Interpretation of Surah al-Shams (The Sun) - Part 7

In the next verse it said: this nation was least bothered to pay any heed to the words of this great prophet and his warnings and denied him and killed the she-camel

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا

عَقَرُوهَا

The above term means the base and foundation of something. Here it means to eradicate, uproot or killing.

Some stated as well, that it means to chop of the legs of the animal, lower part of the leg and made it to fall down and as a result causes the death of the animal.

The interesting thing is that, the one who killed the she -camel was not more than a person. The Noble Qur’an called him as أَشْقَاهَا

But in the above verse we observe that it was connected to all the transgressors of the nation of Samud. The term عَقَرُوهَا, It is indicated in the plural form. This is for the reason that the others too were in some way or another were involved in that crime and shared it. Firstly these sort of plots are commonly planned by the group of people and then by the help of a certain person or a group of persons it move towards its implementation. Secondly as crime is put into practice by the consent and support of others so they too are indirectly involved in that crime.

Hence in the significant and noteworthy words of the Ameerul Momineen Imam Ali (A.S) we read: Only one person killed the she-camel of Samud but the Most High and Sublime God inflicted all of them in the chastisement. As they all together granted consent to this affair but later that they felt regretful for it. (However at the time when there was not left any possibility of forgiveness it was completely useless to feel penitent for them).

After their stern denial and opposition the Eternal God punished them in such a manner that they got vanished from the earth. There was not left any single sign of them on the surface of earth. Therefore in the continuation of this verse it is said: Their Lord crushed and destroyed them for the sin committed by them, flattened and levelled their land.

فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا

صاعقه

The above term is the same celestial scream which in short moments created the earth quake and upheaval in their land that the entire buildings collapsed down and got flattened. And their houses turned out to be their graves.

دَمْدَمَ

Sometimes it gives the meaning, to kill and often the total punishment, at times it gives the meaning, to pound and mash or to uproot. So often it gives the meaning of getting enraged and infuriated or to surround or to enclose.

سَوَّاهَا

The above term means, to flatten the houses and their lands which caused by the great celestial scream, thunderbolt and earth quake or it means suddenly to put them to death. They were being equal before the punishment in such a way that not a single person among them got escaped from that phenomenon.

In addition, from this verse it is evident that their punishment was the result of their sins and according to their wrong deeds and it is the correct justice.

About many nations we read that at the moment of the appearance of punishment, they got regretful and they got ready to repent it. But mysteriously according to many narrations, the people of Samud as observed the signs of the punishment, they began to search the prophet to find and kill him. This proves their depth of transgression and stubborn disobedience that totally wrapped off the scroll of their lives.

Finally in the last verse to warn firmly those who were moving upon the same path and direction it is said: And the Mighty and strong God never fear the consequence of this issue.

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

There are numerous rulers who have power to punish but fearing the reason of its consequences and fear of the people’s reactions and its outcome, for this reason they avoid to execute their power. Or in the correct words, their power is mixed with the weakness and their knowledge is combined with the ignorance. As they fear that they have no power to face and collate the outcome and effect of their actions.

However the All Powerful God whose knowledge encircled the entire affairs and its consequences and its effects and to counter the outcome of the incident his power is not mixed with weakness. For this reason with all the power and firmness he executes whatever he decides

The transgressors must know that they will reach to the account of their deeds and they are going to face the divine wrath and his extreme rage and they must keep themselves away from bad deeds.

The term عُقْبَا, it means the end and consequence of an affair.

The points:

The summary of the Samud tribe

As we are informed, the tribe of Samud were inhabited in the land between the Medina and the Syria (named valley of AlQara). Their religion was idol worshipping and they were sinking in the various sins. Salih (A.S) the great prophet of Allah raised from among them and tried hard to guide and save them. But they did not left the practise of idol worshipping nor did they have a second look upon their transgressions and sins.

When they demanded the miracle the Glorious God astonishingly and extraordinarily bring forth a she-camel from the rock of the mountain. However to examine the tribe of Samud the Almighty God ordered the people of the village to leave a day, the drinking water only under the free will of she-camel. And the next day the water must be left at the control of the people. The canal of drinking water must be used by the she camel and the tribe according to their turn.

Even in some of the narrations it is stated that the day when they were out of the reach of water that day they were getting abundantly, the milk of the she camel. This splendid miracle still did not lessen their transgression and hostility. They planned to destroy the she-camel and the prophet Salih (A.S) too as they were finding him as an obstacle in their fascinations and passionate deeds.

The plan of destroying the she-camel was plotted by a very pitiless and ruthless man named Qadaar bin Salif who killed the she camel by giving her hard blows.

In fact this was a declaration of war against the Sovereign God as by killing the she camel which was the miracle of the prophet Salih (A.S) they wanted to extinguish the light of Guidance. Here Hazrat Salih (A.S) warned them that for three days, they enjoy leisurely, the comforts of their houses and they must be all aware that after three days the divine wrath will be going to grab all of them in its fierce fist, (Surah Hud verse 65).

These three days was a grace period given to them by the Benevolent God to take the final decision and it was the last chance for the penitence, regret and apology and return back. They not only rejected to repent but their transgression increased much more. Here the divine chastisements descended upon them. The celestial scream crumbled their entire land. All of them fall down upon the ground and died, (Surah Hud 67).

They are destroyed in such a way that their abodes got hushed up and silent as if there had not been the resident of that cities but the Guardian God protected the prophet Salih (A.S) and his dutiful companions from the disaster and saved them.