Al-A'raf · Ayah 79 · Juz 8 · Page 160
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لَقَدۡ أَبۡلَغۡتُكُمۡ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحۡتُ لَكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ ٱلنَّٰصِحِينَ ٧٩
Fatawallā ʿanhum wa qāla yāqawmi laqad ablaghtukum risālata rabbī wa naṣaḥtu lakum wa lākil lā tuḥibbūnan-nāṣiḥīn.
And he [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the message of my Lord and advised you, but you do not like advisors."
Translation: Sahih International
Then he [Salih] turned from them, and said: "O my people! I have indeed conveyed to you the Message of my Lord, and have given you good advice, but you like not good advisers. (79)
These are the words of admonishment that Salih conveyed to his people after Allah destroyed them for defying Him, rebelling against Him, refusing to accept the truth, avoiding guidance, and preferring misguidance instead. Salih said these words of admonishment and criticism to them after they perished, and they heard him (as a miracle for Prophet Salih from Allah). Similarly, it is recorded in the Two Sahihs that after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ defeated the disbelievers in the battle of Badr, he remained in that area for three days, and then rode his camel, which was prepared for him during the latter part of the night. He went on until he stood by the well of Badr (where the corpses of the disbelievers were thrown) and said,
يَا أَبَا جَهْلِ بْنَ هِشَامٍ يَا عُتْبَةَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ يَا شَيْبَةَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ وَيَا فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ هَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ مَا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا،؟ فَإِنِّي وَجَدْتُ مَا وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي حَقًّا
(O Abu Jahl bin Hisham! O 'Utbah bin Rabi'ah! O Shaybah bin Rabi'ah! Did you find what your Lord has promised you (of torment) to be true, for I found what my Lord promised me (of victory) to be true.) 'Umar said to him, "O Allah's Messenger! Why do you speak to a people who have rotted?" He ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ لِمَا أَقُولُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَكِنْ لَا يـُجِيبُونَ
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You do not hear what I am saying better than they, but they cannot reply.)
Similarly, Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, said to his people,
لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ
("I have indeed conveyed to you the Message of my Lord, and have given you good advice,") but you did not benefit from it because you do not like the Truth and do not follow those who give you sincere advice,
وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ
("but you like not good advisers.")
Read Surah Al-A'raf from ayah 79Open in the mushaf, page 160
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