The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 456
CH. 26 ASH-SHU ARĀ' PT. 19 قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مِنَ الْمُسَخَرِيْنَ 154. They said, 'Thou art but one of the bewitched;2782 مَا أَنْتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا فَأْتِ بِايَةٍ اِن Thou art only a man like. 155 كُنتَ مِنَ الصُّدِقِينَ ourselves. So bring a Sign, if thou art one of the truthful. ' قَالَ هُذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ He said, “Here is a she. 156 camel: she has her turn of drinking, and you have your يوم معلوم و turn of drinking on an appointed day, 2783 b وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ And touch her not with. 157 evil lest there overtake you the punishment of an awful day. '2784 يَوْمٍ عَظِيم a7:74; 11:65; 17:60; 54:28; 91:14. "See 26:156. 2782. Commentary: Whereas the peoples of Noah and Hūd accused their Prophets of forgery and lies, Prophet Ṣāliḥ to whose uprightness and unimpeachable character his people had themselves borne testimony (11:63), has been declared here as i. e. one who is deceived, deluded, beguiled, bewitched, circumvented or outwitted (Lane). Consistently with their admission of Ṣāliḥ's sincerity, honesty and uprightness, his people could not accuse him of forgery. 2783. Important Words: portion of water that falls to one's lot; the use of water for the purpose of watering sown fields or for beasts; turn of drinking; a watering place a time of drinking (Lane & Aqrab). 2784. Commentary: The tribe of Thamud were tried by means of the she-camel. The Prophet Ṣāliḥ used to go about preaching on his she-camel, so interference with her movements meant interference with his work. Metaphorically Ṣāliḥ himself may be regarded as God's she-camel, i. e. bearer of the Heavenly message, interference with whose movements | شرب is infinitive noun from شرب (shariba). » means, he drank the water. (shirbun) means, water that one drinks; a draught; a share or 2370 was tantamount to interference with the plan and design of God Whose Messenger he was. For a fuller note see 7:74.