Hūd: (66–68) Then the Command of Our Lord Came...

It is known that a similar verse has already passed in the story of 'Ād, specifically the verse: {And who was disgraced on that day}.

Issues:

The wāw (conjunction) in {And who was disgraced} has two interpretations:

1. The implied meaning is: We saved Sālih and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us from the punishment descending upon his people, and from the disgrace that afflicted them, leaving behind a lasting shame attributed to them. Disgrace (khizy) means a defect whose shame is apparent and causes embarrassment. What was omitted relies on the indication provided by what remains.
2. The implied meaning is: We saved Sālih by a mercy from Us, and We saved them from the disgrace of that day.

Al-Kisā'ī, Nāfi' (in the narration of Warsh and Qālūn), and one narration from Al-A'shā read {on that day} with an open mīm (Yawmaidha), similar to the reading in Surah Al-Ma'ārij: {the punishment on that day} (70:11). The rest read it with a kasra (Yawmaidhin) in both instances.

• Reading with Fatḥa (Open Mīm): This is based on Yawm being muḍāf (possessed) to idh (which is mabnī—indeclinable). A word possessed by an indeclinable word may also be treated as indeclinable. Just as the muḍāf acquires definiteness or indefiniteness from the muḍāf ilayhi, so too here.
• Reading with Kasra (Broken Mīm): This occurs because idh is possessed by a clause (a subject and predicate), as in: "I came to you when the sun was rising" (idh al-shams ṭāli‘ah). When the muḍāf ilayhi (the clause) is cut off, the tanwīn (nunation) indicates this. The dhāl is then given a kasra because of the preceding sukun (of the tanwīn) and its own sukun. Alternatively, the kasra reading is based on attributing the disgrace to the day, and this attribution to an indeclinable word does not necessitate the word itself being indeclinable, as this type of possession is not obligatory.

Disgrace (al-khizy) is severe humiliation reaching the point of public exposure. This is why Allah Almighty said regarding those who wage war [against Allah and His Messenger]: {That is a disgrace for them in this world} (5:33).

Allah Almighty named that punishment khizy because it is a lasting exposure by which their peers are admonished.

Then He said: {Indeed, your Lord is the All-Powerful, the All-Mighty}. This is appropriate because Allah Almighty demonstrated that He brought that punishment upon the disbelievers while protecting the faithful from it. This distinction is only possible for the Capable One who has the power to overcome the nature of things, making one thing a trial and punishment for one person, and comfort and fragrance for another.

Then He clarified that matter, saying: {And those who wronged were seized}. This involves two issues:

Issue 1: Why "Seized" (Akhadha) and not "Seized" (Akhadhat)?

He said {And those who wronged were seized} (akhadha) and not akhadhat (with the feminine marker tā’). This is because the Shout (ṣayḥah) is treated as masculine (like a cry, ṣiyāḥ). Furthermore, a separator (fāṣil) was placed between the verb and the feminine noun, acting as a substitute for the feminine tā’. Precedents for this have already been mentioned.

Issue 2: Interpretations of the Shout (Aṣ-Ṣayḥah)

Two views are mentioned regarding the Shout:

1. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It refers to the thunderbolt (ṣā‘iqah).
2. The Shout was a tremendous, terrifying sound that they all heard, causing them to die instantly. They woke up dead, lying prostrate in their homes and dwellings. Prostration (juthūm) here means falling on their faces. It is reported that Allah commanded Gabriel (peace be upon him) to utter that Shout which caused their death. Alternatively, Allah Himself created it. A sound (ṣiyāḥ) only occurs as a sound produced in a throat and mouth, as does a scream (ṣurākh). If it was from Allah, He created it in the throat of a living being; if it was from Gabriel, it occurred in his mouth and throat. The evidence for this is that the sound of thunder, though greater than any shout, is not called a shout or a scream.

If it is asked: What is the reason that the Shout caused death?

We reply: There are several views:

1. A great Shout is only produced by a powerful cause that generates air vibrations. These intense vibrations can reach the human ear canal, tearing the membrane of the brain and causing death.
2. It is a terrifying thing, generating immense awe (haybah). When psychological states become intense, they can cause death.
3. If the great Shout originates from the clouds, it must be accompanied by intense, burning lightning, which is the thunderbolt mentioned by Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him).

Then the Almighty said: {So they became in their dwellings prostrate} (jāthimīn). Juthūm means stillness. It is said of a bird resting in its nest that it has jathamat. The Arabs used this term for those who became motionless in death. Allah Almighty described these destroyed people as having become still upon their destruction, as if they had never existed while alive.

His saying: {as if they had never dwelt therein} means as if they had never existed. Maghnā is the place where a living person resides; it is said, "So-and-so resided (ghaniyā) in such-and-such a place."

Then the Almighty said: {Behold, Thamūd disbelieved their Lord. Then away with Thamūd!}

Ḥamzah and Ḥafs (from ‘Āṣim) read {Behold, Thamūd} without tanwīn throughout the Qur'an. The rest read {Thamūdan} with tanwīn. Both forms of Thamūd are diptotes (maṣrūf—allow declension):

• Diptote (allowing declension): This is because it refers to the tribe or the great ancestor.
• Triptote (indeclinable): This is because it is treated as definite and feminine, referring to the tribe.