The Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud;
Rejection of Blessings
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 (20)
This refers to the tyranny brought on by blessings, where people fail to show gratitude for them. It is also referred to as ingratitude or disbelief in blessings. Allah’s Sunnah regarding the ungrateful is to destroy their homes and bring about their ruin when they refuse to heed the call of the prophets and messengers. Allah says: {And how many a city have We destroyed that was insolent in its [way of] living, and those are their dwellings which have not been inhabited after them except briefly. And it is We who were the inheritors.} [Al-Qasas: 58].
Allah’s bestowing of blessings on disbelieving nations follows a divine Sunnah that is repeated in every nation to which Allah sent a messenger who was denied. This law encompasses both blessings and hardships in the hope that they may return to righteousness. The prophets (peace be upon them) would remind their people of the blessings of Allah and call them to gratitude for the One who provided those blessings.
Thamud, like ‘Aad, was blessed by Allah with abundance in wealth and prosperity. Allah granted them a comfortable life and established them in the land. Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) reminded them of these blessings at the beginning of his call, urging them to recognize the One who gave them these blessings and to thank Him by worshiping Him alone and abandoning idolatry. He said: {And remember when He made you successors after the ʿAad and settled you in the land, [and] you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes. Then remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."} [Al-A'raf: 74].
However, instead of enjoying these blessings in moderation, they engaged in excessive extravagance, denying the blessings of Allah and showing ingratitude. They constructed luxurious palaces and carved houses into mountains, not out of necessity or lawful enjoyment, but due to their arrogance, pride, and ingratitude. They became deceived by their own creations, thinking that they could secure permanence in this world.
Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) condemned this behavior and warned them of the consequences of their wastefulness and corruption, but they did not listen. Instead, they rejected the blessings of Allah and persisted in their ingratitude. As a result, Allah’s Sunnah was carried out, and those blessings turned into curses, bringing destruction upon them. The once prosperous people of Thamud were as though they had never been blessed at all.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) and the Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud, pp. 346-348.
- Social traditions in the Quran, Dr. Muhammad Amhazoun (3/405).
- Reasons for the destruction of previous nations, p. 378.
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:
