An-Naml Verse 48

And there were in the city nine ˹elite˺ men who spread corruption in the land, never doing what is right.

There were nine men in the city who used to spread corruption in the land without doing anything good.

Now in the city there were nine persons who did corruption in the land, and put not things right;

There were nine men in the city who spread corruption in the land without making amends.

And there were nine of a group in the City, who spread corruption in the land and rectified not.

There were in the city nine men of a family, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.

Now there were nine ring-leaders in the city who created corruption in the land and never worked to set things right.

There were in that city nine persons who spread disorder in the land, and did not reform.

And there were nine persons in the city who used to cause turmoil in the land and did not wish reform.

There were nine persons in the city who caused corruption in the land and did not set things right.

There were nine ringleaders in the city, causing disorder and corruption in the land and not setting things right.

And there were in the city a gang of nine (persons) who had upset the order and peace in the country and would not reform (themselves).

And in the city/town were nine groups/tribes corrupting/disordering in the earth/Planet Earth, and they do not correct/repair

And there were nine persons in the city who used to cause turmoil in the land and did not wish reform.

And there were in the city nine persons who despoiled the land and reformed not

And there were in the city nine men (from the sons of their chiefs), who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.

He said: O my people, who do you hasten on the evil before the good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah so that you may have mercy?

And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and did not act aright.

And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and reformed not.

There were nine tribes in the city spreading evil without any reform in the land.

In the city there were nine people who were corrupting the land and did not reform.

And there were in the city nine Rahtin, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.

There were in the city nine men who spread corruption in the land, and would not reform.

In the city was a gang of nine who made mischief in the land and did no good.

And there were in the city, the city of Thamd, a band of nine men, that is, [nine] men, who were causing corruption in the land, with acts of disobedience, which included their corroding of dinar and dirham coins [rendering them worthless], and did not reform [their ways], through obedience [to God].

The Plot of the Mischief-Makers and the End of the People of Thamud

Allah tells us about the evildoers of Thamud and their leaders who used to call their people to misguidance and disbelief, and to deny Salih. Eventually they killed the she-camel and were about to kill Salih too. They plotted to let him sleep with his family at night, then they would assassinate him and tell his relatives that they knew nothing about what happened to him, and that they were telling the truth because none of them had seen anything.

Allah says;

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ

And there were in the city,

meaning, in the city of Thamud,

تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ

nine Raht,

meaning, nine people,

يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الاَْرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ



who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.

They forced their opinions on the people of Thamud, because they were the leaders and chiefs.

Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said;

"These were the people who killed the she-camel,"

Meaning, that happened upon their instigation, may Allah curse them.

Allah says;

فَنَادَوْاْ صَـحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ

But they called their comrade and he took (a sword) and killed (the she-camel). (54;29)

إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَـهَا

When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel). (91;12)

Abdur-Razzaq said that Yahya bin Rabi`ah As-San`ani told them,

"I heard `Ata' -- i.e. Ibn Abi Rabah -- say;
وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ

تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الاَْرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ
(And there were in the city nine Raht, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform),

`They used to break silver coins."'

They would break off pieces from them, as if they used to trade with them in terms of numbers (as opposed to weight), as the Arabs used to do.

Imam Malik narrated from Yahya bin Sa`id that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said;

"Cutting gold and silver (coins) is part of spreading corruption on earth."

What is meant is that the nature of these evil disbelievers was to spread corruption on earth by every means possible, one of which was that mentioned by these Imams

Among the leaders in Saleh’s town were nine men whose wickedness exceeded all limits and reached an irreversible degree, they flourished at spreading mischief in the land and at creating discord