كَذَّبَت ثَمودُ بِالنُّذُرِ

[The people of] Thamūd denied the warnings.

EXEGESIS

The word nudhur (warnings) could be an infinitive for the verb ‘to warn’ and thus the meaning would be: [The people of] Thamūd denied the warning [of their prophet],[1] or it could be the plural form of the singular nadhīr (warner) and thus the verse would read: [The people of] Thamūd denied the warners, i.e. the prophets. In this case, using the plural may be because God had sent to them prophets before Prophet Ṣāliḥ (a), or that rejecting one prophet is equivalent to rejecting all of them, for they all share the same message.[2] This is in line with 26:141: [The people of] Thamūd impugned the apostles.[3]

EXPOSITION

This next set of verses describes a third community. After describing the people of Prophet Noah (a) and ʿĀd, the next nine verses discuss the people of Thamūd. They are mentioned in chronological order, since the people of Prophet Noah (a) came before the people of ʿĀd (7:69) and the people of Thamūd came after the people of ʿĀd (7:74).

Like the previous two nations, the people of Thamūd also rejected the warnings of their prophet, Ṣāliḥ (a). However, their difference lies in their reasoning for rejection which is mentioned in the next verse.

[1] Mizan, 19/79.
[2] Tabrisi, 9/289; Amthal, 17/323; Kashif, 7/195.
[3] Mizan, 19/79.