Surah 11 Hud — Ayah 61
۞ وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَٰلِحًۭا ۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيبٌۭ مُّجِيبٌۭ
And to Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it, so ask forgiveness of Him and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive."
wa-ilā thamūda akhāhum ṣāliḥan qāla yāqawmi uʿ'budū l-laha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu huwa ansha-akum mina l-arḍi wa-is'taʿmarakum fīhā fa-is'taghfirūhu thumma tūbū ilayhi inna rabbī qarībun mujībun
Word by word
- ۞ وَإِلَىٰ wa-ilā And to
- ثَمُودَ thamūda Thamud
- أَخَاهُمْ akhāhum (We sent) their brother
- صَـٰلِحًۭا ۚ ṣāliḥan Salih
- قَالَ qāla He said
- يَـٰقَوْمِ yāqawmi O my people
- ٱعْبُدُوا۟ uʿ'budū Worship
- ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
- مَا mā not
- لَكُم lakum you have
- مِّنْ min any
- إِلَـٰهٍ ilāhin god
- غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ ghayruhu other than Him
- هُوَ huwa He
- أَنشَأَكُم ansha-akum produced you
- مِّنَ mina from
- ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the earth
- وَٱسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ wa-is'taʿmarakum and settled you
- فِيهَا fīhā in it
- فَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ fa-is'taghfirūhu So ask forgiveness of Him
- ثُمَّ thumma then
- تُوبُوٓا۟ tūbū turn in repentance
- إِلَيْهِ ۚ ilayhi to Him
- إِنَّ inna Indeed
- رَبِّى rabbī my Lord
- قَرِيبٌۭ qarībun (is) near
- مُّجِيبٌۭ mujībun All-Responsive
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The Story of Salih and the People of Thamud
Allah, the Exalted, says,
(And) This is an introduction to that which is implied, "Verily, We sent."
(to Thamud) They were a group of people who were living in cities carved from the rocks, between Tabuk and Al-Madinah (in Arabia). They lived after the people of `Ad, so Allah sent to them,
(their brother Salih.) He (Salih) commanded them to worship Allah alone. He said to them,
(He brought you forth from the earth) This means: `He began your creation from it (the earth). From it He created your father, Adam.'
(and settled you therein,) This means: `He made you prosperous in the earth. You are settled in it and you treasure it.'
(then ask forgiveness) `This is in reference to your previous sins. '
(and turn to Him in repentance.) `This is in reference to the future.'
(Certainly, my Lord is Near (to all by His knowledge), Responsive.) This is similar to Allah's statement,
(And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed Near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me.) 2:186