The Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud;
The Sunnah of Replacement
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 (21)
Allah Almighty said: {And if you turn away [i.e., refuse], He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you.} [Muhammad: 38]. The divine law in human societies is that whenever Allah destroys a people, He brings forth another people to succeed them, who will establish the earth. The downfall of one nation and the rise of another is not in vain or by chance; rather, it is part of Allah's Sunnah for nations, states, and civilizations, to renew the cells of humanity and to rotate the cycle of civilization among people, so that the world continues to stand upon a sound creed and correct foundations suitable for survival.
Just as civilizations have laws for their rise and fall, they also have laws for renewal, revival, and replacement. The Holy Quran spoke about civilizational replacement, and this is what happened to the people of Salih (peace be upon him), where the causes of their destruction accumulated, and the law of Allah prevailed upon them with total eradication, so that humanity could continue its mission through Salih (peace be upon him) and those who believed with him. Salih (peace be upon him) and those who believed with him were distinguished by the monotheism of Allah and dedicating worship to Him, fighting against polytheism in all its forms and colors, and they moved across the land of Allah with the Sunnah of Allah after the destruction of the people of Salih (peace be upon him).
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) and the Reasons for the Destruction of the People of Thamud, pp. 360-361.
- Allah’s Sunnahs in the rise and fall of civilizations, p. 73.
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:
