Al-Quran, Chapter 11 Hud, Verse 61
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful To the Thamud People (We sent) Salih, one of their own brethren. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah: ye have no other god but Him. It is He Who hath produced you from the earth and settled you therein: then ask forgiveness of Him, and turn to Him (in repentance): for my Lord is (always) near, ready to answer."

Salih^(pbuh) was known for his wisdom, purity and goodness and had been greatly respected by his people before Allah's revelation came to him. Salih's^(pbuh) people said to him:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 11 Hud, Verse 62
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful They said: "O Salih! thou hast been of us! a centre of our hopes hitherto! dost thou (now) forbid us the worship of what our fathers worshipped? But we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which thou invites us."

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Salih's^(pbuh) People Demand a Miracle

They merely wanted to worship the same gods as their fathers had, with no reason, no proof, no thought. The proof of Salih's^(pbuh) message was evident, but despite this it was obvious that most of his people did not believe him. They doubted his words, thinking he was charmed, and they saw that he would not stop preaching. Fearing that his followers would increase, they tried to put him off by assigning him an important task: to prove that he was a messenger of Allah by performing a miracle. Let a unique she-camel issue from the mountains.

Allah granted Salih^(pbuh) this miracle and a huge, unique she-camel appeared from the direction of the mountain. The Quranic commentators said that the people of Thamud gathered on a certain day at their meeting place, and the prophet Salih^(pbuh) came and addressed them to believe in Allah, reminding them of the favors Allah had granted them.

Then, pointing at a rock, they demanded: "Ask your Lord to make a she-camel - which must be ten months pregnant, tall and attractive - issue from the rock for us."

Salih^(pbuh) replied: "Look now! If Allah sends you what you have requested, just as you have described, will you believe in that which I have come to you with, and have faith in the message I have been sent with?"
They answered: "Yes."
So he took a vow from them on this, then prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant their request. Allah ordered the distant rock to split asunder, bringing forth a great ten-month-pregnant she-camel. When their set eyes on it, they were amazed. They saw a great thing, a wonderful sight, dazzling power, clear evidence!

A number of Salih's^(pbuh) people believed, yet most of them continued in their disbelief, stubbornness and going astray. Allah the Almighty said:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 17 Al-Israa, Verse 59
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful And We refrain from sending the signs, only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).

and also:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 15 Al-Hijr, Verse 80-81
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers: We sent them Our Signs, but they persisted in turning away from them.

There are a number of ancient accounts of this camel and its miraculous nature. It was said that the she-camel was miraculous because a rock in the mountain split open and it came forth from it, followed by its young offspring. Other accounts said that the she-camel used to drink all the water in the wells in one day, and no other animals could approach the water. Still others claimed that the she-camel produced milk sufficient for all the people to drink, on the same day that it drank all the water, leaving none for them.

At first, the people of Thamud were greatly surprised when the she-camel issued from the mountain rocks. It was a blessed camel, its milk sufficient for thousands of men, women and children. If it slept in a place, that place was abandoned by other animals. Thus it was obvious that it was not an ordinary camel, but one of Allah's signs. It lived among Salih's^(pbuh) people, some of whom believed in Allah while the majority continued in their obstinacy and disbelief.

Their hatred of Salih^(pbuh) turned towards the blessed she-camel and became centered on it. A conspiracy started to be hatched against the camel by the disbelievers, and they secretly plotted against it.

Salih^(pbuh) feared that they might kill the camel, so he warned them:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 11 Hud, Verse 64
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful "And O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a symbol to you: leave her to feed on Allah's (free) earth, and inflict no harm on her, or a swift penalty will seize you!"

For a while, Salih's^(pbuh) people let the camel graze and drink freely, but in their hearts they hated it. However, the miraculous appearance of the unique camel caused many to become Salih's^(pbuh) followers, and they clung to their belief in Allah.

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Stories About the She-Camel

The disbelievers now began complaining that this huge she-camel with its unusual qualities drank most of the water and frightened their cattle.

They laid a plot to kill the camel, and sought the help of their women-folk to tempt the men to carry out their commandments. Saduq Bint of Mahya, who was from a rich and noble family, offered herself to a young man named Masrai Ibn Mahraj on the condition that he hamstring the camel. 'Aniza, an old woman, offered one of her daughters to a young man, Qudar Ibn Saluf, in return for killing the camel. Naturally these young men were tempted and set about finding seven others to assist them.

