Tafseer of The Reality · Al-Haaqqa · 69:5
So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement, exalted is He: فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ ("As for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the overwhelming [calamity] (al-ṭāghiya)") (5).
He, exalted be His mention, says: فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ ("As for Thamūd"), the people of Ṣāliḥ — Allah destroyed them by the overwhelming [calamity].
The scholars of exegesis differed concerning the meaning of the "ṭāghiya" by which Allah destroyed Thamūd. Some of them said: it is their excessiveness and their disbelief (kufr) in Allah.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the statement of Allah, mighty and exalted is He: فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ ("they were destroyed by the overwhelming [calamity]"), he said: by the sins.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His statement: فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ , and he recited the statement of Allah: كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا ("Thamūd denied [the truth] because of their excessiveness"), and he said: this "ṭāghiya" is their excessiveness and their disbelief in the signs of Allah. The "ṭāghiya" is their excessiveness by which they were excessive in disobedience to Allah and in opposition to the Book of Allah.
Others said: no, the meaning of it is: they were destroyed by the Cry (al-ṣayḥa), which exceeded the measures of crying out and was excessive therein.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ — Allah sent upon them a Cry that extinguished them.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning بِالطَّاغِيَةِ , he said: Allah sent upon them a single Cry that extinguished them.
The correct of the two opinions herein is the opinion of the one who said: the meaning of it is: they were destroyed by the overwhelming Cry.
We have said that this is the most correct, because Allah has only informed concerning Thamūd of the manner by which He destroyed them, just as He informed concerning ʿĀd of that by which He destroyed them.
