سورة الشمس

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا [Thamud denied [the truth] because of their transgression, when the most unfortunate of them broke forth]; [that is] the one who hamstrung the she-camel.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Uthman ibn Suhayb narrated from his father: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to Imam Ali (peace be upon him): "O Ali (peace be upon him)! Who is the most wretched of the earlier peoples?" He said: "The one who hamstrung the she-camel [of Salih (peace be upon him)]." He said: "You have spoken truly! Who is the most wretched of the later peoples?" He said: "I do not know!" He said: "He is the one who will strike you for this deed; he is like the hamstringer of the she-camel of Allah."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) [recited] this verse: إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا [when the most unfortunate of them broke forth] and said: "By the One in whose hand my soul is, this [beard] will be dyed with [the blood of] this [crown of the head]." And he pointed with his hand to his head and his beard.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam — may Allah's curse be upon him — was of the descendants of Qudar, the hamstringer of the she-camel of Prophet Salih (peace be upon him), and the story of these two is one, because Qudar fell in love with a woman named Rabab, just as Ibn Muljam fell in love with Qatam.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), said to him (Ibn Muljam): "Did your mother inform you that she conceived you while she was menstruating?" He said: "Yes!" His Eminence said: "Pledge allegiance." He pledged allegiance. Then His Eminence (peace be upon him) said: "Let him go on his way." Although His Eminence had heard him saying: "I will surely strike Ali with this sword of mine."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Ammar ibn Yasir that he said: "I and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) were asleep during the Battle of al-Ushayra (the name of a battle that took place in the second year of Hijra between the Muslims and Banu Mudlij and their allies) in a palm grove upon soft earth. By Allah! No one but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) woke us from sleep, while he moved us with his foot as we had become covered in dust from (sleeping on) that soft earth. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Shall I tell you of the two most wretched people among mankind?' We said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!' He (peace be upon him and his family) said: '[One is] that red-complexioned man of the people of Thamud who hamstrung the she-camel [and killed it], and [the other is] the one who will strike [with a sword] the top of your head, O Ali (peace be upon him), until your beard is soaked with the blood of your head.'"