The Sand Dunes (Al-Ahqaf)
Verses 21-23 GROUP_1340 46.21-23
21
وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
Tell of the brother of ‘Ad; when he warned his people in the sand dunes—and indeed warners came and went before him and after him—saying, ‘Worship none but God; surely I fear for you the punishment of an awful Day,’
22
قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
but they said, ‘Have you come to us to turn us away from our deities? Then bring down upon us what you threaten us with, if you are truthful.’
23
قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ
He said, ‘God alone knows when it will come, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent, but I see you are a people who are ignorant.’
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Commentary
(a) The people of ‘Ad once inhabited that area of southern Arabia which is now known as ar-Rub al-Khali. They made considerable progress, but their development pushed them into arrogance and neglectfulness. Then Almighty God made Hud, a member of that community, a prophet, and sent him to them. Hud warned his community of God’s displeasure but, unwilling to be reformed, it received its prophet with rudeness. Ultimately, God’s wrath descended upon it and it received such a severe punishment that its glorious and lush green surroundings turned into a totally arid desert.