وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَـٰلِحًا ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ هَـٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةُ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ ءَايَةً ۖ فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِىٓ أَرْضِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ 73
Translations
And to the Thamūd [We sent] their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allāh [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allāh's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Wa-ilā Thamūda akhāhum Sālihan, qāla yā qawmi 'budū Allāha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu, qad jā'atkum bayyinah min rabbikum, hādhihi nāqatu Allāhi lakum āyah, fa-dharūhā ta'kul fī ardi Allāhi wa-lā tamasūhā bi-sū'in fa-ya'khudha-kum 'adhābun alīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah sent Prophet Salih to the people of Thamud, calling them to monotheism and warning them against idolatry. The she-camel (nāqah) of Allah served as a miraculous sign (āyah) to authenticate his prophethood—a divine creature that would drink from their well and graze freely on their land. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that the camel was a test of their obedience: they were commanded to leave it unharmed, and harming it would result in severe punishment, which they ultimately brought upon themselves through their transgression.
Revelation Context
This verse is part of a Meccan surah that recounts stories of previous prophets and their peoples as warnings to the Quraysh. The narrative of Salih and Thamud appears multiple times in the Quran (7:73-79; 26:141-158; 54:23-32) and serves as a cautionary tale about rejecting divine signs and the messenger of God. The historical Thamud were an Arab tribe known for their advanced civilization and stone architecture.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned Thamud's destruction in multiple hadiths. Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet warned against passing through the valley of Thamud without haste, as Allah had already taken vengeance upon them. Sahih Muslim also includes narrations about the she-camel and the ruins of Thamud as signs of Allah's punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that obedience to Allah's commands—no matter how seemingly trivial—is a measure of faith and submission, while arrogance and rejection of clear signs lead to inevitable divine punishment. For believers today, it reminds us that accepting the message of the messenger and adhering to the limits set by Allah is not optional but essential for salvation.