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00:00Peace be upon you all, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
00:05Welcome to our channel.
00:07Today we will discuss the biography of Prophet Salih, the incident of the she-camel's killing,
00:15and the destruction of the people of the mud, based on the Quran, Hadith, and well-known
00:20Islamic history.
00:22Introduction to Salih, approximately 500 years after the destruction of the people of Ash,
00:29Ad, Prophet Salih, alayhi salam, was sent as a prophet to the people of the mud.
00:36The Ad and the mud tribes were two branches descending from a common ancestor named Iram.
00:43His lineage is Salih, Ibni Abayd, Ibni Asif, Ibni Masih, Ibni Abayd, Ibni Hadhir, Ibni
00:51the mud.
00:52The famous historian Tabari narrates from Wahab Ibni Munabbi, Salih, Ibni Abayd, Ibni
00:59Jabir, Ibni the mud.
01:01There are multiple views regarding the genealogy from the mud to Prophet Noah, alayhi salam.
01:081.
01:09The mud, Ibni Amir, Ibni Iram, Ibni Sam, Ibni Nuh, alayhi salam.
01:162.
01:17The mud, Ibni Ad, Ibni Awos, Ibni Iram, Ibni Sam, Ibni Nuh, alayhi salam.
01:25The people of the mud lived in the northwestern region of Arabia.
01:30Their main city was called Hijr, which was part of the region of Sham, greater Syria.
01:36Today, it is commonly known as Madarin Salih.
01:41After the destruction of the Ad people, the the mud tribe succeeded them.
01:46Like the Ad, they were also powerful and courageous.
01:50They were highly skilled in stone carving and architecture.
01:55Besides building magnificent structures on flatlands, they also carved various chambers
02:01into mountain rocks.
02:03Many of their architectural remains still exist today, bearing inscriptions in the Irami
02:09and Thamudi scripts.
02:11However, the region is now deserted, as it is considered cursed.
02:17During the Battle of Tabuk in the 9th Hijri, when the Muslim army passed through Hijr,
02:22the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade them from entering the place, saying,
02:28Do not enter the dwelling place of those who were punished, except while weeping.
02:34If you do not weep, then do not enter, lest the punishment that befell them also befall
02:40you.
02:41Bukhari Hadith 433
02:44The deeper meaning of this statement is that if seeing these ruins does not cause fear
02:48of Allah's punishment in people's hearts, their hearts may harden, and they may act arrogantly
02:54and rebelliously like those cursed people.
02:57As a result, the same punishment may befall them.
03:02Often, worldly wealth and luxury lead to misfortune.
03:06The wealthy tend to forget Allah and the Hereafter, and follow a misguided path.
03:12This happened with the people of the mud as well.
03:16Even though the severe punishment of the people of Nuh was still a widely discussed story
03:20at that time, and the destruction of the Ad people was practically a recent memory to
03:25them, they ignored the lessons.
03:28They built grand luxurious palaces over the ruins of their brothers, and became obsessed
03:33with wealth and materialism.
03:36Eventually, they adopted the arrogant behaviors of the Ad, indulged in polytheism and idol
03:43worship.
03:44In such a condition, Allah appointed Salih, alayhis salam, from among their own people
03:50to guide them.
03:51The call of Prophet Salih, alayhis salam, to the people of the mud.
03:57To guide his misguided nation, Prophet Salih, alayhis salam, first invited them to the message
04:03of Tawhid, the oneness of Allah.
04:07He called them to abandon idol worship, all forms of shirk, associating partners with
04:13Allah, and superstitions, and urged them to worship Allah alone and obey the divine commandments
04:19he had revealed.
04:21Salih, alayhis salam, was appointed as a prophet in his youth.
04:26From then until old age, he continuously preached to his people.
04:32While the weaker section of his community believed in him, the powerful and influential
04:37leaders rejected him.
04:39About the message of Salih, alayhis salam, Allah says in Surah Al-A'raf, verses 73-79,
04:48To the the mud people we sent their brother Salih.
04:51He said, O my people, worship Allah, you have no deity other than him.
04:58A clear proof has come to you from your Lord.
05:01This is Allah's she-camel as a sign for you.
05:05So leave her to graze in Allah's land, and do not touch her with harm, or a painful punishment
05:11will seize you.
05:13And remember when he made you successors after the people of Ad and gave you dwellings in
05:18the land.
05:19You build palaces on its plains and carve homes out of the mountains.
05:24So remember Allah's favors and do not spread corruption on the earth.
05:30The arrogant leaders among his people said to those who were oppressed and had believed,
05:35Do you really think Salih is sent by his Lord?
05:38They replied, Indeed, we believe in what he has been sent with.
05:44The arrogant ones said, We certainly reject what you believe in.
05:49Then they killed the she-camel and defied the command of their Lord, and said, O Salih,
05:55bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are truly one of the messengers.
06:01So the earthquake seized them, and they fell dead in their homes in the morning.
06:07Salih then turned away from them and said, O my people, I conveyed to you the message
06:12of my Lord and advised you sincerely, but you do not love those who give sincere advice.
06:20Surah Al-A'raf, 73-79
06:24The above du'a, invitation, of Salih, and the behavior of his people are described in
06:31eighty-seven verses across twenty-two surahs in the Holy Quran in various ways.
06:37The Consequences of Salih,
06:42Like the previously destroyed nations, the people of the mud also disobeyed their prophet
06:47Salih, Allahis-Salam.
06:50Just like the former nation of Ad, they continued to cause corruption on the earth.
06:56The more the prophet called them to the truth, the more they exceeded all limits in their
07:01disobedience.
07:02They said, O Salih, you were once someone we had great hopes for.
07:09Do you now forbid us from worshipping what our forefathers used to worship?
07:14Indeed, we are in serious doubt about what you are calling us to.
07:19Surah Hud, Ayah 62
07:22They gathered the weak and poor members of the community and asked, Do you really believe
07:28that Salih has been sent by his Lord?
07:32They replied, Indeed, we believe in what he has been sent with.
07:38Upon hearing this, the arrogant leaders grew angry and said, We reject everything you believe
07:45in.
07:46Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 75
07:50They further said, Should we follow someone among ourselves?
07:55Then surely, we would be clearly misguided and insane.
08:00Is the revelation sent only to him from among us?
08:04In fact, he is an arrogant liar.
08:09Surah Al-Kamar, Ayahs 24-25
08:13They even said to Salih, We consider you and those with you to be a bad omen.
08:20Surah An-Naml, Ayah 47
08:24Thus the powerful class of the society disobeyed their prophet, indulged in idol worship, various
08:30forms of shirk, superstitions, and continued to spread corruption in society.
08:36In the words of Allah, they preferred blindness over guidance.
08:42So the thunderous blast of a humiliating punishment seized them as a consequence of what they
08:47used to do.
08:49Surah Fusilat, Ayah 17
08:53The calamity that befell the people of the mud.
08:56Ibn Kathir narrates that after being exhausted by the continuous invitation of Prophet Salih,
09:03the leaders of the community decided to make a demand that they believed he would be unable
09:08to fulfill, which would then discredit his message.
09:12So they approached him and said, If you are truly a prophet of Allah, then bring forth
09:18from the nearby rock of Qataba a strong and healthy she-camel that is ten months pregnant.
09:25Upon hearing this, Salih took a promise from them, If your demand is fulfilled, will you
09:33believe in my prophethood and accept my message?
09:37Know this, if you still reject after this miracle, then the punishment of Allah will
09:42surely destroy you.
09:44They all agreed and made a solemn vow.
09:48Then Salih stood in prayer and supplicated to Allah.
09:54Allah accepted his prayer and said, Indeed, we are sending the she-camel as a trial for
10:00them, so watch them and be patient.
10:04Surah Al-Kamar, Ayah 27
10:07Soon after, the mountain began to shake and split apart, and from it emerged exactly what
10:13the people had demanded, a beautiful, strong, and pregnant she-camel.
10:18Upon witnessing this astounding miracle, many of the tribal leaders and their followers
10:23immediately accepted Islam, while others showed interest.
10:28However, the religious elite and prominent societal leaders obstructed them, saying,
10:34We consider you and those with you to be a bad omen.
10:39Surah An-Naml, Ayah 47
10:43Seeing the people's hypocrisy and broken promises, Salih, Alayhi Salam, feared the divine punishment
10:50could descend at any moment.
10:52He warned them, Your fate, good or bad, is with Allah.
10:57Rather, you are a people being tested.
11:01Surah An-Naml, Ayah 47
11:05Out of prophetic mercy, he advised them, This is Allah's she-camel, a sign for you.
11:12So let her graze freely on Allah's land.
11:15And do not harm her with evil intent, or a swift punishment will seize you.
11:22Surah Hud, Ayah 64
11:25Allah had decreed a water-sharing schedule between the she-camel and the people.
11:30He told the Prophet, O Salih, inform them that the water is to be divided between them,
11:36each drinking turn by turn.
11:40Surah Al-Kamar, Ayah 28
11:43One day is for her, and the next day is for you.
