Tafsir of An-Naml 27:45

"And We certainly sent" is a conjunction connected to His saying (Exalted is He): "And We certainly gave David and Solomon knowledge." It is presented for the same purpose for which the previous passage was presented. The lam (in laqad) serves as the response to an omitted oath; meaning: "By Allah, We certainly sent to Thamud their brother Salih." The oath is employed here to emphasize the importance of the judgment.

"Salih" is an appositive (badal) of "their brother," or an explanatory apposition. The "that" (an) in His saying: "that you worship Allah" acts as an explanatory particle for the meaning of speech contained within the act of "sending," though not its literal letters. It has been suggested that it is an infinitive particle with the preposition omitted, meaning "with the fact that" (bi-anna). It has also been said that it is because (li-anna), and joining it with the command is permissible without harm, as has been discussed previously.

It has been recited with a damma on the nun (in fahidhum) following the vowel of the ba'.

"Then suddenly they became two parties disputing": That is, Our sending them resulted in their sudden division and dispute; one party believed, and one party disbelieved. This refers to what Allah (Exalted is He) narrated in another place with His words: "The eminent ones who were arrogant among his people said to those who were oppressed - to those who believed among them..."

"Then" (fa) here is for suddenness (fujaiyyah), and the governing agent ('amil) for it is implied—not "disputing," contrary to Abu al-Baqa’—because it is an adjective for "two parties," and as it is said, the object governed by an adjective cannot precede the noun it describes. It has been said that this rule does not apply when the object is an adverb. The pronoun in "disputing" (yakhtasimun) refers to the entirety of both parties; it does not say yakhtasiman (dual) because of the verse-ending (rhyme). The claim of some that the sentence is a second predicate is clearly flawed.

"They" (hum) refers to Thamud, as it is the name of the tribe. It is also said that it refers to these mentioned ones, so as to include Salih (peace be upon him). In that case, the two parties are one: Salih alone, and the second: his people. What motivates this interpretation, as mentioned by Ibn 'Adil, is the conjunction with fa (then/so), as it implies that immediately following the sending—without delay—they became two parties. However, his people would not become two parties until after some time has passed. The counter-argument to this is that His saying, "We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you," refuses such a delay, and the "immediacy" of every action is relative to its nature. Furthermore, it is permissible that the fa is merely for sequential order. Perhaps the party of the disbelievers was the majority, and for this reason...