Hud (prophet)
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Hud (
Historical context
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Hud has sometimes been identified with Eber,[9] an ancestor of the Ishmaelites and the Israelites who is mentioned in the Old Testament.
Hud is said to have been a subject of a mulk (
The
Umman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to Hadhramaut and Yemen at the southern end of the Red Sea. The people were tall in stature and were great builders. Probably the long, winding tracts of sands (ahqaf) in their dominions (46:21) were irrigated with canals. They forsook the true God, and oppressed their people. A three years famine visited them, but yet they took no warning. At length a terrible blast of wind destroyed them and their land, but a remnant, known as the second ʿĀd or the Thamud (see below) were saved, and afterwards suffered a similar fate for their sins. The tomb of the Prophet Hud (qabr Nabi Hud) is still traditionally shown in Hadhramaut, latitude 16 N, and longitude 491⁄2 E, about 90 miles north of Mukalla. There are ruins and inscriptions in the neighborhood.
The other tribes said to be present at this time in Arabia, were the Thamud, Jurhum, Tasam, Jadis, Amim, Midian, Amalek Imlaq, Jasim, Qahtan, Banu Yaqtan and others.[11]
The Quran gives the location of ʿĀd as being Al-Aḥqāf (
If you look at the classical texts and the Arab historical sources, Ubar refers to a region and a group of people, not to a specific town. People always overlook that. It's very clear on Ptolemy's second century map of the area. It says in big letters "Iobaritae". And in his text that accompanied the maps, he's very clear about that. It was only the late medieval version of One Thousand and One Nights, in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, that romanticised Ubar and turned it into a city, rather than a region or a people.[17]
The Moroccan mystic Abdulaziz ad-Dabbagh gives detailed information about Hud: According to him, 53:50 alludes to the fact that Hud was sent to the second ʿAd tribe, which lived after Noah. The first 'Ad tribe had a messenger named Huwayd, whose message was to be revived by Hud, and the tribe was destroyed with stones and fire by God. Hud was Eber's son (see Eber in Islam for his genealogy) and Iram was the name of one of the tribes of 'Ad, specifically the one Hud was sent to (see Iram in the Qur'an).[18]
Narrative in the Quran
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This is a brief summary of Hud's narrative, with emphasis on two particular verses:
The people of ʿĀd were extremely powerful and wealthy and they built countless buildings[19] and monuments to show their power. However, the ʿĀd people's wealth ultimately proved to be their failure, as they became arrogant and forsook God and began to adopt idols for worship, including three named Samd, Samud and Hara.[11] Hud, even in childhood, remained consistent in prayer to God. It is related through exegesis that Hud's mother, a pious woman who had seen great visions at her son's birth, was the only person who encouraged Hud in his worship.[20] Thus, the Lord raised up Hud as a prophet for the ʿĀd people.[20]
When Hud started preaching and invited them to the worship of only the true God and when he told them to repent for their past sins and ask for mercy and forgiveness, the ʿĀd people began to revile him and wickedly began to mock God's message. Hud's story epitomizes the prophetic cycle common to the early prophets mentioned in the Quran: the prophet is sent to his people to tell them to worship God only and tells them to acknowledge that it is God who is the provider of their blessings[9] The Quran[3] states:
11:50 And to the people of ’Âd We sent their brother Hûd. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. You do nothing but fabricate lies ˹against Allah˺.
11:51 O my people! I do not ask you for any reward for this ˹message˺. My reward is only from the One Who created me. Will you not then understand?
11:52 And O my people! Seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will shower you with rain in abundance, and add strength to your strength. So do not turn away, persisting in wickedness.”
11:53 They argued, “O Hûd! You have not given us any clear proof, and we will never abandon our gods upon your word, nor will we believe in you.
11:54 All we can say is that some of our gods have possessed you with evil.” He said, “I call Allah to witness, and you too bear witness, that I ˹totally˺ reject whatever you associate
11:55 with Him ˹in worship˺. So let all of you plot against me without delay!
11:56 I have put my trust in Allah—my Lord and your Lord. There is no living creature that is not completely under His control. Surely my Lord’s Way is perfect justice.
11:57 But if you turn away, I have already delivered to you what I have been sent with. My Lord will replace you with others. You are not harming Him in the least. Indeed, my Lord is a ˹vigilant˺ Keeper over all things.”
