وَلَمَّا جَاء أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مَّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ ﴿٩٤﴾

And when Our commandment came, We saved Shu`ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us. And As-Sayhah (awful cry) seized the wrongdoers, and they lay (Jathimin) in their homes.

His saying Jathimin means extinct and lifeless without any movement.

Here Allah mentions that a loud cry (Sayhah) came to them.

In Surah Al-A`raf He says a severe quake (Rajfah) came to them.

In Surah Ash-Shu`ara', He said it was a torment of a cloudy day.

They were one nation upon which all of these punishments were gathered on the day of their destruction.

In each context, Allah only mentioned that which was suitable. In Surah Al-A`raf when they said,

لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يـشُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَآ

We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu`ayb, and those who have believed with you from our town. (7:88)

In this verse it was suitable to mention a tremor, or quake (Rajfah). The earth in which they practiced their wrongdoing and they wanted to expel their Prophet from it, shook them.

Here, due to their disrespectful manners in speaking to their Prophet, Allah mentioned the awful cry (Sayhah) which overcame them and killed them.

In Surah Ash-Shu`ara' when they said,

فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful! (26:187)

Allah said in response,

فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

So the torment of the day of Shadow seized them. Indeed that was the torment of a Great Day. (26:189)

This is from the intricate secrets and to Allah belongs all praise and much bounty forever.