Surah Al-A'raf • Ayah 65

The Story of Hud, Peace be upon Him, and the Lineage of the People of `AdAllah says, just as We sent Nuh to his people, similarly, to the `Ad people, We sent Hud one of their own brethren. Muhammad bin Ishaq said that the tribe of `Ad were the descendants of `Ad, son of Iram, son of `Aws, son of Sam, son of Nuh. I say, these are indeed the ancient people of `Ad whom Allah mentioned, the children of `Ad, son of Iram who were living in the deserts with lofty pillars or statues. Allah said, أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ - الَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى الْبِلَـدِ (Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with `Ad (people). Of Iram like (lofty) pillars. The like of which were not created in the land) 89:6-8 because of their might and strength. Allah said in another instance, فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُواْ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ (As for `Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat!) 41:15. The Land of `AdThe people of `Ad lived in Yemen, in the area of Ahqaf, which means sand mounds. Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Abu At-Tufayl `Amir bin Wathilah said that he heard `Ali (bin Abi Talib) saying to a man from Hadramawt (in Yemen), "Have you seen a red sand mound, where there are a lot of Arak and Lote trees in the area of so-and-so in Hadramawt Have you seen it" He said, "Yes, O Commander of the faithful! By Allah, you described it as if you have seen it before." `Ali said, `I have not seen it, but it was described to me." The man asked, "What about it, O Commander of the faithful" `Ali said, "There is the grave of Hud, peace be upon him, in its vicinity." Ibn Jarir recorded this statement, which gives the benefit of indicating that `Ad used to live in Yemen, since Prophet Hud was buried there. Prophet Hud was among the noble men and chiefs of `Ad, for Allah chose the Messengers from among the best, most honorable families and tribes. Hud's people were mighty and strong, but their hearts were mighty and hard, for they were among the most denying of Truth among the nations. Prophet Hud called `Ad to worship Allah alone without partners, and to obey and fear Him. Debate between Hud and his Peopleقَالَ الْمَلأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ(The leaders of those who disbelieved among his people said...) meaning, the general public, chiefs, masters and commanders of his people said, إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي سَفَاهَةٍ وِإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ("Verily, we see you in foolishness, and verily, we think you are one of the liars") meaning, you are misguided because you call us to abandon worshipping the idols in order to worship Allah Alone. Similarly, the chiefs of Quraysh wondered at the call to worship One God, saying, أَجَعَلَ الاٌّلِهَةَ إِلَـهاً وَحِداً("Has he (Muhammad) made the gods (all) into One God") 38:5. قَالَ يَـقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِى سَفَاهَةٌ وَلَكِنِّى رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ((Hud) said: "O my people! There is no foolishness in me, but (I am) a Messenger from the Lord of all that exists!") Hud said, I am not as you claim. Rather, I brought you the Truth from Allah, Who created everything, and He is the Lord and King of all things, أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَـلـتِ رَبِّى وَأَنَاْ لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ أَمِينٌ ("I convey unto you the Messages of my Lord, and I am a trustworthy adviser for you. ") These, indeed, are the qualities of the Prophets: conveying, sincerity and honesty, أَوَ عَجِبْتُمْ أَن جَآءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْكُمْ لِيُنذِرَكُمْ("Do you wonder that there has come to you a Reminder from your Lord through a man from among you to warn you") Prophet Hud said, do not wonder because Allah sent a Messenger to you from among yourselves to warn you about Allah's Days (His torment) and meeting with Him. Rather than wondering, you should thank Allah for this bounty. وَاذكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ("And remember that He made you successors (generations after generations) after the people of Nuh...") meaning, remember Allah's favor on you in that He made you among the offspring of Nuh, because of whose supplication Allah destroyed the people of the earth after they defied and opposed him. وَزَادَكُمْ فِى الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً("and increased you amply in stature.") making you taller than other people. Similarly, Allah said in the description of Talut (Saul), وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ(And has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature.) 2:247 Hud continued, فَاذْكُرُواْ ءَالآءَ اللَّهِ("So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allah. ") in reference to Allah's favors and blessings لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ("so that you may be successful.")

ہود علیہ السلام اور ان کا رویہ! ٭٭فرماتا ہے کہ جیسے قوم نوح کی طرف نوح علیہ السلام کو ہم نے بھیجا تھا، قوم عاد کی طرف ہود علیہ السلام کو ہم نے نبی بنا کر بھیجا، یہ لوگ عاد بن ارم بن عوص بن سام بن نوح کی اولاد تھے۔ یہ عاد اولیٰ ہیں۔ یہ جنگل میں ستونوں میں رہتے تھے۔ فرمان ہے «أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ» [89-الفجر:6-8] ‏ یعنی ” کیا تو نے نہیں دیکھا کہ عاد، ارم کے ساتھ تیرے رب نے کیا کیا؟ جو بلند قامت تھے۔ دوسرے شہروں میں جن کی مانند لوگ پیدا ہی نہیں کئے گئے۔ “ یہ لوگ بڑے قوی، طاقتور اور لمبے چوڑے قد کے تھے۔ جیسے فرمان ہے کہ عادیوں نے زمین میں ناحق تکبر کیا اور نعرہ لگایا کہ ہم سے زیادہ قوی کون ہے؟ کیا انہیں اتنی بھی تمیز نہیں کہ ان کا پیدا کرنے والا یقیناً ان سے زیادہ قوت و طاقت والا ہے۔ وہ ہماری آیتوں سے انکار کر بیٹھے۔ ان کے شہر یمن میں احقاف تھے، یہ ریتلے پہاڑ تھے۔صفحہ نمبر2953سیدنا علی رضی اللہ عنہ نے حضر موت کے ایک شخص سے کہا کہ تو نے ایک سرخ ٹیلہ دیکھا ہو گا جس میں سرخ رنگ کی راکھ جیسی مٹی ہے۔ اس کے آس پاس پیلو اور بیری کے درخت بکثرت ہیں، وہ ٹیلہ فلاں جگہ حضر موت میں ہے۔ اس نے کہا: امیر المؤمنین رضی اللہ عنہ آپ تو اس طرح کے نشان بتا رہے ہیں گویا آپ نے بچشم خود دیکھا ہے۔ آپ نے فرمایا: نہیں دیکھا تو نہیں لیکن ہاں مجھ تک حدیث پہنچی ہے کہ وہیں ہود علیہ السلام کی قبر ہے۔ اس سے ثابت ہوتا ہے کہ ان لوگوں کی بستیاں یمن میں تھیں۔ اس لیے ان کے پیغمبر وہیں مدفون ہیں۔ آپ ان سب میں شریف قبیلے کے تھے۔ اس لیے کہ انبیاء ہمیشہ حسب نسب کے اعتبار سے عالی خاندان میں ہی ہوتے رہے ہیں لیکن آپ کی قوم جس طرح جسمانی طور سے سخت اور زوردار تھی، اسی طرح دلوں کے اعتبار سے بھی بہت سخت تھی۔ جب اپنے نبی کی زبانی اللہ کی عبادت اور تقویٰ کی نصیحت سنی تو لوگوں کی بھاری اکثریت اور ان کے سردار اور بڑے بول اٹھے کہ تو تو پاگل ہو گیا ہے، ہمیں اپنے بتوں کی ان خوبصورت تصویروں کی عبادت سے ہٹا کر اللہ واحد کی عبادت کی طرف بلا رہا ہے۔ یہی تعجب قریش کو ہوا تھا۔ انہوں نے کہا تھا کہ اس نے سارے معبودوں کو عبادت سے ہٹا کر ایک کی دعوت کیوں دی؟صفحہ نمبر2954ہود علیہ السلام نے انہیں جواب دیا کہ مجھ میں تو بیوقوفی کی بفضلہ کوئی بات نہیں۔ میں جو کہہ رہا ہوں وہ اللہ کا فرمودہ ہے۔ اس لیے کہ میں رسول اللہ ہوں۔ رب کی طرف سے حق لایا ہوں۔ وہ رب ہر چیز کا مالک، سب کا خالق ہے۔ میں تو تمہیں کلام اللہ پہنچا رہا ہوں، تمہاری خیر خواہی کرتا ہوں اور امانت داری سے حق رسالت ادا کر رہا ہوں۔ یہی وہ صفتیں ہیں جو تمام رسولوں میں یکساں ہوتی ہیں یعنی پیغام حق پہنچانا، لوگوں کی بھلائی چاہنا اور امانت داری کا نمونہ بننا۔ تم میری رسالت پر تعجب نہ کرو بلکہ اللہ کا شکر بجا لاؤ کہ اس نے تم میں سے ایک فرد کو اپنا پیغمبر بنایا کہ وہ تمہیں عذاب الٰہی سے ڈرا دے۔ تمہیں رب کے اس احسان کو بھی فراموش نہ کرنا چاہیئے کہ اس نے تمہیں ہلاک ہونے والوں کے بقایا میں سے بنایا، تمہیں باقی رکھا۔ اتنا ہی نہیں بلکہ تمہیں قوی ہیکل، مضبوط اور طاقتور کر دیا۔ یہی نعمت طالوت پر تھی کہ انہیں جسمانی اور علمی کشادگی دی گئی تھی۔ [2-البقرة:247] ‏ تم اللہ کی نعمتوں کو یاد رکھو تاکہ نجات حاصل کر سکو۔صفحہ نمبر2955

قَالَ یٰقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰہَ مَا لَکُمْ مِّنْ اِلٰہٍ غَیْرُہٗ ط اَفَلاَ تَتَّقُوْنَ حضرت ہود علیہ السلام نے بھی اپنی قوم کو وہی پیغام دیا جو حضرت نوح علیہ السلام نے اپنی قوم کو دیا تھا۔

CommentaryA Brief History of ` Ad and Thamud` Ad is the name of a person who is in the fifth generation after Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) and is among the progeny of his son Sam. Then, his progeny, and his people, came to be known by the name of ` Ad. In the Holy Qur'an, ` Ad also appears with the words: عَادَ اُولٰی ('Ad al-'ula: ` Ad, the First) and also: إِرَ‌مَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ that is, of the city of Iram with lofty pillars; or tall like lofty pillars - 89:7) which tells us that