Tafsir of Ash-Shams 91:14

"So they denied him, and hamstrung her."

Meaning: They denied him regarding his warning to them, as relayed by His saying: “But do not harm her, lest a painful punishment seize you.” Thus, the denial relates to an implied report. It is also permissible that it refers to a report contained within the preceding warning, which is the report that punishment would befall them should they commit what they were warned against. It has been said that what he said to them regarding the command, he said as one conveying it from Allah—as is indicated by his being addressed as a messenger. The outcome of this is that he said to them, "Allah said: 'The she-camel of Allah and her [right to] drink.'" Thus, the denial is of that, which is a plausible interpretation.

"And hamstrung her" means they slaughtered her or killed her. The plural pronoun refers to 'the most wretched' [of them], and it is pluralized—despite his being singular—because they all consented to his act. Qatadah said, "It has reached us that he did not hamstring her until their young and old, male and female, all followed him in that."

"So their Lord brought destruction upon them for their sin"—meaning He encompassed them with punishment. They say, "He damdama the grave," meaning he covered it or leveled it. It is a word in which the letter fa is repeated; its root structure is fa'fal, not fa'lal. It is derived from their saying, "a madmuma she-camel," when fat covers and envelops her. The Qamus says its meaning is: He perfected the punishment upon them. A lexicographer said: Damdama is destruction by total eradication. In the Sihah, it states: "I damdamtu something, meaning I pressed it to the earth and crushed it." Ibn al-Zubayr recited it as fadahdama with an 'h' between the two 'd's, and the meaning is as mentioned before.

"For their sin"—that is, because of the sin mentioned. The explicit mention of this, despite the particle fa (so) indicating it, serves to warn against the consequences of sin, so that every sinner may take heed.

"And He leveled it"—the pronoun refers to the damdama (destruction) understood from damdama. Meaning: He made the destruction equal among them, or He leveled it upon them all, such that He—glorified be He—did not let any of them escape, neither young nor old. Or, the pronoun refers to [the people of] Thamud, and the feminine [gender of the verb] is used in consideration of the tribe, as in "their transgression" and "their most wretched." The meaning remains as previously mentioned, or [it means]: He leveled them to the earth.