Surah Shuara ayat 124 Tafsir Quran 26:124

﴿إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ﴾
[ الشعراء: 124]

26:124 When their brother Hud said to them, "Will you not fear Allah?

when Hūd their brother said to them ‘Will you not fear God?

Their brother Hud urged them to what is good and laudable. He said to them: Will you not keep in awe of Allah, your Creator, and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

Hud's preaching to His People `Ad Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Hud, when he called his people `Ad.
His people used to live in the Ahqaf, curved sand-hills near Hadramawt, on the borders of Yemen.
They lived after the time of Nuh, as Allah says in Surat Al-A`raf: وَاذكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِى الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً ( And remember that He made you successors after the people of Nuh and increased you amply in stature ) ( 7:69 ).
This refers to the fact that they were physically strong and well-built, and very violent, and very tall; they had also been given a great deal of provisions, wealth, gardens, rivers, sons, crops and fruits.
Yet despite all of that, they worshipped others besides Allah.
So Allah sent Hud, one of their own, as a Messenger bringing them good news and delivering warnings.
He called them to worship Allah alone, and he warned them of Allah's wrath and punishment if they were to go against him and treating him harshly.
He said to them, as Nuh had said to his people: أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةً تَعْبَثُونَ ( Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah for your amusement ) The scholars of Tafsir differed over the meaning of the word Ri`.
In brief, they said that it refers to an elevated location at a well-known crossroads, where they would build a huge, dazzling, sturdy structure, this is why he said: أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةً ( Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah ) i.e., a well-known landmark, تَعْبَثُونَ ( for your amusement ) meaning, `you are only doing that for the purpose of frivolity, not because you need it, but for fun and to show off your strength.' So their Prophet, peace be upon him, denounced them for doing that, because it was a waste of time and exhausted people's bodies for no purpose, and kept them busy with something that was of no benefit in this world or the next.
He said: وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ( And do you get for yourselves Masani` as if you will live therein forever ) Mujahid said, "This means fortresses built up strong and high and structures that are built to last." لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ( as if you will live therein forever ) means, `so that you may stay there forever, but that is not going to happen, because they will eventually cease to be, just as happened in the case of those who came before you.' وَإِذَا بَطَشْتُمْ بَطَشْتُمْ جَبَّارِينَ ( And when you seize (somebody ), seize you ( him ) as tyrants) They are described as being strong, violent and tyrannical. فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ( So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. ) `Worship your Lord and obey your Messenger.' Then Hud began reminding them of the blessings that Allah had bestowed upon them.
He said: وَاتَّقُواْ الَّذِى أَمَدَّكُمْ بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ - أَمَدَّكُمْ بِأَنْعَـمٍ وَبَنِينَ - وَجَنَّـتٍ وَعُيُونٍ - إِنِّى أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ( And have Taqwa of Him, Who has aided you with all that you know.
He has aided you with cattle and children, and gardens and springs.
Verily, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day. ) meaning, `if you disbelieve and oppose ( your Prophet ).' So he called them to Allah with words of encouragement and words of warning, but it was to no avail. قَالُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِّنَ الْوَعِظِينَ - إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ خُلُقُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ - وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

(26:124) Remember the time when their brother Hud said to them, *89 "Do you not fear?

When their brother Hud said to them, meaning

*89) In order to understand this discourse of Prophet Hud fully, we should keep in mind the various details about the people of `Ad which the Qur'an has given at different places: For instance, it says:
( 1 ) After the destruction of the people of Noah, the `Ad were given power and prominence in the world: " Do not forget that after Noah's people your Lord made you the successors. " ( Al-A`raf: 69 ).

( 2 ) Physically they were very robust and powerful people: " ....
and made you very robust. " ( Al-A`raf: 69 ).

( 3 )They had no parallel as a nation in the world: " The like of which was not created in the lands. " ( A1-Fajr: 8 ).