the people of ` Ad are also known in association with the name of Iram, and that with ` Ad I, there is some ` Ad II as well. In this investigation, commentators and historians differ. The better known proposition is that Iram is the name of the grandfather of ` Ad. This ` Ad is among the children of 'Aus who was his son, and is known as ` Ad I. His second son, جَثو (Jathw) had a son. His name was Thamud. He is called ` Ad II. The outcome is that ` Ad and Thamud are both two branches of Iram. One of them is called ` Ad I and the other is known as Thamud or ` Ad II, and the word: اِرَم (Iram) is common to both ` Ad and Thamud.Some commentators have said that at the time when the punishment overtook the people of ` Ad, a deputation of theirs was on a visit to Makkah al-Mu` zzamah, which remained safe from this punishment. It is known as the other ` Ad. (Bayan al-Qur'an)Hud (علیہ السلام) is the name of a prophet. He is also in the fifth generation of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) and is among the progeny of Sam. The genealogical tree of the people of ` Ad and Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) converges on Sam in the fifth generation. Therefore, Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) is a lineal brother to ` Ad. That is why it was said: اَخَاھُم ھُوداً (their brother Hid - 65)The people of ` Ad had thirteen families. Their habitations were spread out from Oman to Hadramaut and Yaman. Their lands were fertile. Gardens were abundant. To live they constructed mansions and palaces. They were tall and heavily built. This is what the expression زَادَكُمْ فِي الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً (gave you increased strength in physique - 69) means. Allah Ta` ala had opened the doors of His blessing upon them. But, their crooked thinking made these very blessings a curse for them. They became so intoxicated with their power and grandeur that they started boasting: مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً (Who is superior to us in strength?-41:15). How strange of them that they took no notice of their Lord and the Lord of the worlds bathed in whose blessings they all were and went on to sink themselves into the worship of idols carved out of rocks!The Lineage of Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) and Some Glimpses of the BackgroundThese were the people for whose guidance Allah Ta` ala sent Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) as a prophet who was from their family. The famous authority on Arab genealogy, Abu al-Barak-at al-Jauni has written that the name of the son of Sayyidna Hud rx..ll., 1c is Ya’ rub ibn Qahtan who went to live in Yaman. Yamani people are his progeny. The Arabic language originated from him and it was this correspondence with 'Ya'rub' that the language was called Arabic and its speakers, the Arabs. (al-Bahr Al-Muhit)But, the truth of the matter is that the Arabic language was there since the time of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) . In his Ark, he had a companion called Jurhum. He spoke Arabic (A1-Bahr A1-Mubit). The populating of Makkah al-Mu` azzamah started from this very Jurhum. However, it is possible that the origination of the Arabic language took place in Yaman through Ya'rub ibn Qahtan and this may be what Abu al-Barakat has meant.Sayyidna Hud induced the people of ` Ad to forsake idol-worship and take to pure monotheism and shun injustice and oppression and practice moderation and justice. But, these people were drunk with