Qaaf (The letter Qaaf)

12. Denied before them [polytheists of Mecca] the people of Noah, and the dwellers of Rass, and [the people of] Thamud;

13. And [also the people of] ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, and the brothers of Lot;

14. And the Dwellers of the Wood [Ayka, namely the people of Shu‘ayb], and the people of Tubba‘ [the kings of the Yemen]. Every one of them denied [their] Messengers; therefore, My Threat took effect [and they perished].

The name of the people of Rass is attested in this Chapter and also in 25:29. Qur’anic exegets maintain that the people of Rass lived in Yamama. They had a Prophet by the name of Handalla, but they denied his Call and cast him into a well. Since the Arabic word rass denotes “well”, hence their designation ‘the people of Rass.’ Imam Sadiq (as) was inquired regarding the reason behind the torment inflicted upon the people of Rass.

He replied:

“Their women contended themselves with women [i.e. they were lesbians].”1

The peoples of Thamud and ‘Ad were those of Prophets Salih and Hud (as). The people of Ayka were a group of the people of Prophet Shu‘ayb (as) who lived in the woods. Their name is attested in Chapters 15 and 26.

Tubba‘ is the title of the kings of the Yemen. The people of Tubba‘ is applied to a group of the people of the Yemen who followed their kings and whose name is also attested elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹ .

According to traditions, the king of the Yemen (Tubba‘) asked the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj:

“Stay in Yathrib (later Medina) until the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) be appointed to Prophethood and if I happen to be contemporaneous with him, I will serve and follow him.”3

The Holy Qur’an makes mention of the people of Lot (as) as

“brothers of Lot”

since they were all his kith and kin.² It is worthy of note, however, that according to the Holy Qur’an, the Prophets are the brothers of peoples and it is for this sake that the people of Lot (as) are referred to as his brothers.

The Holy Qur’an repeatedly reminds the Noble Prophet (S) of former Prophets (as) and their peoples and the point that their Prophetic Calls were denied and they were subject to persecutions. Thus, God Almighty consoles His Messenger (S) saying that if you see that disbelievers of Quraysh hurt you and attribute false accusations to you, former peoples were alike. Be patient against their persecutions in the manner that Arch-prophets did likewise.

Furthermore, these blessed Verses warn disbelievers against the torments to be inflicted upon them in this world since God Almighty inflicted torments like tempest, loud cries hear from the heaven (sayha), icy gale (sarsar), pouring down rocks on them such that they may fear such torments in this world and desist from denial of Prophets (as).