( 4 ) They were civilized and were well-known in the world for their great skill and art in erecting lofty buildings with tall columns: " Have you not seen what your Lord did with `Ad lram, of lofty columns? " ( Al-Fajr: 6, 7 ).

( 5 ) This material progress and physical power had made them arrogant and vain: " As for `Ad, they deviated from the right path and adopted an arrogant attitude in the land and said, `who is mightier than we in power'? " ( Ha Mim Sajdah: 15 ) .

( 6 ) Their political power was in the hands of a few tyrants before whom none could dare raise his voice: " ....and they followed and obeyed every tyrannous enemy of the Truth. " ( Hud: 59 ) .

( 7 ) They were not disbelievers in the existence of Allah, but were involved in shirk; they only denied that Allah alone should be worshipped and none else: " They said ( to Hud ), `Have you come to us ( with the demand ) that we should worship Allah alone and discard those whom our elders have been worshipping? " ( Al-A`raf: 70 ).

 

Hud's preaching to His People `Ad Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Hud, when he called his people `Ad.
His people used to live in the Ahqaf, curved sand-hills near Hadramawt, on the borders of Yemen.
They lived after the time of Nuh, as Allah says in Surat Al-A`raf: وَاذكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِى الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً ( And remember that He made you successors after the people of Nuh and increased you amply in stature ) ( 7:69 ).
This refers to the fact that they were physically strong and well-built, and very violent, and very tall; they had also been given a great deal of provisions, wealth, gardens, rivers, sons, crops and fruits.
Yet despite all of that, they worshipped others besides Allah.
So Allah sent Hud, one of their own, as a Messenger bringing them good news and delivering warnings.
He called them to worship Allah alone, and he warned them of Allah's wrath and punishment if they were to go against him and treating him harshly.
He said to them, as Nuh had said to his people: أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةً تَعْبَثُونَ ( Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah for your amusement ) The scholars of Tafsir differed over the meaning of the word Ri`.
In brief, they said that it refers to an elevated location at a well-known crossroads, where they would build a huge, dazzling, sturdy structure, this is why he said: أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةً ( Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah ) i.e., a well-known landmark, تَعْبَثُونَ ( for your amusement ) meaning, `you are only doing that for the purpose of frivolity, not because you need it, but for fun and to show off your strength.' So their Prophet, peace be upon him, denounced them for doing that, because it was a waste of time and exhausted people's bodies for no purpose, and kept them busy with something that was of no benefit in this world or the next.
He said: وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ( And do you get for yourselves Masani` as if you will live therein forever ) Mujahid said, "This means fortresses built up strong and high and structures that are built to last." لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ( as if you will live therein forever ) means, `so that you may stay there forever, but that is not going to happen, because they will eventually cease to be, just as happened in the case of those who came before you.' وَإِذَا بَطَشْتُمْ بَطَشْتُمْ جَبَّارِينَ ( And when you seize (somebody ), seize you ( him ) as tyrants) They are described as being strong, violent and tyrannical. فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ( So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. ) `Worship your Lord and obey your Messenger.' Then Hud began reminding them of the blessings that Allah had bestowed upon them.
He said: وَاتَّقُواْ الَّذِى أَمَدَّكُمْ بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ - أَمَدَّكُمْ بِأَنْعَـمٍ وَبَنِينَ - وَجَنَّـتٍ وَعُيُونٍ - إِنِّى أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ( And have Taqwa of Him, Who has aided you with all that you know.
He has aided you with cattle and children, and gardens and springs.
Verily, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day. ) meaning, `if you disbelieve and oppose ( your Prophet ).' So he called them to Allah with words of encouragement and words of warning, but it was to no avail. قَالُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِّنَ الْوَعِظِينَ - إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ خُلُقُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ - وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

( When their brother ) their Prophet ( Hud said unto them: Will ye not ward off (evil )) the worship of other than Allah?

When their brother Hud said to them: "Will you not fear Allah and obey Him?

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