power and wealth. They did not listen to him. Consequently, the first punishment that visited them was that rains stopped coming for a full three years in succession. Lands became deserts. Gardens turned into dead wood. But, these people still kept sticking to Shirk and idol-worship. Then, came another punishment. A severe wind storm overtook them. It continued for eight days and seven nights. What remained of their gardens and mansions and palaces was levelled to the ground. Their men and animals went up into the air and zoomed back hitting the floor on their heads. Thus, the people of ` Ad were eliminated to the last man. The sense of the expression: وَقَطَعْنَا دَابِرَ‌ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا (and we eradicated those who belied Our signs) in this verse, as determined by some commentators, is that all those people present at that time were totally destroyed. Some other commentators have said that it means that Allah Ta` ala cut off the lineal root of the people of ` Ad for the future as well.When the punishment for not listening to Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) and insisting on Kufr and Shirk came down upon his people, he and his companions took refuge in an open area enclosed with stakes. It was strange that the stormy winds which were making palaces collapse on their columns would suddenly change pace and enter this enclosure gently. Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) and his companions kept sitting peacefully where they were even during the descension of the punishment without having to face any inconvenience. It was after the destruction of the people of ` Ad that they moved to Makkah al-Mu` azzamah where they lived until death. (A1-Bahr Al-Muhit)That the punishment for the people of ` Ad came in the form of a wind storm has been explicitly and categorically mentioned in the Qur'an. Then, there is the statement in Surah Al-Mu'minun which follows the narration of the story of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْ‌نًا آخَرِ‌ينَ ﴿31﴾ that is, then, after them, We brought forth another generation - 23:31. It seems obvious that another generation here means the people of ` Ad. Then, after having given a view of their word and deed, it was said: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ (an extremely harsh and horrifying sound [ As-Saihah ] took them - 23:41). Based on this statement of the Qur'an, some commentators have said that the punishment which was set upon the people of ` Ad was that of As-Saihah (extremely harsh and screaming sound). But, there is no contradiction here. It is possible that they both came to pass.This was a brief account relating to the people of ` Ad and Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) . Its details as given in the words of the Qur'an follow.(1)-Said in the first verse (65) was: وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُ‌هُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ , (And to ` Ad [ We sent ] their brother, Hud (علیہ السلام) . He said, "0 my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. So, do you not fear Allah?" ).The grave punishment sent upon the people of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) much before the people of ` Ad was still alive in the minds of the people of his time. Therefore, Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) had no need to describe the severity and gravity of punishment sent upon disobedient people. He considered it quite sufficient to say: Do you not fear Allah?