INTRODUCTION TO SURAH ASH-SHAMS
Surah Ash-Shams was revealed in Mecca as the 26th chapter of the Qur’an. There is no disagreement regarding the order of the Surah, which takes its name from the word “الشّمس Ash-Shams [The Sun]” mentioned in the first verse. Comprising 15 verses—though some count verse 14 as two, making it 16—the Surah holds a unanimous position in its structure and content.
In verses 17–32 of Surah Abasa (the 24th chapter), attention was drawn to humanity’s internal structure and the afak [the external environment], emphasizing the necessity of recognizing the Lord through these internal and external signs as well as the functions of the surrounding creation. Those who fail to do so and persist in disbelief despite clear evidence were condemned. Following Surah Abasa, Surah Qadr intervened like a parenthesis, focusing on the benefits of the Qur’an and the transformative relationship one can have with it.
Returning to the theme introduced in Surah Abasa, Surah Ash-Shams highlights the undeniable proofs present in the afak [external universe] and the anfus [within oneself]. It begins by pointing to the literal significance of the natural signs and then delves deeper into humanity’s intrinsic evidence of divine purpose. The principles emphasized in Surah Abasa are, in a way, revisited and expanded upon in Surah Ash-Shams.
Through a series of oaths involving seven proofs, Surah Ash-Shams elucidates how individuals can achieve salvation or destroy themselves by their own free will. This divine principle is further illustrated with the historical example of the people of Thamud, whose punishment was well known among the audience of the time. Thus, the Surah guides and warns humanity, encouraging believers to obey and follow divine guidance.
The use of homonyms, synonyms, metaphors, allegories, allusions, and other figures of speech within the Surah underscores its mutashabih [ambiguous, layered] nature. These rhetorical devices allow for a multitude of interpretations and meanings to be drawn from its verses.
Considering that verses 1–10 (a series of oaths) and verses 11–15 (historical example of Thamud) form distinct passages, the Surah is best analyzed in two separate sections.
26 / SURAH ASH-SHAMS [THE SUN]
Meaning of Verses :
1-10The Qur’an and the social enlightment that it spreads, the Messenger and believers who follow the Qur’an, those peoples who are enlightened with the light of the Qur’an, those peoples who are deprived of the light of the Qur’an, scholars and the knowledge that exalts the scholars, those who are utterly ignorant and the principles and mentalities that make them like this, those who have found their selves and the factors which make find the self – then Allah inspired man instincts of transgressing and protecting himself/commiting sin and abilities of being under the guardianship of Allah; He coded to his genes – is the evidence that, he who purifies his self has truly been saved. And he who consciously denies it, has definitely lost.
11Thamud denied because of their transgressions; 12when those from among these people who will be the most unhappy in Akhirat [Afterlife]/their leaders accepted the task and went, 13the messenger of Allah said to them: “14Attach importance to the camel of Allah!” and “Let her drink water and live!”
15,16But they denied him, and without fearing the consequence of this, they killed the camel of Allah, cutting her shins.
And their Rabb manipulated them because of their sins and then destroyed.
Analysis of Verses
Verses 1-10:
1-10The Qur’an and the social enlightment that it spreads, the Messenger and believers who follow the Qur’an, those peoples who are enlightened with the light of the Qur’an, those peoples who are deprived of the light of the Qur’an, scholars and the knowledge that exalts the scholars, those who are utterly ignorant and the principles and mentalities that make them like this, those who have found their selves and the factors which make find the self – then Allah inspired man instincts of transgressing and protecting himself/commiting sin and abilities of being under the guardianship of Allah; He coded to his genes – is the evidence that, he who purifies his self has truly been saved. And he who consciously denies it, has definitely lost.
The literal meanings of the verses are as follows:
“By the sun and its radiance, and by the moon when it follows it, and by the day when it gives it brightness, and by the night when it covers it, and by the heaven and Him who made it, and by the earth and Him who laid it round, and by the soul and Him who arranged it, and by Him who formed it, and by Him who gave it form – He inspired it with its faught and its taqwa (piety) – [I show evidence with all this] that he who purifies it [the soul] is indeed saved, and he who covers it [the soul] is surely harmed.”
We have shown the metaphorical meaning in the translation.
Verses containing scientific miracles in their literal meaning also convey profound figurative truths.
