Yet even this unequivocal warning did not make them believe him. When night drew in, they conspired to kill Ṣāliḥ—determined, as they boasted, to give him the same fate as the she-camel: “They said, ‘Swear to one another by Allah that we shall attack him and his family by night’” (al-Naml 27:49). That is, “Let us burst into his house, murder him together with his household, then deny the deed and repudiate it should his heirs demand retaliation.” Hence the rest of the verse: “Then we shall say to his next of kin, ‘We witnessed neither the death of his family nor his own. We are telling the truth’” (al-Naml 27:49). Allah, Exalted is He, says: “So they schemed a scheme, and We schemed a scheme, and they were unaware. See, then, how the outcome of their scheme was: We destroyed them and their people, all together. Those are their houses, deserted because of the wrong they committed. In that is a sign for people who have knowledge. And We saved those who had believed and were God-fearing” (al-Naml 27:50-53). For when those men set out to murder Ṣāliḥ, Allah sent stones upon them that crushed them in advance of the general punishment. Thamūd awoke on Thursday—the first of the three days of respite—with their faces yellow, exactly as Ṣāliḥ had foretold. At dusk they cried out altogether, “Behold, one day of the term has passed.” On Friday, the second day, they arose to find their faces red; and when evening came they shouted, “Behold, two days of the term have passed.” On Saturday, the third day allotted for them to enjoy themselves, they awoke with faces black, and that evening they proclaimed, “Behold, the appointed time has ended.” When dawn broke on Sunday they embalmed themselves, made preparations, and sat awaiting whatever form of chastisement, disgrace, and vengeance would descend—unsure how it would strike or from which direction it would come. Once the sun rose, a deafening blast descended upon them from above, and a violent tremor seized them from beneath. Souls poured forth, life departed, movements ceased, voices fell silent, and reality proved true. They were left in their dwellings, prostrate—lifeless bodies without motion. It is said that none survived except a crippled girl named Kaliyya bint al-Silq—also called al-Dhariʿah—who had been fiercely unbelieving and hostile toward Ṣāliḥ. When she saw the punishment her legs were released; she sprang up and ran faster than anyone could, reached an Arab tribe, told them what she had witnessed and what had befallen her people, and asked them for water. She drank—and died. Allah the Exalted says: “As though they had never flourished there” (Hūd 11:68), meaning they had never dwelt therein in comfort, prosperity, and ease. And He says, “Lo! Thamūd disbelieved in their Lord; so away with Thamūd!” (Hūd 11:68)—the tongue of Divine decree proclaimed it over them. Imām Aḥmad (2) said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated to us; Maʿmar narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUthmān ibn Khuthaym narrated to us, from