The People of Thamūd — Ruins That Remain
Modern Discovery:
Madā’in Salih (Al-Hijr, Saudi Arabia), UNESCO World Heritage site.
Tombs carved into rock cliffs, still standing today.
Key Historical Facts:
Advanced architecture, carving mountains.
Known for arrogance and rejecting Prophet Sālih (عليه السلام).
Punished by a blast + earthquake.
These ruins are a living testimony of Qur’ān’s truth.
Qur’ānic Revelation 1400 years ago
"And to Thamūd We sent their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said, ‘O my people! Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. He produced you from the earth and settled you in it. So seek His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Ever Near, All-Responsive.’"
(Qur’ān 11:61)
Their Punishment
"As for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the overpowering blast."
(Qur’ān 69:5)
“So those are their houses—lying in ruins—because of their wrongdoing. Surely in this is a sign for people who know."
(Qur’ān 27:52)
Why this is a miracle:
The Qur’ān describes their ruins in powerful, present-tense signs ( "So those are their houses—lying in ruins” ) as a warning for mankind. And indeed — the ruins of Madā’in Sālih (Al-Hijr, Saudi Arabia) still remain until today, preserved exactly as Allāh said, standing as a living testimony of the Qur’ān’s truth.
A Challenge for Anyone Reading
Allāh speaks in the present tense:
“So those are their houses—lying in ruins—because of their wrongdoing.”
(Qur’ān 27:52)
The ruins still stand today, exactly as Allāh said over 1,400 years ago.
If they were gone, the Qur’ān would be false.
Your challenge: Go ahead and remove them if you can.
But you cannot — because Allāh is preserving these ruins as a sign.
And your other option? To erase the verse itself.
But you cannot do that either.
“None can change His words.”
(Qur’ān 6:115)
“He shows you His signs, so which of Allāh’s signs will you deny?”
(Qur’ān 40:81)
"So their Lord crushed them for their sin, leveling them ˹all˺. He has no fear of consequences."
Surely Thamûd denied their Lord, so away with Thamûd! (11:68)
“On the Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces, it will be said, ‘Taste the touch of Hell!’” (54:48)
