The Story of Creation (18 - C): The Carved mountains of the Desert, Prophet Saleh and People of Thamoud…

A second group descended from Noah children were Thamoud, or the people of Prophet Saleh (PBUH), let's review the verses from Quran that describe them and their living during the old times.

1- Being Thamod People after A'd:

In the following verse, the Prophet Saleh remind his people that they came after A'd and how they built their palaces (houses) in plains and carved the mountains:

وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاء مِن بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا فَاذْكُرُواْ آلاء اللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْثَوْا فِي الأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ  (7: 74)

"And remember when He made you successors after 'Ad (people) and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allâh, and do not go about making mischief on the earth." (74)

وَثَمُودَ الَّذِينَ جَابُوا الصَّخْرَ بِالْوَادِ (89: 9)

And (with) Thamûd (people), who hewed out rocks in the valley (to make dwellings)? (9)

2- Description of Thamoud Land and Nature:

The following verses describe how Thamoud land was green and full of gardens and springs:

أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَاهُنَا آمِنِينَ  146 فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ  147 وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ  148 وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ (26: 146-149)

"Will you be left secure in that which you have here? (146) "In gardens and springs. (147) And green crops (fields) and date-palms with soft spadix. (148) "And you hew out in the mountains, houses, with great skill. (149)

The following verse talk about the 9 wicked men in the City:

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا يُصْلِحُونَ (27: 48)

And there were in the city nine men (from the sons of their chiefs), who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. (48)

Which means that they had a capital city, although their houses were distributed all over the land between North of Arabia and Syria as interpreters say.

3- Description for Thamoud Punishment:

In the following verses, ALLAH describes how he sent the torment on Thamoud  people that it destroyed them and their houses too:

فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ 51 فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُوا إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ (27: 51-52)

Then see how was the end of their plot! Verily! We destroyed them and their nation, all together. (51) These are their houses in utter ruin, for they did wrong. Verily, in this is indeed an Ayâh (a lesson or a sign) for people who know. (52) And We saved those who believed, and used to fear Allâh, and keep their duty to Him. (53)

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ 17 وَنَجَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ (41: 17-18 )

And as for Thamûd, We showed and made clear to them the Path of Truth (Islâmic Monotheism) through Our Messenger, (i.e. showed them the way of success), but they preferred blindness to guidance, so the Sâ'iqah (thunderbolt) of disgracing torment seized them, because of what they used to earn. (17) And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allâh, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil. (18)

وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّى حِينٍ 43  فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ  44 فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِن قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنتَصِرِينَ  (51: 43- 45)

And in Thamûd (there is also a sign), when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" (43) But they insolently defied the Command of their Lord, so the Sâ'iqah [thunderbolt] overtook them while they were looking. (44) Then they were unable to rise up, nor could they help themselves. (45)

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَكَانُوا كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ (54: 31)

Verily, We sent against them a single Saîhah (torment - awful cry), and they became like the stubble of a fold-builder. (31)

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ  ( 7: 78)

So, the earthquake seized them, and they were (found dead) in their homes, fallen on their faces. (78)

فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ (69: 4-5)

As for Thamud, they were destroyed by that (dreadful cry), which exceeded all limits. (5)

 فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا  (91: 11- 14)

So, the Messenger of Allah said to them, “Be careful of Allah’s she-camel and her right to drink.” (13) But they rejected him and killed her, so their Lord sent eradicating torment upon them because of their sin, and made it equal for all. (14) And He has no fear of its consequence. (15)

Noting that ALLAH described their punishment as:

• Thunderbolt [Sa'aqeha]
• Awful Cry [Sayha]
• Earthquake [Rajfa]
• Exceeding all limits [Al-Taghiyah]

But, what it was actually? all of these or one of them or what, and what is the awful cry?

Before we elaborate on this, let's check the following scientific explanation about Solar flares.

