In these verses Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Hud (alaihis salam), when he invited his people `Aad, towards Allah and the true religion.
131. “So fear Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me.
132. “And keep your duty to Him, fear Him Who has aided you with all (good things) that you know.
133. “He has aided you with cattle and children.
134. “And gardens and springs.
Quran (Surah Ash-Shuara, Verses 131-134)
The people of Aad lived after the time of Prophet Nuh in the Ahqaf, curved sand-hills near Hadramawt, on the borders of Yemen. The `Ad were physically strong, tall, well-built, and very violent. Allah had also given them a great deal of provisions, wealth, gardens, rivers, sons, crops and fruit. Yet despite all that they had received from Allah, they worshiped others besides Allah. So Allah sent Hud, one of their own, as a Messenger conveying to them good news and warnings. He called them to worship Allah alone, and warned them of Allah’s wrath and punishment if they went against him.
Reflections from these verses:
- Taqwa is expressed through worship of Allah and obedience of His Messenger.
- The blessings bestowed by Allah serve as a reminder of man’s total dependence on their One and Only Lord, Allah (subhanahu wa Ta’ala).
- Means of sustenance and happiness in this life (cattle and children, gardens and springs,) make the wise and sensible people aware of Allah’s Benevolence.
- The foolish become proud of their worldly wealth as they refuse to reflect upon the source of their blessings.
- Pride and ingratitude is what Allah warns us against, for these can lead man to his fall.
According to the Quran, the people of Aad who paid no heed to the warnings of their Prophet, were destroyed by a violent windstorm. When they saw it advancing towards their valleys, they mistook it for dense clouds which would bring them much rain, but in reality it was Allah’s scourge. The windstorm raged for eight days and seven nights and destroyed everything. People were swept away like straw and everything on which the hot, dry wind blew, was left rotting. The storm did not abate until the last man of the wicked tribe had met his doom. Only ruins of their habitations remained to tell the tale of their terrible fate, and today even the ruins have become extinct. The whole territory of Ahqaf has turned into dreadful desert dunes.
References: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi – Tafsir Tafhim al-Quran and Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
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