The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 155
PT. 12 HŪD as Madā'ini Ṣāliḥ or the cities of Ṣāliḥ from ancient times and archaeological discoveries show that it had become subject to the Nabataeans, who were natives of Petra, previous to the Christian era. There have been discovered here many inscriptions in the Nabataean language, and some also in the Yemnite language. Scholars versed in Oriental literature have named these inscriptions as Thamūdiyya, i. e. inscriptions belonging to the Thamūd. These discoveries lend support to the view of those geographers who hold that the Thamud had migrated from the south to the north; for if it had not been so, their language would not have borne a resemblance to the Yemnite language. Al-Hijr, which seems to have been the capital of these people, lies between Medina and Tabük, and the valley in which it is situated is called Wadi Qurā. These people held sway here. Speaking of the Thamūd, the Quran says: Who hewed out the rocks in the valley (89:10). The Quran represents them as the immediate successors of the ‘Ād (7:75). From 40:31,32, it appears that the Thamūd lived before the time of Moses. Another consideration leads us to the conclusion that they lived even before the time of Abraham. Toward the end of their days they ruled over northern Arabia and southern Palestine. It appears from the Quran that in the time of Moses, these territories were dominated by the Midianites, who were descended from Abraham, Midian being the son of Abraham from Keturah, his third CH. 11 wife (Gen. 25:1,2). The descendants of Keturah lived in these parts, when Joseph was taken from the well and carried to Egypt. This shows that the Thamūd had altogether been destroyed or their power had greatly declined before the time of Abraham, otherwise the Midianites would not have been able to take possession of their territory. It is worthy of note that accounts of the Prophets Hūd and Ṣāliḥ have been given at various places in the Quran and everywhere the order observed is the same, viz. the account of Hūd precedes that of Ṣāliḥ which is the true chronological order. This shows that the Quran gives accurately and in their true historical order the facts of history long consigned to oblivion and wrapped in obscurity. This refutes the objection frequently urged against the Quran that it fails to observe true historical order in the narration of the events of history. According to some, Thamūd is only another name for Adi Thāniyah or the second ‘Ād, while according to others they came after the second 'Ad. For further discussion of this subject see "Tafsir-e-Kabīr" by Hadrat Khalifatul Masīḥ II, vol. 3, p. 219, where, when speaking of the chronological order of the Prophets, it is only Hūd and Ṣāliḥ, who are prehistoric Prophets, that are really meant. There is a tradition to the effect that some Muslims read a poetic inscription about the Thamūd during the reign of Mu'awiyah. This tradition is discredited by European critics. The inscription, however, was rediscovered by Captain Haines and 1363