11:48Surah Ash-Shu'arah, Ayah 155
11:52Surah Al-Kamar, Ayah 28
11:55Allah made this she-camel the final test for the people of the mud.
11:59And we gave the mud the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wronged her.
12:04We do not send signs except to warn.
12:09Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 59
12:12This she-camel drank from the same well that the people used for themselves and their livestock.
12:18On the day she drank, she would consume all the water, but in return, her milk was so
12:24abundant that it filled all their containers, and the people drank from it.
12:29But these ungrateful people could not tolerate such a blessing.
12:33They considered the day without water an unbearable hardship.
12:38Moreover, the massive and majestic presence of the she-camel frightened their other animals
12:44as she roamed the land.
12:46So, they decided to kill the she-camel.
12:49Still, no one dared to do it out of fear of Allah's punishment.
12:54They began plotting.
12:57If we kill this camel, this whole matter of turns and restrictions will end, and we'll
13:02be free from this burden.
13:04Our livestock and we ourselves cannot continue under this unbearable condition.
13:10Though such discussions continued, none had the courage to kill her.
13:15Eventually, a man named Qadar ibn Salif ibn Janda took responsibility for killing the
13:22camel.
13:23He was one of the tribal leaders, known for his fair complexion, blue eyes, and reddish
13:29hair.
13:30It is said that Qadar was an illegitimate son of Salif, born through a man named Sairan.
13:37The plot to kill the she-camel, temptation and treachery.
13:41Ibn Jarrah and several other Mufassiran, Quranic commentators, write that, in the end, Satan
13:48incited the greatest form of temptation among the people of the mud, through women.
13:53Two extremely beautiful women from the tribe, both of whom harbored deep hatred toward Prophet
13:58Salih, used their beauty to seduce and manipulate two misguided young men into agreeing to kill
14:05the she-camel.
14:07One of the women was named Seduqa, the daughter of Maya ibn Zuhair ibn Mukhtar.
14:12She was very beautiful, wealthy, and from a noble lineage.
14:17Her husband had accepted Islam, so she abandoned him.
14:21Then, turning to her cousin Mishra ibn Miraj ibn Maya, she said, If you kill the she-camel,
14:28I will marry you.
14:30The second woman was named Anayza bint Gunaym ibn Mislah, also known as Amuthman.
14:37She was an elderly disbeliever.
14:39Her husband was one of the tribal chiefs, Zuwab ibn Ammar, and she had four exceptionally
14:45beautiful daughters with him.
14:47She offered a deal to Qadar ibn Salif, the same man who had already shown willingness
14:52to kill the she-camel.
14:54If you kill the she-camel, you may marry any one of my four daughters.
15:00Convinced by lust and promises of marriage, these two men, Qadar and Mishra, took on the
15:05task of killing the she-camel.
15:08A plan was made, they would hide along the path the she-camel took while grazing and
15:12attack it together.
15:14Other conspirators would support them.
15:17They executed the plan exactly as conspired and killed the she-camel.
15:22After the murder, they swore among themselves.
15:26Once night falls, we'll also kill Salih and his entire family.
15:31Then we'll convince his supporters that we had nothing to do with the she-camel's death.
15:36The she-camel's calf, upon witnessing its mother being slaughtered, ran toward the mountains,
15:42crying out in anguish, until it vanished from sight.
15:46Regarding the chief assassin among them, the Quran refers in the following words, when
15:51the most wicked among them rose up.
15:55Surah Ash-Shams, Ayah 12.
15:58The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, once recited this verse in a Qutba and said, That
16:04man was cruel-hearted and of corrupt character.
16:08Muslim, Hadith 2855, Al-Qurtubi, Hadith 3106.
16:15Because of him, the entire nation of the mud fell under divine punishment, Allah says.
16:22Then they called to their companion, and he took a sword, and hamstrung her.
16:27So how terrible, was my punishment and warning!
16:32Indeed we sent upon them one mighty blast, and they became like dried twigs of a fence-builder.
16:38Surah Al-Kamar, Ayahs 29-31.
16:42The Aftermath of the She-Camel's Murder and the Countdown to Divine Punishment.
16:48After the incident of the She-Camel's killing, Prophet Sali, peace be upon him, conveyed
16:54Allah's command to his people, Now enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days.
17:01That is a promise not to be denied.
17:04Surah Hud, Ayah 65.
17:07But these unfortunate people dismissed the severe warning with arrogance and mockery.
17:13They scoffed.
17:15O Sali, bring us what you threaten us with, if you are truly among the messengers.
17:22Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 77.
17:26They demanded to know, How will the punishment come?
17:30From where will it arrive?
17:33What will be its signs?
