Introduction:
The story of prophet Hood teaches us a lot of lessons. Every Muslim should learn the story of prophet Hood. Allah sent prophet Hood to the tribe of Aad. The tribe lived in the area of Hadramout, Yemen. It was called al-Ahqaf. The area had a lot of valleys. One of such valleys is the valley of Hadramout. There were the generations of four grandfathers between Hood and Noah. The people of Hood were Arabs. They were the first tribe of Aad. Allah said in the Holy Quran:((“ayah”)).
“وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنْذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِ
نِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ”
Those people had a lot of cattle. Therefore, they were shepherd bedouins. In addition, some of them lived in villages and towns. Therefore, they knew civilization also.
Aad lived in luxury and comfort:
The people of Aad grew proud and arrogant due to their wealth and strength. They would exclaim saying: ((“Who is stronger than us?! They denied the signs and miracles of Allah.”)) They thought they were invincible. Aad thought their strength would allow them to do what they wanted. Aad considered themselves superhumans. Satan insinuated them to be wicked, proud and arrogant. Moreover, they took stone idols as their gods. They worshiped these idols instead of worshiping Allah. They worshiped three stone idols. These three stone idols’ names were Sadaa, Samoud and al-Habaa or al-Hanaa. The verses of the Holy Quran focus on describing their wealth, health and strength which characterized them. We should learn the story of prophet Hood.
“فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ
هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ”
The Holy Quran described their luxury:
Aad did not realize that no power, might or wealth could ever exceed those of Allah. Allah said in the Holy Quran: ((“Do you mockingly build in every quarter marvelous buildings? Do you build eternal palaces so that you could live forever? Do you treat others so harshly that you look merciless?”)) In another place in the Holy Quran, Allah said: ((“Remember when allah made you the inheritors of the land after the people of noah. In addition, Allah increased you in your bodies. Remember the blessings of Allah so that you might be successful.”)). However, they used that great power to subdue the weak. It also tempted them to be disobedient and polytheists. Every Muslim should learn the story of prophet Hood.
“وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِي الْخَلْقِ بَصْطَةً فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ”
Allah warns before he tortures people:
Allah said in the Holy Quran: ((“We don’t ever torture people before sending a warner.”)). Gracious Allah chose prophet Hood from amongst the people of Aad. The Lord sent Hood to Aad as a guide, a promising of good news and a warner before torture. Almighty Allah said in the Holy Quran: ((“to aad (We sent) their brother hood. he said oh my people, do not you be pious? the elite said who disbelieved among his people, we see that you are mentally ill. We are sure that you are one of the liars. Hood said: oh, my people I am not mentally ill. However, I am the messenger of Allah, the lord of all creatures. I convey to you the messages of my Lord. I am a devoted adviser to you.”))
What Hood did with Aad:
Enjoying luxury, the people of Aad were arrogant because of their health and wealth. They even challenged their Lord with whom they were impolite. Who could persuade them to repent to their Lord? Therefore, they mocked their prophet Hood and did not take his warning seriously. They were the first people who worshiped stone idols after the age and the flood of Noah. Since the time of Noah, people had been monotheists. Noah could root out blasphemy from earth. However, the way of the prophets of Allah was to keep calling people and reminding them of the oneness of their Lord. The story of prophet Hood is really interesting.
“قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي سَفَاهَةٍ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي سَفَاهَةٌ وَلَٰكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ”
How Hood tried to guide his people:
In his call to his people to worship Allah, Hood focused on two things. He focused on the importance of rain and their material power. However, his people replied to him saying that they did not understand much of what he called them to believe in. The people of Aad rejected his call altogether. Aad even asked him to get them a miracle and a sign to believe him. They said they would not abandon their parents’ religion for his sake. However, Hood tried to use logic to convince them. Hood tried to persuade them that they worshiped useless stone statues. Nevertheless, they accused Hood of madness. Meanwhile, Hood insisted on his stand and did not try to be flexible with them.
“قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي سَفَاهَةٌ وَلَٰكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَأَنَا لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ أَمِينٌ أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ
أَنْ جَاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ لِيُنْذِرَكُمْ ۖ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِي الْخَلْقِ بَصْطَةً ۖ
فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ”
Aad challenged Allah so the rain stopped:
Very few people believed in Hood. On the other hand, the elite of Aad insisted on rejecting faith. Consequently, rain did not fall any longer. Aad’s wells and springs ran out. The orchards of Aad got dry. Their cattle became skinny. Aad lived like that for three years. Aad got exhausted from the drought and impatiently waited for rain. Their houses looked gloomy. Their faces were covered with melancholy. However, their hearts still rejected faith. They even sent a delegation to Makkah to make dua at the Kabah. However, the delegation spent a month in Makkah listening to songs and drinking wine every night.
“وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ”
Aad sought salvation, but in vain:
Finally, the delegation went to the Kaaba and made dua for rain. They saw three clouds, one was white, one was red and one was dark. The delegation chose the dark one thinking it was full of rain. However, they heard someone saying: “You have chosen a cloud of ashes and dust.” The ashes and dust ruined children and their parents, and parents with their children. The people of Aad were eagerly looking for rain. However, the ashes and dust ruined their town. Yet, they were too stubborn to accept faith. Eventually, the torture of Allah hit them. Allah ruined both aad and their town. The Holy Quran tells us in detail the torture of the people of Aad.
“فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا هَٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا اسْتَعْجَلْتُمْ بِهِ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ”
