The Holy Quran Text. Translation & Commentary (the Example Commentary in Brief)(volume Three)

The Tempest Begins (verse No. 40 - 43)

The faithless continued with his blasphemy and inequitous conducts, and the faithful with his belief and righteous deeds until God's decree was issued, and the oven of God's wrath boiled over, and a fearful tempest began! Then the sky rained cats and dogs, and all the springs on the earth gushed forth, and Lo! A mad Flood covered the whole globe, and overwhelmed everything and every one! It seemed as if the ovens which are usually the places of fire, had turned to flowings springs of water, in order to catch and drown all the enemies of truth! Noah and his followers got the hint from a certain oven which boiled up, and swiftly prepared themselves for a fearful voyage. They soon took refuge in the Ark of Allah, knowing well that there would be no refuge other than that, from the wrath of God.

As per order that was inspired to him; Noah embarked all the believersِwho were not manyِhis own family, except his wife, and KANAAN his sonِand from all species of the animals, a male and a female, and that was all. The vessel raised up, and upper, and upset, by the boiling and roaring water; and at once found herself amid the furious waves that

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towered like mountains. Everything seemed to be fearful, and no hope flickered from anywhere except from the direction of God! The unbelieving son of Noah whose name was KANAAN, standing apart had no confidence in Allah, and relied upon the material things like the mountains! He refused to obey his father in joining them in the Ark. He even could not believe that the handmade Ark of his father could withstand the Flood. In answer to his father he said:ِ ``I will go to that mountain's peak which will protect me from the water.'' He could not believe that all the peaks and depths are in the charge of Allah and under His control:ِ ``My son! Embark with us, and be not with the unbelievers. And he replied:ِ I shall soon seek refuge in the mountains which will protect me from water.'' And the father who saw the fruit of his life is being lost, said with pity and sorrow:ِ ``Papa! No one can protect you to-day from the wrath of God, except His own Mercy.'' But a huge wave came forth and interrupted the argument and made a barrier between them, and the rude son went with the waves which were not his friend!

WAS THE FLOOD UNIVERSAL?

Many of the verses imply that the Flood was not regional, and had covered the whole globe, destroying all the living creatures. To this effect all the races of mankind now living on earth take their origin from either one of Noah's three sons, namely HAAMM-SAAMM and YAAFTH. The above verses too, denote that Noah embarked one couple of each animal species which may imply that the Flood could have killed all the living creatures; and yet Allah knows better whether the Flood was a regional or a universal, because the same reason can be used to prove both cases.

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وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِىَ الاَْمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِىِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْداً لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ(( 44 ))

44- AND IT WAS SAID:ِ ``O, EARTH! SWALLOW YOUR WATER. AND O, SKY! WITHHOLD (YOUR RAIN).'' AND THE WATER WENT DOWN, AND THE MATTER WAS JUDGED (ALLAH'S WILL WAS DONE) AND THE ARK WAS SETTLED ON JUDI; AND IT WAS SAID:ِ ``AWAY WITH THE OPPRESSING PEOPLE.''

THE COMMENTARY THE END OF AN ADVENTURE (VERSE NO. 44)

Some Islamic traditions imply that the Ark wandered on that wavy ocean, for six months when finally the end of the punishment was announced. Then the sky ceased raining and the earth swallowed the water and the Ark sat upon JUDI. The above verse is one of the most beautiful and expressive passages in the Arabic language and literature. It has a wonderful moving force and fluency through which large scenery is explained in few words, that none of them can be replaced with a synonym without ruining the beauty and changing the whole meaning!

WHERE IS JUDI?

There is not a widely accepted place, as Judi, upon which the Ark must have settled. Some of the commentators say that it is a mountain near Musel in the northern region of Iraq. Some others have taken it as a common name given to any place which is hard and high. A group of the commentators speak of BOHTAN in a district at the frontier of Modern Turkish and Iraq, in which JABAL JUDI= THE MOUNTAIN OF JUDI is situated, and Allah knows best where JUDI or the seat of the Ark had been.

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وَنَادَى نُوحٌ رَبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنْتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ(( 45 ))

45- AND NOAH CALLED UNTO HIS LORD AND SAID:ِ ``O, MY LORD! MY SON IS OF MY FAMILY AND YOUR PROMISE IS TRUE, AND YOU ARE THE HIGHEST OF ALL JUDGES.''

قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِح فَلاَ تَسْأَلْنِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنْ الْجَاهِلِينَ(( 46 ))

46- HE SAID:ِ ``O, NOAH! HE IS NOT OF YOUR FAMILY. HIS DEED IS NOT RIGHTEOUS. SO, REQUEST NOT OF ME THAT WHICH YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF. I WARN YOU NOT TO BE OF THE IGNORANTS.''

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلاَّ تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ(( 47 ))

47- HE SAID:ِ ``MY LORD! I SEEK REFUGE IN YOU FROM REQUESTING THAT WHICH I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT. AND IF YOU FORGIVE ME NOT, AND HAVE NOT MERCY ON ME I SHALL BE OF THE LOSERS.''

**THE COMMENTARY

THE PAINFUL INCIDENT OF NOAH'S SON (VERSE NO. 45 - 47)**

KANAAN, the son of Noah disobeyed his father and took no admonition from the warnings. He adhered to his evil friends and left

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his father's teachings behind. True that he was connected to the prophet through a blood relation, but he had made firm spiritual and moral ties with disbelievers and evil-doers and so he lost all the privileges of being the son of a prophet. He had plunged in sin, and so deep that his father failed to intercede with God on his behalf! It is narrated that Kanaan played a double role in his acts, like all the hypocrites. He apparently belonged to the prophetic house and the believers, but privately he befriended the unbelievers and evil doers. So Noah was not sure enough that his son was with the faithless mischief makers of the town. Had he known that, he would have driven him away.

On the other hand, Noah was a kind-hearted man with all the emotions and sentiments of a Man father such as, fear, love, anger, joy, with such feelings under his control. When he saw his son was drowned, he was naturally grieved like any other loving father, and questioned his Lord in his tender prayer. But when it was inspired to him that his son was a wrong doing unbeliever, he knew that there could be no compromise with evil, and therefore he repented and begged God to pardon him.

قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلاَم مِنَّا وَبَرَكَات عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أُمَم مِمَّنْ مَّعَكَ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمْ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(( 48 ))

48- IT WAS SAID:ِ ``O, NOAH! COME DOWN (FROM THE ARK) WITH PEACE FROM US, AND BLESSINGS UPON YOU AND UPON THOSE WHO ARE WITH YOU. AND NATIONS THAT WE LET THEM ENJOY THEMSELVES, THEN A PAINFUL PUNISHMENT FROM US WILL TOUCH THEM.''

تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلاَ قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ(( 49 ))

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49- THESE ARE THE NEWS FROM THE UNSEEN THAT WE INSPIRE TO YOU. YOU WERE NOT TO KNOW IT, NEITHER YOUR PEOPLE, BEFORE THIS. THEN BE PATIENT THAT THE (GOOD) END IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE PIOUS.

THE COMMENTARY NOAH DEBARKED IN PEACE (VERSE NO. 48 - 49)

These are the last verses about the event of Noah in this chapter of Qura"n. Noah disembarked safely and in peace, but the land was not the former landِAll the building were destructiond and all the orchards and farm lands ruined and no more creature was seen moving! Noah and his disciples trembled and a fear and anxiety of famine and starvation seized them, but Allah promised to bestow on them His Grace and Blessings:ِ ``O, Noah! Come down from the Ark with peace from us, and our Blessings upon you and upon those who are with you.'' The ending of the above verse (NO.48) implies that the sad story of Noah's people was not the first one of its kind nor the last of all:ِ ``And there will come nations again that We let them enjoy themselves and have pleasures and fruition, and then a painful punishment from us will touch them for their evil conducts which comes out of their faithlessness.''

Again and again nations, and races will come to existence, and take no lesson of the past experiences of man. They will waste their respite and unique opportunities in material enjoyments and secular pleasures and plunge in sin and oppression, and then the wrath of God seizes their throats and the history is repeated and renewed.

The good end always belongs to those who adhere to piety and grasp the chain of God, and in return recieve God's Grace and Mercy.

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Thus, Noah debarked with the promise of God's peace and blessings. Through God's peace, real spiritual calmness and true comfort of mind is obtained, and by His Blessing, all means of spiritual happiness and physical welfare is provided for the blessed. The said Grace and Blessing of God was not only given to Noah and those who followed him. It rather waits for all the righteous people who have faith, and seek the guiding light of God. Of course, we ought to know that the Grace of God is not a family or racial privilege, but rather something that the godly strives and works hard to earn it.

*****

THE FLOOD

The story of Noah in a much lower class of literature, has also been narrated in the BIBLE, (O.T. GENESIS) with nothing more of details. In the narration no mention is made of Kanaan or other sons of Noah to have been drowned in the Flood. But there is a ridiculous and abused tale forged about Noah and Canaan when they disembarked, which is by no means a becoming conduct for a prophet, and it rather is a real aspersion and abuse. For our dear reader to compare the Qura"nic narration with that of the BIBLE, we beg to bring the following to their kind notice:ِ

EXTRACTION FROM GENESIS 7 ِ 9

7: 11ِWhen Noah was six hundred years old, all the outlets of the vast body of water beneath the earth burst open. All the flood-gates of the sky were opened, and rain fell on the earth for forty days. 13ِOn the same day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, SHEM, HAM, and JAPHET, and their wives. 14ِWith them went every kind of animals, domestic and wild, large and small, and every kind of bird. A male and a female from each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah as God had commanded.

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Then the Lord shut the door (OF THE BOAT) behind Noah. 17ِThe Flood continued for forty days and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. 6: 13ِ When Noah was 601 years old the water was gone. So Noah removed the covering of the boat, looked round and saw that the ground was getting dry. 15ِ God said to Noah:ِ``Go out of the boat with your wife your sons, and their wives. Take all the birds and animals out with you, so that they may reproduce and spread over all the earth.''

9: 20ِ Noah who was a farmer was the first man to plant a vineyard.

21ِ After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his cloths, and lay naked in his tent. When Ham, Canaan's father saw that his father was naked he went out and told his two brothers. Then Shem and Japhet took a robe and held it behind them on their shoulders. They walked backward in the tent and covered their father, keeping their faces turned away so as not to see him naked. 24ِ When Noah was sober again and learnt what his youngest son had done to him he said:ِ ``A CURSE ON CANAAN!'' he will be the slave to his brothers. Canaan will be the slave of Shem!

I wish I could have the answers of the priests, either Christians or Jews for the following questions on account of the above mentioned tale:ِ 1ِ Were Noah and his rescued folk more in need of planting wheat and barley, or wine and vineyards?

2ِ What was HAM going to prove when he informed his two brothers, of their father being blind drunk fallen naked!? Why did he not cover his father, and where was his mother then?

3ِ When HAM the father of Canaan did that sin of tale-bearing! Why did Noah cursed Canaan his innocent grandson instead of his own guilty son, if there was any guilt?

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)

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وَإِلَى عَاد أَخَاهُمْ هُوداً قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَه غَيْرُهُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلاَّ مُفْتَرُونَ(( 50 ))

50- AND TO A"D THEIR BROTHER HOOD SAID:ِ ``O, MY PEOPLE! WORSHIP ALLAH. YOU HAVE NO GOD OTHER THAN HIM. YOU ARE ONLY FORGERS.''

يَا قَوْمِ لاَ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِنْ أَجْرِي إِلاَّ عَلَى الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(( 51 ))

51- O, MY PEOPLE! I ASK NO REWARD OF YOU FOR IT, THAT MY REWARD IS ONLY ON HIM WHO CREATED ME; DON'T YOU THEN UNDERSTAND.

وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلْ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَاراً وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَى قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّوْا مُجْرِمِينَ(( 52 ))

52- AND O, MY PEOPLE! ASK FORGIVENESS OF YOUR LORD, THEN REPENT TO HIM; HE WILL TURN ON YOU THE SKY MUCH RAINING, AND WILL ADD POWER TO YOUR POWER. AND DO NOT YOU TURN AWAY AS SINNERS.

