When silence equals sin: Learning from the People of Ṣāliḥ

Introduction

On 16 Rabīʿ al-Thānī – a date some narrations mark as linked to the punishment of the people of Ṣāliḥ (peace be upon him) – this issue’s Ayah of the Week reflects on one short but powerful verse from Sūrah ash-Shams.

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا ﴿سوره الشمس، ۱۴﴾

They denied him and hamstrung her (the she-camel); So their Lord completely destroyed them and their city for their sins (Quran, 91, 14).

Educational and practical messages from the ayah for teens and youth

1. Complicity in Sin Through Silence

If you are pleased with another’s sin, or remain silent in its presence, you become complicit in that wrongdoing. The Qur’anic wording (فَعَقَرُوهَا) shows that one person’s act can become the crime of many when others approve; as Imam ʿAlī warned in Kūfah, consent makes you part of the deed.

Practical Challenge: If you see someone doing harm this week, refuse to approve it aloud or online and tell one trusted adult what you witnessed.

2. Don’t Label Truth-Tellers as Liars by Your Inaction

You need not call a caller to rightness a liar; failing to follow or respond to a sincere appeal is itself a form of rejection that echoes the people of Ṣāliḥ.

Practical Challenge: The next time someone invites you to a constructive action, try that single action and report back honestly to them.

3. Small Rejections Pave the Way to Worse Behaviour

Habitually ignoring good invitations – whether privately or publicly – softens the conscience and makes subsequent bad choices easier.

Practical Challenge: Accept at least one invitation to a positive community or faith activity in the next fortnight.

4. Foresee the Ending Before You Start

Many actions look attractive in the moment but end in shame or harm; cultivate the habit of judging choices by their long-term consequences.

Practical Challenge: Before making any risky decision this month, write two possible long-term outcomes and choose the option that preserves your dignity and faith.

5. Stand Firm against Peer Pressure

The Thamūd denied a clear sign under group pressure; moral courage prevents destructive conformity.

Practical Challenge: This week, refuse one harmful group request and write one paragraph on why you did so.

Educational and practical messages from the ayah for parents

1. Turn Hardship into a Mirror of Behaviour

Hardship often has wisdom: like the people of Thamūd, many suffer consequences that are the fruit of their own choices; so every difficulty can be a prompt to examine and change our behaviour.

Practical Challenge: When your family faces a problem, hold a short calm discussion to identify one practice or decision you will change this month to avoid repeating the cause.

2. Teach the Habit of Reflection

The story warns against acting without reflection; parents can make pause-and-think normal in the home.

Practical Challenge: Tonight, ask your child to pause before a decision and discuss probable consequences together.

3. Instil Respect for Sacred Values

Denial of a prophetic sign started a chain of harm; parents should teach how values guide daily choices.

Practical Challenge: Share one Quranic story this week and ask your child what it would mean for their life.

4. Guard Children Online

Modern denial often takes the form of corrosive online trends; proactive guidance matters.

Practical Challenge: Review your child’s social media together and set one new sensible boundary.

Educational and practical messages from the ayah for imams and religious leaders

1. Guard Against Simplistic Narratives

The community’s collective wrongdoing warns leaders to avoid scapegoating and to analyse root causes.

Practical Challenge: Hold one moderated session this month to listen to young people’s concerns without preaching.