالِ بيوتًا منحوتةً متقنةً، فبطرُوا النعمَ وكفروها، وعبدُوا غيرَ اللهِ، فأرسلَ اللهُ إليهم أخاهم صالحًا من قبيلتِهم، يعرفونَ نسبَهُ وحسبَهُ، وفضلَهُ وكمالَهُ، وصدقَهُ وأمانتَهُ، فدعاهم إلى اللهِ وإلى إخلاصِ الدينِ لهُ، وتركِ ما كانوا يعبدونَ من دونهِ، وذكَّرَهم بنعمِ اللهِ، وبأيامهِ بالأممِ المجاورةِ لهم، فلم يتبعْهُ إلا القليلُ. وحينَ ذكَّرَهم وأقامَ الأدلةَ والبراهينَ على وجوبِ توحيدِ اللهِ اشمأزُّوا ونفرُوا واستكبرُوا، وقالوا: ﴿يَاصَالِحُ قَدْ كُنْتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَذَا﴾ [هود: ٦٢] أي: قدْ كنَّا قدْ تخايَلْنا فيكَ أنْ تفضلَنا جميعًا؛ لكمالِكَ وكمالِ أخلاقِكَ، وآدابِكَ الطيبةِ. وهذا اعترافٌ منهم لهُ بهذهِ الأمورِ قبلَ أنْ يقولَ ما قالَ، فما نزَّلَهُ عن هذهِ المرتبةِ عندَهم إلا أنهُ دعاهم إلى عبادةِ الخالقِ من عبادةِ العبيدِ، وإلى السعادةِ الأبديةِ! وما ذنبُهُ إلا أنهُ خالفَ آباءَهم الضالينَ، وهم كانوا أضلَّ منهم! ثم أقامَ لهم بينةً عظيمةً، وآيةً وبرهانًا ونعمةً على جميعِ القبيلةِ بأسرِها، وقالَ: ﴿هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ﴾ [هود: ٦٤] التي لا يشبهُها شيءٌ من النوقِ في ذاتِها وشرفِها ومنافعِها، ﴿لَكُمْ آيَةً﴾ على صدقِي وعلى سعةِ رحمةِ ربِّكم، ﴿فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ﴾ على اللهِ رزقُها، ولكمَ نفعُها، تَرِدُ الماءَ يومًا؛ فتَرِدُ القبيلةُ بأسرِها على ضرعِها، كلٌّ يصدرُ عن ضرعِها قدْ ملأَ آنيتَهُ، ثم تَرِدُونَ أنتم في اليومِ الثاني، فمكثَتْ على هذا ما شاءَ اللهُ.