فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ 144
Translations
So fear Allāh and obey me.
Transliteration
Fa-ttaqū Allāha wa-aṭī'ūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is the exhortation of the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) to his people, the Thamud, commanding them to fear Allah and obey him as His messenger. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Salih emphasized obedience to the messenger as inseparable from taqwa (God-consciousness), since rejecting the messenger is equivalent to rejecting Allah's guidance. The structure of this command reflects a universal principle: true piety manifests through submission to Allah's representatives and messengers.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which presents the stories of various prophets and their peoples' responses. Surah Ash-Shu'ara is Meccan and was revealed to console Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by reminding him of previous messengers who faced rejection. Ayah 144 specifically falls within Salih's address to the Thamud, serving as a direct parallel to the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of Muhammad.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 7137). Additionally, 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' relates to the importance of following the messenger's guidance (Sahih Bukhari 5027).
Themes
Key Lesson
True fear of Allah is demonstrated through obedience to His messengers and guidance, not merely through ritual or lip service. For believers today, this teaches that accepting the Qur'an and Sunnah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is integral to genuine piety and submission to Allah.