'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as a trial for them, so watch for them and be patient." "And inform them that the water is a division between them; every drink will be attended." "So they called their companion, and he took action and hamstrung her." "So how was My punishment and My warnings?" "Indeed, We sent upon them a single cry, and they became like the dry twigs of a fence." "And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy to remember, so is there any who will remember?" "The people of Lot denied the warnings." "Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except for the family of Lot; We saved them at dawn." "As a mercy from Us; thus do We reward he who is grateful." This she-camel was the one they proposed to come out for them from a solid rock of the mountain. Its story has already been mentioned. Allah, exalted and glorified is He, informed Salih, peace be upon him - in a manner of consolation - that He would bring out for them the she-camel as a test and trial. Then He commanded him to await relief and to be patient. The root of "be patient" is "istabara" (to be patient), the ت (taa) was changed to ط (taa) to match the ص (saa). Then He commanded him to inform Thamud that the water is a division between them, which is the water of the well that they had. The interpreters have differed regarding the meaning of this division. A majority of them said: a division between them, they are equal on the day when the she-camel does not come to drink. It has been narrated that the she-camel would come to the well every other day, and all of its water was needed on that day. So Allah, exalted and glorified is He, forbade the people of the day when the she-camel does not come to take more than their share on their day, and commanded them to be equal with those who the she-camel comes to on their day. Others said: its meaning is that the water is a division between all of them and the she-camel. "Attended" means present, witnessed, and shared. Mujahid said: the meaning is: "every drink," meaning: from the water one day and from the milk of the she-camel another day, "attended" for them, as if he informed them of the blessing of Allah, exalted and glorified is He, upon them in that. And "their companion" is Qidar ibn Salif, and because of him, the butcher is called al-Qidar due to a similarity in action. The poet said: We will strike with swords their heads, a strike like that of Qidar, the broth of the front. And the explanation of the matter of Qidar ibn Salif has already been mentioned. And "he took action" is the one who is compliant with "to give"; it is as if this action was pushed by the people and some of them gave it to others, so he took action and hamstrung her with his hand. This was said by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. It is said for a man who involves himself in bearing heavy matters: he is taking action in the manner mentioned. The root is "a'ataa ya'ṭoo" (to take), then it is said: he gave to another, then it is said: he took action. This is like saying: he ran, he ran along, and he ran in trade; this is common. It is narrated that he was with a group - they were nine men - and they needed water but could not find it because of the she-camel's watering. So his companions urged him to hamstring her. It is narrated that the leaders of the tribe gathered to hamstring her, and other reasons have been narrated besides these, and that has already been mentioned.

'The 'cry' is narrated that Gabriel, peace be upon him, cried it out at the edge of their dwellings, so they were shattered and ceased, and they were like the chaff of a pen. 'Chaff' is what has been shattered and broken from things. The majority of people read: 'like the chaff of the pen' with a broken 'dhāl', and its meaning is that which makes a pen from the pasture and similar things. This was said by Ibn Ishaq al-Suba'i, al-Dahhak, and Ibn Zayd. It is taken from 'hadhir', which means prohibition. The Arabs and the people of the desert make it for livestock and also for dwelling from branches, leafy trees, and reeds, and so all of this is chaff that breaks apart, either at the beginning of the making or when the pen wears out and its parts fall. Al-Tabari narrated from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah that 'the pen' means: the burning one. Qatadah said: like burning chaff. Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan and Abu Rija' read: 'the pen' with a opened 'dhāl', and its meaning is: the place that was made a pen, so it is derived from 'hadhir', or the thing that was made a pen with. It has been narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr that he explained 'like the chaff of the pen' by saying: it is the dust that falls from the dilapidated wall, and this is plausible because the wall is a pen, and what falls is chaff. He also said, and others said: 'the pen' means: the one that burns with fire, meaning: as if it is in the place of the pen with fire. What we mentioned from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah is based on the reading with a broken 'dhāl', and in this interpretation there is some distance. Some said: 'the pen' with the opening - the chaff itself, and it is derived, just like the mosque of the congregation and similar to it.

The stories of the people of Lot, peace be upon him, have preceded, and 'the hail' is the cloud that throws down hail and others. He likened those stones that the people of Lot threw to it in abundance and continuity, and it is taken from 'hasbah', as if the cloud is gathering its target. From it is the saying of al-Farazdaq:

'Facing the north of the Levant, they are struck by hail like scattered cotton.'

And Ibn al-Musayyib said: I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, say to the people of Medina: 'Throw pebbles at the mosque.' And 'the family of Lot' refers to his two daughters as narrated. 'Sahar' is in the accusative because it is an indefinite noun and does not refer to a specific day.

And His saying, the Exalted, 'a favor' is in the accusative as a source, meaning: We did that as a favor to the people whom We saved. And this is our reward for whoever is grateful for Our favors and believes and obeys.