And when He completed - glorified is He - what He intended from the story of 'Aad, He followed them with Thamud and said, "And to Thamud." This means: specifically, it was prevented from being declined because what is meant by it is the tribe. It is derived from 'thamd,' which is little water. Their dwellings were in the rock between Hijaz and Sham up to Wadi al-Qura. We sent their brother Salih. Then He resumed the narration about His saying - as has been mentioned in Hud - blessings and peace be upon him - and said: "He said, O my people," appealing to them by reminding them of kinship and the connection of lineage, "Worship Allah," meaning: the One who has no perfection except for Him. "What is wrong with you?" And He confirmed the negation by saying: "There is no god other than Him."

And when it became evident to them of His truthfulness in that, they called upon their idols, and they did not respond to them. And he, blessings and peace be upon him, called upon his Lord - glorified is He - and He brought forth for them the she-camel. He justified the correctness of what he called them to by saying: "Indeed, there has come to you a clear sign," meaning: a very evident miracle confirming my truthfulness in claiming my prophethood and the correctness of what I commanded you with. And He increased their desire by saying: "From your Lord," meaning: the One who has always been gracious to you. Then He resumed explaining it by saying: "This," indicating it after its creation to affirm it and to magnify its importance and His importance in the greatness of its creation and the speed of its coming into existence for His sake.

And when He pointed to it, He named it and said: "The she-camel of Allah," honoring it by attributing it to the Greatest Name. And He indicated its specification to them by saying: "For you," while it is "a sign," meaning: for whoever witnessed it and for whoever heard about it, and its matter was confirmed with him. Then He caused the consequence of that to be His saying: "So leave her," meaning: let her be, even if it is in the slightest manner of leaving. "To eat," meaning: from the vegetation, and "in the land of Allah," meaning: from what Allah has caused to grow, for He has everything. And it is His she-camel just as the entire earth is His land, and the vegetation is His provision. Therefore, it was made clear so that its eating would not be restricted to one land over another.

And when He commanded them to leave her for that reason, He confirmed the command by prohibiting them from harming her, saying: "And do not touch her with harm," let alone after touching. "Or else He will seize you," meaning: a seizing of power because of that touching, and after it, "a painful punishment," meaning: one that is painful.