[Science]

Quoted from Wikipedia - Solar flare

A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun's surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 10²⁵ joules of energy. These are not visible from Earth's surface. They are mainly followed by a colossal coronal mass ejection also known as a CME (about a sixth of the total energy output of the Sun each second or 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT equivalent, over 25,000 times more energy than released from the impact of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with Jupiter). The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the sun into space. [1]

Quoted from Wikipedia - Coronal Mass Ejection

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields rising above the solar corona or being released into space.

Coronal mass ejections are often associated with other forms of solar activity, most notably solar flares, but a causal relationship has not been established. Most ejections originate from active regions on Sun's surface, such as groupings of sunspots associated with frequent flares. Near solar maxima the Sun produces about three CMEs every day, whereas near solar minima there is about one CME every five days.

Impact on Earth

When the ejection is directed towards the Earth and reaches it as an interplanetary CME (ICME), the shock wave of the traveling mass of Solar Energetic Particles causes a geomagnetic storm that may disrupt the Earth's magnetosphere, compressing it on the day side and extending the night-side magnetic tail. When the magnetosphere reconnects on the nightside, it releases power on the order of terawatt scale, which is directed back toward the Earth's upper atmosphere.

This process can cause particularly strong aurorae in large regions around Earth's magnetic poles. These are also known as the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) in the northern hemisphere, and the Southern Lights (aurora australis) in the southern hemisphere. Coronal mass ejections, along with solar flares of other origin, can disrupt radio transmissions and cause damage to satellites and electrical transmission line facilities, resulting in potentially massive and long-lasting power outages.

Humans in space or at high altitudes, for example, in airplanes, risk exposure to intense radiation. Short-term damage may include skin irritation with potential increased risk of developing skin cancer, but it is likely that any affected individuals would recover from any such exposure. [2]

Quoted from Wikipedia - Auroral mechanism

Auroras result from emissions of photons in the Earth's upper atmosphere, above 80 km (50 mi), from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited state to ground state. They are ionized or excited by the collision of solar wind and magnetospheric particles being funneled down and accelerated along the Earth's magnetic field lines; excitation energy is lost by the emission of a photon, or by collision with another atom or molecule:

Oxygen emissions

green or brownish-red, depending on the amount of energy absorbed

Nitrogen emissions

blue or red; blue if the atom regains an electron after it has been ionized, red if returning to ground state from an excited state

This is why there is a color differential with altitude; at high altitude oxygen red dominates, then oxygen green and nitrogen blue/red, then finally nitrogen blue/red when collisions prevent oxygen from emitting anything. Green is the most common of all auroras. Behind it is pink, a mixture of light green and red, followed by pure red, yellow (a mixture of red and green), and lastly, pure blue.

Auroras are associated with the solar wind, a flow of ions continuously flowing outward from the Sun. The Earth's magnetic field traps these particles, many of which travel toward the poles where they are accelerated toward Earth. Collisions between these ions and atmospheric atoms and molecules cause energy releases in the form of auroras appearing in large circles around the poles. Auroras are more frequent and brighter during the intense phase of the solar cycle when coronal mass ejections increase the intensity of the solar wind.

Speed of solar winds

Quoted from The Solar wind: Solar Wind Variations

The solar wind is not uniform. Although it is always directed away from the Sun, it changes speed and carries with it magnetic clouds, interacting regions where high speed wind catches up with slow speed wind, and composition variations. The solar wind speed is high (800 km/s) over coronal holes and low (300 km/s) over streamers. These high and low speed streams interact with each other and alternately pass by the Earth as the Sun rotates. These wind speed variations buffet the Earth's magnetic field and can produce storms in the Earth's magnetosphere. [4]

Videos

Solar flares

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66p_IvjHXhE

Extreme Solar Flares 

Cosmic Journeys : Attack of the Sun 

[Summary]

Let's summarize some of the facts mentioned above:

• A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun's surface or the solar limb.
• A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields rising above the solar corona or being released into space.
• Solar Energetic Particles causes a geomagnetic storm that may disrupt Earth's magnetosphere.
• Auroras result from emissions of photons in Earth's upper atmosphere.
• Auroras color differentiate according to elevation and gazes emissions.

