Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

---

Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

---

Quran Text of Verse 123-140كَذَّبَتْDeniedعَادُ(the people) of Aadلْمُرْسَلِیْنَۚۖthe Messengers اِذْWhenقَالَsaidلَهُمْto themاَخُوْهُمْtheir brotherهُوْدٌHudاَلَاWill notتَتَّقُوْنَۚyou fear (Allah) اِنِّیْIndeed I amلَكُمْto youرَسُوْلٌa Messengerاَمِیْنٌۙtrustworthy فَاتَّقُواSo fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ اَطِیْعُوْنِۚand obey me وَ مَاۤAnd notاَسْـَٔلُكُمْI ask youعَلَیْهِfor itمِنْanyاَجْرٍ ۚpaymentاِنْNotاَجْرِیَ(is) my paymentاِلَّاexceptعَلٰیfromرَبِّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَؕ(of) the worlds اَتَبْنُوْنَDo you constructبِكُلِّon everyرِیْعٍelevationاٰیَةًa signتَعْبَثُوْنَ amusing yourselves وَ تَتَّخِذُوْنَAnd take for yourselvesمَصَانِعَstrongholdsلَعَلَّكُمْthat you mayتَخْلُدُوْنَۚlive forever وَ اِذَاAnd whenبَطَشْتُمْyou seizeبَطَشْتُمْyou seizeجَبَّارِیْنَۚ(as) tyrants فَاتَّقُواSo fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ اَطِیْعُوْنِۚand obey me وَ اتَّقُواAnd fearالَّذِیْۤOne Whoاَمَدَّكُمْhas aided youبِمَاwith whatتَعْلَمُوْنَۚyou know اَمَدَّكُمْHe has aided youبِاَنْعَامٍwith cattleوَّ بَنِیْنَۚۙand children وَ جَنّٰتٍAnd gardensوَّ عُیُوْنٍۚand springs اِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearعَلَیْكُمْfor youعَذَابَ(the) punishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a DayعَظِیْمٍؕGreat قَالُوْاThey saidسَوَآءٌ(It is) sameعَلَیْنَاۤto usاَوَ عَظْتَwhether you adviseاَمْorلَمْnotتَكُنْyou areمِّنَofالْوٰعِظِیْنَۙthe advisors 26. Ash-Shu'ara Page 373اِنْNotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاbutخُلُقُ(the) customالْاَوَّلِیْنَۙ(of) the former (people) وَ مَاAnd notنَحْنُweبِمُعَذَّبِیْنَۚ(are) the ones to be punished فَكَذَّبُوْهُSo they denied himفَاَهْلَكْنٰهُمْ ؕthen We destroyed themاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً ؕsurely is a signوَ مَاbut notكَانَareاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themمُّؤْمِنِیْنَ believers وَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَهُوَsurely Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمُ۠the Most Merciful

---

Translation of Verse 123-140

123. The A’ad ¹⁰⁹ people denied the messengers of Allah,

124. When their brother, Hood, asked them: “Do you not fear Allah’?

125. “Verily I am a trustworthy messenger of Allah for you;

126. “So fear Allah and obey me.¹¹⁰

127. “And I do not ask of you recompense therefore, my recompense is the concern only of the Lord of the Worlds.

128. “What ! you build a monument on every high place for vain delight?¹¹¹

129. “And construct grand palaces as if you are to stay here for ever?¹¹²

130. “And when you seize (some one) you seize like a tyrant.¹¹³

131. “So fear Allah, ¹¹⁴ and obey me.

132. “Fear Him who has helped with the things you know (well).

133. “Has helped you with cattle and children,

134. “And with gardens and watersprings.¹¹⁵

135. “Verily I fear for you the punishment of an overwhelming day.”¹¹⁶

136. They said: “It is the same for us whether you preach or do not preach. ¹¹⁷

137. “This is but a custom of the ancients.¹¹⁸

138. “And we will never be punished.”

139. So they belied him, therefore We destroyed them.¹¹⁹ Verily in this there is a great ¹²⁰ sign, yet most of them do not believe.

140. And verily, your Lord, He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

---

Commentary

109. The chronicle of the tribes of A’ad has been narrated in detail in Surah A’raf, verses Nos. 65 to 72, and Surah Hood, Verses Nos. 48 to 60. Its explanatory notes and also the explanatory notes of Surah Fajr Nos. 8 to 11 be kept in view.

110. Its explanation has been given in the foregoing Note No.97.

111. They used to construct buildings on hillocks and high places not because they met any civic needs of the community, but their purpose was to establish national memorials so that they might take pride in them. Materialists appreciate such structures and praise their constructors and their art of construction. But in the eyes of Islam all these works are useless, for by spending his energies and resources in such exhibitory architecture man becomes negligent of his objective of life, and considers this world, instead of the Hereafter, as his ultimate goal.

From this it becomes clear that Islam provides guidance for the civic life as well as restricts men from acting according to their sweet will. In spite of this objection of Qur’an against establishing such vain memorials, Muslim rulers carried on their desire of establishing their own memorials, whose examples are the Qutub Minar of Delhi and Taj Mahal of Agra. Muslims consider these memorials as their national heritage and take pride in them, while according to the Islamic point of view it was a useless and wasteful exercise, which is not at all worth taking pride in, but is a thing to be sorry for. And more objectionable than this are those ‘dargahs’ and the mausoleums which are built as a mark of devotion to the pious religious men or saints and are the means of waywardness and polytheism.

112. Those who think that this world is not a testing ground but a pleasure-seeking place, they indulge in building grand palaces to live luxuriously, whose example in the ancient times was the community of A’ad. In spite of the stern warning in Qur’an Muslim rulers built grand palaces to show off their grandeur and majesty. Granada, Spain’s Al-hamra and Jannatul A’reef, and Lal Qila’ Delhi’s Diwan-i- Khas are eye-opening examples. On the jewelstudded Lal Qila’ it is inscribed that it is the model of Paradise on earth. But now only the vacant place is left, the residents are no more.

113. That is: Your hold is very tyrannical. The rich section of the society hold the poor section in a very oppressive seizure. Probably the ayah refers to this kind of situation.

114.That is: Fear Allah and desist from this wrong act.

115. Take advantage of the natural gifts that have been granted you and do not indulge in luxuries. The one who has granted you these blessings can also withdraw them, therefore, fear Him.

116. The overwhelmingly hard day will be that when they will be punished in this world, and secondly the Doomsday. The hardness of the day means the hardness of the punishment.

117. From this reply it appears that they were not prepared to listen to any advice.

118. That is: To give advice and to warn was the practice of the people of ancient times also, but it has no reality and the threatened punishment does not seize anyone.

119. The details of the destruction of the people of A’ad had been narrated in Surah Zariyat, ayah No.41.and Surah Haqqah, ayah No.6.

120. For explanation. please see Note No. 108.