Prophet Saleh (AS) (meaning Righteous)

Ṣāliḥ (as) - He was sent to the people of Thamūd who lived in Madyan. They came after the people of Ād and were given the ability to carve their homes out of mountains. They killed the she-camel of Ṣāliḥ (as) and as a result were destroyed by an earthquake. 

His Time:

 

The exact time period when Prophet Saleh (also spelled “Salih”) preached is unknown. It is believed that he came approximately 200 years after Prophet Hud. The carved stone buildings which form much of the archaeological site in Saudi Arabia date to approximately 100 B.C. to 100 A.D. Other sources place Saleh’s story closer to 500 B.C.

 

His Place:

 

Saleh and his people lived in an area known as Al-Hajr, which was located along the trade route from southern Arabia to Syria. The city of “Madain Saleh,” several hundred kilometers north of Madinah in modern-day Saudi Arabia, is named for him and is reported to be the location of the city in which he lived and preached. The archaeological site there consists of habitations carved into stone cliffs, in the same Nabataean style as in Petra, Jordan.

 

 

 

His People:

 

Saleh was sent to an Arab tribe called Thamud, who were related to and successors of another Arab tribe known as ‘Ad. The Thamud were also reported to be descendants of the Prophet Nuh (Noah). They were vain people who took great pride in their fertile farmland and grand architecture.. Their land was made of rocky mountains and spacious fertile plains. They lived in huge houses that they carved out of the huge rocks in the mountains - and the remains of these houses are still visible in northwest Saudi Arabia. The Thamud people were arrogant and they oppressed the poor among them. The rich exploited the plains and water resources and seldom did they permit others to equally profit from the bounty of Allah. Prophet Saleh, whom they respected very much for he was the most righteous among them, was sent to them as a warner. He said to them: "O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him," 

 

His Message:

 

Prophet Saleh tried to call his people to the worship of One God, to Whom they should give thanks for all their bounties. He called upon the rich to stop oppressing the poor, and for an end to all mischief and evil.

 

His Experience:

 

While some people accepted Saleh, others demanded that he perform a miracle in order to prove his Prophethood. They challenged him to produce for them a camel out of the nearby mountainous rock. Saleh prayed and the miracle took place by Allah’s permission. The camel appeared, lived among them, and gave birth to a calf. Some people thus believed in Saleh’s prophethood, while others continued to reject him. Eventually a group among them plotted to attack and kill the camel, and dared Saleh to have God punish them for it. The people were later destroyed by an earthquake or volcanic eruption.

 

His Story in the Quran:

 

The story of Saleh is mentioned several times in the Quran. In one passage, his life and message are described as follows (from the Quran chapter 7, verses 73-78):

To the Thamud people was sent Saleh, one of their own brethren. He said, “Oh my people! Worship Allah; there is no other god but Him. Now comes to you a clear sign from your Lord! This camel is a sign for you, so leave her to graze in Allah’s earth, and let her come to no harm, or you will be seized with a horrible punishment.

The evidence is that there is a black volcanic crater which takes the form of a she-camel in the sitting position, the length of the crater is fifty meter and the width is about twenty meters.  The crater outline is clear and it has a geometrical shape which is different from the usual shapes of the volcanoes.  

 

Nowadays people call this rock" Al-Hwar mount", the word Hwar means" the baby of the she-camel", the significance of this name lies in the fact that the baby of the she-camel came back to his mother and went into it after it foamed three times, these were reference to the fact that the calamity would befall them after three days. 

source:  By Huda, About.com Guide  http://islam.about.com/od/prophets/p/saleh.htm 

               The Quran Miracle Encyclopedia : 

               http://www.quran-m.com/firas/en1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=395:the-rock-from-which-the-camel-came-out-from&catid=61:historical&Itemid=90