And when Thamud were the largest of the people after them due to their skill in building in the mountains and plains, and their expansion in the construction of gardens, and the digging of springs, and other matters, along with their suitability for them in witnessing the great evident signs, He followed them with them; and He said: ﴿And Thamud﴾; and they continued in what they were in until they saw the signs of punishment, from the paleness of faces, then their redness, then their blackness; and there was no deterrent for them in that to turn them away from their pride and their opposition.

And when the one who carried Thamud to the disobedience that necessitated punishment was the women; for the one who slaughtered the she-camel did not dare to do so except for a woman among them; she made for him her marriage in exchange for slaughtering it; and the cause of the punishment of the people of Lot was the approach to the males; so the common factor between them was the desire for lust, along with the opposition between males and females; while the punishment of Thamud was by the shaking of their dwellings; and the punishment of the people of Lot was by the uprooting of their cities and carrying them, then overturning them; He followed them with them; and He said - expressing what indicates their strength; adding to them in relation to their Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -; for they were the number of cities; they did not have a collective name, like the people of Noah - blessings be upon him -: ﴿And the people of Lot﴾; meaning: those who have the strength to carry out what they attempt; and they continued in their pride and their opposition until they were struck by the evening; and the blinding of the eyes; and they could not reach what they wanted of entering the house of Lot - blessings be upon him -; nor could they achieve what they desired; and that did not turn them away from their pride and their opposition; rather, they threatened him with the coming of the morning.

And when he mentioned the people of mud, he followed them with a group from the people of the tents; they were similar to them in their obstinacy with the trees; while their punishment was in the shade of the fire; as it was for the people of Lot - blessings be upon him - stones of fire; and He said: ﴿And the companions of the thicket﴾; then He magnified their matter; to belittle the matter of Quraysh; and to deter them; by urging them to recall their punishment; and He said: ﴿Those﴾; meaning: the great ones in mobilization; and gathering against those who oppose Him; ﴿the factions﴾; meaning: those whose utmost ranks in opposition would be to be like a faction among them.