وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ ٱلْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ Qur’an Al-A'raf (7:74)Wa o th kuroo i th jaAAalakum khulaf a a min baAAdi AA a din wabawwaakum fee alar d i tattakhi th oona min suhoolih a qu s ooran watan h itoona aljib a la buyootan fa o th kuroo a l a a All a hi wal a taAAthaw fee alar d i mufsideen a
Cf. the parallel expression in verse {69} above - "heirs to Noah's people" - and the corresponding note. From all the historical references to the Thamud it is apparent that they were one of the greatest and most powerful Arab tribes of their time.
A reference to the elaborate rock-dwellings or tombs - to be seen to this day - which the Thamud carved out of the cliffs west of Al-Hijr, in northern Hijaz, and embellished with sculptures of animals as well as many inscriptions attesting to the comparatively high degree of their civilization and power. In popular Arabian parlance, these rock-dwellings are nowadays called Mada'in Salih ("The Towns of Salih").