Quran Universe
11:64

وَيَٰقَوۡمِ هَٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةُ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمۡ ءَايَةٗۖ فَذَرُوهَا تَأۡكُلۡ فِيٓ أَرۡضِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٖ فَيَأۡخُذَكُمۡ عَذَابٞ قَرِيبٞ

Waya qawmi hathihi naqatu Allahi lakum ayatan fatharooha takul fee ardi Allahi wala tamassooha bisooin fayakhuthakum AAathabun qareebun

And O my people, this is the she-camel of Allah - [she is] to you a sign. So let her feed upon Allah 's earth and do not touch her with harm, or you will be taken by an impending punishment."

Word by word
  1. وَيَٰقَوۡمِAnd O my people
  2. هَٰذِهِۦThis
  3. نَاقَةُshe-camel
  4. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  5. لَكُمۡ(is) for you
  6. ءَايَةٗۖa Sign
  7. فَذَرُوهَاso leave her
  8. تَأۡكُلۡto eat
  9. فِيٓin
  10. أَرۡضِthe earth
  11. ٱللَّهِۖ(of) Allah
  12. وَلَاand (do) not
  13. تَمَسُّوهَاtouch her
  14. بِسُوٓءٖwith harm
  15. فَيَأۡخُذَكُمۡlest will seize you
  16. عَذَابٞa punishment
  17. قَرِيبٞimpending
Hud · 11:64Makkah

A sign walking among them, with one simple rule.

The she-camel of Allah and a test of restraint

The sign
the she-camelof Allah, a sign
grazes on
Allah's landnot theirs to forbid
The one rule
leave her belet her eat
touch her with harma near punishment follows

Salih pointed to a she-camel and called it the camel of Allah, a sign for them. The rule was small: let her graze freely in Allah's land. Harming her would bring a punishment that was close.

Some tests do not ask you to do anything big. Just leave alone what is not yours. The colleague's idea. The neighbour's parking spot. The thing in the shop you could slip into your bag. Restraint is the whole test.

Tests are about big deeds I have to perform.

Sometimes the test is simply to keep my hands off what Allah said to leave alone.

Try this

Today, notice one thing you are tempted to take or meddle with, and leave it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"And O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a sign to you, so leave her to graze in Allah's land, and touch her not with evil, lest a near torment should seize you. (64)But they slaughtered her. So he said: "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days. This is a promise (a threat) that will not be belied. (65)So when Our commandment came, We saved Salih and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us, and from the disgrace of that Day. Verily, your Lord – He is the All-Strong, the All-Mighty (66)And As-Sayhah (awful cry) overtook the wrongdoers, so they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes (67)As if they had never lived there. No doubt! Verily, Thamud disbelieved in their Lord. So away with Thamud!) A discussion of this story has already preceded in Surat Al-A'raf and it is sufficient without having to be repeated here. Allah is the Giver of succes (68)