قَالُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْوَٰعِظِينَ 136
Translations
They said, "It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors.
Transliteration
Qāloo sawāun ʿalaynā aw waʿaẓta am lam takun minal-wāʿiẓīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The people of 'Ād respond to their prophet Hūd's warnings with arrogant dismissal, claiming that whether he preaches to them or remains silent makes no difference to them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement reflects the hardness of their hearts and their complete rejection of guidance, demonstrating how those who are deeply entrenched in disbelief view admonition as meaningless. This ayah exemplifies the futility felt by messengers when their people stubbornly refuse to listen regardless of how the message is presented.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the account of Prophet Hūd's mission to the people of 'Ād, a destroyed nation mentioned in the Qur'an. Surah Ash-Shu'ara is Meccan and focuses on stories of past prophets and their peoples' rejection of the message. The context shows the pattern of how nations responded to their messengers with denial and mockery before facing divine punishment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The similitude of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth; some of which was fertile soil that absorbed water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance, and some tracts were hard and held the water; and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for cultivation; and a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation' (Sahih Bukhari). This hadith illustrates how the same message affects people differently based on their receptiveness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that external efforts at guidance mean little to those whose hearts are sealed against truth; true transformation requires sincere receptiveness to the message. For believers, it provides comfort that rejection by others does not negate the validity of truth, and reminds us to remain humble and open-hearted to divine guidance rather than adopting the arrogance of 'Ād.