Prophet Saleh stood on a rocky outcrop, his eyes scanning the horizon where the tribe of Thamud thrived in their opulent stone dwellings. He sighed, knowing the weight of his task.
"O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him," Saleh implored, his voice firm yet pleading. "He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it, so ask forgiveness of Him and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive."
The crowd murmured, some nodding, others sneering. In their arrogance, they had forgotten the source of their prosperity.
A villager scoffed, "O Saleh, you were among us a man of promise before this. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped?" Others laughed, dismissing the call to faith as mere folly. Their pride clouded their hearts and minds.
Saleh stood among them, his expression serene. "This is the she-camel of Allah," he declared, "a sign for you. She will drink from the water of the land, and you will drink on alternate days. Do not harm her, or you will face a painful punishment."
The crowd watched in stunned silence, the miracle undeniable yet their hearts conflicted.
A conspirator whispered, "We cannot let this camel disrupt our lives. Let us rid ourselves of it." Their jealousy and defiance blinded them to the consequences, setting a course for their downfall.
Saleh watched with a heavy heart as the prophecy unfolded, sparing only those who believed. "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days," he had warned, but his words had fallen on deaf ears.
Now, the once-proud tribe of Thamud lay buried beneath their own arrogance and disobedience, their legacy a cautionary tale etched in stone.