THE COMMENTARY THE BRAVE IDOLِBREAKERS (VERSE NO. 50 - 52)

This SURA of QURA"N, includes the message of five great prophets, and their troubles and sufferings, and results of their strive and endeavour. All of them had one object and the same, and that was to free man from his various fetters and chains, and gather them together under the light of Monotheism guiding them how to tread the path of development and evolution:ِ

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``And to A"D,their brother HOOD said:ِ O, my people! Worship Allah. You have no other God than HIM.'' Hood is called their brother here because he belonged to the same race and society and tribe, and he behaved towards them more like a brother than a citizen or other relatives. Hood's message for his people was the same as that of all the other apostlesِto worship Allah, and associate no one and nothing with him. For further information about the place wherein the people of Hood lived, please refer to the TRANSLATOR'S NOTE on volume 2ِpage 437 of this book. There are a few points here that deserve more consideration:ِ

1ِThe principle of the message of all the apostles was MONOTHEISM which is belief in one God as the creator and governor of the universe. In the strict sense, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are probably the only monothestic religions of the world. Monotheism is the source of unity, cooperation, and all sort of mutual assistance in the societies. On contrary, Polytheism is the cause of all disunions and conflicts and differences which result to self-centering, selfishness, and monopolism.

2ِThe truthful leaders do not demand any wage or reward from their followers for their teaching and leadership. They do not have material needs of people and are connected to them spiritually. If not so, they would be fettered by their necessities, which is said to be the mother of invention and forgeries. Of course those who work full-time for Muslim Societies, must be provided some how in a correct way, and there is the Islamic Public Purse for such purposes.

3ِQura"n proves a clear cut relation between spiritual and physical phenomenons. As an instance; repentance and seeking God's forgiveness, will result in fruitfulness of the land, and abundance of rain, and increase in personal power! If we go through the matter a little deeper, we soon come to the conclusion that a society which is plunged in sin, betrayal, theft, oppression, and laziness will never prosper. When a community loses

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the spirit of cooperation, learning, good morality, and mutual assistance; will give way to all sorts of misfortune and bad luck, and eventually will disintegrate, and break up and destory its identity.

قَالُواْ يَا هُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَة وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَنْ قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ(( 53 ))

53- THEY SAID:ِ ``O, HOOD! YOU HAVE NOT COME TO US WITH EVIDENCE, AND WE ARE NOT TO LEAVE OUR GODS FOR WHAT YOU SAY, AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU.''

إِنْ نَقُولُ إِلاَّ اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ آلِهَتِنَا بِسُوء قَالَ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُ اللهَ وَاشْهَدُوا أَنِّي بَرِىءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ(( 54 ))

54- WE SAY NOTHING EXCEPT THAT SOME OF OUR GODS HAVE AFFLICTED YOU WITH SOME EVIL. (SUCH AS MADNESS) HE SAID:ِ ``I CALL ALLAH TO WITNESS, AND YOU WITNESS TOO, THAT I AM QUIT OF WHAT YOU ASSOCIATE....''

مِنْ دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعاً ثُمَّ لاَ تُنْظِرُونِي(( 55 ))

55- ....APART FROM HIM.

THEN SCHEME AGAINST ME YOU ALL, AND GIVE ME NO RESPITE. (DO YOUR WORST AGAINST ME)

إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ مَّا مِنْ دَابَّة إِلاَّ هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاط مُسْتَقِيم(( 56 ))

56- I HAVE PUT MY TRUST IN ALLAH, MY LORD AND YOUR LORD. THERE IS NO MOVING CREATURE UNLESS HE HOLDS

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IT BY ITS FORELOCK. (HE HAS CONTROL OVER IT) VERILY MY LORD IS ON A STRAIGHT PATH.

فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ مَّا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّي قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ وَلاَ تَضُرُّونَهُ شَيْئاً إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء حَفِيظٌ(( 57 ))

57- THEN IF YOU TURN AWAY, I HAVE CONVEYED TO YOU THAT WITH WHICH I WAS SENT TO YOU.

AND MY LORD WILL REPLACE YOU WITH A PEOPLE OTHER THAN YOU, AND YOU CAN DO HIM NO HARM, THAT MY LORD IS THE GUARDIAN OVER EVERYTHING.

