Quranic Reflections - Islamic School of Stanford

The people of Al-Hijr did not believe in Allah’s (SWT) miracles and refused to follow
the path of Iman (belief in Allah (SWT)). Consequently, they felt that Allah (SWT)
was going to punish them, so they began to search for a place where they could feel
secure. The only place they found was Al-Hijr or the ‘rocky tract’. In this new found
home, they began to develop their civilization to an extent where they were hewing
out houses from the mountain’s rocks to feel secure. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an
what can be translated as, “And verily, the dwellers of Al-Hijr (the rocky tract)
denied the Messengers. And We gave them Our Signs, but they were averse to
them. And they used to hew out dwellings from the mountains (feeling
themselves) secure.” (TMQ, 15:80-82). They believed that if they lived within these
mountains, they would shield themselves against the punishment and torture of Allah
(SWT). This is why they began to build their houses within the mountains to protect
themselves from floods and other natural disasters. So what happened
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an what can be translated as, “But As-Saihah (torment -
awful cry) overtook them in the early morning (of the fourth day of their
promised punishment days).” (TMQ, 15:83) No wall or mountain was able to
protect them from that cry which came in the early morning, which is a sign of
security, whereas night is always associated with fear and insecurity. It is as if the
message to man is that protection comes from Allah (SWT) alone.
Do not be in astonishment with their civilization. It did not protect them from the
might that Allah (SWT) mentions at the start of the surah. The method in which the
tribe of Thamood was punished was unique in the sense that no other people had
experienced it; a Saihah or an awful cry which no wall, wind, water, or rock can serve
as protection.
This is why the surah was named Al-Hijr as a symbol of the strength of civilizations
that could overwhelm us. It reminds us not to be overcome by such nations,
reminding us that there is no protector except Allah (SWT).
The story of Lut (AS) (Lot)
To reiterate this meaning, Allah (SWT) mentions the story of Lut (AS) with obvious
signs. The people of Lut (AS) were punished when they were at the peak of dwelling
in their lusts. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an what can be translated as, “Verily, by
your life (O Muhammad SAWS), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering
blindly” (TMQ, 15:72). They were also punished in the morning as Allah (SWT)
says what can be translated as, “And We made known this decree to him, that the
root of those (sinners) was to be cut off in the early morning.” (TMQ, 15:66)
Allah (SWT) also describes their punishment in what can be translated as, “So As-
Saihah (torment - awful cry) overtook them at the time of sunrise” (TMQ,
15:73).
Guidelines for callers of Allah (SWT) throughout time
Now that the reader of this surah has come to feel and appreciate the extent to which
Allah (SWT) protects the believers in a way that no one else can, the surah begins to
provide important guidelines, derived from the stories included in it, that implement
its objectives: