Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Hud : 11 : 41 - 44
ers, therefore, by declaring them to be inanimate, they were not obli-
gated with the percepts and injunctions of the Shari'ah. Many verses
of the Holy Qur'an confirm it, such as: ◌ٍوَإِنُ مِنُ شَىءٍ إِلَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمُد (and there is
no such thing which does not glorify Him with praises - 17:44). And it
is obvious that the glorification of Allah Ta'ala depends on knowing
Him, and knowing, on reason and consciousness. This tells us that
everything has reason and consciousness according to its respective ca-
pacity. From it, it recognizes its creator and whatever it has been as-
signed to do by Him. Everything knows it fully well and keeps doing it
staunchly as due. The verse of the Qur'an:أَعْطَى كُلَّشَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدى (gave
each thing its form then guided [it] - Taha, 20:50) means exactly this.
Therefore, in this verse, if the address to the heaven and the earth is
taken in the real sense, it does not matter. Sage Rumi said:
بامن وتو مرده باحق زنده اند
خاك وباد و آب وآتش بنده اند
Dust, air, water and fire are all 'servants'
For you and me, dead, but with Him, live.
At the end of the fourth verse (44), it was said that the heaven and
the earth obeyed the orders and the matter of the flood was all over.
The Ark of Sayyidna Nuh WILL came to rest on the Mount Judiyy
and it was declared that the unjust people have been cast far 'away
from the mercy of Allah' - (which is what curse is).
Mount Judiyy still stands there by that name. Geographically, it is
located on the border of Armenia near Ibn 'Umar Island north of Mou-
sil in 'Iraq, the real home of Sayyidna Nuh WILLe. This is a mountain
range, part of which is called Judiyy. Another part of it is known as
Ararat. In the present Torah, the place where the Ark came to rest has
been identified as Mount Ararat. As obvious, there is not much of a
contradiction in these two reports. But, well-known old historical ac-
counts also say that the ark of Sayyidna Nuh WII u had come to rest
on Mount Judiyy.
These accounts also mention that pieces of this ark are still there
at many places in 'Iraq. These are kept and used as a relic.
According to Tafsir at-Tabari and al-Baghawi, Sayyidna Nuh que
>JI had embarked the Ark on the tenth of the month of Rajab. For six
months, this ark sailed on the waters of the flood. When it reached the
spot where Baytullah was, it made seven circuits. Allah Ta'ala had

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
raised His House higher from being submerged. Then, on the tenth of
Muharram, the day of 'Ashura', the flood subsided and the ark came to
rest at the Mount of Judiyy. Sayyidna Nuh عليه السلام observed a thanks-
giving fast on that day and asked everyone on the ark to do the same.
Some reports say that even animals that had shared the ark fasted on
that day. (Mazharī and Qurțubi)
The importance of the day of 'Ashura', that is, the tenth of Muhar-
ram, has been recognized in all religious codes of the blessed prophets.
In early Islam - before the fasts of Ramadan became obligatory - fast-
ing on the day of 'Ashura' was fard. It is no more fard after the revela-
tion of the obligatory status of fasting in Ramadan, but it continues to
be a practice of prophets, and a source of reward forever.
Verses 45 - 49
وَنَادِى نُوحُ تَبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَتٍّ إِنَّ ابْنِىٌ مِنْ أَهْلِىْ وَإِنَّ وَعُدَكَ الْحَقُّ
وَأَنْتَ آَحُكَمُ الْحُكِمِيْنَ ﴿٤٥﴾ قَالَ يُنُوُحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ
إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَدْرُ صَالِحٌِّّفَلَا تَسْئَلْنِ مَالَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمُ، إِنِّى
أَعِظُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجُهِلِيْنَ ﴿٤٦﴾ قَالَ رَبٍ إِنِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ
اْشَلَكَ مَالَيْسَ لِىٌ بٍِ عِلْمٌهُ وَإِلَّ تَغْفِرْلِىٌ وَتَّرْحَمْنِىَ اكُنُ مِّنَ
الُخْسِرِيْنَ ﴿١٤٧ قِيْلَ ينُوُجُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلْم ◌ِنَّا وَبَرَكْتٍ عَلَيْكَ
وَعَلَى أُمَمٍ مِمَنُ مَّعَكَ، وَأُمَمُّ سَنُمَتِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمُ مِّنَا عَذَابٌ
اَلِيُمْ ﴿٤٨﴾ تِلْكَ مِنْ انْبَاء الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيُهَا إِلَيْفَ مَا كُنْتَ
تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلَّا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هُذَاء فَاصْبِرُ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ
لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ ﴿٤٩)
And Nuh called unto his Lord and said, "My Lord, my
son is a part of my family, and surely, Your promise is
true, and You are the greatest of all judges." [45] He
said, "O Nuh, surely, he is not a part of your family. In-
deed, he is (a man of) bad deeds. So do not ask Me
something of which you have no knowledge. I counsel
you not to be among the ignorant. [46]
He said, "My Lord, I seek refuge with You against that I

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
ask You something of which I have no knowledge. And
if You do not forgive me and do not show mercy to me, I
shall be among the losers." [47]
It was said, "O Nuh, disembark in peace from Us and
with blessings upon you and upon the peoples
(springing) from those with you. And there are peoples
whom We shall give some enjoyment, then a painful
punishment from Us will visit them."[48]
These are some reports from the unseen (events) which
We reveal to you. You did not know them before this,
neither you nor your people. So, be patient. Surely, the
end is in favor of the God-fearing. [49]
Commentary
The remaining account of the flood associated with the name of
Sayyidna Nuh >JI de, along with instructions related to it, appears in
the five verses cited above.
When Can'aan, the son of Sayyidna Nuh >JI ule, did not board the
ark despite the counsel and call of his esteemed father who was still
concerned emotionally as he saw his son surrounded by the waves of
the flood. His filial love knocked at another door. He turned to his Lord
and prayed to Him on the basis of His promise that He would save his
family from the flood, and that His promise was true. But, conditions
were alarming and his son who was part of his family was going to be
swallowed by the flood. The only court of appeal he could now go to
was the court of the most just of judges for everything was in His pow-
er and control and that He could still save him from the flood.
In the second verse (46), came a stern response from Allah Ta'ala
whereby Sayyidna Nuh WJI.Le was told that this son was no more a
part of his family because he was not good and right in what he did.
Therefore, it was not proper for him to approach Him with some re-
quest while being unaware of the true state of affairs. Then came the
mollifying remark that the good counsel was being given to him so
that he too does not become one of the ignorant.
Two things come out from what was said by Allah Ta'ala:
1. Sayyidna Nuh > JI ale did not know about the disbelief of his son
clearly and fully. He thought he was a hypocrite, so he still took him to

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
be a believer. Therefore, identifying him as a part of his family, he
went ahead and prayed that he be saved from the flood. Otherwise,
had he known the true state of affairs about him, he would have not
made such a prayer. The reason is that he was already instructed in
clear terms that he should not, once the flood comes, speak about those
who had crossed the limit as it appears in verse 37 earlier_203 9;
B . IL GINI. After this clear and explicit injunction, it was impos-
sible for a prophet of God that he would venture to do something
against it. The only possible explanation for this could be that, as sug-
gested by the author of Bayan al-Qur'an, the desired objective of this
prayer is that his son becomes a believer and not that he be saved
from the flood under his present condition. But, Allah Ta'ala has not
taken Sayyidna Nuh's MI Je lack of knowledge about the disbelief of
his son and the prayer for his deliverance based on it as sound excus-
es. Therefore, he was questioned as to why he would make such a
prayer. This is a slip at the highest level of the station of a prophet
which Sayyidna Nuh WJI Le would himself refer to on the day of Res-
urrection when the whole creation will request him to intercede with
the Lord on their behalf. He would excuse himself by saying what had
happened to him, therefore, he would not dare any intercession.
Prayer for the disbelieving and the unjust is not permissible
A religious rule of conduct that we learn about here is that one
should first find out whether or not the objective for which he is mak-
ing a prayer is permissible and halal (lawful). It is prohibited to make
Du'a (prayer) under doubtful circumstances. Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani with
reference to al-Baydawi reports that since this verse tells us about the
prohibition of Du'a under doubtful circumstances, it is automatically
inferred from it that it will be all the more prohibited to pray for any-
thing known to be impermissible and unlawful.
This rule also helps us realize the absence of discretion among
modern day Shaykhs (spiritual masters) who have become used to
raising their hands of prayer for anyone who comes in asking for some
prayer to be made for him. Most of the time, they know that this per-
son is not on the right, or is unjust, in the case for which he is asking
the Shaykh to pray. Or, the person is asking the Shaykh to pray for a
purpose that is not lawful for him, may be this person is looking for a
particular job or office through which he will become involved in earn-

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
ing unlawfully, or succeed in it by usurping someone's right.
When attending circumstances are known, such prayers are un-
lawful and impermissible after all. Even if the circumstances are
doubtful, taking the initiative to make Du'a, without first getting to
know the circumstances as they are and the lawfulness of the matter
in question, is also not appropriate.
Brotherly relations between believers and disbelievers
2. The second religious ruling that emerges from here is that a be-
liever and a disbeliever may be blood relatives to each other, but when
it comes to religious and collective matters, this kinship will have no
effect. A person may be high born, he may come from the progeny of
men of high spiritual status, so much so that one may even have the
صلى الله عليه honor of being among the progeny of our most noble Prophet
J.J. But, this high lineage and this prophetic connection will also not
be taken into consideration as a factor in religious matters, if the per-
son is not a believer. In religion, everything functionally depends on
faith, goodness and the fear of Allah. One who is good in deeds and
fears Allah, he is ours. If not like that, he is an alien.
Had concessions based on kinship been given even in religious
matters, brothers would have not crossed swords against each other in
the battlefields of Badr and Uhud. It is common knowledge among
Muslims that the battles of Badr, Uhud and al-Ahzab were fought
among individuals coming from the same families. This clearly demon-
strates that Islamic nationality or brotherhood does not hinge on lineal
bond or geographical or linguistic unity. Instead, it revolves round
faith and deed. All believers, residents of any country, members of any
family and speakers of any language, are a single nation, a single
brotherhood. The Qur'anic verse: 213;MI ul (The believers are but
brothers - 40:10) means just this. Then, those who are deprived of faith
and good deeds, they are not members of the Islamic brotherhood. The
Holy Qur'an has made this reality all the more clear through the
إِنَّا مُوَ غُوا مِنْكُمْ وَرِّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ: عليه السلام words spoken by Sayyidna Ibrahim
(Indeed, we have nothing to do with you and with whatever you wor-
ship other than Allah - al-Mumtahinah, 60:4).
This humble writer has restricted the above rule to the 'religious
matters' only for the reason that, in worldly matters, demonstrating

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
good social behavior, moral grace, favor and generosity is something
different. It is quite permissible to deal even with someone not good
with these graces, in fact, it is recommended, and is an act worthy of
thaw ab (reward). Countless instances where the Holy Prophet Jul.
dy que and his noble Companions have treated non-Muslims with com-
passion, favor and good grace are sufficient to prove this.
In our time, the edifice of nationalities is raised on the foundations
of homeland, language or color whereby Muslims are segregated into
one or the other 'nation' under false banners. This is contrary to the
Qur'an, and Sunnah, and amounts to rising in rebellion against the
principles of political and social management enunciated by the Holy
.صلى الله عليه وسلم Prophet
Mentioned in the third verse (47) is the apology tendered by Sayyid-
na Nuh Witte. In gist, it is a return to Allah in submission and en-
treaty, a prayer for the protection of Allah, His forgiveness for past
omissions, and a request for His mercy.
From here we learn that, should one commit a mistake, let him not
rely on his personal resolve to stay safe from it in the future. He
should, rather, seek the protection of Allah Ta'ala and pray to Him
that He is the One who can keep him safe from errors and sins.
In the fourth verse (48), described there is the end of the flood.
When the flood subsided, the ark of Sayyidna Nuh >Jude came to rest
on Mount Judiyy, the earth sucked its water back, standing water
from the heaven got preserved in the form of rivers and streams mak-
ing the land habitable. Then, Sayyidna Nuh >JI -le was asked to dis-
embark, go down the mountain, for there was nothing to worry about.
Blessings of Allah will be with him keeping him secure from any ca-
lamities and hardships and that he will prosper in terms of peace,
wealth and children.
According to this statement, the entire post-flood human popula-
tion of the world is the progeny of Sayyidna Nuh >JILL. At another
place, the Qur'an has said: ◌َوَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبُقِين (and those remaining We
made his descendants - 37:77). Therefore, historians refer to Sayyidna
Nuh عليه السلام as the second Adam.
Then, the promise of peace and blessing made to Sayyidna Nuh de
and) وَعَلَلَى أُمَمِ يِمِنَ معَكَ : is not limited to his person, instead, it was said السلام

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Surah Hud : 11 : 45 - 49
upon the peoples [springing] from those with you). Those who boarded
the ark with Sayyidna Nuh WJI ale have been identified with the word:
pl (umam) which is the plural form of ul (ummah: community). It re-
leases the sense that those on board the ark consisted of different na-
tionalities and communities, although we already know that those who
had embarked the ark were mostly people from the family of Sayyidna
Nuh WJI u. in addition to a few other believers as well. So, they were
identified as different communities and nationalities in the sense that
different communities and nationalities will spring forth from their fu-
ture generations. This tells us that the whole human race to be born
up to the day of Qiyamah is included under the sense of the words:
a ¿ (peoples [springing] from those with you).
This was the reason why it became necessary to elaborate the sub-
ject of peace and blessing as the coming generation would include be-
lievers and disbelievers both. As for peace and blessing for believers, it
is correct in its general sense for they would have peace and blessing
in the mortal world as well as in the Hereafter. But, the disbelievers
from this generation would have been consigned to the everlasting
punishment of Hell. How would it be correct to say that they would be
recipients of peace and blessing? Therefore, at the end of the verse, it
was said : ◌ْوَأُمَمُ سَنُمَّتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمْ مِنَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيُم (And there are peoples whom We
shall give some enjoyment, then a painful punishment from Us will
visit them). It means that the peace and blessing they will enjoy in the
mortal world is like a feast thrown open to all, friends and foes alike.
Also participating in it will be those who take to disbelief from among
the progeny of Sayyidna Nuh >JI ule, but the salvation and prosperity
of the Hereafter shall be reserved for believers only. The disbeliever
will be given the return for his good deeds within the mortal world and
there will be nothing left for him to receive in the Hereafter where he
will find nothing but punishment waiting for him.
When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to know of this detailed
information about Sayyidna Nuh >JI ale and the Flood through revela-
tion, he related it to his people - this event, then became a standing
witness to the veracity of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself as a
genuine prophet. To alert him to this situation, it was said in the fifth
verse (49): 'As for Sayyidna Nuh WI ule and the flood that came during
his time, these were pieces of information that lay in the domain of the

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Surah Hud : 11 : 50 -68
unseen. He had no knowledge of it beforehand, nor his people, the Ar-
abs, knew about it. It was he who told them about it. What was the ex-
planation for it? How could it happen? There was no other explanation
but that Allah had Himself told him about it through revelation, be-
cause, had his people been educated and conversant with world histo-
ry, it could be surmised that he had related these events after having
heard them from those learned people. But, when the whole lot of his
people was unaware of these events and their prophet too had never
gone to another country to get his education there, then, the only inlet
of this information stands determined conclusively. It was Wahy, the
divine revelation, which is a clear proof that the prophet is a true mes-
senger of Allah.
To console the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, it was said at the end of
the verse that there were so many open proofs to the fact that he was a
prophet and messenger of Allah. If there were some unfortunate hu-
man beings that see the sun yet insist that they do not, even challenge
him and confront him, then, he should look at the role model of his
predecessor, Sayyidna Nuh WJI uJe, peace on him. He spent one thou-
sand years of his long life suffering from pain inflicted by his people.
He remained patient. Let him stay as patient as he was - because, it
stands determined that success will ultimately kiss the hands of those
patient and God-fearing.
Verses 50 - 68
وَإِلَى عَادٍ آخَاهُمُ هُؤْدَاء قَالَ يُقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَالَكُمْ مِنُ إِلٍ
غَيْرُهُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّ مُفْتَرُوْنَ ﴿٥٠﴾ يُقَوْمِ لََّ اسْتَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ
آجُرَّاء إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّ عَلَى الَّذِى فَطَرَنِىْءُ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٥١)
وَيُقَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ ◌ُؤْيُؤْا إِلَيْهِ مُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ
◌ِدْرَارًاوَ يَزِدُكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلى فُؤَتِكُمْ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوْا مُجْرِمِيْنَ ﴿٥٢﴾
قَالُوا يُهُوُدُ مَاجِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكٌِّ الِهَتِنَا عَنْ
قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ﴿٥٣﴾ إِنْ تَّقُوُلُ إِلَّ اعْتَرُسكَ
بَعْضُ الِهَتِنَا بِسٌٍُ* قَالَ إِنِّى أُشْهِدُ اللهَ وَاشْهَدُؤْآَ آَنِى بَرِىٌّ؟

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Surah Hud : 11 : 50 -68
◌ِمَا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٥٤) مِنْ دُوْنِهُ فَكِيْدُوُنِىٌ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنُظِرُوْنِ
﴿٩٥٥ إِنّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللّهِ رَبِىْ وَرَبِّكُمْد مَا مِنْ دَآتَةٍ إِلَّ هُوَ
اخِذُّبِنَا صِيَّتِهَاء إِنَّ رَبِّىُ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ تُسْتَقِيْمٍ ﴿٥٦﴾ فَإِنْ
تَوَلَّوْا فَقَدْ آَبْلَغْتُكُمْ ◌َّ أُرْسِلُتُ بِهَ إِلَيْكُمُ وَيَسْتَخُلِفُ رَبِّىُ
قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُوْنَهُ شَيْئًا إِنَّ رَبِّئُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَهْىٍ
حَفِيْظُ ﴿٥٧﴾ وَلمَأَ جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَيْنَا هُوْدًا وَ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مَعَهْ
بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَا، وَتَيْنُهُمْ مِنُ عَذَابٍ غَلِيُظٍ ﴿٥٨﴾ وَتِلُكَ عَارٌّهـ
حَجَدُوا بِأَيْتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا وُسُلَهُ وَاتَّبَعُوْآَ آَمْرَ كُلِّ حِبَّارٍ
عَنِيْدٍ ﴿٥٩﴾ وَاتَّبَعُوْا فِىُ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةٌ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ* الَّ إِنَّ
عَادًا كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ ﴾ آلَا بُعُدًا لِّعَادٍ قَوْمٍ هُوٍُ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِى ثَمُوُدَ
آَخَاهُمُ صلِحًا، قَالَ يَقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَالَكُمُ قِنُ إِلٍ غَيْرُهُ ﴿ هُوَ
أَنْشَاكُمُ ◌ِنَ الْآَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيْهَا فَاسْتَغْفِرُؤُهُ ثُمَّ تُؤْبُاً
إِلَيْهُِ إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيْبُ تُجِيبٌ ﴿٦١﴾ قَالُوا يُصلِعُ قَدُ كُنْتَ فِيْنَا
مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَذَاَ آَتَنْهُنَا أَنْ تَعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِىُ
شٍَ يَ تَدْعُوْنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيُبٍ ﴿٦٢﴾ قَالَ يُقَوْمِ آَرَّءَيُمُ إِنْ كُنْتُ
عَلى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنُ رَّبِىُ وَاتْنِىٌ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَنٌ تَّنْصُرُنِىٌ مِنَ اللهِ
إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ فَمَا تَزِيُدُونَنِىُ غَيْرَ تَخْسِيُرِ ﴿٦٣﴾ وَيُقَوْمِ هَذِهٍ
نَاقَةُ اللهِ لَكُمْ آيَّةً فَذَرُوْهَا تَأْكُلُ فِىَ أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَّتُوُهَا
بِسُؤٌٍ فَيَاَ خَذَكُمُ عَذَابٌ قَرِيْبٌ ﴿٦٤﴾ فَعَقَرُوْهَا فَقَالَ تَّعُوْا
فِىُ دَارِكُمْ تَلْئَةَ آَيَّامٍ * ذَلِكَ وَعُدُ غَيْرُ مَكْذُبٍ ﴿١٥﴾ فَلَمَّا
جَاءَ أَمُْنَا نَّيْنَا صَلِحًا وَالَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَا وَمِنْ
خِزْىٍ يَوْمِذٍ ﴿ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْقَوِىُّ الْعَزِيْزُ ﴿١٦) وَأَخَذَ الَّذِيُنَّ

645
Surah Hud : 11 : 50 - 68
ظَلَهُوا الصَّْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِىُ دِيَارِهِمْ جُثِمِيْنَ ﴿٦٧﴾ كَانُ لَّمْ
يَغْنَوْا فِيْهَاء اَلَّ إِنَّ ثَهُُدَاْ كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ ﴿ آَلَا بُعْدًا لِّشَمُوْدَ
ع
And to 'Ad (We sent) their brother Hud. He said, "O my
people, worship . Allah. You have no god other than
Him. You are nothing but fabricators. [50] O my people,
I ask you no reward for it. My reward is only on the
One who created me. Have you, then, no sense? [51] And
O my people, seek forgiveness from your Lord, then
turn to Him in repentance, so that He may release the
heavens pouring upon you and may increase you in
strength beside your strength, and do not turn away
like sinners." [52]
They said, "O Hud, you did not bring to us any proof,
and we are not to leave our gods on your statement,
and we are not to believe in you. [53] We do not say ex-
cept that some of our gods have subjected you to some
evil." He said, "I make Allah my witness, and you be
witness that I have nothing to do with what you take as
gods besides Him. [54] So, try your plans against me, all
of you together, then give me no respite. [55] I place my
trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no
creature but He takes it by the forelock. Surely, my
Lord is on a straight path. [56] Now, if you turn away, I
have already conveyed to you what I was sent to you
with. And my Lord will replace you with some other
people, and you cannot do Him any harm. Surely, my
Lord is guardian over every thing." [57]
And when came Our command, We saved Hud and
those who believed along with him, out of mercy from
Us, and We did save them from a heavy punishment.
[58]
That was the tribe of 'Ad who rejected the signs of their
Lord, disobeyed their Messengers and followed the dic-
tates of every obstinate tyrant! [59] And a curse was
made to pursue them in this world and on the Day of
Doom. Lo! The people of 'Ad disbelieved their Lord. Lo!
Curse be upon 'Ad, the people of Hud. [60]
And to (the people of) Thamud (We sent) their brother,

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Surah Hud : 11 : 50 - 68
Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah. You have
no god other than Him. He has created you from earth
and made you settle therein. So, seek His forgiveness,
then turn to Him in repentance. Surely, my Lord is
near, responding." [61]
They said, "O Salih, we had hopes in you before this. Do
you ask us not to worship what our fathers wor-
shipped? And we are certainly in confounding doubt
about what you are calling us to." [62]
He said, "O my people, tell me: When I am on a clear
path, and He has bestowed mercy upon me from Him-
self, who will then come to my help against Allah, if I
disobey Him? So, you add on to me nothing but a loss.
[63] And O my people, this is the she-camel of Allah, a
sign for you. So, leave her free to eat in the land of Al-
lah and do not even touch her with evil (intention), lest
a near punishment should seize you." [64]
Then they slaughtered her. So, he said, "Enjoy your-
selves in your homes for three days (only). That is a
promise, not going to be false." [65]
So, when came Our command, We saved Salih and those
who believed along with Him, out of mercy from Us,
and (We saved them) from the disgrace of that day.
Surely, your Lord is the Powerful, the All Mighty. [66]
And those who transgressed were caught by the Cry,
and they were found dead in their homes, fallen on
their knees, [67] as though they had never lived there.
Lo! The people of Thamud disbelieved their Lord. Lo!
Curse be upon the people of Thamud. [68]
Commentary
Mentioned in the first eleven verses (50-60) from the ones cited
above are the the events of the revered prophet of Allah, Sayyidna Hud
>JI ale by whose name this Surah is identified. Appearing in this Su-
rah, there are events related to seven blessed prophets and their peo-
ples from Sayyidna Nuh >Jude to Sayyidna Musa described in the
unique style of the Holy Qur'an. They have such flashes of lesson and
advice that no one with a responsive and discerning heart can remain
unaffected by them. Apart from their instructive aspects, they contain
many principals and subsidiaries of faith and good deed as well as

647
Surah Hud : 11 : 50 - 68
guidance one can make use of in comparable situations.
As for stories and events taken up here, they relate to seven proph-
ets, but the Surah has been identified with the name of Sayyidna Hud
-has a par عليه السلام which shows that the story of Sayyidna Hud ,عليه السلام
ticular significance in it.
Allah Ta'ala had sent Sayyidna Hud WILLe as a prophet to the
people of 'Ad. They were known for their physical build, strength and
bravery. Sayyidna Hud Whole was also one of them - as indicated in:
hjsplit (their brother, Hud - 50). How regrettable that a people so
strong and brave had lost their reason to the extent that they had tak-
en to worshipping gods they had carved out of stones with their own
hands.
Three basic principles of the call of faith Sayyidna Hud Wul de pre-
sented before his people have been mentioned in the first three verses
(50-52). One: Belief in Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) and that taking some-
one or something else worthy of worship other than Allah is nothing
but a lie and fabrication. Two: He was a Messenger of Allah. He had
come with the call of Tauhid for them. This was the mission of his life.
He was working hard against heavy odds to convey the message to
them. Why would he do that? If they thought about it, they would see
that he was not asking them to pay for his services, nor did he receive
any material benefits from them. If he did not honestly believe it to be
the will and command of Allah, and right and true, why would he go to
all that trouble of inviting them to believe and live a better life?
Payment for Da wah work
The Holy Qur'an reports almost all prophets saying that they do
not ask for any payment against the duty of Da'wah they do. This
shows that, in case payment is accepted (as pre-arranged or as implied
by custom) against Da'wah and Tabligh, the call remains ineffective.
Experience bears it out that those who take wages for their religious
sermons, addresses and good counsels leave the hearts of their audi-
ence unchanged at the end of the exercise.
Three: Forgiveness and Repentance: He exhorted them to seek for-
giveness from Allah Ta'ala for their disbelief and for sins they had
committed in their past life. Then, for future, let them be ashamed of
what they had done, repent and promise to themselves making a firm

648
Surah Hud : 11 : 50 - 68
resolve and commitment that they would never go even near them. If
they sincerely went through this process of seeking forgiveness from
Allah and showing repentance before Him, the result will be that they
shall, no doubt, be blessed with everlasting prosperity in the Here-
after, but in the mortal world too, they will themselves notice its many
benefits coming to them. Firstly, the act of Istighfar and Taubah will
remove the distress of famine from them. Heavy rains will come when
due making their provisions sumptuous. Secondly, it would increase
their strength and power.
The word: os (quwwah) has been used here in a general sense which
includes physical strength and power as well as the strength that
comes from increases in wealth and children.
This tells that Taubah and Istighfar have a special property of
their own - that their practitioner is blessed with extended means of
sustenance and satisfying increase in wealth and children, even in this
mortal world.
Captives of their ignorant ways, the people of Sayyidna Hud de
JI brushed his call aside by saying, in effect, 'a miracle would have
been something, which you did not show to us. You are simply saying
what you have to say. Now, just because what you are saying, we are
not going to leave our gods we worship and, in you, we are not going to
believe. In fact, we believe that you have lost your mind as a result of
maligning our gods, otherwise you would not be saying all that.'
Demonstrating his prophetic courage, Sayyidna Hud JI ue said in
response, 'If you would not listen to me, then, hear this - I make Allah
my witness and you too bear witness that I am disgusted with all your
gods other than Allah. Now, do, you and your gods, whatever you all
can do against me and do not even give me the least respite.'
And he said, 'this I am telling you seriously for I have placed my
trust in Allah who is my Lord and your Lord as well. He holds every
creature that walks on the earth by the forelock. There is no one
around who can dare cause harm or loss to anyone even to the meas-
ure of a tiny particle without His will and permission. Surely, my Lord
is on the straight path, that is, one who takes the straight path finds
Him and is helped by Him.'
Here was one man against a whole people making a claim so

649
Surah Hud : 11 : 50 -68
strong and loud and putting them to shame and no one from a people
so strong and brave dared budge before him! This was a standing mir-
acle of Sayyidna Hud >JI ale - which also provides an answer to their
complaint that he did not show them a miracle. And it also provides
yet another answer to their audacious comment that their gods had
made him mentally deranged for, had their gods been exercising this
kind of power, they would have never left him alive after what he had
said against them.
After that, he said, 'If you continue to be so insanely opposed to
truth, then, you must understand that I have already conveyed to you
the message with which I have been sent. Now, its logical outcome
could be no other but that the wrath and punishment of Allah falls on
you and you are destroyed to the last man and my Lord brings another
people to settle on this land. As for what you are doing against this
matter of truth, you are simply hurting yourself, not Allah. Surely, my
Lord oversees everything and He is aware of all your deeds and
thoughts.'
They were the kind of people who would not listen to anything.
They chose to stick to their contumacy. Then, the punishment of Allah
descended upon them in the form of a stormy wind that uprooted their
homes and trees. Living entities, human and animal, would be blown
up high into the air and ricochet back on to the ground faces down.
Human cries could be heard coming from the sky - until this whole set
of people, unique in their size and strength, were annihilated to the
last man.
When came the command to send Divine punishment on these peo-
ple, Allah Ta'ala, in accordance with His customary practice, saved His
prophet and his companions from this severe punishment as they were
ordered to leave that area before the punishment came.
After having mentioned the event relating to the people of 'Ad and
the punishment that came upon them, an exhortation was necessary
so that others could learn their lesson from it. So, it was said: That
was the tribe of 'Ad! They rejected the signs of their Lord, disobeyed
their Messengers yet kept following the dictates of those who were ty-
rannical and obstinate.
The outcome was that curse, that is, the state of being away from

650
Surah Hud : 11: 50 -68
the mercy of Allah, kept pursuing them in the mortal world and will
keep pursuing them similarly on the day of Qiyamah as well.
From this event, we learn that the people of 'Ad were overtaken by
a stormy wind. But, it appears in Surah al-Mu'minun (23:41) that they
were destroyed by a harsh sound (aş-saihah: The Cry, The Shriek). It is
possible that both kinds of punishments had visited the people of
.عليه السلام Sayyidna Hud
The event relating to the people of 'Ad and Sayyidna Hud MLJIde
ends here.
After that, the next eight verses (61-68) carry the story of Sayyidna
Salih >JILle, peace be upon him. He was sent to the people of Tha-
mud, another branch of the tribe of 'Ad. He too invited his people to be-
lieve in Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah. As customary, his people belied
him and insisted that he must first make a she-camel of a specified de-
scription come out from the rock of the mountain in front of them in
order to have them believe that he was a true prophet of Allah.
Sayyidna Şalih JI warned them: If Allah Ta'ala shows you
your custom-ordered miracles, and you still fail to believe, then, ac-
cording to the customary practice of Allah, the punishment will come
and destroy all of you. But, they remained obstinate and Allah Ta'ala,
in His perfect power, made the miracle they demanded manifest before
them. The rock of the mountain in front of them split asunder. Out
from it came the she-camel bearing the features specified by them. Al-
lah Ta'ala ordered them not to harm that she-camel in any manner,
otherwise the punishment will come upon them. But, they disobeyed
this order as well, and killed the she-camel. Consequently, they were
seized by Allah Ta'ala, Sayyidna Salih >JILL and his companions
were saved from the punishment, and the rest of those people were de-
stroyed by a Sound which was severe and terrifying.
As part of this event, the people of Sayyidna Salih >JILL have
been reported to have said to him: قَدْ كُنْتَ فِيْنًا مُرْجُوًا قَبُلَ لهُذَا (O Salih, we had
hopes in you before this - 62). It means that, before he claimed to be a
prophet and started telling them to shun idol-worship, they had great
hopes in him. They thought he would rise to be a great reformer and
leader of their people. The reason is that Allah Ta'ala nurtures and
grooms his prophets from their childhood in a way that they become

651
Surah Hud : 11 : 69 - 73
models of good morals and habits. Whoever looks at them, loves and
respects them. This is what happened in the case of the Last Prophet
,Before he declared that he has been sent as a prophet .صلى الله عليه وسلم
the whole Arabia called him al-am in (the trustworthy one) and took
him to be true and righteous. It was only when he announced his
prophet-hood and prohibited idol-worship that everyone turned hostile
to him.
In verse 65, it was said: ◌َعُوا فِى دَارِكُمْ ثَلْعَةَ آَيَّام:"Enjoy yourselves in your
homes for three days [only]." That is, when these people killed the she-
camel associated with the miracle in flagrant contravention of the Di-
vine command, then, something serious happened. As warned earlier,
'lest a near punishment should seize you - 64', the punishment did
come upon them in a manner that they were given a respite of three
days and told that they all will be destroyed on the fourth day.
According to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, these three days were Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the punishment descended upon
them : ◌ُوَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَة (And those who transgressed were caught by
the Cry - 67). This awesome Cry was that of the archangel, Sayyidna
Jibra'il JI de which was far more terrorizing that the combined thun-
derbolts of worldly lightening could ever be, something human senses
could not take. All hearts were rent apart by the horrific sound result-
ing in the mass destruction of those people.
From this verse we learn that the people of Sayyidna Salih >Je
were destroyed by a severe Sound, but what Surah al-A'raf says about
them is: 139 3G (So, the earthquake seized them - 7:78,91) which, as
obvious, tells us that the punishment visiting them was that of the
earthquake. Commentator al-Qurtubi has said that there is no contra-
diction here. It is possible that the earthquake came first and then
they all were destroyed by the severe Sound. Allah knows best.
Verses 69 - 73
وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلْناً إِبْرُ هِيْمَ بِالْبُشْرِى قَالُوا سَلْمًا، قَالَ سَلُمٌ
فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ جَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيْذٍ ﴿٦٩﴾ فَلَمَّارَا أَيْدِيَهُمْ لاَ تَصِلُ
إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَاَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيْفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلُنَا
إِلَى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ ﴿١﴾ وَامْرَآَتُهُ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنُهَا

652
Surah Hud : 11 : 69 - 73
بِاِسْحْقَ وَمِنْ وَرَآءِ اِسْحْقَ يَعْقُوُبَ ﴿٧١﴾ قَالَتُ يُوَيُلَتَى
ءَالِدُوَاَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهُذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخَاء إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَىءٌ عَجِيْبٌ
﴿٧٢﴾ قَالُؤْآَ آَتَعْجَبِيْنَ مِنْ آَمْرِ اللهِ رَحْمَتُ اللهِ وَبَرَكْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ
أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ ﴿ إِنَّهَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ ﴿٧٣﴾
And Our messengers came to Ibrahim with the good
news. They said, "Salam (peace)." He said, "Salam."
Then he made no delay in bringing a roasted calf. [69]
So, when he noticed their hands not reaching for it, he
found them strange and felt a bit of fright from them.
They said, "Be not frightened. We have been sent to the
people of Lut." [70] And his wife was standing (nearby).
She laughed, so, We gave her the good news about
Ishaq, and about Ya'qub after Ishaq. [71]
She said, "Woe is to me! Shall I give birth to a child
while I am an old woman and this is my husband, an
old man? This is something strange, indeed." [72] They
said, "Do you marvel at Allah's command? Allah's mer-
cy and His blessings are upon you, the people of the
house. Surely, He is praiseworthy, glorious." [73]
Commentary
In these five verses, an event relating to Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI de
has been mentioned. Allah Ta'ala sent some angels to give him the
good news of a birth in his family because Sayyidna Ibrahim JIale
had no children from his wife, Sayyidah Sarah and he wished he had.
But, they were much advanced in years. Obviously, there was no hope.
Then, Allah Ta'ala sent the good news through the angels and that too
of the nature that the new born would be a male child and even pro-
posed the name of the child as Ishaq. Then, he was also told that he
would live, have children and that the name of his son will be Ya'qub,
and both of them would be the messenger and prophet of Allah. Since
these angels had come in human form, Sayyidna Ibrahim Wlade took
them to be normal guests and lost no time in offering his hospitality.
He placed a dish of roasted calf before them. But, they were really an-
gels, free of eating and drinking. Therefore, despite the food being be-
fore them, they did not extend their hands towards it. When Sayyidna
Ibrahim JI ale noticed this, he was concerned. They did not look like

