Page 93 - Perished Nations

The community of al-Hijr mentioned in the Qur’an are thought to be the
same people as Thamud. The other name of Thamud is “Ashab al-Hijr”. So,
the word "Thamud" is the name of a people, while the city of al-Hijr is one
of those cities founded by these people. The Greek geographer Pliny’s
descriptions agree with this. Pliny wrote that Domatha and Hegra were the
locations where Thamud resided, and this latter makes up the city of Hijr
today. 29
The oldest sources known referring to Thamud, are the victory annals
of the Babylonian King, Sargon II (eighth Century BC), who defeated these
people in a campaign in northern Arabia. The Greeks also refer to this
people as "Tamudaei", i.e. "Thamud", in the writings of Aristo, Ptolemy,
30
and Pliny. Before the Prophet Muhammad (saas), approximately between
400-600 AD, they totally disappeared.
In the Qur’an, ‘Ad and Thamud are always mentioned together.
Moreover, the verses advise Thamud to take warning from the destruction
of ‘Ad. This shows that Thamud had detailed information on ‘Ad.
To the Thamud people (We sent) Salih, one of their own brethren: He said:
"O my people! worship Allah: ye have no other god but Him" (Surat al-
A‘raf: 73)
"And remember how He made you inheritors after the 'Ad people and gave
you habitations in the land: ye build for yourselves palaces and castles in
(open) plains, and carve out homes in the mountains; so bring to remem-
brance the benefits (ye have received) from Allah, and refrain from evil and
mischief on the earth." (Surat al-A‘raf: 74)
As understood from this verse, there is a relationship between ‘Ad and
Thamud, and ‘Ad may even have been a part of Thamud’s history and cul-
ture. Salih (as) ordered Thamud to remember the example of ‘Ad and to
take warning from them.
‘Ad were shown the example of Nuh’s (as) people who had lived
before them. Just as ‘Ad had an historical importance for Thamud, Nuh’s
(as) people also had an historical importance for ‘Ad. These people were
aware of each other and possibly came from the same lineage.
However, the places where ‘Ad and Thamud lived were geographically
quite far from each other. There does not seem to be a relationship

Perished Nations
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