Miracle Stories: The She-Camel of Allah

by Raiiq Ridwan                                                       Gateway to Quran

Allah mentions the stories of various Prophets and their nations in the Quran. Some Prophets were just sent with clear speech such as Nuh alayhi salam. Others, like Musa alayhi salam, were sent with various miracles. Among the most interesting of stories in the Quran is a story that is not that well known and not oft-repeated, in spite of the multitude of lessons in it. This is the story of Prophet Saleh alayhi salam, his people— Thamud, and the she-camel of Allah.

Saleh (alayhi salam) is Sent to Thamud

The people of Thamud were people who were blessed with strength and intelligence. Buildings they built were carved into the mountains, and they were very oppressive and tyrannical to other people. Moreover, they denied the blessings of Allah upon them and were staunchly involved in their idol worship. Allah, out of His Mercy and Benevolence, sent to them a Messenger from among themselves, the Prophet Saleh alayhi salam. He invited his people to worship Allah alone. He said,

Sense of humour of the Sahaba

A group of Sahabah were sitting in the Masjid. They saw Makhramah ibn Nawfal, an old man who was about one hundred and fifteen years old and obviously rather senile. He was related to the sister of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl, who was a wife of an-Nuayman.

Makhramah was blind. He was so weak that he could hardly move from his place in the Masjid. He got up to urinate and might have done so in the Masjid. But the companions shouted at him to prevent him from doing so.. An-Nuayman got up and went to take him to another place, as he was instructed. What is this other place that an-Nuayman took him to? In fact he took him only a short distance away from where he was sitting at first and sat him down. The place was still in the Masjid!

People shouted at Makhramah and made him get up again all in a frenzy. The poor old man was distressed and said: "Who has done this?" "An-Nuayman ibn Amr," he was told. The old man swore and announced that he would bash an-Nuayman on the head with his stick if he should meet him.

An-Nuayman left and returned. He was up to some prank of his again. He saw Uthman ibn Allan, the Amir al-Muminim, performing Salat in the Masjid. Uthman was never distracted when he stood for Prayer. An-Nuayman also saw Makhramah. He went up to him and in a changed voice said: "Do you want to get at an-Nuayman?"

The old man remembered what an-Nuayman had done. He remembered his vow and shouted: "Yes, where is he?" An-Nuayman took him by the hand and led him to the place where the Khalifah Uthman stood and said to him: "Here he is!"

The old man raised his staff and bashed the head of Uthman. Blood flowed and the people shouted: "It's the Amir al-Muminin!" The dragged Makhramah away and some people set out to get an-Nuayman but Uthman restrained them and asked them to leave him alone. In spite of the blows he had suffered, he was still able to laugh at the deeds of an-Nuayman

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