perished nations(Thamud)

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Mansour Abo Sharea Al-ABady(BHD)

With an introduction by: Magdy Abd Al-shafy

The prophet's miracles are various and sterling that excels the other prophet's in quantity and in qualities, yet the Holy Quran will remain the most important of all his miracles simply because all the miracles of the past were for people in the past and modern man can not be sure about them if he is not a believer, The Holy Quran miracle can be seen by modern man and a reader can be sure about them even if he is not a believer. Scientists can not number these miracles as they are numerous and even can be classified under many categories.

The historical miracle of the Holy Quran is confined to events that took place far into history and even thousands of years prior to the advent of the prophet. Some of these event concerning perished nations, when the polytheists who lived in the prophet's age were confronted with them, were doubted. But modern scientific methods such satellite pictures prove the historicity of these events and even pick pictures to the locations those people lived in.

One wonders how can an illiterate man( the prophet)  talks about the  perished nations in such accuracy in a time wgen there was no any historical account about them and ,if found ,it is based on wrong information, but, if we take into consideration that" He it is God, who revealed these information, we will be convinced that this great man was sent from God.

The Holy Quran refers to three perished nations, these are: Aram, Samood and Firon. God says in the Holy Qouran what means:

(5) Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with Ad, (6) (The people of) Aram, possessors of lofty buildings, (7) The like of which were not created in the (other) cities; (8) And (with) Samood, who hewed out the rocks in the valley, (9) And (with) Firon, the lord of hosts, (10) Who committed inordinacy in the cities, (11) So they made great mischief therein? (12) Therefore your Lord let down upon them a portion of the chastisement. (13) Most surely your Lord is watching.

The most conspicuous feature of "AD" is their unknown  desolate city" Arm", Thamoud is well-known for hewing their houses in the solid rocks of the mountains.

In this article, we will shed some light on the remains of Thamud to whom the  prophet of Allah" Saleh " was sent to. We will use" Google earth" in our study to prove the compatibility of the Holy Quran with the newly discovered facts especially when we apply this modern technology.

The pictures taken by Google Earth programmes show that the cities in which the tribe of prophet of Allah" Saleh" were located in a large valley which contain huge rocks that were cut and hewed by those people.

These pictures show the water source which changed this valley into a fertile soil good for growing all kinds of vegetations; water was brought to this valley from other valleys, which were strange in its structures. In these valley water were poured down from high surrounding mountains into these valleys which poured water in this sandy soil valley without causing any kind of floods but rather formed what can look like water fountains.

The story of this tribe(Thamud) is mentioned in more than one verse which shows their story and how their prophet warned them against what they did, his devout preaching and the miracles he worked to make then believe but they refused and the torture inflicted on them.

Thamud appeared in history after "Ad" and before the tribe of" Lute". According to the Islamic sources, "Lut" was the nephew of the prophet" Abrahem", who lived 4000 years ago. This is chronical arrangement of those prophets was based on the following verse:

And, O my people! let not opposition to me make you guilty so that there may befall you the like of what befell the people of Nuh, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih, nor are the people of Lut far off from you; (11:89)

The Mada'm nof Saleh(his cities), as shown by Google earth lies on a mid point between Al-Madina (in Saudia) and Tabouk( in Saudia), at a distance of 300 km  from Alamadina and 200 Km at a distance of 150 Km from Tabouk and  at a distance 150 Km from" Aloga", which is  located on the Red sea , it is known that the prophet passed by on his way to the invasion of Tabouk( 9 H.G)

The cities in which the tribe of Salah dwelled – as described in the Holy Quran- is located in a wide valley which extends from north to south, the maximum width is (15KM) and it thins off while meandering to the south where it reaches the minimum width( less than 1 km) near to the city of " AL-Ma'la" which is located at distance of 20 Km in the south of the "Mad'n" where this tribe dwelled. This valley is surrounded with a towering mountain series; the north-south series is 1500 m high over the sea level while the south-east series reaches a height of (1000 M), the height of the flat land is about (800 m) above the sea level. A person who is standing on the valley can't sea it as a valley because of the extreme width while a person, if flying at a considerable height, will see it as a valley as proved by the picture taken from a height of 30 Km by Google Earth.

The eastern borders are clear while the eastern are not because of the heights on the land

The rains falling on the surrounding mountains of the cities of "Saleh" accumulates under the sands of this great valley which, in its turn, forms fountains that were used by the tribe of Saleh in growing plants.

This valley is still fertile with abundance of water and the inhabitants of this valley still use this water in farming. God says in this regard what means:

When their brother Salih said to them: Will you not guard (against evil)?(142)Surely I am a faithful messenger to you (143)Therefore guard against (the punishment of) Allah and obey me:(144)And I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward is only with the Lord of the worlds:(145)Will you be left secure in what is here;(146)In gardens and fountains,(147)And cornfields and palm-trees having fine spadices?(148)And you hew houses out of the mountains exultingly;(149)Therefore guard against (the punishment of) Allah and obey me; (150)And do not obey the bidding of the extravagant,(151)

The eastern borders are clear while the eastern are not because of the heights on the land

In this pictures, the city of Ola and the surrounding oasis are clear which (OLa) is located at the foot of the valley, this was supplied with water which acumulated under the sand from the mountains at the present time- this proves that this valley was once a green valleywith houses and places hewed in the rocks. 4000 years ago

In this valley, still lies huge rocks( tenth of meters high) which were cut to hew pompous buildings and palaces. The Holy Quran describes their style of life, their dwellings, their architecture in away completely compatible with the newly findings. God says in the Holy Quran rebuking them and the people alike saying:

And remember when He made you successors after Ad and settled you in the land-- you make mansions on its plains and hew out houses in the mountains-- remember therefore Allah's benefits and do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief.(74)The chief of those who behaved proudly among his people said to those who were considered weak, to those who believed from among them: Do you know that Salih is sent by his Lord? They said: Surely we are believers in what he has been sent with(75)Those who were haughty said: Surely we are deniers of what you believe in.(76)So they slew the she-camel and revolted against their Lord's commandment, and they said: O Salih! bring us what you threatened us with, if you are one of the messengers.(77)Then the earthquake overtook them, so they became motionless bodies in their abode.(78)Then he turned away from them and said: O my people I did certainly deliver to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice, but you do not love those who give good advice.(79) (Sura:7)

As Google earth pictures shows rock masses either grouped or dispersed in the valley, Quran exegesis books say that God made a miracle which is a she-camel coming out of these rocks, to prove the prophethood of Saleh. It is worth nothing that these rocks were hewed to reflect some Arabic words because- as you can notice- rectangular neighbored masses with different lengths are grouped together.Readers should turn the picture upsidedown if he uses the programme as shown by the arrows.

These are pictures and tombs hewed out of the rocks, it shows how the talent that God gave but these didn't protect them from God's curse when they killed the she-camel that went out of the rocks as a miracle made by God to support the prophethood of their prophet.

God says in the Holy Quran what means:

(64)But they slew her, so he said: Enjoy yourselves in your abode for three days, that is a promise not to be belied.(65)So when Our decree came to pass, We delivered Salih and those who believed with him by mercy from Us, and (We saved them) from the disgrace of that day; surely your Lord is the Strong, the Mighty.(66)And the rumbling overtook those who were unjust, so they became motionless bodies in their abodes,(67)As though they had never dwelt in them; now surely did Samood disbelieve in their Lord; now surely, away with Samood.(68)

These houses remained unpopulated just as the Holy Quran says:

And how many a town have We destroyed which exulted in its means of subsistence, so these are their abodes, they have not been dwelt in after them except a little, and We are the inheritors,(28:58)

Refrences

The Holy Quran

For comment, e-mail

mabbadi@just.edu.jo

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