۞ And to the Thamud tribe, We sent their fellow man Saleh; he said, “O my people! Worship Allah, there is no other True God except Him; He created you from the earth and established you in it, so seek forgiveness from Him and incline towards Him in repentance; indeed my Lord is Close, Acceptor of Prayer.” 61 They said: 'Salih, before this you were a source of hope to us. What, would you now forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? Indeed, we are disquieted, and doubt that to which you invite' 62 He said, "My people, think. I have received authoritative evidence and mercy from my Lord, so who will protect me from God if I disobey Him? You certainly want to destroy me. 63 And, O my people! this will be (as) Allah's she-camel for you, a sign; therefore leave her to pasture on Allah's earth and do not touch her with evil, for then a near chastisement will overtake you. 64 But they hamstrung her; and he said, 'Take your joy in your habitation three days -- that is a promise not to be belied.' 65 So when Our Commandment came, We saved Salih (Saleh) 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 the blast [of God's punishment] overtook those who had been bent on evildoing: and then they lay lifeless, in their very homes, on the ground, 67 as if they never dwelt there: 'Surely Thamood disbelieved in their Lord, so away with Thamood!' 68