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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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