The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 417
PT. 14 R. 6. AL-HIJR CH. 15 Hijr وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَبُ الْحِجر الر And the People of the Mir. 81 الْمُرْسَلِينَ also did treat the Messengers as liars. 1784 Commentary: Commentators differ as to the reference of the word "both" in this verse. Most of them take it as referring to the habitations of Lot and Shuaib, the account of the people of Lot having just preceded that of the people of Shu'aib. But the more correct view seems to be that the word "both" refers to the habitations of "the People of the Wood" and "the People of Midian," reference to the latter being understood. The habitations of both lay on a much- frequented highway. It may also be noted that in the case of the city of Lot the highway has been calledi. e. the way that still exists (v. 77) signifying that it would continue to be used. Consequently that road has remained in constant use up to the present time. In the case of the habitation of i. e. a امام مبين i. e. the People of the Wood, the road has been called manifest way. Consequently, the old road which connected Asia with مبين Egypt has now ceased to be used by caravans, though, as the word (manifest) hints, the track still remains. 1784. Important Words: is (People of the Hijr). derived from (hajara) which means, he prevented or hindered or interdicted. See also 2:75. (Hijr) means, forbidden, unlawful, inviolable or sacred; garden or walled garden of palm-trees prohibited to the public; a fortress; a wall of stones built round a house; the place round which such a wall is made; relationship that prohibits marriage; understanding or intelligence, because it forbids that which it does not behove one to do; bosom or breast; figuratively also protection. The word also means, the country or land of Thamūd (Lane, Aqrab & Mufradāt). Commentary: Hijr lay between Tabūk and Medina. Here lived the people of Thamūd to whom Ṣāliḥ was sent as a Warner. The city of this tribe appears to have been largely built of stones. It was surrounded by a stone wall and ramparts. Hence this name. It is worthy of note that though only one Prophet, Ṣāliḥ appears to have been sent to these people, in the verse under comment they are condemned God. The same expression has been as having rejected the Messengers of used in 26:106, 124, 142, 161 & 177 where the tribes mentioned are said to have rejected all Prophets, while as a matter of fact each one of these different tribes rejected only a particular Prophet who was sent to them. This shows that in the sight of God the rejection of one Prophet 1625