[Analysis]

Distance between Earth and Sun ranges from 147 million Km to 152 million Km, in average we'll assume 150 million Km.

The average of Solar Wind = 800 - 300 Km \ second, will be 550 Km\s

Time to reach Earth = 150 million Km \ 550 Km\s = 272,272 seconds =  75.75 hours = 3.15 days !!

Following to the above calculations that such storm needs 3 days to arrive to Earth, so let's see how much time it's mentioned in Quran so this kind of torment took to fall on the people of Thamoud,

4- Time to receive the Punishment: 

ALLAH says:

فَعَقَرُوهَا فَقَالَ تَمَتَّعُواْ فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ 65 فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا صَالِحًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَمِنْ خِزْيِ يَوْمِئِذٍ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ 66 وَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ (11: 65 - 67)

But they killed her. So he said: "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days. This is a promise (i.e. a threat) that will not be belied." (65) So when Our Commandment came, We saved Sâlih and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us, and from the disgrace of that Day. Verily, your Lord, He is the All-Strong, the All-Mighty (66) And As-Saîhah (torment - awful cry) overtook the wrong-doers, so they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes (11:67)

This matches perfectly with solar wind calculations and it means that this Cry was a massive Solar wind that came from Sun and hit the Earth over Thamoud people. Knowing that we can hear it's voice in the videos above as recorded by Satellites and it's very close to a terrible Cry.

In addition, let's read the following description about the torment that reached Saleh people from books of Muslim interpreters:

وأصبحت ثمود يوم الخميس، وهو اليوم الأول من أيام النظرة، ووجوههم مصفرة كما أنذرهم صالح عليه السلام، فلما أمسوا نادوا بأجمعهم: ألا قد مضى يوم من الأجل.

ثم أصبحوا في اليوم الثاني من أيام التأجيل، وهو يوم الجمعة ووجوههم! محمرة، فلما أمسوا نادوا ألا قد مضى يومان من الأجل.

ثم أصبحوا في اليوم الثالث من أيام المتاع، وهو يوم السبت، ووجوههم مسودة، فلما أمسوا نادوا ألا قد مضى الأجل.

فلما كان صبيحة يوم الأحد، تحنطوا وتأهبوا وقعدوا ينظرون ماذا يحل بهم من العذاب، والنكال، والنقمة، لا يدرون كيف يفعل بهم، ولا من أي جهة يأتيهم العذاب.

فلما أشرقت الشمس، جاءتهم صيحة من السماء من فوقهم، ورجفة شديدة من أسفل منهم، ففاضت الأرواح، وزهقت النفوس، وسكنت الحركات، وخشعت الأصوات، وحقت الحقائق، فأصبحوا في دارهم جاثمين جثثاً لا أرواح فيها، ولا حراك بها.

During the 3 days period Thamoud people waited the punishment, and in first day their faces become yellow !!

Then in second day: their faces become red..

Then on 3rd day they become dark..

On 4th day morning the Torment came from above them with a shake from their beneath, and they all died immediately.

This matches also that solar wind is causing the Auroras different colors, and the change of people color is due to the change of Sky color due to the Aurora caused by this immersive emission.

But how the people were left after this Cry? It's described in the following verse:

فاخذتهم الصيحة بالحق فجعلناهم غثاء فبعدا للقوم الظالمين

So As-Saîhah (torment - awful cry) overtook them in truth (with justice), and We made them as rubbish of dead plants. So away with the people who are Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, disobedient to His Messengers). (23:41)

The people were left as dried burned plants, and this means that such solar wind or CME didn’t cause a skin cancer only but it was immense that it burned them immediately and left them as dried burned plants. So, it's power crossed the X-level and because of that it's called "Al-Taghiya" means exceeding all limits.

Therefore, understanding that Thamoud punishment was a CME storm coming from Sun and burned them explains all the following:

• Why it's called a CRY "Sayha", because of its explosion sound on sun surface.
• Why it took 3 days, and this is the time needed to travel from Sun to Earth.
• How the faces of Saleh people changed during these 3 days, and this explains that solar winds radiation had reached the earth in progression and each radiation affected Sky color which reflected on Saleh people faces.
• How the storm was enormous (crossed all limits, "Taghyia") that it quaked them and their houses (Called "Rajfa") and burned them completely.