For instance, the statement that the Moon follows the Sun reveals the astronomical fact that the Moon, like all celestial bodies in the Solar System, follows the Sun. Scientific calculations demonstrate that the Sun completes its nearly circular orbit in the Milky Way Galaxy in approximately 225 million years. Along this vast journey, the Moon follows the Sun indirectly as part of the Earth-Moon system. This knowledge, which became a scientific reality after the discovery of the Solar System and the Milky Way Galaxy, would have been a miraculous assertion at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation. Similarly, the statement in the Surah that “the Earth was laid round” was a miracle for its time, given humanity’s limited understanding of the Earth’s shape.
Moreover, it is possible to extract many metaphorical meanings from the verses. For example:
– “الشّمس Sun” is the Qur’an, which has illuminated mankind for centuries and will continue to do so in the future. “Its radiance” is the happiness that the Qur’an brings to mankind.
– The “moon following the sun” is our Prophet and the believers who follow the Qur’an.
– “Day” symbolizes societies enlightened by the light of the Qur’an and “Night” symbolizes ignorant societies deprived of the light of the Qur’an.
– The “heaven” is the people who have exalted themselves with the life of the Qur’an, and the “earth” is the people who do not benefit from the Qur’an and wallow in the mire of disbelief and disobedience.
– The “the one who created the heaven” is Islamic principles taken from the Qur’an that elevate human beings, and the “the one who created earth” is non-Qur’anic principles and views.
– “The soul and the leveler of the soul” are man and the factors that make man good or bad, which is clear from the following verse 8.
Verses 1, 2:
The Qur’an and the social enlightment that it spreads, the Messenger and believers who follow the Qur’an,
In these verses, the Moon is described as following the Sun. This statement emphasizes, in its literal sense, that the Moon receives its light from the Sun and follows it in its function of illuminating the Earth. Metaphorically, the Sun can be interpreted as the Qur’an, illuminating humanity with its guidance and prescription for happiness. The Moon, in this context, symbolizes our Prophet and the believers, who follow the Qur’an and reflect its light in their lives.
Verses 3, 4:
and by the day when it gives it brightness, and by the night when it covers it
The meaning of the pronouns “ها it” in these verses requires further consideration. A logical explanation must be sought as to what “it” refers to in “the day gives it brightness” and “the night covers it.” If “the Sun,” which is the antecedent of the pronouns in the preceding verses, is assumed to be their referent, the interpretation becomes problematic: “The day makes the Sun shine, and the night covers the Sun” does not make logical sense.
In order to give a reasonable meaning to the existing structure of the sentence, Zamakhshari suggests that the pronouns in the verses may refer to “ظلمة zulmat [darkness]” or “الارض araza [the earth]” and says, “This is so even though these words do not precede the pronoun.[1] He also gives examples from classical Arabic literary texts to support his thesis. However, since these examples are not convincing enough, it is not necessary to cite them.
We believe that the problem caused by these pronouns can be solved in two ways:
First Method: one way is to consider that the pronouns in the verses are there for structural or rhythmic purposes and do not necessarily have a direct antecedent. This phenomenon is found in various places in the Qur’an, such as in verses 55 of Surah Al-Ahzab, 31 of Surah An-Nur, and 16-20 of Surah Al-Haqqah. According to this method, the verses could be interpreted without assigning a specific antecedent to the pronouns:
“when He gives brightness to the day,
while I cover it up in the night,”
Second Method: As is well known, when a third person pronoun is used in a sentence, the referent of this pronoun must have preceded the pronoun, either in meaning or in meaning. Otherwise, what is meant cannot be understood and the sentence becomes meaningless. It has already been stated that the meaning of the verses would be illogical if the “Sun” in the first verse is accepted as the locus of the pronouns in these verses. The only thing that can be done in this case, then, is to remove the walls between Surah Abasa and Surah Ash-Shams. As stated in the introduction to the Surah, Surah Ash-Shams is in fact a continuation of Surah Abasa, with Surah Qadr intervening as a parenthesis. According to this assumption, the pronouns “ها it” in verses 3 and 4 refer to the word “الارض arz [earth]” in verse 26 of Surah Abasa, and these verses can be interpreted as follows:
“to the day when it gives brightness to the earth,
while the night envelops the earth.”
