Verses 54–62
11. Hud · Hud
Makkan123 verses
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعْتَرَىٰكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٍۢ ۗ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشْهَدُوٓا۟ أَنِّى بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
11:54All we say is that some of our gods have visited you with some evil.’ He said, ‘I call Allah to witness—and you too be [my] witnesses—that I repudiate what you take as [His] partners
مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ
11:55besides Him. Now try out your stratagems against me, together, without granting me any respite.
إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ ءَاخِذٌۢ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
11:56Indeed I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no living being but He holds it by its forelock. Indeed my Lord is on a straight path.1
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُم مَّآ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّى قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّونَهُۥ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌۭ
11:57But if you turn your backs [on me], then [know that] I have communicated to you whatever I was sent to you with. My Lord will make another people succeed you, and you will not hurt Allah in the least. Indeed my Lord is watchful over all things.’
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا هُودًۭا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَّا وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍۢ
11:58When Our edict came, We delivered Hud and the faithful who were with him, by a mercy from Us, and We delivered them from a harsh punishment.2
وَتِلْكَ عَادٌۭ ۖ جَحَدُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا۟ رُسُلَهُۥ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍۢ
11:59Such were [the people of] Ad: they impugned the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His apostles, and followed the dictates of every obstinate tyrant.
وَأُتْبِعُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةًۭ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ عَادًۭا كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًۭا لِّعَادٍۢ قَوْمِ هُودٍۢ
11:60So they were pursued by a curse in this world and on the Day of Resurrection. Behold! ‘Ad indeed defied their Lord. Now, away with ‘Ad, the people of Hud!
۞ وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَٰلِحًۭا ۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيبٌۭ مُّجِيبٌۭ
11:61And to Thamud [We sent] Salih, their brother. He said, ‘O my people! Worship Allah. You have no other god besides Him. He brought you forth from the earth and made it your habitation. So plead with Him for forgiveness, then turn to Him penitently. My Lord is indeed nearmost [and] responsive.’3
قَالُوا۟ يَٰصَٰلِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّۭا قَبْلَ هَٰذَآ ۖ أَتَنْهَىٰنَآ أَن نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍۢ
11:62They said, ‘O Salih! You were a source of hope to us before this. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers have been worshiping? Indeed we have grave doubts concerning that to which you invite us.’
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 54
1.What fanaticism is it that one who gives the message of sense and wisdom is called mad and thec1aim that this craziness is the handiwork of their idols (gods) that they punish one who opposes them, while we all know that these idols do not have any power of their own to cause loss or benefits.
Verse 57
2.The enemies of Allah cannot harm the true believers and they calmly challenge them to bring their gods and plot against them. He says: I myself alone can confront all of you and my Lord is enough for me. Then who can harm me?
Verse 61
3.According to the old lexicon colonization was used to denote settlement and Allah also draws attention towards it that We have created you from the earth and settled you in it but people have given it the connotation of destruction and now colonization is the name of tyranny, compulsion, despotism and exploitation.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Nasiya is the front portion of hair and Aakhezun Nasiya indicates power after catching hold of this one can force the person to humble before him, and the victim can neither resist nor rebel. The instance of Lord of the worlds on the Siratul Mustaqeem indicates that His power is not separate from His justice and wisdom He is a ruler and a Just one.
- 1
This is a declaration of Allah’s unbounded power and the helplessness of the idols. It certainly does not indicate ‘forced will’ though even a leaf does not move without His command.
- 2
This repetition is to emphasize the significance of actual salvation. That the salvation bestowed by Allah is not a small matter. Behind this was a tremendous chastisement from which they are saved, This statement is a masterpiece of eloquence and subtlety.
- 3
This was conveyed by Hud (a.s.) also and it is the message of every prophet. People should seek forgiveness of their sins and have a firm resolution not to commit such acts again.
In the 61st ayat ‘Istemar’ denotes colonizing, power and control and it is the correct meaning though this term is applied to conquest and destruction in the present age. Where people are enslaved in the name of colonizing and countries are destroyed and pillaged.