5- The houses of Thamoud

Let's return back to the following verse that talks about the houses of Thamoud people:

وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاء مِن بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا فَاذْكُرُواْ آلاء اللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْثَوْا فِي الأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ  (7: 74)

"And remember when He made you successors after 'Ad (people) and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allâh, and do not go about making mischief on the earth." (74)

Saleh reminds his people about their palaces that they built in plains, knowing that their houses were distributed between Northern of Arabia till Syria, and their carving in mountains was done for pleasure only.

But is there any proof that there were houses (or palaces) in such area? The answer is in the following section.

[Science]

Quoted from: Visible Only From Above, Mystifying 'Nazca Lines' Discovered in Mideast

They stretch from Syria to Saudi Arabia, can be seen from the air but not the ground, and are virtually unknown to the public.  Referred to by archaeologists as "wheels," these stone structures have a wide variety of designs, with a common one being a circle with spokes radiating inside. Researchers believe that they date back to antiquity, at least 2,000 years ago. They are often found on lava fields and range from 82 feet to 230 feet (25 meters to 70 meters) across.

What were they used for?

So far, none of the wheels appears to have been excavated, something that makes dating them, and finding out their purpose, more difficult. Archaeologists studying them in the pre-Google Earth era speculated that they could be the remains of houses or cemeteries. [5]

Showing that these structures have a diameter of 25 to 75 meters, then they can be considered as palaces (as named in Quran) during that time, comparing with ancients houses which were few meters wide.

If we search for these wheel in Google Earth close to Zarqa in Jordon, we notice the surrounding area are all burned and scientists refer it as Lava region, but looking closely on this region it seems that all burned and this support the idea that a Solar wind hit the earth and destroyed those people.

The following shows the area near Al-Zarqa and how it has ways for ancient rivers similar to what we saw in A'd land, and as mentioned in the above verses, it was green full of gardens and springs, and then focusing closely we see how the land is fully burned.

Calendar of Early Prophets:

Finally, to update the calendar with approximate dates for the prophets of Noah, Hud and Saleh. Of course, these dates are estimates but Scientists by figuring correctly when Tuba Volcanic eruption was, and the change of Arabia natural to desert after A'd cyclone in south, and in North after Thunderbolt of Thamoud, they can specify correctly when was their times.

Knowing that after Thamoud times too many centuries had passed before arriving the time of Prophets Ibrahim and Lott, and this clearly mentioned in the following verses:

وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَ وَأَصْحَابَ الرَّسِّ وَقُرُونًا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرًا  (25 : 38)

And (We annihilated also the peoples of) ‘Ad and Thamud and the people of Rass, 5 and many generations in between them. (38) To each (of them) We cited examples, and each of them We brought to utter ruin. (25:38-39)

And in the following verses, ALLAH mentions clearly that there was a generation "Qarn" between Noah and Thamoud people and we estimate this to be 10,000 the time needed to convert the people to become infidels in the first time, then in the second verse he mentioned that there were generations (in plural) between people of Thamoud and later prophets (Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus, etc….)

ثم انشانا من بعدهم قرنا اخرين

Then, after them, We created another generation (23:31)

ثم انشانا من بعدهم قرونا اخرين

Then, after them, We created other generations. (23:42)

The updated calendar will be as following:

The immigration of early Prophets routes will be as following:

Thanks to ALLAH, Lord of the worlds.

---------------

References:

[1] Wikipedia, Solar Flare, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare

[2] Wikipedia, Coronal Mass Ejection, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection

[3] Wikipedia, Aurora Astronomy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_%28astronomy%29

[4] Nasa, Solar Physics, Solar Wind http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SolarWind.shtml

[5] LiveScience.com, Visible Only From Above, Mystifying 'Nazca Lines' Discovered in Mideasthttp://www.livescience.com/16046-nazca-lines-wheels-google-earth.html