Another point to note here is that the verbs in the verses are in different tenses. In verse 3, the verb “جلّى jala” is used in the past tense, while the verb [يغشى yağşâ] in verse 4 is used in the present tense. This often overlooked feature actually expresses a nuanced meaning. This subtlety of meaning achieved by using the present tense implies that the night is and will be continuous. The figurative meanings of the verses, on the other hand, suggest that it is the ignorance, disbelief and shirk represented by the word “night” that will always exist.
Verse 5:
“and by the soul and Him who arranged it,”
This verse, along with the following two, can be understood in multiple ways depending on the interpretation of the noun “ما ma.” According to Arabic grammar, the preposition “ما ma” can be used for describing the attributes of inanimate objects, mindless animals, intelligent beings, and even Allah. Similar usages of “ما ma” are found in earlier surahs.
First explanation:
The word “ما ma” in the verse may refer to Allah (Rabb). In this interpretation, the verse emphasizes Allah’s power, greatness, and uniqueness as the Creator who arranged and perfected the soul. Here, our Lord is drawing attention to His divine artistry in shaping the essence and purpose of the soul.
Second explanation:
Alternatively, the word “ما ma” may refer to mindless beings, and the verse could highlight the intricate order and laws established by Allah in the universe. This interpretation points to the subtle calculations, harmony, and miracles within the creation of the soul and its purpose.
In this context, the “arranging” of the soul may symbolize the divine order, programming, or natural laws governing not only the soul itself but also the universe as a whole. The term “Sunnahullah” used in the Qur’an refers to these laws—whether physical, chemical, biological, or social—that maintain the universe’s harmony and order. Thus, the verse invites humanity to reflect on the profound structure and balance within both the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of the soul.
Verse 6:
“and by the earth and Him who laid it round,
This verse is again according to the two meanings of the preposition “ما ma”: “By the earth and the Creator who spreads and extends it on all sides and makes it suitable for living creatures” or “By the earth and the physical, chemical and biological laws and systems that spread it.” While this verse points to the miraculous physical laws of the formation and laying of the earth, the word “طحيها tahâ-hâ” is another miracle.
طحى Tahâ and دحى Dehâ
The word “طحيها tahâ-hâ” in the verse appears as “دحيها dehâ-hâ” in verse 30 of Surah An-Nazi’at, where the subject is elaborated. This situation, which sometimes occurs in the form of hardening and sometimes softening the letters in words, is also seen in Turkish. For example, the original word “temur” is written and pronounced as “iron” today, and the words “Konya, kara, kabak” are softened in many regions and pronounced as “Gonya, gara, gabak.” Likewise, the name Fatima has taken the form of Fadime. Therefore, there is a similar relationship between the word “tahâ-hâ” in this verse and the word “dehâ-hâ” in verse 30 of Surah An-Nazi’at. Therefore, both words have the same meaning and both are used in the sense of “to spread, to lay.” This correlation is found in Lisan al-Arab by Allamah Ibn al-Manzur, the most reliable and authoritative source on the meaning of words.
Tahâ
“Ferra explained it as follows: ‘طحى Tahâ’ and ‘دحى Dehâ’ are one and the same.” Shimr also said: “طحيها Tahâ-hâ دحيها Dehâ-hâ. The letter ط Ta has been transformed from the letter د De.”
The meaning of this word also includes the idea of plants sticking to the earth and spreading.[2]
The miracle here is that the Arabic words for the ordinary action of “spreading and laying” are “بسط Beseta” and “وسع Vessea,” while the verse uses the words “طحى Tahâ” and “دحى Dehâ” for the spreading and laying of the earth. This is because these words do not refer to an ordinary and normal spreading but to a “rounded spreading” which aligns with the shape of the earth.
Dahv
The meaning of the word “دحو Dahv” centers around “ostrich egg.” The derivatives of this word have meanings such as “ostrich egg” and “the place where the ostrich lays its egg.” One of the derivatives of this word, “مدحة Midhat,” is the name of a game played by the Meccans with round stones and walnuts, similar to today’s golf game. They would dig a hole and try to drop a round stone or walnut into the hole. The one who successfully dropped the round object into the hole was considered the winner of the game, and the one who failed was considered the loser. Abi Rafi’ narrates that our Prophet’s grandsons Hasan and Hussein also played this game. The word “مداحى Medahi,” which is derived from the word “دحو Dahv,” is the name given to round stones such as “Kursa” or “phyllo.”.[3]
The use of this word, which means “to spread out in a rounded shape,” for the earth signifies that the earth was created to be suitable for human beings and other living creatures to inhabit and derive sustenance from. Furthermore, it indicates that its shape is rounded, not perfectly spherical. Remembering that the earth’s shape was only recently discovered to be an “ellipsoid [rotational ellipsoid] flattened at the poles,” it is a true and great miracle that 14 centuries ago, a word describing an ostrich egg—most similar to a “rotational ellipsoid”—was used to describe the shape of the earth..
