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ka-ʾan lam yaghnaw fīhā ʾa-lā ʾinna thamūda kafarū rabbahum ʾa-lā buʿdan li-thamūda
as if they had never lived there. Behold! Thamud indeed defied their Lord. Now, away with Thamud!
— Ali Quli Qarai
11HūdهودVerse 68 of 123
Hud11. Hūdهود
Hūd
Hud
MeccanVerse 68 of 123
Surah Hud – Verse 67 - 68
67. “And the (mighty) Blast overtook those who were unjust, so they became motionless corpses in their abodes.”
68. “As if they had never dwelt there. Behold! Verily Thamud rejected their Lord. Behold! away with Thamud!”
The Arabic term, /jaimin/ is derived from /jaama/ which means sitting on one’s knees or falling on face, like the state in which one has received an electric shock which renders one immobile, making that person lose the power to escape. The Qur’anic term /yaqnau/ is derived from /qiniy/ which means staying in one place. The record of these obstinate and oppressive people of Thamud comes to a close in this verse. Salih (as) is one of the Arab prophets, and the tribe of Thamud is an ancient tribe belonging to prehistoric period, which resided in Wadi-al-Qura, located between Medina and Damascus. They were a nation of farmers and used to engage in horticulture. The name of Salih has been mentioned in the Books of the Divine prophets.
The annihilation of the people of Salih by the mighty blast has been likened to and resembles that of the supersonic jets of today which break the sound barrier when their speed exceeds that of sound. The terrifying sound caused, shatters glass windows, can cause abortions in pregnant women, and hasten heart attacks. As a result of the mighty blast, the Thamud people also were annihilated. The verse says:
“And the (mighty) Blast overtook those who were unjust, so they became motionless corpses in their abodes.”
The end of time will also be associated with a Divine mighty blast which will exterminate everything. Surah Yasin, No. 36, verse 49 says:
“They will not have to wait for anything but a single Blast: it will seize them while they are yet disputing (among themselves).”
Again, Surah Yasin, No. 36, verses 29, 32, say:
“It was naught but a single (mighty) Blast, and behold! They were (like ashes) quenched and silent.”
“And all of them shall surely be brought before Us.”
The raising up of the dead on the Day of Resurrection will also be made manifest in the same way. However, the Divine punishment inflicted upon the oppressors takes a similar course as a result of their injustice and cruelty. It must be noted that Allah’s retributions are not given only in the Hereafter, but injustice and cruelty will be rewarded even in this very world, too. The verse says:
“As if they had never dwelt there. Behold! Verily Thamud rejected their Lord. Behold! away with Thamud!”