17:35Sali, peace be upon him, replied, Tomorrow, on Thursday, your faces will turn
17:42yellow.
17:43On Friday, they will turn red.
17:46And on Saturday, your faces will become dark black.
17:51That Saturday will be the last day of your lives.
17:55Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 77-78.
18:02Instead of repenting to Allah and seeking forgiveness, the arrogant people decided to
18:07kill Sali, peace be upon him, himself.
18:11Their reasoning was, If the punishment is inevitable, let us kill him before it comes.
18:18He is the reason for this curse.
18:20He claims prophethood and warns us of doom.
18:23But if no punishment comes, then he is a liar and deserves death anyway.
18:30Nine tribal leaders spearheaded this vile conspiracy.
18:34The Quran describes this plot in Surah An-Naml.
18:38There were nine men in the city who spread corruption in the land and did not reform.
18:43They said, Take a mutual oath by Allah that we will kill him and his family at night.
18:49And then we will say to his heir, We did not witness the killing of his family.
18:55And indeed we are telling the truth.
18:58Surah An-Naml, Ayahs 48-49.
19:03Their justification was, In the darkness of night, no one will know
19:08who killed whom.
19:10So we can convincingly deny our crime and still appear truthful.
19:15According to this unanimous decision, the nine conspirators, under the leadership of
19:20Qadar ibn Salif, set out at night to murder Sali, peace be upon him, in his home.
19:27But Allah destroyed them on the way with a shower of stones, thwarting their evil plans.
19:33Allah says, They plotted a plan, and We also planned a plan, while they were unaware.
19:40Then see the outcome of their plan, We destroyed them and their entire people.
19:46Surah An-Naml, Ayahs 50-51.
19:50It is noteworthy that the Quran refers to these nine individuals as nine groups, implying
19:56that each of them was a leader of a faction.
19:59They were the chief leaders of the city of Hijr.
20:03Tafsir ibn Kathir on Surah An-Naml, 50-51.
20:08A significant lesson in their plot.
20:11One striking aspect of this conspiracy is that, even though the nation's top leaders
20:16committed crimes like disbelief, idolatry, murder, terrorism and robbery, they were still
20:23unwilling to be seen as liars in front of their people.
20:27So in order to hide one lie, they were ready to fabricate a hundred more without hesitation.
20:34Such was the depth of their hypocrisy.
20:37Departure of Prophet Salih, peace be upon him.
20:41Before the appointed day of divine punishment arrived, by Allah's command, Salih, peace
20:47be upon him, left the area with his believing followers.
20:52As he departed, he addressed his nation with sorrow.
20:55O my people!
20:57Indeed, I delivered to you the message of my Lord and advised you sincerely, but you
21:03do not love those who give good counsel.
21:06Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 79.
21:11Nature of the Punishment.
21:13As foretold by Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, on Thursday morning, the faces of all
21:19the disbelievers in the tribe turned deep yellow.
21:23Yet they neither brought faith nor repented.
21:26Instead, they became angry at Salih, peace be upon him, and began searching for him to
21:32kill him.
21:33On the second day, their faces turned red, and on the third day, they became pitch black.
21:40At this point, they lost all hope and started waiting for the punishment.
21:46On the fourth day, Sunday morning, they perfumed themselves and sat waiting, fully prepared
21:52for death.
21:53Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Explanation of Surah Al-A'raf, Verses 73-78.
22:01At that moment, a violent earthquake began, and a terrifying, thunderous sound came from
22:07above.
22:08As a result, everyone fell face down and collapsed to the ground where they stood, and they were
22:14destroyed in such a way as if they had never existed.
22:18In another verse, Allah says, We sent upon them a single mighty blast, and they became
22:24like dry stubble.
22:27Surah Al-Kamar, Verse 31.
22:31According to some hadith, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that a disbelieving
22:36leader named Abu Righal survived the destruction of the The Mud People because he happened
22:41to be in Makkah at the time.
22:43However, as soon as he left the sanctuary of the Haram, he too was struck by the punishment.
22:50The Prophet, peace be upon him, once showed his companions the site of Abu Righal's grave
22:56just outside Makkah, saying that a golden staff was buried with him.
23:01They dug up the grave and recovered the staff.
23:04It is also mentioned in some narrations that the famous Thakif tribe of Tarif were descendants
23:10of Abu Righal.
23:12However, this hadith is classified as weak, daif.
23:17Ibn Kathir, Surah Al-A'raf, Verse 78, Abu Dawud Hadith 4736, Al-Albani declared it weak.
23:27In another hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, From the Thakif tribe, a liar,
23:35false prophet, and a bloodthirsty tyrant will emerge.
