Surah al-Qamar (The Moon ) 54 : 31

Overview (Verses 23 - 32)

Aggressors Against God's Sign

The people of Thamied also rejected [My] warnings. They said: Are we to follow one single mortal from among ourselves? In that case, we would surely be in error, lost in utter folly. Could a message have been sent to him alone out of all of us? No, he is indeed an insolent.

Tomorrow they will know who is the insolent liar. We shall send them a she-camel as a test. So watch them and be patient. Tell them that the water is to be equitably shared between them: each should drink in turn. They called their friend, who took something and slew her. How grievous was My punishment and how true were My warnings. We sent against them a single blast, and they became like the dry twigs of the sheepfold builder. We have made the Qur'an easy to bear in mind: will anyone take heed? (Verses 23-32)

The Thamud was the tribe that succeeded the 'Ad as the major power in Arabia. The `Ad lived in the south, while the Thamud were based in the north of the Peninsula. Despite the fact that the 'Ad's fate was well documented in the whole of Arabia, the Thamud took no heed and rejected God's warnings just like the 'Ad before them.

"They said- Are we to follow one single mortal from among ourselves? In that case, we would surely be in error, lost in utter folly. Could a message have been sent to him alone out of all of us? No, he is indeed an insolent liar." (Verses 24-25) This reiterates the same old argument that troubled unbelievers one generation after another. Could this man have been chosen from among us all to receive a divine message? Again, their attitude smacks of a hollow arrogance that does not consider the message itself, but rather looks at the person advocating it: "Are we to follow one single mortal from among ourselves?" (Verse 24)
 
Yet, why should it seem strange that God, who knows best to whom to entrust His message, should choose one particular person and give him revelations embodying reminders and directives? Why should it trouble them that God makes a choice when it is He, the Creator of all, who knows the one whose abilities and qualities make him the right choice. After all, it is God who gives the message. Their argument is baseless, and can only be entertained by deviant minds that do not look at the message itself to realize how true it is. They only look at the man advocating it, feeling too proud to follow one of their own number. They do not want to grant him position and status. Hence they say: "Are we to follow one single mortal from among ourselves? In that case, we would surely be in error, lost in utter filly." (Verse 24)

The most peculiar thing is that they describe themselves to be in error if they were to follow divine guidance, and to be lost in folly if they accept faith.

Hence, they point their fingers at the messenger God has chosen to lead them along the way of truth, accusing him of lying and of being greedy: "No, he is indeed an insolent liar." (Verse 25) The accusation of lying means that he did not receive a message from God, and the accusation of insolence means that he was after a position of honour for himself. The same accusations have been levelled at all advocates of divine faith. They are often accused of using the divine message as a cover to seek position and personal interest. Such false accusations are the product of twisted minds that cannot discern what motivates people.

As the surah reports the story in narrative form, it suddenly changes course and continues as though it is happening at this very instance. It now speaks about what is going to happen, stating it in the form of a threat: "Tomorrow they will know who is the insolent liar." (Verse 26) This is one of the tools employed in Qur'anic narratives to give an air of actuality, transforming them from a mere tale to events taking place before spectators who are full of anticipation about their development.

"Tomorrow they will know who is the insolent liar." (Verse 26) They will see the truth for themselves. They will not be immune to the consequences of this truth which heralds destruction for insolent liars: "We shall send them a she-camel as a test. So watch them and be patient. I Tell them that the water is to be equitably shared between them: each should drink in turn." (Verses 27-28) We stand watching with expectation to see what will happen when God sends them the she-camel as a test to prove their reality. Their messenger is also looking with expectation, carrying out the divine order that he should wait patiently until the test is completed. He has to deliver the instructions: the water the tribe has is to be shared equally, assigning one share to all the cattle and one to this she-camel alone. This must have been a she-camel with very special qualities, making her a miraculous sign. She takes the water one day, but does not disturb the other cattle on their day. She alternates with them in fairness.

The surah then reverts to the narrative style, reporting what happened afterwards: "They called their friend, who took something and slew her." (Verse 29) This friend belonged to a group of evildoers in their city. The group itself is described in the Qur'an thus: "There were in the city nine men who did evil deeds in the land, and would not do any good." (27: 48) This one in particular is given an even apter description: "their most hapless wretch." (91: 12) It is reported that this man got himself so drunk that he did not hesitate to undertake the miserable deed of killing the she-camel God had sent them as a sign. Their messenger had warned them against harming her, as this would render them liable to God's punishment. "They called their friend, who took something and slew her." (Verse 29) Thus the test ended and the punishment was incurred: "How grievous was My punishment and how true were My warnings?" (Verse 30) It is a question meant to emphasize the seriousness of what happened before mentioning the punishment inflicted when the warnings were not heeded.

"We sent against them a single blast, and they became like the thy twigs of the sheepfold builder." (Verse 31) The Qur'an does not give us any details here about this blast. However, it is described in Sarah 41 as a thunderbolt: "If they turn away, say: I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck the Ad and Thamud." (41: 13) The thunderbolt may only be a description of the blast making it a 'thunderbolt blast', or it may be a true description of its nature making the blast and the thunderbolt one and the same thing. Alternatively, the blast may be the sound produced by the thunderbolt, or the thunderbolt may merely be an effect of the blast about which we know very little. Be that as it may, one blast was sent against those people, causing great havoc and leaving them like the dry twigs of one who needs such material to build a sheepfold, or used by a farmer as food for his cattle kept in a sheepfold. That blast reduced the people of Thamud to a state of dry twigs. It is a fearful image raised against their earlier arrogance. All that remains of them is utter humiliation.

Now the surah draws its addressees' attention to the Qur'an so that they may reflect. The Qur'an provides an easy reminder: "We have made the Qur'an easy to bear in mind: will anyone take heed?" (Verse 32) The curtains are drawn, leaving a glimpse of dry twigs that irritate one's eyes and shudder one's mind, while the Qur'an steadfastly calls upon people to reflect and take heed.