Surah An-Naml >> Currently viewing Surah An-Naml Ayat 45 (27:45)

Surah An-Naml Ayat 45 in Arabic Text

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِيقَانِ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ
Wa laqad arsalnaaa ilaa Samooda akhaahum Saalihan ani’budul laaha fa izaa hum fareeqaani yakhtasimoon

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 45

Sahih International
And We had certainly sent to Thamud their brother Salih, [saying], “Worship Allah,” and at once they were two parties conflicting.

Yusuf Ali
We sent (aforetime), to the Thamud, their brother Salih, saying, “Serve Allah”: But behold, they became two factions quarrelling with each other.

Abul Ala Maududi
And We sent to Thamud their brother Salih (with the Message): “Serve Allah,” but all of a sudden they became split into two quarrelling factions.

Muhsin Khan
And indeed We sent to Thamud their brother Salih (Saleh), saying: “Worship Allah (Alone and none else). Then look! They became two parties (believers and disbelievers) quarreling with each other.”

Pickthall
And We verily sent unto Thamud their brother Salih, saying: Worship Allah. And lo! they (then became two parties quarrelling.

Dr. Ghali
And indeed We already sent to Thamû‍d their brother Salih, (saying), “Worship Allah.” Then, only then were they two groups, standing adversaries one with the other.

Abdel Haleem
To the people of Thamud We sent their brother, Salih, saying, ‘Worship God alone,’ but they split into two rival factions.

Muhammad Junagarhi
یقیناً ہم نے ﺛمود کی طرف ان کے بھائی صالح کو بھیجا کہ تم سب اللہ کی عبادت کرو پھر بھی وه دو فریق بن کر آپس میں لڑنے جھگڑنے لگے

Quran 27 Verse 45 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah An-Naml ayat 45, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(27:45) And[57] We sent to Thamud their brother Salih (with the Message): “Serve Allah,” but all of a sudden they became split into two quarrelling factions.[58]


57. For comparison, see (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 73-79), (Surah Hud, Ayat 61-68), (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayat 141-159), (Surah Al-Qamar, Ayat 23-32), (Surah Ash-Shams, Ayat 11-15).

58. That is, as soon as the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) embarked on his mission, his people were divined into two groups, the believers and the disbelievers, and a conflict started between them as stated elsewhere in the Quran. The chiefs of his tribe, who were full of pride, said to those who had believed from among the oppressed people, “Do you know it for certain that Salih is a Messenger from his Lord?” They replied, “Indeed, we believe in the message with which he has been sent.” But those who had arrogant assumption of superiority, said, “We deny that which you believe”. (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 75-76). One should note that precisely the same situation arose in Makkah at the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The nation was divided into two factions and a conflict started between them. Therefore, this story fully applies to the conditions in which these verses were revealed.

Ibn-Kathir

45. And indeed We sent to Thamud their brother Salih, (saying): “Worship Allah.” Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other. 46. He said: “O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy” 47. They said: “We augur an omen from you and those with you.” He said: “Your omen is of Allah; nay, but you are a people that are being tested.”


Salih and Thamud

Allah tells us about Thamud and how they responded to their Prophet Salih, when Allah sent him to call them to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate.

﴿فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ﴾

(Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other.) Mujahid said, “These were believers and disbelievers.” This is like the Ayah,

﴿قَالَ الْمَلاَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مّن رَّبّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ﴾

(The leaders of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were counted weak — to such of them as believed: “Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord.” They said: “We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent.” Those who were arrogant said: “Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in.”) (7:75-76)

﴿قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ﴾

(He said: “O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good”) meaning, `why are you praying for the punishment to come, and not asking Allah for His mercy’ Then he said:

﴿لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَقَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ﴾

(“Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy” They said: “We augur an omen from you and those with you.”) This means: “We do not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you.” Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would say, “This is because of Salih and his companions.” Mujahid said, “They regarded them as bad omens.” This is similar to what Allah said about the people of Fir`awn:

﴿فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ﴾

(But whenever good came to them, they said: “Ours is this.” And if evil afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him) (7:131). And Allah says:

﴿وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ﴾

(And if some good reaches them, they say, “This is from Allah,” but if some evil befalls them, they say, “This is from you.” Say: “All things are from Allah.”) (4:78) i.e., by virtue of His will and decree. And Allah tells us about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them:

﴿قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴾

﴿قَالُواْ طَـئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ﴾

(They (people) said: “For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us.” They (Messengers) said: “Your omens are with yourselves!) (36:18) And these people ﴿Thamud﴾ said:

﴿اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾

(“We augur an omen from you and those with you.” He said: “Your omen is of Allah;) meaning, Allah will punish you for that.

﴿بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ﴾

(nay, but you are a people that are being tested.) Qatadah said: “You are being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey.” The apparent meaning of the phrase

﴿تُفْتَنُونَ﴾

(are being tested) is: you will be left to get carried away in your state of misguidance.

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surah an-naml ayat 45
surah an-naml ayat 46
surah an-naml ayat 47
surah an-naml ayat 48
surah an-naml ayat 49

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