1694 - صالِحٌ عليه السلام‏

1694. SaLIh (AS) ¹

(وَإِلَى‏ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحاً قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ) .²

"And to [the people of] Thamud, Salih, their brother. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah! You have no other god beside him. There has certainly come to you a manifest proof from your Lord. This she-camel of Allah is a sign for you." ³

(اُنظر) هود 61 - 68 والحِجْر : 80 - 84 والشعراء : 141 - 159 والنمل : 45 - 53 وفصّلت : 17 ، 18 والذاريات : 43 - 45 والقمر : 23 - 32 والحاقّة : 4 ، 5 والفجر : 9 والشمس : 11 - 15 .

(See also: Qur'an 11:61-68, 15:80-84, 26:141-159, 27:45-53, 41:17-18, 51:43-45, 54:23-32, 69:4-5, 89:9, 91:11-15)

5955.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أيُّها النّاسُ، إنّما يَجمَعُ النّاسَ الرِّضى‏ والسُّخطُ ، وإنّما عَقَرَ ناقَةَ ثَمودَ رجُلٌ واحِدٌ فعَمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بالعَذابِ لَمّا عَمُّوهُ بالرِّضا ، فقالَ سبحانَهُ : (فعَقَرُوها فأصْبَحُوا نادِمينَ)⁴ فما كانَ إلّا أن خارَت أرضُهُم بالخَسفَةِ خُوارَ السِّكَّةِ المُحْماةِ في الأرضِ الخَوَّارَةِ .⁵

5955.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'O people! Satisfaction and discontentment are what gather people [in categories]. And although it was only one man who slaughtered the she-camel of Thamud, Allah included all of them in the punishment because they all accepted his action, as He Almighty said, '"But they hamstrung her, whereupon they became regretful." ⁶ So, it was not long before their land declined by sinking [into the earth] as the spike of a plough pierces weak, unploughed land.' ⁷

5956.أبو مَطَرٍ : لَمّا ضَرَبَ ابنُ مُلجَمٍ الفاسِقُ لَعَنهُ‏اللَّهُ أميرَ المؤمنينَ عليه السلام قالَ‏لَهُ الحسَنُ: أَقتُلُهُ ؟ قالَ : لا،ولكنِ احبِسْهُ؛ فإذا مُتُ‏فاقتُلوهُ، وإذا مُتُّ فادفِنوني في هذا الظَّهرِ في قَبرِ أخَوَيَّ : هُودٍ وصالِحٍ .⁸

5956. Abu Matar said, 'When the wicked Ibn Muljam, may Allah curse him, struck the Commander of the Faithful (AS), Imam Hasan (AS) asked [his father], 'Shall I kill him?' The Imam said, 'No, but detain him and if I die, then kill him. When I die, bury me in this place between the graves of my brothers Hud and Salih.' ⁹

إشارة إلى قِصّةِ صالحٍ وقَومِهِ ثَمودَ

Details of the Story of Salih and his People, Thamud

كانت ثمود تعيش على‏ سنّة الشعوب والقبائل ؛ يحكم فيهم سادتهم وشيوخهم . وقد كانت في المدينة التي بعث فيها صالح تسعة رهط يفسدون في الأرض ولا يصلحون (النمل : 48) فطغوا في الأرض وعبدوا الأصنام وأفرطوا عتوّاً وظلماً .
لمّا نسيت ثمود ربّها وأسرفوا في أمرهم أرسل اللَّه إليهم صالحاً النبيّ عليه السلام ، وكان من بيت الشرف والفَخار معروفاً بالعقل والكفاية (هود : 62 ، النمل : 49) فدعاهم إلى‏ توحيد اللَّه سبحانه ، وأن يتركوا عبادة الأصنام ، وأن يسيروا في مجتمعهم بالعدل والإحسان ، ولا يعلوا في الأرض ولا يسرفوا ولا يطغوا ، وأنذرهم بالعذاب (هود ، الشعراء ، الشمس وغيرها) .
ثمّ إنّهم طغوا ومكروا ، وبعثوا أشقاهم لقتل الناقة فعقرها ، وقالوا لصالح : ائتنا بما تعدنا إن كنت من الصادقين ! قال صالح عليه السلام : تمتّعوا في داركم ثلاثة أيّام ، ذلك وعد غير مكذوب (هود : 65) .
ثمّ مكرت شعوب المدينة وأرهاطها بصالح، وتقاسموا بينهم : لنُبيّتنّه وأهله ثمّ نقولنّ لوليّه : ما شهدنا مَهلِك أهله وإنّا لصادقون ، ومكروا مكراً ومكراللَّه مكراً وهم لايشعرون (النمل:50) فأخذتهم الصاعقة وهم ينظرون (الذاريات : 44) والرجفة والصيحة فأصبحوا في دارهم جاثمين ، فتولّى‏ عنهم وقال : يا قومِ لقد أبلغتكم رسالة ربّي ونصحت‏لكم ، ولكن لاتحبّون الناصحين (الأعراف: 79 ، هود : 67) وأنجَى اللَّه الذين آمنوا وكانوا يتّقون (فصّلت : 18) ونادى بعدهم المنادي الإلهيّ : ألا إنّ ثمود كفروا ربَّهم ألا بُعداً لثمود .¹⁰

Thamud used to live according to the traditions of past nations and tribes, and their leaders and elders were ruling them. In the city that Salih was sent to there were nine groups of people who were corrupting on the earth and not reforming. (Quran 27:48). They rebelled in the earth, worshipped idols and exceeded in their unfairness and oppression. When Thamud forgot their Lord and went to extremes in their ways, Allah sent the prophet Salih (AS) to them. He was from a dignified and respected house, known for their intellect and contentment (Quran 11:62, 27:49). He called them to the Oneness of Allah Almighty, to leave the worshipping of statues, and to live with justice and goodness in their society. He told them not exult on the earth, not to waste, and not to rebel. He warned them of punishment (Quran: Surah Hud, Surah Shuara', Surah Shams and others).
Then they rebelled and plotted, and they sent the most evil of them to kill the she-camel and so he slaughtered it. They said to Salih, 'Bring us what you threatened if you are of the truthful.' Salih (AS) said, 'Make merry in your abodes for three days, this is a threat which is not a lie.' (Quran 11:65).
The people of the city plotted and grouped against Salih. They divided the plan among themselves: We will detain him and his family, and then tell his guardian, 'We did not witness the ones who destroyed his family, and we are truthful.' They devised a plot, and Allah devised a plan, but they do not notice (Quran 27:50). A thunderbolt seized them as they looked on (Quran 51:44). The earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes. So he abandoned them, and said, 'O my people! Certainly I communicated to you the message of my Lord, and I advised you, but you did not like advisers.' (Quran 7:78-79, 11:68) And We delivered those who had faith and were Godwary (Quran 41:18). A divine caller called after them, 'Verily, Thamud disbelieved in their Lord. Verily away with Thamud!' ¹¹