Allah then says,

[فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ]

(But the Messenger of Allah said to them) referring to Salih.

[نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ]

(That is the she-camel of Allah!) meaning, `beware of touching the she-camel of Allah with any harm.'

[وَسُقْيَـهَا]

(and its drink!) meaning, `do not transgress against her in her drinking, for she has been allocated a day to drink and you have been allocated a day to drink, as is known to you.' Then Allah says,

[فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا]

(Then they denied him and they killed it.) which means they rejected what he came with. This resulted in them killing the she-camel that Allah had brought out of the rock as a sign for them and a proof against them.

[فَدَمْدمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنبِهِمْ]

(So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin,) meaning, He became angry with them and He annihilated them.

[فَسَوَّاهَا]

(Fasawwaha!) meaning, He made the punishment descend upon them all equally. Qatadah said, "It has reached us that the leader of tribe of Thamud did not kill the she-camel until their youth, their elderly, their males and their females all pledged allegiance to him. So when the people cooperated in killing her, Allah destroyed them all with the same punishment due to their sin.'' Allah said,

[وَلاَ يَخَافُ]

(And He feared not) it has also been recited as (فَلَا يَخَافُ) (So He feared not)

[عُقْبَـهَا]

(the consequences thereof.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah does not fear any consequences from anyone else.'' Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Bakr bin `Abdullah Al-Muzani and others all said the same. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Ash-Shams, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.