The story in short
- Arabic name
- صالح
- English name
- Salih
- Named in the Quran
- 9 times
- Sent to
- The people of Thamud, at al-Hijr in north-west Arabia
- Main surahs
- Al-Araf, Hud, Ash-Shuara
- In the list of 25
- 5 of 25
In short: Salih was sent to Thamud, who came after Ad and carved their houses into the mountains of al-Hijr. He called them to worship Allah alone. Allah gave them a she-camel as a sign, with a day to drink from the well and a day for them, and warned them not to harm her. The most wretched of them killed her. After three days a mighty blast seized them, and Salih and the believers were saved.
The story of Salih
Thamud and their homes
Thamud were made successors after Ad and settled in the land, building palaces on the plains and carving homes from the mountains (7:74). Salih reminded them of these favours and called them to Allah: "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" (11:61). They said: "O Salih, you were among us a man of promise before this" (11:62). They had respected him until he spoke against their gods.
The she-camel
Allah sent them "the she-camel of Allah" as a sign (7:73). The water was to be shared: "For her is a [time of] drink, and for you is a [time of] drink, [each] on a known day" (26:155). They were warned not to touch her with harm. Nine men in the city "caused corruption in the land and did not amend". They swore to each other to attack Salih and his family at night and then deny it (27:48-49). They called their companion, "and he dared and hamstrung her" (54:29). Surah Ash-Shams calls him "the most wretched of them" (91:12).
Three days, then the blast
Salih told them: "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days. That is a promise not to be denied" (11:65). Then "the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes corpses fallen prone" (11:67). Surah Al-Araf calls it the earthquake (7:78). Salih turned away from them saying: "I had certainly conveyed to you the message of my Lord and advised you, but you do not like advisors" (7:79).
When the Prophet ﷺ and his companions passed al-Hijr on the way to Tabuk, he told them not to enter the dwellings of those who had wronged themselves except weeping, lest what struck them strike you too. He told them not to use the water of its wells, except the well from which the she-camel used to drink.1
Key verses
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَٰلِحًۭا ۗ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ هَٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةُ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِىٓ أَرْضِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍۢ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ ﴿٧٣﴾
Wa ilaa Samooda akhaahum Saalihaa; qaala yaa qawmi' budul laaha maa lakum min ilaahin ghairuhoo qad jaaa'atkum baiyinatum mir Rabbikum haazihee naaqatul laahi lakum Aayatan fazaroohaa taakul feee ardil laahi wa laa tamassoohaa bisooo'in fa yaakhuzakum 'azaabun aleem
And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allah 's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment.
Quran 7:73 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Araf
۞ 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 ﴿٦١﴾
Wa ilaa Samooda akhaahum Saalihaa; qaala yaa qawmi' budul laaha maa lakum min ilaahim ghairuhoo Huwa ansha akum minal ardi wasta' marakum feehaa fastaghfiroohu summa toobooo ilaih; inna Rabbee Qareebum Mujeeb
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."
Quran 11:61 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Hud
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ ﴿١١﴾ إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا ﴿١٢﴾ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا ﴿١٣﴾ فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا ﴿١٤﴾ وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا ﴿١٥﴾
Kazzabat Samoodu bi taghwaahaaa Izim ba'asa ashqaahaa Faqaala lahum Rasoolul laahi naaqatal laahi wa suqiyaahaa Fakazzaboohu fa'aqaroohaa fadamdama 'alaihim Rabbuhum bizambihim fasaw waahaa Wa laa yakhaafu'uqbaahaa
(11) Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression, (12) When the most wretched of them was sent forth. (13) And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink." (14) But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them]. (15) And He does not fear the consequence thereof.
Quran 91:11-15 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Ash-Shams
Lessons from the story
- A sign from Allah is a test. Thamud were given exactly what they could see, and still rejected it.
- Evil plans are often made in groups and covered with lies, as the nine men did. Allah's plan is above theirs (27:50).
- The whole people shared the punishment because they approved of the killing, even if one man did it.
- Places of past punishment are for reflection and humility, not for entertainment.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Salih, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Al-Araf 7:73-79
- Surah Hud 11:61-68
- Surah Ash-Shuara 26:141-159
- Surah An-Naml 27:45-53
- Surah Al-Qamar 54:23-31
- Surah Ash-Shams 91:11-15
What is authentic, and what is not
The well-known detail that the she-camel came out of a rock, at the people's demand, is reported in the books of tafsir and in Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya from early reports. The Quran itself calls her a sign and "the she-camel of Allah" (17:59, 91:13) without describing how she appeared, so we mark that detail as a report rather than a certainty. The name of the man who killed her also comes from those reports. Al-Hijr is widely identified with the site known as Mada'in Salih (Hegra), near al-Ula in Saudi Arabia.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
Who were the people of Thamud?
An ancient Arab people who came after Ad and lived at al-Hijr, carving their homes into the mountains (7:74, 15:80-82).
What was the miracle of Prophet Salih?
The she-camel of Allah, sent as a clear sign, with a share of the water on alternate days (26:155).
Where is Mada'in Salih?
In north-west Saudi Arabia, near al-Ula. It is widely identified with al-Hijr, the land of Thamud.
How were Thamud destroyed?
Three days after killing the she-camel, they were seized by a mighty blast and an earthquake (11:65-67, 7:78).
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Abdullah ibn Umar.
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Salih, and his tafsir of 7:73-79 and 11:61-68.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.