“‘Ad denied, so how severe were My punishment and My warnings! Indeed, We sent against them a fierce, howling wind on a day of unrelenting ill fortune, tearing people away as though they were uprooted palm trunks. So how severe were My punishment and My warnings! And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember; so is there anyone who will take heed? Thamud denied the warnings. They said, ‘Shall we follow a human being, one of ourselves? Then we would surely be in error and madness. Has the Reminder been sent down upon him alone from among us? Rather, he is an inveterate liar, insolent.’” (18–25)
“Indeed, We sent against them a fierce, howling wind”: a wind of violent force. “On a day of unrelenting ill fortune”: a severe day whose ill fortune endured. It continued against them for about a year, leaving none of them without destroying him. It is said that this was a Wednesday at the end of the month.
“Tearing people away”: it would uproot them, then hurl them headlong, crushing their necks. It is also related that it would pull people out of their graves. “As though they were uprooted palm trunks”: Ibn Abbas said: their bases; while al-Dahhak said: the haunches of palm trees. “Uprooted”: severed from its place and fallen upon the ground. The singular of a‘jaz is ‘ajuz, just as the singular of a‘dad is ‘adud. He compared them to the trunks of palm trees whose branches had been cut off, because the wind would separate their heads from their bodies, leaving their bodies headless.
“So how severe were My punishment and My warnings! And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember; so is there anyone who will take heed? Thamud denied the warnings”: that is, the warning with which Salih came to them.
“They said, ‘Shall we follow a human being, one of ourselves?’”: that is, a man. “Then we would surely be in error”: in mistake and deviation from what is right, “and madness.” Ibn Abbas said: punishment. Al-Hasan said: severe punishment. Qatadah said: hardship; that is, they were saying, “Then we would be in hardship and punishment because of the obedience to him that would be binding upon us.” Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: it is the plural of sa‘ir, meaning blazing fire. Al-Farra’ said: madness; one says, “a mad she-camel,” when she is light-headed and wanders aimlessly. Wahb said: “and madness” means remoteness from the truth.
“Has the Reminder been sent down upon him alone from among us?”: that is, has the Reminder—the revelation—been sent down upon him rather than any of us? “Rather, he is an inveterate liar, insolent”: arrogant and boastful, seeking to exalt himself above us by claiming prophethood. Insolence is exultant pride and tyranny.
“They will know tomorrow who is the inveterate liar, the insolent one. Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as a trial for them; so watch them and be patient.” (26–27)