This subject, which is presented succinctly in Surah Ash-Shams, is elaborated in Surah An-Nazi’at, the 81st surah in the order of descent:
27-33Are you more difficult in formation or the heavens/universe? It is Allah Who constructed the heavens/universe; then He raised its ceiling, then He organized it, made its night dark and brought out its light. And then He spread the earth as an enjoyment for you and your livestock/He brought forth from the earth its water and its pasture, and He set the mountains firmly.
(An-Nazi’at/ 27-33)
These verses, whose nature could not have been known at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, are in fact addressed to the scholars of our time.
Verses 7, 8:
then Allah inspired man instincts of transgressing and protecting himself/commiting sin and abilities of being under the guardianship of Allah; He coded to his genes –
Verse 7, like verses 5 and 6, can be interpreted as “the soul and the one who regulates it, the one who is able to regulate it” or “the soul and the things that regulate it” according to the meanings of the preposition “ما ma.”
The prepositions “ما ma” in verses 5-7 have the meaning of “infinitive” in addition to the two meanings we have given above. If it is accepted that the prepositions “ما ma” have the meaning of “infinitive,” verses 5-7 can be interpreted as follows:
“to the heavens and their construction,
to the earth and its spreading,
to the soul and its regulation [I swear].”
As can be seen, if it is accepted that the preposition “ma” in verses 5-7 could have been used in the meanings of “thing” and “infinitive” in addition to referring to Allah, people’s attention is drawn to the laws of physics, chemistry and astronomy, as well as biological and genetic features that were unknown at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation.
In verse 8, the word “الهام inspiration” is derived from the words “لهم lehm, التهم ilteheme” which means “to swallow something”. The Arabs use the expression “الهمته alhemtuhu [I inspired him]” in the sense of “I delivered it to him”.[4] This word later came to be used for the things that Allah puts into the hearts of His servants. For this implanting and conveying is like swallowing in the sense of implantation.
The meaning of the word in this verse is that man is shaped by giving him physical and psychological characteristics. In this sense, human beings are endowed with physical characteristics such as height and stature, eyebrows and eyes, hands and feet, as well as psychological characteristics such as intellect and reason, impulse and instinct, and willpower that gives them the freedom to choose faith or disbelief. This was mentioned in the last verse of Surah Abasa and it was stated that the outward reflection of faith is “taqwa” and the outward reflection of disbelief is “fücur”.
Another important point emphasized in this verse is that every living creature has been given the ability to seek out what is beneficial for its own survival and to avoid what is harmful. One of the most important indicators of this is that many abilities that can be learned through a long process of education are already present in living beings from birth. There are many examples of this ability in life. For example, the ability of a newborn creature to immediately find and suckle its mother’s breast, the ability of creatures such as geese or ducks to swim from the moment they are born, and the ability of animals to choose food that is useful to them are just a few examples.
Verses 9, 10:
is the evidence that, he who purifies his self has truly been saved. And he who consciously denies it, has definitely lost.
These two verses are the core message of the Surah, with the oaths in the preceding eight verses serving to emphasize the importance of the judgment made in these verses. The same messages were conveyed earlier in verse 14 of Surah al-‘Ala, which was revealed in the 8th chapter, and are reiterated here in a different style to stress their significance.
nafs
The word “nafs” is a pronoun used to express the totality of something with its internal and external structure and characteristics, that is, its essential structure or uniqueness.
Accordingly, the meaning of the word “nafs” as a pronoun is “itself” or “its essence.” There are numerous examples in classical texts of the word being used in this sense in ancient Arabic.
Although “nafs” primarily brings to mind the human being, every living being created by Allah is also a “nafs.” In other words, every living being has a “self, essence, or identity,” which is referred to as “nafs.”