THE COMMENTARY THE STRONG LOGIC OF HOOD (VERSE NO. 53 - 57)

The obstinate people of Hood did not want to be convinced, and therefore instead of considering the evidences, and pondering over the signs that the Messenger of God manifested, they denied everything and said:ِ ``O, Hood! You have not come to us with evidence, and we are not going to leave aside our gods for the sake of your sayings, and we will never believe you.'' They insisted upon their idolatry and put stress upon their false gods saying:ِ ``We don't want to call you strictly a liar, but of surety you are a feeble minded, because our gods have touched you with some evil which has turned you mentally weak!'' Hood's call to A"d was to leave aside the idols who had made with their own hands for gods, and worship Allah the only true one God who is the Creator of the universe.

This sort of a call wants no evidence and reasoning, because it is

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self-explanatory. What sort of reason were they seeking to convince them that an idol can do nothing for man? What did they mean by evidence and clear sign? Did they want a wonderful miracle, such as raising up the sun from the west, in order to prove to them that an stone idol, or a metal image, is not the God who has created them, and cannot either harm or profit them? Which of the two parties was feeble-mindedِHood or A"d? To this effect Hood did not care the least for A"d and its power and plot, and whatever they could do, and so he said:ِ ``Then plot against me all of youِyou and your gods, and give me no respite at all. I have put all my trust on my Lord.''

But you ought to know that in the universal plan of God, there is not enough room for those creatures who obtain no merits, and He will replace them with some other who deserve it. He who has permanent watch and care over the whole universe has also the FORELOCK of every moving creature in His hand, and controls all the movements. My Lord is on a straight path. In other word; any path other than that of creation which is established by the creator, is no path, or a crooked one. It is only the direct path of God which passes through justice and righteousness, and may lead man to the Paradise of prosperity.

GRASP OF THE FORELOCK is an Arabic idiom with reference to horse's forelock. He who grasps it will have complete power and control over the horse. (A. YUSUF ALI)

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا هُوداً وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَة مِنَّا وَنَجَّيْنَاهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَاب غَلِيظ(( 58 ))

58- AND WHEN OUR DECREE WAS ISSUED, WE SAVED HOOD AND THOSE WHO BELIEVED WITH HIM BY A MERCY FROM US, AND WE SAVED THEM FROM A DENSE TORMENT.

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وَتِلْكَ عَادٌ جَحَدُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا رُسُلَهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّار عَنِيد(( 59 ))

59- AND THAT WAS (THE FATE OF) طD WHO DENIED THE SIGNS OF THEIR LORD, AND DISOBEYED HIS MESSENGERS AND FOLLOWED THE ORDER OF ANY INSOLENT TYRANT.

وَأُتْبِعُوا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلاَ إِنَّ عَاداً كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ أَلاَ بُعْداً لِعَاد قَوْمِ هُود(( 60 ))

60- AND THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY A CURSE IN THIS WORLD, AND ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION.

BEHOLD! THAT طD DISBELIEVED IN THEIR LORD! SO, AWAY WITH طD THE PEOPLE OF HOOD. (FROM GOD MERCY)

THE COMMENTARY AN EVERLASTING CURSE UPON THE OPPRESSORS. (VERSE NO. 58 - 60)

God's general plan is such that when an inevitable disaster comes, He saves his faithful servants by His special Grace and Mercy. A"d disobeyed their apostles, and rejected their Message and followed every rebel against God's law and religion. The sins for which the people of A"d were punished are classified here in three category as undermentioned:ِ

1ِThey denied the signs of their Lord and obstinately rejected all the reasons and evidences that were presented to them.

2ِThey disobeyed their apostles and rebelled against God.

3ِThey ignored God's commandment and followed the orders of the insolent tyrants.

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Therefore they met with the consequences of their deeds and the fruit of their evil conduct, which was being followed by a curse in this world and also in the Resurrection Day.

وَإِلَى ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحاً قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَه غَيْرُهُ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُمْ مِنْ الاَْرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ(( 61 ))

61- AND TO THAMOOD (WE SENT) THEIR BROTHER SALIH. HE SAID:ِ ``O, MY PEOPLE! WORSHIP ALLAH. YOU HAVE NO GOD OTHER THAN HE. HE MADE YOU FROM THE EARTH, AND ALLOCATED IT TO YOU TO FLOURISH IT. SO ASK FORGIVENESS OF HIM, AND TURN TO HIM, THAT MY LORD IS NEAR, ANSWERING (YOUR PRAYERS).''