Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 11 Hud, Ayat 53-54

قَالُوۡا يٰهُوۡدُ مَا جِئۡتَـنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَّمَا نَحۡنُ بِتٰـرِكِىۡۤ اٰلِهَـتِنَا عَنۡ قَوۡلِكَ وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَـكَ بِمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ ﴿11:53﴾ اِنۡ نَّقُوۡلُ اِلَّا اعۡتَـرٰٮكَ بَعۡضُ اٰلِهَتِنَا بِسُوۡٓءٍ​ ؕ قَالَ اِنِّىۡۤ اُشۡهِدُ اللّٰهَ وَاشۡهَدُوۡۤا اَنِّىۡ بَرِىۡٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿11:54﴾

(11:53) They said: 'O Hud! You have not brought to us any clear evidence,58 and we are not going to forsake our gods merely because you say so. We are not going to believe you. (11:54) All we can say is that some god of ours has afflicted you with evil.59 .Hud said: 'Indeed I take Allah as my witness,60 and you too to be my witnesses that I have nothing to do61 with your associating with Allah


Notes

58. That is, you have not brought a clear sign as evidence to prove conclusively to us that you have been sent by Allah and that the message you are presenting before us is the truth.

59. That is, it appears that you had behaved rudely towards a god or goddess or saint: Consequently you have been smitten with madness and are being abused, dishonored and pelted with stones in the same streets in which you were respected and honored before this.

60. This was the refutation of their charge that he had not brought any clear evidence to them. It implied: You say that I have brought no evidence to prove that I have been sent by Allah who is a standing witness everywhere in His universe and giving evidence with the phenomena of nature to show that the truth I have stated before you is absolutely correct. This also proves conclusively that there is no sign of truth in what you falsely ascribe to your gods.

61. This is the answer of Prophet Houd (peace be upon him) to their assertion: We are not going to give up our gods at your word. (Ayat 53). His reply implied: Note it well that I, too, feel a strong disgust at the gods you have set up beside Allah.