As extensively detailed in Lisan al-Arab, this word is also metaphorically used to mean “soul,” “breath,” “blood,” “ego,” “heart” (intellect), “inner self,” “greatness,” “majesty,” or “sublimity” due to various contextual relations. For example, the reason why “life,” “blood,” and “breath” [inhaled air] are also expressed with the word “nafs” is because of their relation to “necessity.”
The plural forms of “nafs” are “nufus” and “anfus.” It occurs 295 times in the Qur’an in both singular and plural forms and is used for both Allah and other living beings.
When used for Allah, “nafs” encompasses all characteristics covered by the definition given above. In other words, it expresses all of Allah’s essential and substantive attributes.
The word “nafs” is used for Allah in verses such as Ma’ida 116, Al-Imran 28, 30, Al-An’am 12, 54, and Ta Ha 41.
The word “nafs” is used for all living beings in Ash-Shams 7, 8, Baqara 233, Al-Anbiya 35, Ankabut 57, Ibrahim 22, and Yunus 15, 16.
In the following verse, the derivatives of “nafs” in the forms of talaafesu and al-mutanafisūn (derivatives of “nafs” in the form of mufaalah) mean “the race of becoming oneself, the race to gain identity” in the present participle sense:
“–So let those who compete, compete in this.–”
(Mutaaffifin/ 28)
Verses in which the word “nafs” is used as a metaphor:
15,21The condition of those who hide, flee for not listening to the Qur’an, concealing the truth-departure of ignorance, arrival of enlightenment-ability to distinguish between good and evil is the evidence that, indeed this is the word of a noble messenger who is held in honor before the powerful, the owner of the greatest throne and obeyed, trusted. 22Your companion is not one who is supported by secret forces/who is mad. 23Indeed, he saw that which he saw while he was very sound and right minded. His mind did not deny, his sight did not swerve not did it transgress. 24And he is not withholder concerning the revelations given to him which nobody sees, hears, feels. 25And this is not the word that his thinking ability produced.
(At-Takwir/ 18)
In this verse, the verb “teneffese” is used, which is derived from the word “nafs”. The meaning of this verb is “breathed in”, which refers to the air that a human being inhales and exhales in the process of respiration. Since breath is an essential part of the human being, it is used metaphorically. On the other hand, since “blood” is also an essential part of the human being, birth bleeding is also called “nifaas”. This word is a different form of the word “nafs”.
93And who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah or says “I have been revealed” even though he has not been and says “I will also reveal like what Allah revealed”? If only you could see those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah when they are in violence of death and when authorities in charge extend their hands to them saying: “Discharge your souls. Today, you will be recompensed with an humiliating punishment for you have told lies about Allah and acted arrogantly towards His Ayat!”.
(Al-An’am/ 93)
In this verse, the word “anfus”, the plural of “nafs”, is used figuratively in the sense of “souls”.
Although this is the Arabic and Qur’anic meaning of the word “nafs,” after the translation of Greek philosophical texts into Arabic, various ideas about “nafs” began to emerge. Under this influence, the word “nafs” moved away from its Arabic and Qur’anic meanings and became aligned with Greek philosophy.
The concept of “nafs” was interpreted in various ways, particularly by thinkers like Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali, Ibn al-‘Arabī, and al-Razī, leading to the formation of a branch of science called “Ilm al-Nafs [the science of the soul].” During this process, an understanding of “nafs” consistent with Greek philosophy was adopted by almost all theologians, Sufis, and philosophers.
Manifestation, Manifestation of the Nafs
As we mentioned in our analysis of Surah Al-Asr, the purification of the soul is only possible through faith and good deeds. What defiles a person is disbelief and shirk. The Qur’an states that shirk is najis [filth] and a polytheist is najis [unclean] (At-Tawbah 28). In a person who has faith, “taqwa”, which is the outward reflection of faith, will emerge and there will be an immaculate “nafs” in every aspect. An infidel, on the other hand, will have a “nafs” that is the outward reflection of his unbelief, “fücur”, and will be a “nafs” that harbors all kinds of social filth.
Covering the Nafs
According to Arab tradition, virtuous individuals were open and transparent, walking around with their foreheads exposed and their faces bright (symbolizing integrity). In contrast, those of poor character would hide in secluded places, avoiding exposure. For example, generous Arabs would reside on high hills so their homes would be visible, enabling the needy to approach them for help. At night, they would light fires so they could easily be found. Misers, however, would conceal their homes and avoid interaction with the needy.
