اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
Praise is to God with all his praises, for all his blessings. . . Praise is to God, the owner of the property, the operator of the orbit, the bender of the wind, the glory of the morning, the religion of the beliefs, lord of the worlds; praise is to God for his dream after his knowledge and thank God for forgiveness after his power, and praise be to God for his long patience in his wrath and he is capable to do what he wills
و نشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شریک له، و أَنَّ محمداً عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
And we bear witness that there is no god but God alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, he sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that he might proclaim it over all religion, even if the polytheists hated it.
Peaceful and loving words of prophet Salih against the opposition of the Thamud tribe
Against the opposition of the Thamud tribe to the invitation of the prophet Salih into the monotheism, the prophet spoke with kindness, and used words of peace and benevolence with them. Prophet Salih relied on the words of the elders of the people of Thamud who said about him: يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنْتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَذَا They said, ‘O Salih! You were a source of hope to us before this. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers have been worshiping? Indeed we have grave doubts concerning that to which you invite us.’ (Hood: 62) which was relied on the return of human beings to their divine nature and a positive response to the inner voice; said:
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ؛ إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ؛ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ؛
when Salih, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]? Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you. So be wary of Allah and obey me. (Sho’ara: 142 – 144)
That compassionate prophet emphasized the constant slogan of the divine prophets and said: مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds. (Sho’ara: 145) And then he reminded his people of the many blessings that God has bestowed upon them, and reminded them that naturally, in the face of these blessings, there will be duties for them:
أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَاهُنَا آمِنِينَ؛ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ؛ وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ؛ وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ؛
Will you be left secure in that which is here —amid gardens and springs, farms and date palms with dainty spathes —while you skillfully hew out houses from the mountains? (Sho’ara: 146 – 149)
The holy Qur’an introduces nine groups that had similar functions to the current parties in the communities, in the Thamud tribe. The parties that instead of thinking about the interests of their society and the progress of its affairs corrupted the society in order to gain power and wealth, and their personal and party interests. Groups with social power and prestige which always led the people of the society to ruin with their conspiracies. Instead of hearing the humane and peaceful words and message of the prophet Salih, these corrupt parties plotted to kill him and his followers, but with God’s support, the conspiracy did not succeed. The holy Qur’an says:
وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ؛ قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ «مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ»؛ وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ؛
There were nine persons in the city who caused corruption in the land and did not set things right. They said, ‘Swear by Allah that we will attack him and his family by night. Then we will tell his heir that we were not present at the murder of his family and that we speak the truth.’ They devised a plot, and We [too] devised a plan, but they were not aware. (Namal: 48 – 50)
Prophet Salih, encouraged the people of Thamud to fear God and obey the commands of God, and warned them not to follow these parties and groups that are not benevolent to human beings and corrupt society for their own interests and said:
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ؛ وَلَا تُطِيعُوا أَمْرَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ؛ الَّذِينَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ؛
So be wary of Allah and obey me, and do not obey the dictates of the transgressors, who cause corruption in the land and do not bring about reform.’ (Sho’ara: 150 – 152)
The reason of a group of Thamud tribe for opposing the prophet Salih
A group of the Thamud tribe stated that the reason for their opposition was that Saleh was a person like themselves and from among the people. In fact, it was unbelievable to them that a person who lived like them and used to travel in the streets and bazaars like them is now a divine prophet. The holy Qur’an reports their insulting speech as follows:
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِالنُّذُرِ؛ فَقَالُوا أَبَشَراً مِنَّا وَاحِداً نَتَّبِعُهُ؟ إِنَّا إِذاً لَفِي ضَلَالٍ وَسُعُرٍ؛ أَأُلْقِيَ الذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا؟ بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ؛
[The people of] Thamud denied the warnings, and they said, ‘Are we to follow a lone human from ourselves?! Indeed then we would be in error and madness.’ ‘Has the Reminder been cast upon him from among us? No, he is a self-conceited liar.’ (Ghamar: 23 – 25)
And God answers that they will soon know the truth of this insult: سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَنِ الْكَذَّابُ الْأَشِرُ ‘Tomorrow they will know who is a self-conceited liar. (Ghamar: 26)
How the companions of power and wealth confronted the prophet Salih
The owners of wealth and power, and the nobles of the people of Thamud, relied on their strength and gold to confront the prophet and those who believed in him. Their language was the usual language of the powerful and rich of all societies, who always spoke to the people from a position of authority. The holy Qur’an says:
قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِمَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَالِحًا مُرْسَلٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ؟ قَالُوا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ؛ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا إِنَّا بِالَّذِي آمَنْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ؛
The elite of his people who were arrogant said to those who were oppressed—to those among them who had faith—‘Do you know that Salih has been sent by his Lord?’ They said, ‘We indeed believe in what he has been sent with.’ Those who were arrogant said, ‘We indeed disbelieve in what you have believed.’ (A’raf: 75 – 76)
How the people of thought in Thamud tribe confronted the prophet Salih
The thinkers of the Thamud tribe expressed surprise at the fact that a person like themselves became a prophet, and from among the same people, demanded a miracle from him as a sign to prove the truth of his prophetic claim. This way of dealing with the prophet was a good way that no reproach or condemnation is seen in the report of the holy Qur’an, although their words have been accompanied by some insults:
قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ؛ مَا أَنْتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا فَأْتِ بِآيَةٍ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ؛
They said, ‘Indeed you are one of the bewitched. You are just a human being like us. So bring us a sign, should you be truthful.’ (Sho’ara: 153 – 154)