11. Hud

(And unto (the tribe of) Thamud) and We sent to Thamud (their brother) their Prophet (Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah) declare the divine Oneness of Allah, (You have no other God save Him) you have no god except the One in Whom I command you to believe. (He brought you forth from the earth) He created you from Adam and Adam is from the earth (and hath made you husband it) He made you thrive in the earth and made its inhabitants thrive on it too. (So ask forgiveness of Him) confess His divine Oneness (and turn unto Him repentant) turn to Him by believing in His divine Oneness, repenting and being sincere to Him. (Lo, my Lord is Nigh) in His answer, (Responsive) to the one who declares His divine Oneness.

(They said: O Salih! Thou hast been among us hitherto) i.e. before you called us to follow other than the religion of our forefathers (as that wherein our hope was placed) we had hope in you. (Dost thou ask us not to worship what our fathers worshipped) of idols? (Lo! we verily are in grave doubt concerning that to which thou callest us) i.e. your religion.

(He said: O my people! Bethink you: if I am (acting) on clear proof from my Lord) a clear exposition that has come down from my Lord (and there hath come unto me a mercy from Him) and He has favoured me with prophethood and Islam, (who will save me) who will defend me (from Allah) from Allah's chastisement (if I disobey Him) and shun His command? (Ye would add to me naught save perdition) I only increase in insight about your loss.

(O my people! This is the camel of Allah, a token unto you) a sign unto you, (so suffer her) leave her (to feed in Allah's earth) in the wilderness: you do not have to feed her, (and touch her not with harm) do not kill her (lest a near torment seize you) after three days.

(But they hamstrung her) they killed her. She was killed by Qudar Ibn Salif and Musda' Ibn Zahr who divided its meat on 1500 homes, (and then he said) Salih said to them after they killed the camel: (Enjoy life in your dwelling-place) in your township (three days!) for Allah's chastisement will come upon you on the fourth day. They asked him: �What is the sign of this chastisement?� He said: �You will wake up the first day with pale faces; on the second day your faces will be red and on the third your faces will become dark. Chastisement will come upon you on the fourth day�. (This) chastisement (is a threat that will not be belied) will not be repelled.

(So, when Our commandment) Our chastisement (came to pass, We saved Salih, and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us) by Our grace, (from the ignominy of that day) from the chastisement of that day. (Lo, thy Lord! He is the Strong) He saves His allies, (the Mighty) in His retribution against His enemies.

(And the (Awful) Cry) the Chastisement (overtook those who did wrong) the idolaters, (so that morning found them prostrate) lifeless, i.e. they became dust (in their dwellings) in their houses,

(As though they had not dwelt there) it was as if they never lived on this earth. (Lo! Thamud) the people of Salih (disbelieved in their Lord. A far removal for Thamud!) the people of Salih are far removed from Allah's mercy.

(And Our messengers) Gabriel and twelve angels (came unto Abraham with good news) that he will have a son. (They said: Peace!) they greeted Abraham when they entered in on him. (He answered: Peace!) He greeted them back (and delayed not) after a short while he went (to bring a roasted calf) a fat roasted calf which he placed in front of them.

(And when he saw their hands reached not to it) to his food, because they had no need for it, (he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them) thinking they were thieves, since they did not touch his food. When the angels knew of his fear. (They said: Fear not!) O Abraham. (Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot) to destroy them.