In line with this tradition, someone who turns away from goodness and integrity becomes insignificant, abandoned, and unrecognizable, effectively veiling their “nafs.”
However, the veiling of the “nafs” cannot be explained solely by the Arab customs mentioned above. Superficial acts of virtue, such as being generous only to those who approach them or seeking recognition as a good person, do not suffice to unveil a Muslim’s “nafs.” A lack of even one quality required by the Qur’an for purifying the “nafs” can cause it to remain veiled. Therefore, every Muslim must study and comprehend the Qur’an thoroughly to identify the traits necessary for purifying the “nafs” and ensure they do not become veiled.
We consider it our obligation to leave the details of covering the nafs to the Muslims’ own efforts to understand the Qur’an and to give some reminders in a very general framework:
1- According to what we learn from the Qur’an, a Muslim cannot be passive and wimpy:
Because, as we mentioned in the analysis of Surah Al-Asr, if a person does not struggle with determination in the path indicated by reason and religion, if he waits in silence even though he sees wrongdoing, if he endures oppression, if he watches the deterioration of his immediate environment and the society in which he lives with a spirit of indifference, he is not a “patient” and “righteous” person. Because behaviors such as “enduring” and “keeping silent”, which are indicative of passivity and wimping out, are incompatible with the characteristics of a Muslim mentioned in the Qur’an. However, merely “being patient” and “being on the right” are not enough to keep the nafs uncovered. Those who do not advise patience and righteousness will not be spared from harm, even if they are patient and righteous as individuals (Al-Asr; 2, 3).
2- Those who do not encourage the poor to eat are described in the Qur’an as those who “deny the religion” (Ma’un; 1-3), and those who do not cherish the orphan (Al-Fajr 17) will regret in the judgment that they did not send something in advance for that life (Al-Fajr 23, 24). As we said in the analysis of Surahs Mâûn and Al-Fajr:
– Feeding the poor, in line with verse 19 of Surah Adh-Dhariyat, with the awareness that the poor and deprived have a right to the wealth they possess, not as a favor, but as a debt, as an obligation, to deliver the right,
– Being generous to the orphans, on the other hand, means making the orphan superior, making him/her respectable, and enabling him/her to stand on his/her own feet without being dependent on anyone else in the society through behaviors such as providing education, giving him/her the opportunity to realize himself/herself, and supporting him/her by giving him/her job opportunities.
That is to say, just as the passive and timid personality of those who do not struggle with determination in the path indicated by reason and religion is an example of the “veiled nafs”, those who do not recommend patience and truth are also examples of the “veiled nafs”, as they will not be able to avoid harm in the end.
Those who purify their nafs from these veils:
– Those who support the poor, needy and deprived with their wealth and lives,
– Those who try to ensure that orphans receive a proper and useful education by establishing foundations, opening schools, granting scholarships, providing books, etc. in order to make the orphan respectable,
– Those who do not remain silent in the face of wrong, but defend the truth with the right methods in all places and under all circumstances.
The expression “covering the soul” can be explained in other ways than the ones we have explained above, such as those who are not among the righteous at all, but hide themselves among them, and conceal their souls by indulging in rebellion and sins, and do not show their disbelief and filthiness to others.
Verses 11-15:
11Thamud denied because of their transgressions; 12when those from among these people who will be the most unhappy in Akhirat [Afterlife]/their leaders accepted the task and went, 13the messenger of Allah said to them: “14Attach importance to the camel of Allah!” and “Let her drink water and live!”
15,16But they denied him, and without fearing the consequence of this, they killed the camel of Allah, cutting her shins.
And their Rabb manipulated them because of their sins and then destroyed.
According to the judgment given in verses 8 and 9, man, who is reported in the first part of the Surah to have been endowed with physical and mental powers to do good and evil, and to have been given freedom of will to do as he wishes, will be able to save himself if he purifies his soul, and will be ruined if he misuses his powers. Verses 11-15 are an example of this judgment, both in terms of their lives and their fate, which was well known to the people of that day. The story of the tribe of Thamud has already been summarized in the analysis of Surahs Al-Fajr and Najm. However, due to its importance, it is thought that it would be useful to revisit aspects of it that were not mentioned there.
