The Sun (Ash-Shams): (12) When the most wretched among them set forth.

Translation and Exegesis:

The word انبعث (inba'atha) is the passive form (مطاوع) of بعث (ba'atha). It is said: "I sent someone forth for the matter, and he set forth for it" (انبعث له).

The meaning here is that Thamud denied (the truth) because of their transgression when the most wretched among them (أشقاها) set forth—that is, the one who hamstrung the she-camel.

There are two scholarly opinions regarding this "most wretched one":

1. It refers to a specific individual: His name was Qudār ibn Sālif. He became an example, and it is said, "More ill-omened than Qudār." He was the most wretched of the early ones, based on the declaration of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
2. It could refer to a group: The singular form (أشقاها) is used because of the grammatical rule concerning the superlative form (أفعل التفضيل) when it is in a construct state (مضاف). In such cases, the singular form is used whether referring to one, many, masculine, or feminine. For example, you say: "These two are the best of people" (هذان أفضل الناس) and "These are the best of them" (هؤلاء أفضلهم). This interpretation is confirmed by the subsequent verse: {But they denied him and hamstrung her} (Ash-Shams: 14), which uses the plural verb (عقروها). If it referred only to the individual, it would have been permissible to say "he hamstrung her" (أشقوها), just as one says "their best ones" (أفاضلهم) when referring to a group.

As for the Almighty's saying: