This article tells the story of the Prophet Hud's preaching to the people of Aad who rejected and mocked him, including debates about the oneness of Allah, the Day of Judgment, and accusations that the Prophet Hud was mad.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
It has been the Sunnah of Allah since the time Adam was sent to earth that whenever His servants have fallen into a misguided life, having deviated far from the teachings of religion brought by His prophets, there is sent to them a prophet or messenger whose duty is to refresh the teachings of the previous prophets, to return to the straight and true path the society that has gone astray, and to cleanse the human soul from all superstition and polytheism, replacing it and filling it with faith in monotheism and belief that accords with the natural disposition.
Thus to the tribe of Aad, who had been intoxicated by the prosperity of life and worldly pleasures, and so did not acknowledge their Lord who bestowed it all upon them, there was sent the Prophet Hud, one from the tribe themselves, from a prominent and influential family, known since childhood for his good character, noble morals, and great wisdom in his dealings with his companions.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
The Prophet Hud began his call by drawing his people's attention to the signs of Allah's existence in the world around them, and that it was Allah who created them all and bestowed upon them all the blessings of life in the form of fertile land, flowing water, and strong upright bodies. He is the One who should be worshipped, not the statues they had made with their own hands. They, as humans, are Allah's most noble creation and should not demean themselves by prostrating to stones which they themselves could destroy and remove from sight.
The Prophet Hud explained that he was Allah's messenger charged with bringing them to the right path, to have faith in Allah who created them, gives them life and causes them to die, and gives provision or withholds it from them. He did not expect any reward or compensation for his efforts to guide and lead them to the right path.
He only carried out Allah's command and warned them that if they continued to close their ears and eyes to his call and preaching, they would be struck with punishment and destroyed by Allah, just as happened to the people of Noah who perished by drowning in a flood as a result of their arrogance and pride in rejecting the teaching and call of the Prophet Noah while persisting in their adherence to and belief in the idols and statues they worshipped and venerated.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
To the people of Aad, the call and preaching of the Prophet Hud was something they had never heard of or imagined. They saw that the teaching brought by the Prophet Hud would completely change their way of life and overturn the customs and traditions that they had known and inherited from their ancestors.
They were astonished and amazed that someone from their own tribe had dared to attempt to overturn their way of life and replace their religion and belief with something new that they did not know and could not understand or accept with their minds. Immediately they rejected the preaching of the Prophet Hud with various reasons and empty accusations against him, as well as mockery and insults which he received with a calm head and great patience.
As long as they considered strength to be something to be proud of, they should have seen that Allah, who created them, is stronger than they. Unfortunately, they saw nothing but their own arrogance. The Prophet Hud said to them:
"O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him." (Qur'an 11:50)
This was the same statement proclaimed by all the prophets and messengers. That statement never changed, never decreased, and was never withdrawn. His people asked him: "Do you want to become a leader over us through this preaching of yours? What reward do you want?" The Prophet Hud told them that he only expected a reward from Allah the Exalted.
He desired nothing from them except that they illumine their minds with the light of truth. He reminded them of Allah's blessings upon them. How He made them successors after the Prophet Noah, how He gave them physical strength, how He placed them on earth that was full of goodness, how He sent down rain and brought the earth to life with it.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
The people of Hud committed corruption and thought that they were the strongest people on earth, so they displayed arrogance and increasingly opposed the truth. They said to the Prophet Hud: "How do you accuse our gods that we found our fathers worshipping?" The Prophet Hud answered: "Indeed your fathers committed an error." The people of the Prophet Hud said: "Will you say, O Hud, that after we die and become dust scattered in the air, we will come back to life?" The Prophet Hud answered: "You will return on the Day of Judgment and Allah will ask each of you about what you did."
After hearing that answer, they burst into laughter. How strange Hud's claim is, thus the disbelievers whispered among themselves. Man will die and when he dies his body will decay and when his body decays he will become dust then he will be carried by the wind and the dust will be scattered, so how can all of this return to its original form.
"Then what is the meaning of the Day of Judgment? Why will those who have died rise from their death?" Hud received these questions with noble patience. Then he began to explain to his people the reality of the Day of Judgment. He explained to them that man's belief in the Last Day is something important that relates to the justice of Allah the Exalted, and it is also something important that relates to human life.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
The Prophet Hud explained to them as all the prophets have explained regarding the Day of Judgment. The wisdom of the Creator would not be complete merely by beginning creation and then ending the lives of creatures on earth, and then there being nothing else. This is the first trial period. And a trial is not complete by merely turning in an answer sheet. It must also be followed by correction of that answer sheet, assigning grades, and clarifying who succeeded and who failed.
During their lives in the world, humans do not merely commit one act; some commit injustice, some murder, and some exceed the bounds. We often see unjust people go free without punishment. Quite many evil people obtain luxurious facilities and receive honor and power. Where will the wronged people go to complain and to whom will those who suffer lament?
The logic of justice demands the existence of the Day of Judgment. Indeed, goodness does not always triumph in life, and sometimes the forces of evil succeed in killing and deceiving the fighters for truth. Then, does this evil pass away without receiving recompense? Surely a great injustice would prevail if we were to suppose that the Day of Judgment never occurs. Allah the Exalted has forbidden injustice upon Himself, and He has also forbidden it to occur among His servants. Thus the existence of the Day of Judgment, the Day of Reckoning, the Day of Retribution is a testament to the perfection of Allah's justice.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
For the Day of Judgment is the day when all matters will be laid bare again before the Creator and reviewed, and Allah the Exalted will render His judgment upon it. This is the first importance of the Day of Judgment which relates directly to the justice of Allah the Exalted.
There is another importance concerning the Day of Judgment, which relates to human conduct itself. That belief in the existence of the Last Day, trusting in the Day of Resurrection, the reckoning of deeds, receiving reward and punishment, and then entering Paradise or Hell are matters that directly pertain to human behavior, whereby man's concentration and his aspirations will be directed toward another realm beyond this one.
For this reason, they will not be enslaved by worldly pleasures, greed for it, and the selfishness to possess it. They need not be anxious when they fail to see the recompense for their efforts during their short and limited lifespan. Thus man rises higher from the earth which is the origin of his creation to the spirit that was breathed into him by his Lord.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
Perhaps the intersection between subjection to the imaginings of the world, its values, and considerations and the dependence upon the high values of Allah the Exalted can be achieved through faith in the Day of Judgment. The Prophet Hud had discussed all of this and they had heard it, but they denied it. Allah the Exalted describes the people's stance regarding the Day of Judgment:
"And the disbelieving leaders among his people said - those who denied the meeting in the Hereafter and to whom We had given comfort in the life of this world - 'This is not but a human like yourselves. He eats from what you eat and drinks from what you drink. And if you were to obey a human like yourselves, then indeed you would be losers.
Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones, you will be brought forth? Far, far from the truth is that which you are promised. Life is only our life in this world. We die and live, and we will never be resurrected." (Qur'an 23:33-37)
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
Thus the people of the Prophet Hud denied their prophet. They said to him: "Impossible, impossible." They were astonished when they heard that Allah the Exalted would resurrect those in the graves. They were confused when they were told that Allah the Exalted would restore the creation of man after he had turned into dust, even though He had created him from dust in the first place. Those who denied the Day of Resurrection should have realized that restoring man's creation from dust and bones is easier than his creation for the first time.
Did Allah the Exalted not create all creatures? What difficulty would He find in restoring them? Difficulty is measured by the standards of man which are hidden in creation, so man's standard cannot be applied to Allah the Exalted. Because He knows not difficulty or ease. When He wishes to create something, He merely utters a command:
"Allah is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Qur'an 2:117)
We also note His statement:
"And the disbelieving leaders among his people said..." (Qur'an 23:33)
Al-Mala' (the chiefs) refers to the prominent ones (ar-Ruesa'). They are called al-Mala' because they love to speak and they have an interest in the continuation of an unhealthy situation. We will witness them in every story of the prophets. We will see the prominent ones of the people, the wealthy among them, and the elite among them who opposed the prophets. Allah the Exalted describes them in His statement:
"And to whom We had given comfort in the life of this world." (Qur'an 23:33)
Because of the influence of wealth and luxurious living, there arose the desire to continue special interests, and from the influence of wealth and power, arrogance emerged.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
The chiefs turned to their people wondering aloud: "Is this prophet not a human being like us, who eats from what we eat and drinks from what we drink? Perhaps even because of his poverty, he eats little from what we eat and drinks, using dirty cups while we drink from cups made of gold and silver. So how can he claim to be upon the truth and we upon falsehood? This is an ordinary human, so how should we obey a human like us? Furthermore, why did Allah the Exalted choose a human from among us to receive His revelation?"
The chiefs of the Prophet Hud's people said: "Is it not strange that Allah the Exalted chose an ordinary human from among us to receive revelation from Him?" The Prophet Hud countered: "What is strange about that? Indeed Allah the Exalted loves you, and for that reason He has sent me to you as a reminder. Truly the ark of Noah and the story of Noah are not far from your memory. Do not forget what happened. Those who opposed Allah the Exalted were destroyed, and likewise those who will deny Him will be destroyed, no matter how strong they are." The chiefs of the people said: "Who can destroy us, O Hud?" The Prophet Hud answered: "Allah the Exalted."
The disbelievers among the people of the Prophet Hud said: "Our gods will save us." The Prophet Hud told them that the gods they worshipped, supposedly to bring them closer to Allah the Exalted, in reality only drew them away from Him. He explained to them that only Allah the Exalted can save mankind, while other powers on earth cannot bring harm or benefit.
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
The conflict between the Prophet Hud and his people intensified. And each time the conflict continued and days passed, the people of the Prophet Hud increased in arrogance, rebellion, and denial of their prophet. They began to accuse the Prophet Hud of being an idiot and mad. On one day they said to him: "Now we understand the secret of your madness. You have indeed insulted our gods and our gods have become angry with you, and because of their anger you have gone mad." Allah the Exalted describes what they said in His statement:
"The people of Aad said: 'O Hud, you have not brought us a clear proof, and we will never forsake our gods because of your words, nor will we believe you. We do not say except that one of our gods has afflicted you with madness.'" (Qur'an 11:53-54)
To this extent had deviation occurred in them, to the point where they thought that the Prophet Hud was raving because one of their gods had become angry with him so that he was afflicted with madness. The Prophet Hud did not allow their assumption that he was mad and raving, but he did not act emotionally; rather he showed a firm stance when they said: "And we will never forsake our gods because of your words, nor will we believe you."
Allah the Exalted said:
The disbelieving leaders of his people said: "Indeed we consider you to be foolish, and we think you are of the liars." (Qur'an 7:66).
This means that what he called his people to follow was considered a lie against the idol worship that had been going on, through which the rebellious people expected victory and provision only from those idols.
The Prophet Hud said, as Allah the Exalted stated:
Hud said: "O my people, there is no foolishness in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and I am to you a trustworthy advisor." (Qur'an 7:67-68).
This means the matter is not a lie as his people supposed. The Prophet Hud made every effort to convey it with plain, eloquent, and simple language. This was a blessing and advice to his people and a manifestation of his compassion for them, and he greatly desired that his people walk the path of guidance. He never demanded any reward or compensation; rather he conducted his preaching with complete sincerity seeking the pleasure of Allah.
The Prophet Hud only gave warning and threat to those who denied his call. The Prophet Hud said:
"Indeed I take Allah as a witness, and be witnesses for me, that I disassociate myself from what you associate with Allah besides Him. So execute your plot against me all together, and do not delay me. Indeed I rely upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is not a creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed my Lord is on a straight path. So if you turn away, then I have conveyed to you that with which I was sent to you. And my Lord will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. Indeed my Lord is the Preserver over all things." (Qur'an 11:54-57)
The Prophet Hud Preaching Among His People
People will be amazed at this opposition to truth. One man facing a people who were rough, stubborn, and foolish. They thought that stone idols could cause harm. Yet a man was able to stand against tyrants and undermine their beliefs, and to disassociate himself from them and their gods. Indeed he was ready to oppose them and face all their schemes. He was ready to struggle with them and rely upon Allah the Exalted. Allah is the Mighty and the True. He is the Master of every creature on earth, whether animal, human, or other creatures. There is nothing that can weaken Allah the Exalted.
With faith in Allah the Exalted and with confidence in His promises and feeling secure in His aid, the Prophet Hud called out to the disbelievers among his people. The Prophet Hud did this even though he was alone and aware of his weakness, because he obtained true security from Allah the Exalted. In his speech, the Prophet Hud explained to his people that he was fulfilling his trust and conveying the religion. If they rejected his call, then surely Allah the Exalted would replace them with another people. This means they were awaiting punishment. Thus the Prophet Hud explained to them that he disassociated himself from them and their gods. He relied upon Allah the Exalted who created him.
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