TRIBE OF SAMUD
The tribe of Thamud was an ancient Arab tribe that lived in the Wadi al-Kura between Hijaz and Syria. The name of this tribe is mentioned in twenty-six places in the Qur’an. In addition, the verses that mention our Prophet Salih are also related to his tribe, Thamud. The details about the tribe of Thamud are given in Surah Al-Fajr.
In order to understand verses 11-15, it is necessary to evaluate the clues in the verses well. In our opinion, these clues are expressions:
– The beliefs of Thamud that caused them to deny,
– Female camel
– That this female camel is the female camel of Allah.
Reason for their denial: Tughyan
An extensive explanation of tughyan is given in the analysis of Surah Al-Alaq. To summarize, tughyan is when a person thinks that he is above all needs by having a lot of money, wealth, property, slaves and servants, and becomes a “baron”, a “lord”, a “lord”, a “master” by having this sense of sufficiency. The Qur’an uses this word for Pharaoh and the rulers of Mecca. It is clear from the verses that the tribe of Thamud also fell into the same misguidance.
Female Camel
Many legends have been invented about this female camel, such as “when his people asked Salih for a miracle and he brought out a female camel from the rocks”, and many explanations have been made on the basis of these legends.
The word “النّاقة an-nakah” in the verse means “female camel”. However, the Arabs did not call every female camel “an-nakah”, but only those that had reached the age of five. This detail should always be kept in mind for a correct understanding of the message of the verse.
A female camel at the age of five is of great economic value to nomads and pastoralists for its meat, milk and strength.
Allah’s Camel
The female camel, which is referred to as “Salih’s Camel” in the narrated accounts, is directly attributed to Allah in the verse and called “ناقةاللّه Allah’s Camel”. The attribution of the camel to Allah is something that should be carefully considered. The attribution of the camel to Allah does not mean that it was created by Allah or that the camel is a proof of Allah’s existence and unity. Allah is the creator of everything in the universe and all beings in the universe are proofs of Allah’s existence and unity. Therefore, it should be well understood that what is meant is something more than that.
As is well known, in the Qur’an, the Kaaba is called “بيت اللّه Baytullah [House of Allah]” and it is attributed to Allah (Ibrahim 37, Al-Baqara 125, Hajj 26, Quraysh 3). Therefore, in order to understand the phrase “female camel of Allah” correctly, it is necessary to first understand why the Ka’bah is called the “House of Allah”.
Baytullah [House of Allah] means “a house that belongs to no one but Allah, a house that cannot be owned by anyone”. This characteristic shows that it belongs to all humanity, to the public. The House of Allah is a place open to the public, a place where public interests are discussed, public rights are respected, and everyone is free and equal. In this sense, all mosques/ masjids are also “Baytullah”. However, mosques and masjids must be built with piety and must not be used for functions that are incompatible with Allah’s religion.
Now that it is understood what it means to attribute a being to Allah, it should also be clear what is meant by the phrase “ناقةاللّه Allah’s Camel” in the verse. “an-Naqah” literally means a strong five-year-old female camel, which was public property, owned in common by the poor, orphans, miskin, in short, all those in need, and whose milk, strength and offspring could be freely utilized. Nowadays, this term refers to Salat, mental and material support, education and training, charitable organizations, social welfare foundations, and social security.
The people of Thamud of that day did not like the fact that hungry and poor people were freed from hunger, misery and servitude through this institution [an-nakah]. Because the liberation of those who served them from servitude was not to the liking of these idolaters who considered themselves above all needs. The Qur’an repeatedly draws attention to this attitude of the Taghuts and its aftermath in different surahs (Al-A’raf 73-79, Qamar 23-32, Hud 61-68, Ash-Shu’ara 141-159):
Allah’s Messenger
What is meant by the expression “رسوا اللّه Allah’s Messenger” in the verse is our Prophet Salih. Although his name is not mentioned here, it is reported in Surahs Hud, Qamar, Al-A’raf, Ash-Shu’ara that the messenger in this incident was Prophet Salih.
In verse 13, the expressions “The camel of Allah!” and “His drinking water!” are tahzir, that is, a call for warning. When the messenger says, “The camel of Allah!” and “Its drinking water!” it is a reminder to take care of this camel, whose life is beneficial for everyone, and not to neglect it. This is similar to someone who is unaware that a child is in danger and calls out, “Child! Child!” to someone who is unaware that a child is in danger.