They watched the camel closely, observing all its movements. As the she-camel came to drink at the well, Masra'i shot it in the leg with an arrow. It tried to escape but was hampered by the arrow. Qudar followed the camel and struck it with a sword in the other leg. As it fell to the ground, he pierced it with his sword.

The killers were given a hero's welcome, cheered with songs and poetry composed in their praise. In their arrogance they mocked Salih, but he warned them: "Enjoy life for three more days then the punishment will descend upon you." Salih^(pbuh) was hoping they would see the folly of their way and change their attitude before the three days were out.

"Why three days?" they asked. "Let the punishment come as quickly as possible"

He pleaded with them: "My people, why do you hasten to evil rather than good? Why do you not ask pardon of Allah so that you may receive mercy?"

They replied: "We see your presence and that of your followers as bringing evil on us."

Almighty Allah related their story:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 27 An-Na'ml, Verse 45-53
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful We sent (aforetime), to the Thamud, their brother Salih, saying, "Serve Allah": But behold, they became two factions quarrelling with each other. He said: "O my people! why ask ye to hasten on the evil in preference to the good? If only ye ask Allah for forgiveness, ye may hope to receive mercy. They said: "Ill omen do we augur from thee and those that are with thee". He said: "Your ill omen is with Allah; yea, ye are a people under trial." There were in the city nine men of a family, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. They said: "Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people, and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): 'We were not present at the slaughter of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.'" They plotted and planned, but We too planned, even while they perceived it not. Then see what was the end of their plot!- this, that We destroyed them and their people, all (of them). Now such were their houses, - in utter ruin, - because they practiced wrong-doing. Verily in this is a Sign for people of knowledge. And We saved those who believed and practiced righteousness.

They also plotted to kill Salih^(pbuh) and his household as Almighty Allah stated:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 27 An-Naml, Verse 50
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful They plotted and planned, but We too planned, even while they perceived it not.

Allah saved Salih^(pbuh) and his followers from their wicked plans. Heavy-Hearted, they left the evil-doers and moved to another place.

Three days after Salih's^(pbuh) warning, thunderbolts filled the air, followed by severe earthquakes which destroyed the entire tribe and its homeland. The land was violently shaken, destroying all living creatures in it. There was one terrific cry which had hardly ended when the disbelievers of Salih's^(pbuh) people were struck dead, one and all, at the same time. Neither their strong buildings nor their rock-hewn homes could protect them.

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Allah the exalted said:

	Al-Quran, Chapter 7 Al-Ar'af, Verse 73-79
	In the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful To the Thamud people (We sent) Salih, one of their own brethren: He said: "O my people! worship Allah: ye have no other god but Him. Now hath come unto you a clear (Sign) from your Lord! This she-camel of Allah is a Sign unto you: So leave her to graze in Allah's earth, and let her come to no harm, or ye shall be seized with a grievous punishment. "And remember how He made you inheritors after the 'Ad people and gave you habitations in the land: ye build for yourselves palaces and castles in (open) plains, and care out homes in the mountains; so bring to remembrance the benefits (ye have received) from Allah, and refrain from evil and mischief on the earth." The leaders of the arrogant party among his people said to those who were reckoned powerless - those among them who believed: "know ye indeed that Salih is a messenger from his Lord?" They said: "We do indeed believe in the revelation which hath been sent through him." The Arrogant party said: "For our part, we reject what ye believe in." Then they ham-strung the she-camel, and insolently defied the order of their Lord, saying: "O Salih! bring about thy threats, if thou art a messenger (of Allah)!" So the earthquake took them unawares, and they lay prostrate in their homes in the morning! So Salih left them, saying: "O my people! I did indeed convey to you the message for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but ye love not good counselors!"

All were destroyed before they realized what was happening. As for the people who believed in the message of Salih ^(pbuh), they were saved because they had left the place.

Ibn 'Umar narrated that while the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was passing by Thamud's houses on his way from the battle of Tabuk, he stopped together with the people there. The people fetched water from the wells from which the people of Thamud used to drink. They prepared their dough (for baking) and filled their water-skins from it (the water from the wells).

The Prophet of Allah ^(pbuh) ordered them to empty the water-skins and give the prepared dough to the camels. Then they went away with them until they stopped at a well from which the she-camel (of Salih ^(pbuh)) used to drink. He warned them against entering upon the people that had been punished, saying: "I fear that you may be affected by what afflicted them; so do not enter upon them."

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