Miracle
According to a tafsir from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya in his book of analysis, Madaarij Saalikeen, which has been quoted by Ibn Abi al-Izz in his syarh (commentary) of Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya, Hud has a miracle, which is pointed by the verse of 54-57:
(54-55) "All we can say is that some of our gods have smitten you with evil." He replied:" I call God to witness, and you be witness too, that I am clear of what you associate (in your affairs) ... Apart from Him. Contrive against me as much as you like, and give me no respite.
(56) I place my trust in God who is my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature that moves on the earth who is not held by the forelock firmly by Him. Verily the way of my Lord is straight.
(57) If you turn away, then (remember) I have delivered to you the message I was sent with. My Lord will put other people in your place, and you will not be able to prevail against Him. Indeed my Lord keeps a watch over all things."
— Qur'an, Surah 11 (Hud), Ayat 54 –57
Both Ibn Qayyim and Ibn Abi al-Izz, examining this chain of verses as the occurrence when Hud fought alone against entire nation of 'Ad, the entire city was about to harm him both psychologically and physically, only to be defeated by miraculous power shown by Hud, which resulted from his firm belief to the protection from God.[21] Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar, a Salafi scholar of Tafsir, quoted this literation in his book,[20] while his brother, Muhammad Sulaiman Al Ashqar, professor of Islamic University of Madinah, also implied his support of this narrative about Hud's miracle, in his own tafsir, Zubdat at Tafsir Min Fath al Qadir.[22] The miracle is further highlighted by Firanda Andirja, lecturer of Al-Masjid al-Haram. According to a tafsir of the whole Surah Hud by scholars, the 'Ad were a powerful empire that preceded the era of Abraham and Nimrod, and they were tyrannically oppressive towards other civilizations at that time.[21]
Calamity upon ʿĀd
After Hud has been left alone by the people of ʿĀd for a long time. The majority of them, however, refused to pay any notice to his teachings and they kept ignoring and mocking all he said. As their aggression, arrogance and idolatry deepened, God, after plenty of warning, sent a thunderous storm to finish the wicked people of ʿĀd once and for all. The destruction of the ʿĀd is described in the Quran:[6]
Then when they saw the torment as a ˹dense˺ cloud approaching their valleys, they said ˹happily˺, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.” ˹But Hûd replied,˺ “No, it is what you sought to hasten: a ˹fierce˺ wind carrying a painful punishment!” It destroyed everything by the command of its Lord, leaving nothing visible except their ruins. This is how We reward the wicked people.
The
Meanwhile, another Quran verse that describe further the characteristic of winds that bear calamity were Adh-Dhariyat:
And in ˹the story of˺ ’Âd ˹was another lesson,˺ when We sent against them the devastating wind.
Exegesis experts translate Ar-Rīḥ al-ʿAqīm (ٱلرِّيْح ٱلْعَقِيْم) literally as "fruitless wind" or "barren wind", a wind that does not bring benefit or any positive reaction to any biological existences.[21] According to Arabic linguists and tafseer experts who examined al-Aqeem, its literal form is "sterile" in this verse's context, which correlates the antithesis of common characteristic of natural winds that usually benefitted the natural cycle, or any biological progressions or reproductions, whether for humans, animals or plants.[21]
In addition for its barren characteristic, another verse also described additional features about the catastrophic tornado which decimated the 'Ad is in Surah Al-Qamar:
Indeed, We sent against them a furious wind, on a day of unrelenting misery,
Exegesis experts describe ar-Rīḥ ash-Sharshar (ٱلرِّيْح ٱلشَّرْشَر, the cold and harsh wind) as literally freezing yet possess thunderous deafening voice, and according to Tafsir Ibn Kathir, the strength of such punishing winds alone has squeezed the peoples of Ad inside out, until their intestines came out from their rectum and mouths.
In the hadiths
There are several hadiths from various chains that became supporting materials regarding Calamity that has fallen upon the ʿĀd peoples, such as:
- Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.[27]
- Another mention of the calamity of 'Ad from Hadith came from the narration of battle of the trench, when the polytheists coalition army encampment were struck by storm, that Muhammad as said: "I have been made victorious with As-Saba (easterly wind) and the people of 'Ad were destroyed by Ad-Dabur (westerly wind)."[28][29]
Place of burial
Several sites are revered as the tomb of Hud. The most noted site,
In other religions
Hud is referred to in the Baháʼí Faith as a Prophet who appeared after Noah and prior to Abraham, who exhorted the people to abandon idolatry and practice monotheism. His endeavors to save His people resulted in their "willful blindness" and His rejection. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, The Book of Certitude, p. 9)[34]
See also
- Biblical narratives and the Quran
- Legends and the Quran
- Muhammad in Islam
- Stories of The Prophets
Citations
- ^ ISBN 9789004161214. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ Quran 7:65-72
- ^ a b c Quran 11:50-60
- ^ Quran 26:123-139
- ^ Quran 38:11-13
- ^ a b c Quran 46:21-26
- ^ Quran 50:12-14
- ^ a b Quran 54:21-26
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8108-7603-3.
- ^ Abdullah Yusuf Ali. The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary. Note 1040.
- ^ Qisas Al-Anbiya[Stories of the Prophets].
- ISBN 90-04-08265-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7591-0190-6.
- ^ Wilford, John Noble (1992-02-05). "On the Trail From the Sky: Roads Point to a Lost City". The New York Times. New York, the United States. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ Zarins, Juris (May–June 1997). "Atlantis of the Sands". Archaeology. Vol. 50, no. 3. New York: Archaeological Institute of America. pp. 51–53. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- S2CID 128081354.
- PBS Nova Online (Interview). Archivedfrom the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- )
- ^ Quran 26:128-129
- ^ ISBN 9789795928058. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ YouTube
- ^ Sulaiman al Ashqar, Muhammad. "Surat Hud 57". Tafsirweb (in Indonesian and Arabic). Translated by Daris Musthofa. Tafsirweb; Ministry of religious Affair of Indonesia; Ministry of Saudi Arabia. p. Original version of Zubdat al Tafsir. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ "وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ (6)" [التفسير Tafsir (explication) الطبري - As for Aad, they were decimated by a fierce squall wind (6).]. ksu.edu (in Arabic). King Saud University. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ISBN 9789795928553. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ISBN 9795619675. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ al-Bukhari, Muhammad. "الموسوعة الحديثية". Dorar. p. Book: Prophets - كتاب أحاديث الأنبياء Global Id: 3210 (0) Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 3343. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Serjeant, Robert Bertram (1954). "Hud and Other Pre-islamic Prophets in Hadhramawt". Le Muséon. 67. Peeters Publishers: 129.
- ^ a b c Al-Harawi, Ali ibn Abi Bakr. Kitab al-Isharat ila Ma rifat al-Ziyarat [Book of indications to make known the places of visitations].
- ISBN 978-90-04-00708-6.
- ^ Ibn Battuta. Rihla [The Travels]. i, 205; ii, 203.
- ISBN 1605060933.
Bibliography
References in the Qur'an
- ʿĀd people built their land: 7:69, 26:133-134, 89:7-8
- Arrogance of the ʿĀd people: 41:15, 26:128-129,
- Hud's prophecy: 7:65-72, 11:50-57, 23:32 26:124-127, 26:131-132, 26:135, 46:21-23
- Persecution of Hud: 7:66-67, 11:53-55, 14:9, 26:136-137 38:12, 46:21, 50:13, 54:18
- Destruction of ʿĀd: 7:72, 11:58, 11:89, 23:41, 25:38, 26:139, 29:38, 29:40, 40:31, 41:13, 41:16, 46:24-25, 51:41-42, 53:50, 54:19-20, 69:6-8, 89:6
Further reading
- Qur'anic Tafsir on chapters VII, XI, XXVI (cf. index: Hud)
- Ibn Qutaybah (1960). Kitāb al-Ma'ārif (in Arabic) (‘Ukāshah, Tharwat ed.). Cairo: Dār al-Kutub. pp. 28, 56.
- Al-Tabari. Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk [History of the Prophets and Kings]. Vol. I. p. 231.
- ISBN 90-04-12589-2.
- Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani. Kitāb al-Iklīl min akhbār al-Yaman wa-ansāb Ḥimyar [Crowns from the Accounts of al-Yemen and the genealogies of Ḥimyar] (in Arabic). Vol. I. p. 37.
- Shalih ibn Abdullah ibn Humaidi; Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance; Islamic University of Madinah; Ministry of Religious Affairs (Indonesia).
External links
- "Prophet Hud". Witness-Pioneer: A Virtual Islamic Organization. Archived from the original on 13 January 2002. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- نيل المقصود في مشروعية زيارة نبي الله هود عليه السلام (book in Arabic)
- Maqam of Prophet Hud (عليه السلام), Yemen
- View from Prophet Hud's grave (YouTube)