In verse 15, the most appropriate meaning of the phrase, “And he feared not the consequence thereof,” is when it is an adverb of case in verse 12, where the words “when the hardest of the wretched departed” appear. In verse 15, the pronoun “he” in verse 14, as is done in almost all translations, is not appropriate in terms of meaning, even if it is possible in terms of linguistic technique. For Allah cannot be feared. If the incident is carefully observed, the person who does not fear the consequences of what he does when he should fear is not just anyone, but the “miserable” person mentioned in verse 12. Therefore, the pronoun “he” in verse 15 must refer to the “miserable” in verse 12.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find a single word for some of the words in the verses. The word “inbease”, which is often incorrectly translated as “to get up and leave”, is one of them.
The word “انبعث inbease”, which has the three-letter root “بعث bease”, gains the meaning of mutawaat [reflexivity] due to its pattern, and the root meaning of “to send” changes from “to send” to “to accept to be sent and go”.
When the word “inbease” is interpreted in its correct meaning, it is understood that the most violent of the Thamud did not destroy the camel of Allah of his own will, but that this task was given to him by others and he accepted this task. As a matter of fact, the verse 29 of Surah al-Qamar above says, “So they shouted to his companions. So he took what he was owed and killed the camel by cutting off its shanks”, which indicates that the decision to kill the camel was taken jointly and the execution was carried out by one of them (who was their leader) in accordance with this decision. This makes it clear that Thamud was not punished for a crime committed by one person, but for a collective decision to execute the camel that was taken by the Taghuts of the tribe. This eliminates the misconception that the word “inbaase” has been misinterpreted to mean that an entire community was punished for the crime of one person, which is contrary to the principles of justice.
The following verses should be considered in this regard:
16And when We intend to manipulate/destroy a country, We command wealthy and powerful chiefs of it to be on the righteous path, to lead on the righteous path but, they rather go astray from the righteous path therein. And then the Word comes into effect upon there and We destroy there with complete destruction.
(Isra/16)
25And guard yourselves from the social fires that will not hit only those who treat their very selves unjustly among you and know that Allah is the One Whose punishment is severe.
(Al-Anfal/25)
The Way the Camel is Slaughtered
In the passages describing the tribe of Thamud and our Prophet Salih, the killing of the camel is expressed with the verb “عقر akara”. This word also contains important details.
The following information is found in the book Lisan al-Arab:
“The roots “aqr, ukr” from which the verb “aqara” derives mean “taking precautions to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, birth control”. The objects drunk for birth control were also called “ukr”. In this context, it is understood that the word means “to change the nature of something, to destroy its originality”. As a matter of fact, the word “Aqr” has been used in the sense of “wounding” in this context. Because wounding is also disrupting nature and integrity.
Later on, the word “Aqr” lost its general meaning of “wounding” and began to be used in the sense of cutting the feet [shins, between the knee and the heel] of animals such as camels, horses and sheep. Since the Arabs, when slaughtering animals such as camels, horses, cattle and sheep, first cut the animal’s shins with a sword and then slaughtered the fallen animal, this word became used to describe the first stage of animal slaughter.[5]
If one were to look for an equivalent in today’s Turkish for the meaning of the word “akr”, we think the most appropriate equivalent would be the word “scythe”.
In the light of all this information, it is understood that the “Camel of Allah”, which we think is an animal that works for the public good, was eliminated by the tribe of Thamud by cutting off the organs that enable it to stand up. When the meaning of the expression “God’s Camel” is carried forward to the present day, the impression emerges that this camel is in the nature of today’s public institutions that work for the public good in terms of function. The destruction of the camel, on the other hand, suggests that the sources of income such as taxes, dues and donations that sustained these institutions were cut off, not paid or lost through corruption.
It will be seen in more detail in Surah Al-A’raf that the tribe of Thamud was not utterly destroyed because they destroyed Allah’s camel, but they were rendered miserable. Hence, such misery awaits today’s thaghutized societies who are negligent in ensuring social justice because of their greed.
Allah is the one who knows best
[1] (Kashshaf, vol. 4; p. 258)
[2] (Lisan al Arab, Vol. 5, p. 574)
[3] (Lisan al Arab, Vol. 3, p. 310, 311)
[4] (Lisan al Arab, article “lhm” )
[5] (Lisan al Arab, article “agr” )