فَعَتَوۡاْ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِمۡ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ
But they were insolent toward the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt seized them while they were looking on.
فَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ مِن قِيَامٖ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ
And they were unable to arise, nor could they defend themselves.
وَثَمُودَاْ فَمَآ أَبۡقَىٰ
And Tham´d – and He did not spare [them] –
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Tham´d denied the warning.
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٗا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدٗا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٍ
And said, "Is it one human being[1] among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.
1- i.e., the prophet êŒliú.
أَءُلۡقِيَ ٱلذِّكۡرُ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۢ بَيۡنِنَا بَلۡ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٞ
Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar."
سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ
They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.
إِنَّا مُرۡسِلُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّهُمۡ فَٱرۡتَقِبۡهُمۡ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ
Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient.[1]
1- This and the following verse are an address to êŒliú (upon him be peace).
وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَةُۢ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلُّ شِرۡبٖ مُّحۡتَضَرٞ
And inform them that the water is shared between them,[1] each [day of] drink attended [by turn].
1- i.e., between the tribe of Tham´d and the she-camel – a day for each to drink.
فَنَادَوۡاْ صَاحِبَهُمۡ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ
But they called their companion,[1] and he dared[2] and hamstrung [her].
1- i.e., the worst and most despicable among them.
2- Or "he took," referring to his sword or to the she-camel.
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلۡمُحۡتَظِرِ
Indeed, We sent upon them one shriek [i.e., blast from the sky], and they became like the dry twig fragments of an [animal] pen.
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ وَعَادُۢ بِٱلۡقَارِعَةِ
Tham´d and ÔAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ
So as for Tham´d, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
وَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِرِيحٖ صَرۡصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٖ
And as for ÔAad, they were destroyed by a screaming,[1] violent wind
1- Or "cold."
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَبۡعَ لَيَالٖ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومٗاۖ فَتَرَى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ فِيهَا صَرۡعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٍ خَاوِيَةٖ
Which He [i.e., AllŒh] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
فَهَلۡ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٖ
Then do you see of them any remains?
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ
And [with] Tham´d, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ
Tham´d denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا
When the most wretched of them was sent forth.[1]
1- To hamstring the she-camel which had been sent by AllŒh as a sign to them.
فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا
And the messenger of AllŒh [i.e., êŒliú] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of AllŒh or [prevent her from] her drink."
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا
But they denied him and hamstrung[1] her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
1- And then killed.
وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا
And He does not fear the consequence thereof.[1]
1- AllŒh is not asked about what He does, but His servants will be asked. See 21:23