Saleh 405128 225958600 2008-07-16T05:26:23Z Becky Sayles 7447956 removed redlink :''Not to be confused with the city of [[Salט]], [[Morocco]].'' {{For|the current President of Yemen|Ali Abdullah Saleh}} {{Expand|date=January 2007}} {{Islam}} '''Saleh''' ([[Arabic Language|Arabic]]: صالح) is an Arabic name meaning ''Righteous'', and in particular the [[Qur'an]] mentions a man named ''Saleh'' as having been a [[Prophets of Islam|prophet of Islam]]. ==Narrative== According to the Qur'an, Saleh was a Semite born nine generations after [[Nuh|Noah]] and [[Deluge (mythology)|the flood]]; he is described as having been born and raised among the [[Thamud]], a group of people who lived in an area between [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and the [[Hijaz]]. The [[Thamud]] are said to have lived in stone houses carved into mountains, and to have [[Shirk (idolatry)|worshipped idols]] made from stone. Saleh tried to convince his people not to worship idols and to embrace [[Tawhid]], but they refused, insisting that Saleh obtain a [[miracle]]; the narrative goes on to state that [[Allah|God]] responded by creating a female [[camel]] (''the she-camel of God''), which the Thamud were allowed to milk for sustenance, but were not allowed to harm. Despite the instruction, the Thamud slaughtered the camel, so God ordered Saleh to leave his people; when Salah had complied by leaving, there was a large thunderous sound that destroyed the Thamud. ==Traditions== Although the Qur'an doesn't mention the exact mechanism of the creation of the camel, Islamic tradition argues that it was miraculously produced from a large rock. The [[Bible]] describes [[Judah (biblical figure)|Judah]] as having had a son named ''[[Shelah (son of Judah)|Shelah]]''; according to the biblical [[Genealogy of Abraham]], [[Abraham]] was born about 10<ref>the [[masoretic text]] makes it 10 generations, the [[septuagint]] makes it 11</ref> generations after Noah, and therefore ''Shelah'' would have been born about 13 generations after Noah. The similarity of name and vague similarity in hypothetical time period, between ''Saleh'' and ''Shelah'', has led to the opinion that the Bible's ''Shelah'' is the Qur'an ''Saleh''; the equation, however, is controversial, since there is almost nothing in common between the Qur'anic narrative of Saleh and the Biblical narrative of Shelah. ==Scholarship== Many scholars of Islam equate the Thamud with the [[Edomite]]s at [[Petra]], due to the mention of them living in rock-cut homes. Historic Petra had several places of worship, and the main ''mountain'' at the site - [[Jebel al-Madhbah]] - is topped by two stone obelisks, suggesting the worship of deities via stone [[phallic symbol]]s. The narrow [[gorge]] leading to the site - known as the '''Siq''' - can sometimes channel the wind to produce a loud trumpet-like sound, and it is known by local [[bedouin]] as the ''trumpet of God''. The Edomites occupants of Petra were, however, not obliterated, but instead just migrated to the [[Negev]]; neither were the subsequent Nabataean occupants of Petra destroyed by divine command, but instead were weakened by [[Trajan]], and reduced to mere [[peasants]]. The name of ''Saleh'' may originate in the name of the city, as it was historically known as ''Sela'', a word deriving from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] term ''Se'lah'', meaning ''rock''; the [[Koine Greek|Greek]] name ''Petra'' has the same meaning. Another location suggested for the punishment of the Thamud is [[Meda'in Saleh]] which also features dwellings carved out of rock. ==References== <references /> ==External links== *[http://www.jamiat.org.za/isinfo/saleh.html Saleh] *[http://ahlusunnah.org.au/articles/document.jsp?id=80 The Story of Saalih]. The same article is also available at [http://anwary-islam.com/prophet-story/salih.htm] {{Prophets in the Qur'an}} [[Category:Prophets in Islam]] [[ar:صالح]] [[bn:সালেহ]] [[de:Salih]] [[dv:ޞާލިޙުގެފާނު]] [[fr:Sâlih]] [[hi:सलेह]] [[id:Shaleh]] [[ku:Salîh]] [[ml:സ്വാലിഹ് നബി]] [[ms:Nabi Saleh a.s.]] [[nl:Salih]] [[pt:Saleh]] [[ru:Салих]] [[sv:Saleh]] [[tr:Salih (peygamber)]]