23:39Muslim and Mishkat, Hadith 5994.
23:44This prophecy came true when the false prophet Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and the bloodthirsty tyrant
23:49Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Umayyad governor of Iraq, were born into that lineage.
23:56This may also reflect the cursed influence of the bloodline of the destroyed nation of
24:01The Mud.
24:03Another hadith reports that during the Tabuk expedition in the ninth year of Hydra, the
24:08Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, passed through the region called Hijr, situated between
24:14Syria and the Hijaz, where the punishment had descended upon The Mud.
24:19He instructed his companions not to enter the ruins of the punished people and not to
24:24use the water from their wells, reported in Bukhari Hadith 433, Muslim and Ahmad.
24:32These destroyed regions were preserved by Allah as lessons for future generations so
24:38they may take heed and abstain from disobedience to Allah.
24:42During their regular trade journeys to Syria, the Arabs would often pass by these ruins.
24:48However, most of them failed to take any lessons from these signs and did not believe in the
24:53final prophet, even though eventually all these regions became Muslim lands.
24:59Allah says,
25:01We destroyed many cities whose residents indulged in luxury.
25:06Now very few people dwell in their places.
25:09In the end, it is we who are their inheritors.
25:14Your Lord never destroys a population until He has sent a messenger to their central town,
25:20who recites our verses to them.
25:22And we never destroy a town unless its people are unjust.
25:27Surah Al-Qasas, verses 58 and 59.
25:32It is noteworthy that the key elements of the above story are mentioned across 22 surahs
25:37of the Quran in 87 verses, and also found in several hadiths.
25:43Some details have been drawn from Israeli narrations, accounts from Jewish and Christian
25:49traditions, which may be true or false.
25:52However, these narrations are not about critical aspects of the story, and the authenticity
25:58of the core events does not depend on them.
26:02Reasons from the destruction of the people of the mud.
26:061.
26:07A small group of elite leaders and powerful individuals in society are usually the first
26:13to fall into the trap set by Satan.
26:16They invite others toward hell and lead society down the path of destruction, just like the
26:22nine conspiratorial leaders of the people of the mud did.
26:272.
26:28The weaker class of people usually believes in Allah and the Hereafter before others,
26:34and they are ready to make any sacrifice for their faith.
26:383.
26:40Disbelievers reject the divinely revealed Sharia and its implementation mainly for worldly
26:46interests.
26:47They cling to their imagined polytheistic beliefs and traditions, often justifying their
26:53stance by referring to the customs of their forefathers.
26:574.
26:59Prophets and reformers are usually advisors, not rulers.
27:04Their role is to warn, not to govern.
27:085.
27:09When rulers and societal leaders oppress prophets and reformers, the divine punishment of Allah
27:16becomes inevitable.
27:186.
27:20The two greatest tools of Satan to lead humans astray are women and wealth.
27:257.
27:27Arrogant and reckless leaders often surround themselves with flatterers and conspirators.
27:34Though they may achieve temporary success against the believers, Allah's plan ultimately
27:39prevails, and they are sometimes utterly destroyed in this world.
27:44The punishment in the Hereafter is even more severe.
27:498.
27:51Allah grants blessings to his servants as a test.
27:55If they are grateful, they receive more.
27:58But if they are ungrateful, they face destruction, and those blessings are taken away.
28:059.
28:07The hearts of the arrogant become hardened.
28:10Even after witnessing divine punishment, they mock and belittle it.
28:16For example, after the first day of punishment destroyed the nine leaders, the rest of the
28:21people did not repent and instead mocked the signs, eventually leading to their complete
28:27destruction on the fourth day.
28:3010.
28:31Allah destroys oppressive nations as a warning to others, so they may learn a lesson.
28:3811.
28:40Allah never destroys a community that is striving for righteousness and reform.
28:4612.
28:47Sometimes an entire society is destroyed because of the actions of just one or two individuals.
28:54In the case of Prophet Sali, peace be upon him, only two people were responsible for
29:00killing the she-camel, yet the whole nation was punished.
29:04Therefore, society must always stay vigilant against conspirators.
29:1113.
29:12Allah nullifies the plans of plotters, though they fail to realize it.
29:18Just like the leaders of the mud, who arrogantly plotted in ignorance.
29:2414.
29:25Allah gives people a taste of minor punishment in this world to steer them back to the right
29:30path and to instill fear in them.
29:3415.
29:35In the battle between truth and falsehood, truth ultimately prevails.
29:41Prophet Sali, peace be upon him, and the weak but faithful members of his community
29:46were saved from divine punishment and became victorious, while the powerful worshippers
29:52of falsehood were destroyed.
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