Discover the profound verses and divine insights mapped to this theme.
And to the ʿAad [We sent] their brother Hūd. He said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. Then will you not fear Him?"
Said the eminent ones who disbelieved among his people, "Indeed, we see you in foolishness, and indeed, we think you are of the liars."
[Hūd] said, "O my people, there is not foolishness in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.
I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and I am to you a trustworthy adviser.
Then do you wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from among you, that he may warn you? And remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah and increased you in stature extensively. So remember the favors of Allāh that you might succeed."
They said, "Have you come to us that we should worship Allāh alone and leave what our fathers have worshipped? Then bring us what you promise us,1 if you should be of the truthful."
[Hūd] said, "Already have defilement and anger fallen upon you from your Lord. Do you dispute with me concerning [mere] names you have named them,1 you and your fathers, for which Allāh has not sent down any authority? Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
So We saved him and those with him by mercy from Us. And We eliminated those who denied Our signs, and they were not [at all] believers.
And to ʿAad [We sent] their brother Hūd. He said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventors [of falsehood].
O my people, I do not ask you for it [i.e., my advice] any reward. My reward is only from the one who created me. Then will you not reason?
And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals."
They said, "O Hūd, you have not brought us clear evidence, and we are not ones to leave our gods on your say-so. Nor are we believers in you.
We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil [i.e., insanity]." He said, "Indeed, I call Allāh to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allāh
Other than Him. So plot against me all together; then do not give me respite.
Indeed, I have relied upon Allāh, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock [i.e., controls it]. Indeed, my Lord is on a path [that is] straight.
But if you turn away, then I have already conveyed that with which I was sent to you. My Lord will give succession to a people other than you, and you will not harm Him at all. Indeed my Lord is, over all things, Guardian."1
And when Our command came, We saved Hūd and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us; and We saved them from a harsh punishment.
And that was ʿAad, who rejected the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His messengers and followed the order of every obstinate tyrant.
And they were [therefore] followed in this world with a curse and [as well] on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, ʿAad denied their Lord; then away with ʿAad, the people of Hūd.
And O my people, let not [your] dissension from me cause you to be struck by that similar to what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hūd or the people of Ṣāliḥ. And the people of Lot are not from you far away.
ʿAad denied the messengers
When their brother Hūd said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.
So fear Allāh and obey me.
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
Do you construct on every elevation a sign,1 amusing yourselves,
And take for yourselves constructions [i.e., palaces and fortresses] that you might abide eternally?
And when you strike, you strike as tyrants.
So fear Allāh and obey me.
And fear He who provided you with that which you know,
Provided you with grazing livestock and children
And gardens and springs.
Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."
They said, "It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors.
This is not but the custom of the former peoples,
And we are not to be punished."
And they denied him, so We destroyed them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
And mention, [O Muḥammad], the brother of ʿAad,1 when he warned his people in [the region of] al-Aḥqāf - and warners had already passed on before him and after him - [saying], "Do not worship except Allāh. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."2
They said, "Have you come to delude us away from our gods? Then bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the truthful."
He said, "Knowledge [of its time] is only with Allāh, and I convey to you that with which I was sent; but I see you [to be] a people behaving ignorantly."
And when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said, "This is a cloud bringing us rain!" Rather, it is that for which you were impatient:1 a wind, within it a painful punishment,
Destroying everything by command of its Lord. And they became so that nothing was seen [of them] except their dwellings. Thus do We recompense the criminal people.
And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allāh; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.