قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِمَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَٰلِحًا مُّرْسَلٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ
Important Words:
الملاء (chief men). See 2:247.
Commentary:
When the so-called leaders of his tribe found, to their mortification, that Salih stood firm as a rock in his convictions and no amount of persuasion could make him swerve from his purpose, they began to harass his followers, but these too they found bold and firm.
Mala’a-hu means, he filled it. Mala’ul-Qaum means, the leaders of the people; its wealthy members (Aqrab). They are so called because with their presence in an assembly it seems to be full.