The story of Hud

The 'Aad were a powerful tribe descended from 'Aad ibn Aws ibn Iram ibn Sam ibn Nuh (عليه السلام). They lived in Al-Ahqaaf, sand hills located between Yemen, Oman and Hadramout, in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) had granted them many blessings: exceptional physical strength, considerable wealth, and a remarkable architectural talent. They were known for their impressive constructions and their very high towers, earning their region the nickname of "land of a thousand pillars".

However, their material prosperity had made them arrogant and ungrateful toward Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). They built out of vanity and frivolity, thinking that their strength and their wealth would make them eternal, forgetting that only Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is eternal.

أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ

Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves, And take for yourselves palaces and fortresses that you might abide eternally?

Surah Ash-Shu'ara, verses 128-129

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:128-129, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir At-Tabari

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) sent Hud (عليه السلام) to his people to call them back to the worship of the One God. Hud (عليه السلام) was one of them, he knew them well and spoke their language. That is why Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Quran that He sent "to the 'Aad, their brother Hud (عليه السلام)".

The message of Hud (عليه السلام) was clear and direct: worship Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) alone, without associate, and abandon the idolatry that had spread among them. He reminded them that all their blessings came from Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and that they had to be grateful to Him for them.

Hud (عليه السلام) was known among his people for his righteousness, his wisdom and his noble character even before his prophetic mission. No one could accuse him of lying or of misconduct, which made his message all the more compelling.

وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ

And to 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventors [of falsehood].

Surah Hud, verse 50

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:50, Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:21, Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hud (عليه السلام) did not content himself with warning them, he also promised them the blessings of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) if they repented and returned to Him. He told them to ask forgiveness of their Lord and then to repent to Him.

He promised them that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) would send upon them from the sky abundant rains - a crucial blessing in their arid region - and that He would add strength to their already impressive strength. This promise showed the mercy of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) who rewards those who return to Him.

Hud (عليه السلام) used a balanced approach: he warned them of the consequences of their disobedience while showing them the blessings that awaited them if they obeyed Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). This method of da'wa (call) combines reverential fear (khawf) and hope (raja') in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ

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.

Surah Hud, verse 52

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:52, Tafsir As-Sa'di, Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The 'Aad reacted to the message of Hud (عليه السلام) with arrogance and hostility. They told him that he had not come with clear proof, refusing to see the evident signs of the creation of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) around them.

They declared that they would never abandon their deities on his word alone and that they had no faith in him. Their pride blinded them to the point that they could not accept that a man like them could receive the divine revelation.

Some of them even accused him of having been struck with madness by their deities, because he dared to criticize them and call for their abandonment. This accusation revealed their deep attachment to idolatry and their refusal to question the beliefs inherited from their ancestors.

قَالُوا يَا هُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

They said, "O Hud, 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.

Surah Hud, verse 53

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:53-54, Surah Al-A'raf 7:65-66

Faced with their accusations and their rejection, Hud (عليه السلام) responded with dignity and firmness. He proclaimed that he took Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) as witness and asked his people to bear witness that he was innocent of what they associated with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

He declared that he placed his trust in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), his Lord and theirs, affirming that there is no living creature that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) does not hold by its forelock (that is to say, under His total control). This declaration showed his unshakeable faith in the absolute sovereignty of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

Hud (عليه السلام) announced to them that he had conveyed the message for which he had been sent. If they turned away, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) would send another people in their place, and they could in no way harm Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). This firmness in conveying the message is an example for all the da'i (those who call to Allah سبحانه وتعالى).

إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a path [that is] straight."

Surah Hud, verse 56

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Hud 11:54-57, Tafsir Ibn Kathir

When the 'Aad persisted in their rejection and their arrogance, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) sent His punishment. An icy, roaring and furious wind was unleashed against them for seven nights and eight consecutive days.

This wind was of unheard-of violence, so powerful that it lifted men up and hurled them as if they were hollowed-out palm stumps. It completely destroyed their civilization, so proud of its impressive constructions.

During those terrible days, people could be seen knocked to the ground, dead, like hollow palm trunks. None of their constructions could withstand the power of this wind sent by Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). Their legendary physical strength and their castles were of no use to them in the face of the divine wrath.

وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا

And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession

Surah Al-Haaqqa, verses 6-7

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-Haaqqa 69:6-8, Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:24-25

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) saved Hud (عليه السلام) and those who had believed with him by a mercy from Him. They were protected from the terrible punishment that struck the disbelievers of their people.

The number of those who believed with Hud (عليه السلام) was very small compared to the total population of the 'Aad. This teaches us that the truth is not always on the side of the greatest number, and that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) always saves those who believe in Him and follow His messengers.

After the destruction of their people, Hud (عليه السلام) and the believers left the region of Al-Ahqaaf. According to some accounts, they headed for Mecca where they lived the rest of their lives worshipping Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and thanking Him for having saved them from the punishment.

فَأَنجَيْنَاهُ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَقَطَعْنَا دَابِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَمَا كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ

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.

Surah Al-A'raf, verse 72

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-A'raf 7:72, Surah Hud 11:58

The story of Hud (عليه السلام) and the people of 'Aad contains many precious lessons for us. It shows us first that the blessings of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) must bring us closer to Him, not distance us from Him through pride and ingratitude.

It also illustrates the danger of arrogance, which blinds man and prevents him from accepting the truth, even when it comes with evident proofs. The 'Aad were so proud of their strength that they could not conceive that a higher power could destroy them.

The story also teaches us that this world is temporary and that no construction nor earthly power is eternal. Only Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) remains, and it is to Him that everything returns. Finally, it reminds us that divine justice always ends up being fulfilled, even if Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is patient with the unjust.

وَتِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَعَلْنَا لِمَهْلِكِهِم مَّوْعِدًا

And those cities - We destroyed them when they wronged, and We made for their destruction an appointed time.

Surah Al-Kahf, verse 59

Authentic Sources

Quran: Surah Al-Kahf 18:59, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir