ٱلصَّيْحَةُ

7:79; 26:159; 54:32.

Important Words:

الصیحة (punishment) is derived from صاح which means, he called out or cried vehemently or he shouted with his utmost force or power. صاح علیه means, he rebuked him. صیح بھم means, they were frightened or terrified. صیح فیھم means, they perished. صاحت الشجرة means, the tree became tall. صیحة means, a loud cry; punishment, castigation or chastisement; a hostile or predatory incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Seven different words and expressions have been used in the Quran to describe the punishment which overtook the tribe of Thamud. In the verse under comment and in 54:32, the word used is صیحة (punishment); in 7:79, رجفة (an earthquake); in 26:159, عذاب (chastisement); in 27:52, دمرناھم (We utterly destroyed them); in 51:45, صاعقة (thunderbolt; any destructive punishment); in 69:6,طاغیة (an extraordinary punishment); and in 91:15, دمدم علیھم (their Lord destroyed them completely). Though the words and expressions employed to describe the visitation seem to be different in form, yet they possess no discrepancy in meaning. The only words which appear to be contradictory are Rajfah, Saihah, Sa‘iqah and Taghiyah. As, however, the last three also mean punishment, therefore if the tribe of Thamud were destroyed by means of an earthquake, all the above words may be rightly used to describe that catastrophe.

7:92; 26:190; 29:38.

Commentary:

Shu‘aib lived in a territory where earthquakes were frequent. So it is quite possible that, as the words apparently show, his people should have been visited with an earthquake: but the word صیحة (for which see v. 68 above) may also mean any other punishment and the words, they lay prostrate in their houses, may have been used in a figurative sense, meaning that their power was broken by some dreadful visitation and they met with disgrace and humiliation, as if thrown into the dust.

11:82.

Important Words:

الصیحة (the punishment) which is derived from صاح i.e. he cried aloud or shouted. صیحة means, a vehement crying; an evil or mischief that comes on one suddenly; punishment; a hostile incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane). See also 11:68.

Commentary:

In v. 67 the time for the punishment which was to overtake Lot’s people is indicated by the expression مصبحین (by the morning) but in the present verse it is expressed by مشرقین (at sunrise). This may appear to be a discrepancy in the words used by the Quran. But there is no real discrepancy, because the expression مصبحین (by the morning) signifies those entering on the period from dawn till sunrise, and مشرقینmeans, at sunrise. It is thus clear that there is no real conflict in the meanings of the two words. The calamity actually occurred at sunrise. This is supported by the Bible (Gen. 19:23, 24). For the nature of the calamity see the following verse.

7:79; 11:68.

Commentary:

It appears from 7:79 that the calamity referred to in this verse was an earthquake.

7:92; 11:68.

Important Words:

الصیحة (punishment) means, a loud cry; punishment, castigation, chastisement; a hostile or predatory incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane & Aqrab). See also 11:68.

غثاء (rubbish) is derived from غثاء (ghatha). They say غثا الوادی i.e. the valley has in it abundance of rubbish. غثت النفس i.e. the stomach heaved, or became agitated with a tendency to vomit. غثاء means, the rubbish or particles of things or refuse and scum and rotten leaves with the scum borne upon the surface of a torrent. The Arabs say ماله غثاء و عمله ھباء و سعیه خفاء i.e. his property is as rubbish borne by a torrent and his work is like motes that are seen in the rays of the sun and his labour is a thing that is unapparent. غثاء الناس means, the low and the vile and the refuse of mankind (Lane & Aqrab).

بعداً means, perdition or death; curse or malediction etc. The expression بعداله means, may he be cursed or may God alienate him from good (Lane & Aqrab). See also 11:45.

Commentary:

The verse points to a lesson to which history of religion generally and the Quran particularly draws attention, viz. that the opponents of God’s Prophets always meet with failure and destruction and believers whom they regard as the scum and dregs of humanity succeed in their mission and ultimately become the teachers and leaders of nations.

28:82.

16:34; 30:10.

Commentary:

Whereas separate mention has been made in the few preceding verses of the peoples of the five great Prophets of God (Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu‘aib and Moses), the manner in which they treated their Prophets and of the Divine punishment that overtook them on account of their wicked behaviour, the present verse deals collectively with the different forms of punishment. The Quran has used different words and expressions to describe the punishment which overtook the opponents of the various Prophets in their respective times. The punishment that came upon ‘Ad, is described as ریحا صرصراi.e. furious wind (41:17; 54:20 & 69:7) and الریح العقیم i.e. destructive wind (51:42); that which overtook Thamud, as رجفة i.e. earthquake (7:79), صیحة i.e. blast (11:68; 54:32), صاعقة i.e. thunderbolt (41:18) and طاغیة i.e. violent blast (69:5); that which destroyed the people of Lot as حجارة من سجیل i.e. stones of clay (11:83; 15:75), صیحة and حاصبا i.e. storm of stones (54:35); and that which overtook Midian, the people of Shu‘aib as رجفة i.e. earthquake (7:92; 29:38), صیحة i.e. blast (11:95), and عذاب یوم الظلة i.e. punishment of the day of overshadowing doom (26:190). Last of all the heavenly punishment which seized Pharaoh and his mighty hosts and his courtiers, Haman and Korah and destroyed them root and branch has been described by the expressions أغرقنا i.e. We drowned them (2:51; 7:137 & 17:104) and خسفنا به i.e. We made the earth swallow him up (28:82).

A careful study of these words shows that some of them, particularly حاصب ، صیحة ، صاعقة ، رجفة and طاغیة are interchangeable and possess almost analogous significance and meaning. See also 11:68.