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
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.
وَإِنَّ كُلًّا لَّمَّا لَيُوَفِّيَنَّهُمْ رَبُّكَ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
And indeed, each [of the believers and disbelievers] - your Lord will fully compensate them for their deeds. Indeed, He is Aware of what they do.
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَرَزَقَنِى مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنْهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَـٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allāh. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him I return.
وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ مَّعْدُودَةٍ لَّيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And if We hold back from them the punishment for a limited time, they will surely say, "What detains it?" Unquestionably, on the Day it comes to them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.