۞ And to the Thamud tribe, We sent their fellow man Saleh; he said, “O my people! Worship Allah, there is no other True God except Him; He created you from the earth and established you in it, so seek forgiveness from Him and incline towards Him in repentance; indeed my Lord is Close, Acceptor of Prayer.” 61 They said: O Salih! surely you were one amongst us in whom great expectations were placed before this; do you (now) forbid us from worshipping what our fathers worshipped? And as to that which you call us to, most surely we are in disquieting doubt. 62 Salih said: 'My people! What do you think? If I had a clear evidence from my Lord, and then He also bestowed His mercy upon me, who will rescue me from the punishment of Allah if I still disobey Him? You can only make me lose even more. 63 'My nation, this is the shecamel of Allah, a sign for you. Leave her to graze upon the earth of Allah and do not touch her with evil lest you be seized by a punishment that is near' 64 But they hamstrung her, and then he said: Enjoy life in your dwelling-place three days! This is a threat that will not be belied. 65 So, when Our commandment came to pass, We saved Salih, and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, from the ignominy of that day. Lo, thy Lord! He is the Strong, the Mighty. 66 And the rumbling overtook those who were unjust, so they became motionless bodies in their abodes, 67 as though they had never lived there before. Oh, verily the Thamud denied their Lord! Oh, the Thamud were destroyed. 68