Ibn Kathir (abridged) · Tafsir · in English
Hud 11:49–60
11:49Page 227
تِلۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيهَآ إِلَيۡكَۖ مَا كُنتَ تَعۡلَمُهَآ أَنتَ وَلَا قَوۡمُكَ مِن قَبۡلِ هَٰذَاۖ فَٱصۡبِرۡۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡعَٰقِبَةَ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٤٩
That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muḥammad]. You knew it not, neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous.
The Explanation of These Stories is a Proof of the Revelation of Allah to His Messenger
Allah, the Exalted, says to His Prophet concerning these stories and their like,
(of the news of the Unseen) from the information of the unseen of the past. Allah revealed it to you (the Prophet ) in the way that it occurred, as if he witnessed it himself.
(which We reveal unto you;) This means, "We teach it to you (Muhammad) as revelation from Us to you."
(neither you nor your people knew it before this.) This means that neither you (Muhammad ) nor anyone of your people, have any knowledge of this. This is so that no one who rejects you can say that you learned it from him. Rather, it was Allah Who informed you of it in conformity with the true situation (of the story), just as the Books of the Prophets who were before you testify to. Therefore, you should be patient with the rejection of your people and their harming you. For verily, We shall help you and surround you with Our aid. Then, We will make the (good) end for you and those who follow you in this life and the Hereafter. This is what We did with the Messengers when We helped them against their enemies.
(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe.) Allah also said,
(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers, that they verily, would be made triumphant.) 37:171-172 Then, Allah says,
(So be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for those who have Taqwa.)
11:50–52Page 227
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمۡ هُودٗاۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُۥٓۖ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا مُفۡتَرُونَ ٥٠
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].
يَٰقَوۡمِ لَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَجۡرًاۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنِيٓۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ٥١
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?
وَيَٰقَوۡمِ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا وَيَزِدۡكُمۡ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ مُجۡرِمِينَ ٥٢
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."
The Story of Prophet Hud and the People of `Ad
Allah, the Exalted, says,
(And) This is an introductory to what is implied: "Verily, We sent."
(to the `Ad (people) their brother Hud.) Hud came to them commanding them to worship Allah alone, without any associates. He forbade them from worshipping the idols which they made up, inventing names as gods. He informed them that he did not want any reward from them for his sincere advising and conveying of Allah's Message. He only sought his reward from Allah, the One Who created him.
(Will you not then understand) Someone has come calling you to what will benefit your situation in this life and the Hereafter without asking for any wage (from them). Then he commanded them to seek the forgiveness of the One Who is capable of expiating previous sins. He also commanded them to repent for that which they may do in the future. Whoever has these characteristics, Allah will make his sustenance easy for him, grant him ease in his affairs and guard over his situation. For this reason Allah says,
(He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain,)
11:53–56Page 227
قَالُواْ يَٰهُودُ مَا جِئۡتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٖ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِتَارِكِيٓ ءَالِهَتِنَا عَن قَوۡلِكَ وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَكَ بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٥٣
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.
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعۡتَرَىٰكَ بَعۡضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٖۗ قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أُشۡهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشۡهَدُوٓاْ أَنِّي بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ ٥٤
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
مِن دُونِهِۦۖ فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ ٥٥
Other than Him. So plot against me all together; then do not give me respite.
إِنِّي تَوَكَّلۡتُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمۚ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ ءَاخِذُۢ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ ٥٦
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.
The Conversation between (the People of) `Ad and Hud
Allah, the Exalted, informs that they said to their Prophet,
(No evidence have you brought us.) This means that they claimed that Hud had not brought them any proof or evidence for what he claimed.
(and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying!) They were saying how could his mere statement, "Leave these gods," be sufficient proof for them to leave their idols
(and we are not believers in you.) This means that they did not believe what he was saying was true.
(All that we say is that some of our gods have seized you with evil.) They were saying, "We think that some of our idols have afflicted you with madness and insanity in your intellect because you are trying to stop them from being worshipped and defame them."