653
Surah Hud : 11 : 69 - 73
guests, may be they had come to create some problem for him. The an-
gels scented his concern and disclosed their identity. They told him
that they were angels of Allah Ta'ala. There was no need for him to be
frightened. They had been sent to give him the good news of a birth in
his family, as well as to accomplish another mission, the mission of
bringing Divine punishment on the people of Lut JILL. Sayyidah
Sarah, the wife of Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI ale was listening to this con-
versation from behind a curtain. When she found out that they were
angels, not human beings, there was no need for the otherwise essen-
tial hijab. She laughed at the good news of the birth of a child in old
age and said, 'shall I give birth to a child while I am an old woman and
my husband, an old man?' The angels said as to why would she marvel
at the command of Allah Ta'ala who has everything within His power.
Was it not that, as a member of the prophet's family, she has been wit-
nessing that this was a family on which extraordinary Divine mercy
and blessing descends all the time, which is mostly above and beyond
the obvious chain of causes? So, what was there to wonder about? This
was a gist of the event. Let us now go to details as they appear in the
text of the verses cited above.
The first verse (69) tells us that these angels had come to Sayyidna
Ibrahim >Jude with some good news. The good news has been men-
tioned later in the third verse (71):َفَبَشَرُنُهَا بِاِسْحُق (so, We gave her the good
news about Ishaq).
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said that the three angels were Ji-
bra'il, Mika'il and Israfil JI +Je. (Qurțubi) They came in human form
and greeted Sayyidna Ibrahim WJILL with 'salam.' Sayyidna Ibrahim
lule responded to their salam greeting and, taking them to be hu-
man, offered the usual hospitality.
Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI Je is the first human being who introduced
the custom of honoring guests by offering hospitality to them. (Qurtubi)
It was his routine that he would never eat alone. Instead, when came
the time for meals, he would be looking out for a guest so that he could
eat with him.
Al-Qurțubi has reported from Isra'ili narratives that, on a certain
day, Sayyidna Ibrahim WJI - started looking for a guest at the time
for meals. The man he met was a stranger. When he sat down to eat,
Sayyidna Ibrahim WILL said to him, 'say: I begin with the name of

654
Surah Hud : 11 : 69 - 73
Allah.' He said, 'I do not know Allah. Who and what is He?' Sayyidna
Ibrahim >JI ale asked him to leave the dining-spread on the floor.
When he went out, Sayyidna Jibra'il JILe came in and said, 'Allah
Ta'ala says: As for him, We gave sustenance to him throughout his life
despite his disbelief and as for you, you were stingy about giving him
even one morsel of food.' Hearing this, Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI -Le went
after him and called him back. He said, 'unless you tell me the reason
why you turned me out first and why are you asking me to come in
again, I will not go with you.'
When Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI ale told him the episode, the episode
itself became the reason for his becoming a believer. He said, 'the Lord
who made you do this is very noble. I believe in Him.' Then he went in
with Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI Je, behaved like a true believer and ate his
food after having recited Bismillah first.
So, Sayyidna Ibrahim WJI Je, true to his habit of entertaining
guests, welcomed angels who had come in human form. Naturally, to
him they were human, and guests. The host did his most, lost no time
and placed a roasted calf before them.
In the second verse (70), it was stated that the angels had, though,
come in the human form and it was also possible that they could have
been given human characteristics of eating and drinking at that par-
ticular time. But, the wiser choice for them was no other but that they
should not eat so that the secret that they were angels comes out in
the open. Therefore, their angelic characteristics were allowed to re-
main, even in their human form, because of which they did not extend
their hands towards the food.
According to some reports, they had some arrows in their hands.
They started poking the heads of their arrows into the roasted meat.
When they acted in that manner, Sayyidna Ibrahim WILL appre-
hended them to be his enemies, because, according to the social custom
known to him, if a guest refused to eat, it was a sign of mischief to be
made from his side. (Qurtubi) His apprehension was quashed when the
angels themselves disclosed their identity and said that they were an-
gels, therefore, they do not eat. So, there was no danger for him to
bother about.

655
Surah Hud : 11 : 69 - 73
Injunctions and Rules
Many injunctions and important rules of guidance regarding social
living appear in the verses under study. Imam al-Qurtubi has dis-
cussed them in detail in his Tafsir.
The Sunnah of Salam
The words of verse 69 -- vis Ju ut we (They said, "Salam." He said,
"Salam.") - teach us that it is a Sunnah for Muslims that, when they
meet each other, they should offer Salam. The guest coming in should
say it first while others should respond.
That people say some words to greet each other when they meet is
a custom found in all communities. But, the teaching of Islam is
unique in this matter for the masnun word of salam is S.le JI : As-
Salamu 'Alaikum. It carries the name of Allah with it. So it is both a
Dhikr of Allah, and a prayer for peace and protection from Him - in
addition to being a guarantee of the protection of life, property and
honor from one's own side. (When we equate As-Salamu 'Alaikum with 'peace on
you' we go by the anatomy and leave the spirit that is essential to it - tr.)
At this place in the Qur'an, it has been said that the angels said
.(salam) "سلام" responded with عليه السلام salam) and Sayyidna Ibrahim) 'سلاماً"
Obviously, here it was not considered necessary to mention salam in
its complete form - as customary in usage when it is said that a person
said salam to someone where it is presupposed that he said the whole
greeting of As-Salamu 'Alaikum. Similarly, at this place, salam stands
for the full masn un greeting which has been taught to his community
by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم through his word and deed, that is,
saying: Sex.JI (As-Salamu 'Alaikum) at the beginning of salam,
and :وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله (wa 'alaikumu-s-salam, or wa 'alaikumu-s-sal amu
wa rahmatu-l-lah to be more generous) while responding to the salam.
Some Rules for Guests and Hosts
فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ جَاءَ بِعِجُلٍ حَنِيُدٍ : 69 It has been said in the last sentence of verse
(Then he made no delay in bringing a roasted calf).
This tells us a few things:
1. It is a part of the etiquette of hospitality that the host should,
soon after the arrival of the guest, bring out something to eat, or
drink, something he has on hand and which could be offered quickly