And We sent to Thamūd Thamūda read without declining the noun as denoting the tribe of Thamūd itself their brother Sālih. He said ‘O my people worship God! You have no god other than Him. Truly there has come to you a clear proof an illustration from your Lord of my truthfulness this is the she-camel of God a sign for you lakum āyatan is a circumstantial qualifier operated by the import of the demonstrative noun hādhihi ‘this’ they had asked him to make it come out of a specific rock which they had designated. So leave her to feed throughout God’s earth and do not touch her with harm either by hamstringing or beating her lest you be seized by a painful chastisement.