(He said: "I call Allah to witness and bear you witness, that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship besides Him (Allah).)11:54-55 Here, he is saying, "Verily, I am innocent of all of the rivals and idols (that you associate with Allah).
(So plot against me, all of you,) you and your gods if they are true."
(and give me no respite.) the blinking of an eye." Then, Allah says,
(I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but He has the grasp of its forelock.) Every creature is under His (Allah's) power and His authority. He is the Best Judge, the Most Just, Who does not do any injustice in His ruling. For verily, He is upon the straight path. Verily, this argument contains a far-reaching proof and absolute evidence of the truthfulness of what Hud had come to them with. It also proves the falsehood of them worshipping idols that could not benefit nor harm them. Rather, these idols were inanimate objects that could not hear, see, befriend, or make enmity. The only One Who is worthy of having worship directed solely towards Him is Allah alone, without any partners. He is the One in Whose Hand is the sovereignty and He is in control of all things. There is nothing except that it is under His owner- ship, power and authority. Thus, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him and there is no Lord other than Him.
11:57–60Page 228
فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَقَدۡ أَبۡلَغۡتُكُم مَّآ أُرۡسِلۡتُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَيۡكُمۡۚ وَيَسۡتَخۡلِفُ رَبِّي قَوۡمًا غَيۡرَكُمۡ وَلَا تَضُرُّونَهُۥ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ حَفِيظٞ ٥٧
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
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمۡرُنَا نَجَّيۡنَا هُودٗا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحۡمَةٖ مِّنَّا وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُم مِّنۡ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٖ ٥٨
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.
وَتِلۡكَ عَادٞۖ جَحَدُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَعَصَوۡاْ رُسُلَهُۥ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٖ ٥٩
And that was ʿAad, who rejected the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His messengers and followed the order of every obstinate tyrant.
وَأُتۡبِعُواْ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لَعۡنَةٗ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ عَادٗا كَفَرُواْ رَبَّهُمۡۗ أَلَا بُعۡدٗا لِّعَادٖ قَوۡمِ هُودٖ ٦٠
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.
وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّى قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ
(My Lord will make another people succeed you, ) This refers to a group of people who will worship Allah alone, without associating anything with Him. This also implies that the polytheists do not bother Allah and they do not harm Him in the least with their disbelief. To the contrary, their disbelief merely harms their own selves.
إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌ
(Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things.) This means that Allah is a Witness and Guardian over the statements of His servants and their actions. He will give them due recompense for their actions. If they do good deeds, He will reward them with good. If they do evil, He will punish them with evil.
The Destruction of the People of `Ad and the Salvation of Those among Them Who believed
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا
(And when Our commandment came,) This is referring to the barren wind with which Allah destroyed them, to the very last of them. The mercy and kindness of Allah, the Exalted saved Hud and his followers from this terrible punishment.
فوَتِلْكَ عَادٌ جَحَدُواْ بِآيَتِ رَبِّهِمْ
g(Such were `Ad (people). They rejected the Ayat of their Lord) This means they disbelieved in the proofs and revelations (of Allah) and they disobeyed the Messengers of Allah ﷺ. This is due to the fact that whoever disbelieves in a Prophet, then verily, he has disbelieved in all of the Prophets, peace be upon them. There is no difference between any one of them, in the sense that it is necessary to believe in all of them. Therefore, `Ad disbelieved in Hud and their disbelief was considered disbelief in all of the Messengers.
وَاتَّبَعُواْ أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
(and followed the command of every proud, obstinate.) This means that they abandoned following their rightly guided Messenger and they followed the command of every proud, obstinate person. Thus, they were followed in this life by a curse from Allah and His believing servants whenever they are mentioned. On the Day of Resurrection a call will be made against them in front of witnesses.
أَلا إِنَّ عَادًا كَفَرُواْ رَبَّهُمْ
(Verily, `Ad disbelieved in their Lord.)
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences