Ash-Shams 91:13 - Linguistic Miracle

So a Messenger of Allah said to them, ‘The she-camel of Allah and her drink!’

Commentary covering verses 12–13

This is just an urgent way of speaking to convey warning which is why the word Nāqah (she-camel) is in accusative case. The messenger (Ṣāliḥ) warned them sternly to leave the she-camel alone. The reason why Allah calls him “a messenger of Allah” rather than naming him is to imply a universal principle. They disobeyed a messenger of Allah and deemed him a liar. Whosoever does this with a messenger of Allah, will deserve the same fate mentioned in the next verse. Had Allah said Ṣāliḥ instead of “a messenger of Allah” it could have been implied that it held true for Ṣāliḥ only. Hence, when Allah mentions this, this includes all those who deem Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a liar too, past and present, even in our age.

This she-camel came out of a rock in front of them. This was God’s miracle to Ṣāliḥ. A normal person would believe this as an obvious sign from God and believe. If we saw a camel coming out in front of us from a rock, would we not come to believe?

But just as the night covers the sun, so did the darkness in them overwhelm and completely cover the good in them and also their intellects.

Allah is highlighting the severe consequences that follow when people violate the balance they are meant to maintain within themselves. When this balance is broken, it can make a person utterly blind and senseless to the extent that they will even reject a miracle in plain sight.