His saying, the Exalted: "Indeed in that is a sign"—up to: "the Merciful."
Its explanation has preceded.
[His saying: "Thamud denied the messengers"]
15841 - Muhammad ibn al-'Abbas narrated to us, [saying]: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Salamah narrated to us, [saying]: Salamah ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq who said: When Allah destroyed 'Ad and their affair came to an end, Thamud were settled after them, and they were made successors in the earth. They grew numerous and spread therein, then they became arrogant toward Allah. When their corruption became manifest and they worshipped others besides Allah, Allah sent Salih to them—and they were an Arab people, and he was the most moderate among them in lineage and the best among them in status—as a messenger. Their dwellings were from al-Hijr to Quzah, which is Wadi al-Qura, a distance of eighteen miles between al-Hijaz and al-Sham. Allah sent him to them as a young boy, and he called them to Allah until he turned gray and aged, yet none followed him except a few among the oppressed. When Salih persisted in calling them and increased his warnings to them, and frightened them from Allah with punishment and retribution,
They asked him to show them a sign that would be a confirmation for what he was saying in that to which he was calling them. He said to them: "What sign do you want?" They said: "You shall go out with us to this festival of ours"—and they had a festival on a known day of the year to which they would go out with their idols and what they worshipped besides Allah—"and you shall call upon your God, and we shall call upon our gods. If it is answered for you, we shall follow you, and if it is answered for us, you shall follow us." Salih said to them: "Yes." So they went out with their idols to that festival of theirs, and Salih went out with them to Allah, and they called upon their idols and asked them that no response be given to Salih regarding anything for which he prayed.
His saying, the Exalted: "When their brother Salih said to them: 'Will you not fear Allah? I am to you a trustworthy messenger.'"
15842 - Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la informed us by way of reading, [saying]: Ibn Wahb announced, [saying]: Salamah ibn 'Ali informed me, from Sa'id ibn Bashir, from Qatadah: That Salih was sent from al-Hijr.
15843 - Muhammad ibn 'Ammar ibn al-Harith narrated to us, [saying]: Sahl ibn Bakkar narrated to us, [saying]: Dawud ibn Abi al-Furat narrated to us, from 'Alba' ibn Ahmar, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas: That Salih the Prophet, peace be upon him, was sent by Allah to his people, and they believed in him. Then he died, so they returned after him from Islam. Then Allah revived him and sent him to them, and he informed them that he was Salih, but they denied him and said: "Salih has died, so show us a sign if you are of the truthful ones." He asked Allah to bring them a sign, so Allah brought them the she-camel. Then they disbelieved in him and hamstrung her, so Allah destroyed them.
