هُود
Hud
Sent to a people of great strength, who were left by a violent, howling wind
Hud was sent as a brother to the people of 'Ad — a people the Quran describes as made successors after Nuh's people and given exceptional stature, who used that stature to build monuments on every high place rather than to worship the God who gave it to them. His call to them is recorded in nearly identical words across several surahs: worship God, you have no deity other than Him. Their answer was the same across each account too — accusation, dismissal, and eventually a violent wind that left nothing standing but their dwellings.
Worship God; you have no deity other than Him
To 'Ad, God sent their brother Hud. He said: my people, worship God — you have no deity other than Him. Will you not fear Him? The eminent among his people, who disbelieved, answered that they saw him in foolishness and thought him a liar. Hud replied that there was no foolishness in him — he was a messenger from the Lord of the worlds, conveying his Lord's messages as a trustworthy adviser, and asked them why they should wonder that a reminder had come to them through one of their own.
۞ وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًۭا ۗ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
And to the 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Then will you not fear Him?"
قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰكَ فِى سَفَاهَةٍۢ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ
Said the eminent ones who disbelieved among his people, "Indeed, we see you in foolishness, and indeed, we think you are of the liars."
قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِى سَفَاهَةٌۭ وَلَٰكِنِّى رَسُولٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
[Hud] said, "O my people, there is not foolishness in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds."
أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّى وَأَنَا۠ لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ أَمِينٌ
I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and I am to you a trustworthy adviser.
أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ أَن جَآءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ لِيُنذِرَكُمْ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍۢ وَزَادَكُمْ فِى ٱلْخَلْقِ بَصْۜطَةًۭ ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
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 Allah that you might succeed.
Do you build a sign on every elevation?
Hud reminded them that he asked no payment — his reward was only from the Lord of the worlds — and challenged the very stature they were proud of: do you construct a sign on every elevation, amusing yourselves, and take for yourselves grand buildings as though you would live forever? He told them plainly he feared for them the punishment of a terrible day, but they answered that it made no difference to them whether he warned them or not.
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
When their brother Hud said to them, "Will you not fear Allah?
إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌۭ
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
So fear Allah and obey me.
وَمَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةًۭ تَعْبَثُونَ
Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves,
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ
And take for yourselves palaces and fortresses that you might abide eternally?
إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."
قَالُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْوَٰعِظِينَ
They said, "It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors.
Then away with Ad
Others among his people rejected him as one possessed by their own gods, and Hud called God to witness that he was free of whatever they associated with Him. The Quran gives its own verdict: that was 'Ad — they rejected the signs of their Lord, disobeyed His messengers, and followed the order of every obstinate tyrant. They were followed by a curse in this world and on the Day of Resurrection: 'Ad denied their Lord — then away with 'Ad, the people of Hud.
قَالُوا۟ يَٰهُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍۢ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِىٓ ءَالِهَتِنَا 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.
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعْتَرَىٰكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٍۢ ۗ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشْهَدُوٓا۟ أَنِّى بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil." He said, "Indeed, I call Allah to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allah
وَتِلْكَ عَادٌۭ ۖ جَحَدُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا۟ رُسُلَهُۥ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍۢ
And that was 'Aad, who rejected the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His messengers and followed the order of every obstinate tyrant.
وَأُتْبِعُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةًۭ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ عَادًۭا كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًۭا لِّعَادٍۢ قَوْمِ هُودٍۢ
And they were [therefore] followed in this world with a curse and [as well] on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, 'Aad denied their Lord; then away with 'Aad, the people of Hud.
A wind, within it a painful punishment
When they saw what they thought was a rain cloud approaching their valleys, they welcomed it — but it was the very punishment they had demanded: a wind carrying a painful punishment, destroying everything by its Lord's command, until nothing was left of them but their dwellings. Elsewhere the Quran describes it as a screaming, violent wind, imposed on them for seven nights and eight days in succession, leaving the people fallen as though they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًۭا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ هَٰذَا عَارِضٌۭ مُّمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا ٱسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ رِيحٌۭ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
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: a wind, within it a painful punishment,
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۭ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ لَا يُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَسَٰكِنُهُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
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.
وَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِرِيحٍۢ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍۢ
And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ
Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.