The Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud;
Deception
Selections from the Book Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) and the Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (18)
What Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) was exposed to was a great matter due to the plotting of the disbelievers against him. Allah said: {And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.} [An-Naml: 50]. Plotting was a prominent trait of the people of Thamud, and they used all kinds of tricks and methods to prevent people from responding to the call of monotheism and worshiping Allah. They preferred doubts and false accusations, and set up obstacles and hindrances against his call, as we have mentioned in the previous pages.
They devised schemes and set traps to plot against Salih (peace be upon him), but Allah nullified them and made them a means of their destruction. The fate of the plotters, punished by Allah, is a fixed divine law that will continue until Allah inherits the earth and all that is upon it.
Allah Almighty said: {And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.} [Al-An'am: 124].
In another verse, He clarified the fate of these disbelievers who plotted: {Those before them had already plotted, but Allah came at [i.e., uprooted] their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.} [An-Nahl: 26].
Indeed, Allah’s Sunnah is inevitable for the plotters; it does not change or alter. {[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.} [Fatir: 43]. This is the result of the human mind’s deceitful and hidden schemes, combined with the inherent nature of human conflict, whose aim is to harm others by all available means, without any moral or legal deterrent. The Quranic verses have warned against evil plotting, emphasizing that nations, societies, and states cannot prosper or be built upon evil schemes.
Allah said: {[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.} [Fatir: 43].
Allah said: {Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.} [An-Naml: 51].
{And they [i.e., the disbelievers] planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.} [Ali 'Imran: 54].
{Then, did they feel secure from the plan of Allah? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people.} [Al-A'raf: 99].
{But they who plot evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those - it will perish.} [Fatir: 10].
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) and the Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud, pp. 341-343.
- Developmental Quranic Science, Jamal Hassan Al-Homsi, Quran Memorization Association, 2019, p. 83.
- Allah's Sunnahs in human life (2/332).
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) and the Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
