وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۖ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ 50
Translations
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].
Transliteration
Wa-ilaa AAdin akhāhum hūdan qāla yā qawmi oAAbudū Allāha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu in antum illā muftarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah sent Hud, a messenger from among the people of 'Ad themselves, to call them to monotheistic worship and abandon idolatry. Hud's message was clear: there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and the people's assertion of multiple gods is nothing but fabrication and falsehood. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes the divine pattern of sending messengers from within communities to ensure clarity of message and remove the excuse of unfamiliarity.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the Meccan surah Hud, which extensively narrates the stories of various prophets and their peoples. The context is the account of Prophet Hud's mission to the 'Ad people, an ancient Arabian civilization known for their arrogance and rejection of monotheism. This narrative serves as a warning to the Quraysh and all disbelievers about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
The theme of messengers being sent from among their own people is corroborated by Surah Al-Ankabut (29:28). A related concept appears in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is described as a mercy to the worlds, similar to how each messenger was sent as a mercy to their people.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true guidance comes from Allah through His chosen messengers, and that rejecting monotheism in favor of invented deities is a form of deception and self-delusion. For modern believers, it reinforces the importance of adhering to authentic Islamic teachings and recognizing that the message of pure monotheism is universal and timeless across all prophetic traditions.
Related Ayahs
وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ طَرَفَىِ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْحَسَنَـٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ
And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.
۞ مَثَلُ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْأَصَمِّ وَٱلْبَصِيرِ وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
The example of the two parties is like the blind and deaf, and the seeing and hearing. Are they equal in comparison? Then, will you not remember?
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا ٱحْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ ۚ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
[So it was], until when Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said, "Load upon it [i.e., the ship] of each [creature] two mates and your family, except those about whom the word [i.e., decree] has preceded, and [include] whoever has believed." But none had believed with him, except a few.
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهَا بِإِسْحَـٰقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـٰقَ يَعْقُوبَ
And his wife was standing, and she smiled. Then We gave her good tidings of Isaac and after Isaac, Jacob.