Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-35 [4]

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Quran Text of Verse 21-2646. Al-Ahqaf Page 505وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionاَخَا(the) brotherعَادٍ ؕ(of) Aadاِذْwhenاَنْذَرَhe warnedقَوْمَهٗhis peopleبِالْاَحْقَافِin the Al-Ahqafوَ قَدْand had already passed awayخَلَتِand had already passed awayالنُّذُرُ[the] warnersمِنْۢbefore himبَیْنِbefore himیَدَیْهِbefore himوَ مِنْand after himخَلْفِهٖۤand after himاَلَّاThat notتَعْبُدُوْۤاyou worshipاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنِّیْۤIndeed, Iاَخَافُ[I] fearعَلَیْكُمْfor youعَذَابَa punishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayعَظِیْمٍ Great قَالُوْۤاThey saidاَجِئْتَنَاHave you come to usلِتَاْفِكَنَاto turn us awayعَنْfromاٰلِهَتِنَا ۚour godsفَاْتِنَاThen bring usبِمَاwhatتَعِدُنَاۤyou threaten usاِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful قَالَHe saidاِنَّمَاOnlyالْعِلْمُthe knowledgeعِنْدَ(is) with Allahاللّٰهِ ۖؗ(is) with Allahوَ اُبَلِّغُكُمْand I convey to youمَّاۤwhatاُرْسِلْتُI am sentبِهٖwith itوَ لٰكِنِّیْۤbutاَرٰىكُمْI see youقَوْمًاa peopleتَجْهَلُوْنَ ignorant فَلَمَّاThen whenرَاَوْهُthey saw itعَارِضًا(as) a cloudمُّسْتَقْبِلَapproachingاَوْدِیَتِهِمْ ۙtheir valleysقَالُوْاthey saidهٰذَاThisعَارِضٌ(is) a cloudمُّمْطِرُنَا ؕbringing us rainبَلْNayهُوَitمَا(is) whatاسْتَعْجَلْتُمْyou were asking it to be hastenedبِهٖ ؕyou were asking it to be hastenedرِیْحٌa windفِیْهَاin itعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌۙpainful تُدَمِّرُDestroyingكُلَّeveryشَیْءٍۭthingبِاَمْرِby (the) commandرَبِّهَا(of) its LordفَاَصْبَحُوْاThen they became (such)لَاnotیُرٰۤیis seenاِلَّاexceptمَسٰكِنُهُمْ ؕtheir dwellingsكَذٰلِكَThusنَجْزِیWe recompenseالْقَوْمَthe peopleالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ [the] criminals وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyمَكَّنّٰهُمْWe had established themفِیْمَاۤin whatاِنْnotمَّكَّنّٰكُمْWe have established youفِیْهِin itوَ جَعَلْنَاand We madeلَهُمْfor themسَمْعًاhearingوَّ اَبْصَارًاand visionوَّ اَفْـِٕدَةً ۖؗand heartsفَمَاۤBut notاَغْنٰیavailedعَنْهُمْthemسَمْعُهُمْtheir hearingوَ لَاۤand notاَبْصَارُهُمْtheir visionوَ لَاۤand notاَفْـِٕدَتُهُمْtheir heartsمِّنْanyشَیْءٍthingاِذْwhenكَانُوْاthey wereیَجْحَدُوْنَ ۙrejectingبِاٰیٰتِ(the) Signsاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ حَاقَand envelopedبِهِمْthemمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey used (to)بِهٖ[at it]یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ۠ridicule

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Translation of Verse 21-26

(46:21) Recount to them the story of (Hud), the brother of (the tribe of) 'Ad. Hud warned his people beside the sand-dunes²⁵ � and there have been other warners before him and since his time � saying: “Serve none but Allah. Verily I fear that the chastisement of an awesome day shall come upon you.”

(46:22) They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then, bring upon us the scourge that you threaten us with. Do so if you are truthful.”

(46:23) He replied: “Allah alone knows about this.²⁶ I only convey to you the Message that I have been sent with. But I see that you are an ignorant people.”²⁷

(46:24) When they saw the scourge advancing towards their valleys, they said: “This is a cloud that will bring much rain to us.” “By no means;²⁸ it is what you had sought to hasten � a wind-storm bearing a grievous chastisement

(46:25) that will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.” Thereafter nothing was left to be seen except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the wrong-doers.²⁹

(46:26) We had established them firmly in a manner We have not established you.³⁰ We had given them ears and eyes and hearts. But nothing availed them � neither their ears, nor their eyes, nor their hearts, for they denied the Signs of Allah.³¹ Then what they had mocked at encompassed them.

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Commentary

25. Since the Quraysh chiefs thought very highly of themselves and boasted of their glory and affluence, the story of the people of ‘Ad is related to them. The ‘Ad were known in Arabia for their might and glory.

Ahqaf is the plural form of hiqf, which literally means a sand dune. This was used as a special term for the empty quarter in the Arabian desert which to this day has remained unsuitable for habitation.

According to Ibn Ishaq, the ‘Ad were settled in the region extending from Oman to Yemen. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-A’raf’7: 69).

According to the Qur’an, al-Ahqaf was their homeland. They then moved out from their land and established control over neighboring lands. At a place near Hadramawt, which is about 125 miles away from Mukallah in Yemen, there is a grave which people regard as that of the Prophet Hud (peace be on him.) On 15 Sha’ban every year a religious festival is held there, attracting thousands of people from every nook and corner of Arabia. Although it is not conclusively established that what is believed to be the Prophet Hiid’s grave is truly his, yet the pilgrims’ visit and the attachment of the people of southern Arabia to it show that according to local traditions the place is associated with the ‘Ad. Many ruins in the area are called the abode of the ‘Ad by locals.

While looking today at al-Ahqaf region, it is hard to believe that a mighty and glorious civilization once flourished there. It is quite likely, however, that this was a fertile region thousands of years ago and was later reduced to an arid desert as it appears today. Today, however, it is a huge desert and people can hardly muster the courage to penetrate its depths. In 1843, a Bavarian German soldier managed to reach its southern edge. He pointed out that if one looks at it from Hadramawt’s northern plateau, the desert appears to be a one-thousand-feet-deep valley. The Arab Bedouins are mortally afraid of this desert and are not prepared to go there at all. According to the above-mentioned traveler, no local person was willing to escort him there, so he went there alone. According to him, the sand is like fine powder and anything dropped into it sinks and is decomposed in no time. When he threw a plummet into the desert from a distance, it sank into it within five minutes and the end of the rope with which it was attached also decomposed. (For further details of the region, see the following: Harold Ingrams, Arabia and the Isles, London, 1964; R.H. Kiernan, The Unveiling of Arabia. London, 1937; and H. Philby, The Empty Quarter, London, 1933.)

26. God alone knows when His scourge will strike the unbelievers.

The Messenger (peace be on him) is not authorized to decide the period of respite or the date of punishment.

27. Out of their ignorance, the unbelievers take the Prophet's warnings lightly and ask him in a jocular mood to expedite the punishment.

They have absolutely no idea of the gravity and enormity of Divine punishment. Their misdeeds, however, will soon bring such punishment upon them.

28. It is not specified who said so. It emerges from the context that the statement represents what the prevailing state of affairs practically told them. They thought that the clouds would provide them with water.

However, in reality it was God’s punishment that was rushing towards them, bent upon destroying them.

29. Fora detailed account of the story of the people of ‘Ad, see al-A ‘raf 7,nn. 51-6, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IIL, pp. 42-5; Hud 11, nn. 54-65, vol. IV, pp. 108-11; al-Muminun 23, nn. 34-7, vol. VI, pp. 96-9; al-Shu‘ara’ 26, nn. 88-94, vol. VIL pp. 91-4; al-’Ankabut 29, nn. 65-6, vol.

VIIL, pp. 36-7; and Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41, nn. 20-1 above.

30. The unbelieving Quraysh are no match for the ‘Ad in their affluence, power, authority and might. Their authority is confined only to the city of Makkah whereas the ‘Ad exercised control over very large chunks of territory.

31. This states a significant truth: God’s signs impart to man true understanding and insight. Thanks to this, man draws sound conclusions, takes proper decisions and thinks in the right way. However, when man refuses to recognize God’s signs, he is unable to perceive truth notwithstanding his faculty of sight. Likewise, he does not heed any advice although he is able to hear. He misuses the powers and abilities of his mind and heart and draws false conclusions. Ultimately, he courts his own disaster.