Transliteration:( Qaaloo yaa Saalihu qad kunta feenaa marjuwwan qabla haazaaa atanhaanaaa an na'bu da maa ya'budu aabaaa'unaa wa innanaa lafee shakkim mimmaa tad'oonaaa ilaihi mureeb )
"They said, 'O Salih, you were considered an honorable figure among us before [132]. Do you now forbid us from worshiping [133] what our forefathers worshiped? Indeed, we are in serious doubt and confusion regarding what you are calling us to [134].'"
✅ [132] Respect for Salih Before Prophethood
The people of Thamud acknowledge Hazrat Salih’s (peace be upon him) honorable status before his prophethood. They had great respect for him due to his impeccable character, including his acts of hospitality, helping the poor, and removing the difficulties of those in need. This shows that the Prophets, even before receiving divine revelation, possess exemplary moral conduct. They are role models of virtue. In contrast, figures like Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadyani, who claimed prophethood, had a history of corrupt practices, which highlights that the true prophets are distinguished not just by their message, but by their character throughout their lives.
✅ [133] No Previous Idolatry
The people of Thamud accuse Hazrat Salih (peace be upon him) of forbidding them from worshipping their idols. However, this accusation indirectly shows that Salih never engaged in idol worship. Had he worshipped idols in the past, they would have criticized him for inconsistency. This also illustrates that even his forefathers did not practice idol worship, further emphasizing the purity of Salih’s belief in Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). The term "our fathers worshipped" refers to the past perfect tense, signifying that the idolatry of their ancestors was a corrupted practice that had deviated from the original belief in Tawheed.
✅ [134] Rejection, Not Hesitation
The "doubt" expressed by the people of Thamud was not mere hesitation, but a rejection of Hazrat Salih’s (peace be upon him) message. They were not accepting him as truthful, even though his character and message should have been clear to them. Their confusion was not about understanding, but about rejecting the truth and clinging to their false beliefs. This serves as a reminder that when people are set in their ways and are attached to their desires, rejection of truth often comes in the form of doubt and confusion to avoid facing their own shortcomings.
62. They said: “O Salih! You have been among us as a figure of good hope until this! Do you (now) forbid us the worship of what our fathers have worshipped But we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us.” 63. He said: “O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord, and there has come to me a mercy from Him, who then can help me against Allah, if I were to disobey Him Then you increase me not but in loss.”
Allah, the Exalted, mentions what transpired in the discussion between Salih and his people. Allah informs of their ignorance and obstinacy in their statement,
(You have been among us as a figure of good hope till this!) They were saying in this, “We had hope in your strong intellect before you began saying what you have said.”
(Do you (now) forbid us the worship of what our fathers have worshipped) “what those who were before us were upon.”
(But we are really in grave doubt as to that which you invite us.) This alludes to the great amount of doubt that they had.
(He said: “O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord…”) `In reference to what He (Allah) has sent me with to you, I am upon conviction and sure evidence.’
(and there has come to me a mercy from Him, who then can help me against Allah, if I were to disobey Him) `and abandon calling you to the truth and the worship of Allah alone. If I did so, you would not be able to bring me any benefit, nor increase me
(but in loss.)’ This means loss and ruin.
(11:62) They said: ‘O Salih! Until now you were one of those among us on whom we placed great hopes.[70] Now, would you forbid us to worship what our forefathers were wont to worship?[71] Indeed we are in disquieting doubt about what you are calling us to.[72]
70. That is, we had expected that by your wisdom, intelligence, foresight, serious behavior and dignified personality, you would become a great and prosperous man. So we had looked forward to the great success you would achieve and to the manifold advantages we would gain over other clans and tribes because of you. But you have brought to naught all of our hopes by adopting the way based on Tauhid and the Hereafter which is bound to lead us to utter ruin.
It may be noted here that the people of Muhammad (peace be upon him) have had the same great expectations of him. They, too, had a very high opinion of his abilities and capabilities before his appointment as a Prophet. For they expected that he would become a great leader, and his foresight would bring innumerable benefits to them also. But when, contrary to their expectations, he began to invite them to the doctrines of Tauhid and the Hereafter, and preach the principles of high morality, they lost not only all hope in him, but began to entertain and express quite the reverse views. They said: What a pity, this man who was quite good till now has, under the influence of some charm, not only ruined his own career but has destroyed all of our hopes as well.
71. That was their argument for the worship of their gods. They said that they would worship them because their forefathers worshiped them. Prophet Salih (peace be upon him), argued like this: Worship Allah….Who has created you from the earth, and Who made it a living place for you. In answer to this they argued, as if to say: These deities are also worthy of worship, and we will not give them up because our forefathers have been worshiping them for a long time. This is an apt example of the type of arguments employed by the supporters of Islam and those of ignorance. The former base their arguments on sound reasoning, while the latter base them on blind imitation.
72. The Quran has not specified the nature of the doubts and feelings of distraction. This is because, though all of them had these feelings, these were different in different persons. For it is one of the characteristics of the message that it takes away the peace of mind of all these people to whom it is addressed. Though the feelings of distraction are of various kinds, everyone gets a portion of them. This is because it becomes simply impossible for anyone to continue treading the paths of deviation with that peace of mind which one had before the coming of the message. For it impels everyone to think whether one is following the right way or any of the wrong ways of ignorance. No one can shut one’s ears and eyes against the penetrating and merciless criticism of the weaknesses of the ways of ignorance, and the strong and rational arguments for the right way. Then the high moral character of the Messenger, his perseverance, his nobility, his gentle conduct, his frank and righteous attitude and his dignity cannot fail to shake their impressions even on the most obdurate, and prejudiced opponents. The message by itself attracts the best elements from that society and brings about the most revolutionary changes in the characters of its followers so as to make them models of excellence. Naturally all these things combine to produce the feelings of distraction in the minds of those who desire to uphold the ways of ignorance even after the coming of the truth.
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