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One should
not be afraid of the scarcity of
those who tread on the right
path.
O' people, do
not wonder at the small number
of those who follow the right
path, because people throng only
round the table (of this world)
whose edibles are few but whose
hunger is insatiable.
O' people, certainly, what
gathers people together (in
categories) is (their) agreement
(to good or bad) and (their)
disagreement, for only one
individual killed the camel of
Thamud [1] but Allah held all of
them in punishment because all
of them joined him by their
acquiescing in their consenting
to it. Thus, Allah, the
Glorified. has said:
Then they hamstrung her, and
turned /(themselves)/ regretful.
(Qur'an, 26:157).
Then their land declined by
sinking (into the earth) as the
spike of a plough pierces
unplugged weak land. O' people,
he who treads the clear path (of
guidance) reaches the spring of
water, and whoever abandons it
strays into waterless desert.
Note:
[1].Thamud, in ancient Arabia, a
tribe or group of tribes, seems
to have been prominent from
about the 4th Century B.C. to
the first half of the 7th
Century A.D. Their place of stay
and homeland was at a place
lying on the way between the
Hijaz and Syria called the
Valley of al-Qura and bore this
name because it consisted of
several townships.
Allah deputed for their guidance
and directions the Prophet Salih
who preached to them as Allah
relates in his story:
And unto (the people of) Thamud
(We did send)/ their brother
Salih, he said: "O' my people!
worship ye Allah (alone). Ye
have no god other than Him;
indeed came unto you a clear
proof from your Lord; this is
the She-camel of Allah /(which)/
unto you is a sign, so leave it
(free) to pasture in Allah's
earth and touch her not with any
harm, or ye shall be seized with
a painful chastisement. And
remember when He made you
successors after the (people)
`Ad and settled you in the
earth, ye build mansions on its
plain and hew the mountains into
dwellings. So remember ye the
bounties of Allah, and see ye
not evil in the earth, making
mischief." Said the chiefs of
those who were puffed up with
pride among his people to those
who were reckoned weak, to those
who believed from among them;
"Know ye that Salih is sent by
his Lord?" Said they:
"Verily, in what he hath been
sent with, we are believers."
Said those who were puffed up
with pride; "Verily we, in that
which ye believe are
disbelievers." They hamstrung
the She-camel and rebelled
against the command of their
Lord, and they said: "O' Salih!
bring us what thou didst,
threaten us with, if thou art of
the apostles." Then seized them
(unawares) the earthquake, so
became they in their dwellings,
motionless (dead). Then he
turned away from them and said:
"O' my people! Indeed I did
deliver unto you the message of
my Lord, and did admonish you,
but ye love not the
admonishers." (Qur'an,
7:73-79).*
(The people of) Thamud belied
the warners, and said they:
"What! a single man, from among
us! and we to follow him? Verily
then we shall be astray and in
distress. It is that (the duty
of) reminding hath been bestowed
on him/ (alone), of all the
(people) among us? Nay! he is a
great liar, an insolent one!"
"Soon they shall know on the
morrow, (as to) who is the liar,
the insolent one! (O' Our
Apostle Salih!) verily We are
going to send the She-camel as a
trial for them; so watch them
and be patient. And (thou O'
Salih!) make them aware
(beforehand) that the water is/
(to be)/ divided between them;
and every drinking share shall
be witnessed (on it)." But they
called their companions, then he
pursued (her) and hamstrung
(her). How/ (great) was My
chastisement and My warning?
Verily sent We upon them a
single (violent) blast, and they
were (all) like the dry stubble
used by a fencer in a fence.
(Qur'an, 54:23-31).*
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