DISOBEDIENCE OF ALLAH BY THE STRONGEST NATION IN THE WORLD: SURAH HUD 11:50-60

TAFSEER EXCERPTED FROM DR. FARHAT HASHMI

Once upon a time…………………….. there lived in the desert of the Middle East a nation stronger than every nation known to the face of man in those times.
It was a nation of men that were tall, strong and intelligent and refined in their art and science of architecture.
They had armies of able bodied, large men. The numbers in the army were so many that they occupied several miles of terrain.

The common people were ruled by a group of very strong and very intelligent leaders whose faith revolved around several hundred idols to whom they prayed for benefits and to whom they attributed the power of their nation.

THE MESSAGE
In that nation was a man named HUD (AS) who brought them the message of the oneness of God and that He the one God was Almighty and Powerful and had created everything and had power over everything”
The leaders of the nation discussed with him, and argued against his message. most of their reasoning  was laced with the arrogance of their power and their confidence in their what seemed to them,  impregnable strength
THE STALEMATE
When the discussions between HUD (AS) and the leaders stalemated, they accused him of keeping company with the abject and the poor and asked him to get rid of them, then they would consider his message. Hud AS refused as these were also the people of Allah and had accepted his message.
Finally they said that their gods had encircled him and that he was going insane. They then threatened him with their strength and power to which he said that “do what you may but you cannot hurt me, as Allah is my protector, and he has power over everyone” This level of tawakul in Allah in face of the powerful leaders enraged them.

REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE BY THE LEADERS
Despite HUD (AS’s) continued presentations of tawheed replete with proofs, the leaders of Ad turned him away with haughty arrogance of their strength and complete confidence in their own numerous gods. They completely discounted his warnings of the horror that awaited them if they continued to disobey Allah and join partners with Him.

WHAT ABOUT THE COMMON MAN?
When one lives in a nation of disobedient leaders and does not do anything to oppose the disobedience then they become party to acceptance of what their leaders believe, and whatever is the fate of the leaders is also that of the common man.
Thus when Allah Subhanawataala sent his azaab, it came upon each and every member of the nation of Ad including the leaders and the common man.

THE FINAL WARNING
HUD (AS) said, “If you turn your face away and do not want to listen to me, I have completed my duty and my mission, I have given you the message and Allah Subhanawataala will replace your nation with another people”

PROTECTING THOSE WHO HAD REJECTED SHIRK
HUD AS was instructed to leave with the few believers who were disenfranchised, poor and abject members of the nation of Ad, who had accepted the message of Tawheed.

an example of a tornado illuminated by the lightning

DESCRIPTION OF THE AZAAB
One morning when the people from the nation of Ad awoke, they saw a cloud, and were happy that perhaps it would bring rain for the crops.

Then came a wind so severe, with a very loud sound and a severe chill. It encircled the nation of Ad (sort of like a tornado) and picked up the people of Ad who were tall and strong like trees and slapped them to the ground. For seven days and seven nights this wind wrecked devastation on the nation of Ad and when it died down the tall strong humans who were so arrogant of the supremacy of their strength lay around like hollow tree trunks. Not a thing remained, the fields of crops lay waste and everything was destroyed!

ALLAH SUBHANAWATAALA SAYS:
These were the people of Ad! Disobedient to Allah and his messengers (if one is disobedient to the messenger then he is being disobedient to all the messengers as they all bring the same message of Tawheed from Allah Subhanawataala)

They were guilty of arrogance and in insisting on committing the worst of the disobediences of Allah Subhanawataala: SHIRK, and thus they were destroyed!

END TAFSEER

Itta KulAllah……FEAR ALLAH!