26. [Al-Furqan, Mecca 47]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾

26: 141. The Thamud (people) rejected the messengers.

C3203. For the Thamud people see n. 1043 t0 7:73.

They were great builders in stone and a people with agricultural wealth, but they were an exclusive people and oppressed the poor.

The point emphasised here is:

"How long will your wealth last, especially if you depress your own people and dishonour Allah's Signs by sacrilege?"

The inscriptions on the Thamud remains of rock-cut buildings in Al-Hijr are described in the Appendix VII at the end of this Surah.

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٤٢﴾

26: 142. Behold, their brother Salih said to them:

"Will you fear (Allah)?

إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ ﴿١٤٣﴾

26: 143. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿١٤٤﴾

26: 144. "So fear Allah, and obey me.

وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ...

26: 145. "No reward do I ask of you for it:

...إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٤٥﴾

my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.

أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَاهُنَا آمِنِينَ ﴿١٤٦﴾

26: 146. "Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here? --

فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿١٤٧﴾

26: 147. "Gardens and Springs,

وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ ﴿١٤٨﴾

26: 148. "And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?

C3204. The date palm flowers on a long spathe: when the flowers develop into fruit, the heavy ones hang with the load of fruit.

The Thamud evidently were proud of their skill in producing corn and fruit and in hewing fine dwellings out of rocks, like the later dwellings of Roman times in the town of Petra.

وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ ﴿١٤٩﴾

26: 149. "And ye carve house out of (rocky) mountains with great skill.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿١٥٠﴾

26: 150. "But fear Allah and obey me;

وَلَا تُطِيعُوا أَمْرَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿١٥١﴾

26: 151. "And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant --

C3205. They are told:

"All your skill is very well; but cultivate virtue and do not follow the ways of those who put forward extravagant claims for men's powers and material resources, or who lead lives of extravagance in luxury and self-indulgence; that makes mischief: but the door of repentance is open: win you repent?"

الَّذِينَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ ﴿١٥٢﴾

26: 152. "Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways)."

Asad’s Version:

26:141 [AND the tribe of) Thamud gave the lie to [one of God's) message-bearers (26:142) when

their brother Salih 62 said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God? (26: 143) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore) worthy of your trust: (26:144) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!

26:145 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.

(26: 146) "Do you think that you will be left secure [forever] in the midst of what you have here and now?" –

(26:147) amidst [these] gardens and springs

(26:148) and fields, and [these] palm-trees with slender spathes? –

(26:149) and that you will [always be able to] hew dwellings out of the mountains with [the same] great skill?"

26:150 "Be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me, (26:151) and pay no heed to the counsel of those who are given to excesses –

(26:152) those who spread corruption on earth instead of setting things to rights!"

[[ Asad’s notes –

62 For the story of Salih and the tribe of Thamud, see 7:73 and the corresponding note 56; also, the version appearing in ii: 61-68.

63 Lit., "of what is here", i.e., on earth. In the original, this question has a direct form, thus: "Will you be left secure...?", etc. (See also note 69 below.)

64 See note 59 on 7:74. ]]