The Causes of the Destruction of the Disbelievers from the People of Hud (peace be upon him);
Denial of the Noble Prophet Hud (Peace be upon him)
Selections from the Book Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) And the Causes for the Demise of the Civilization of the People of Aad…
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (20)
Numerous verses indicate that the denial of the messengers was a cause of the destruction of past nations. These verses are clear in showing the relationship between rejecting the messengers and the destruction that befell those nations.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: {And if they deny you, [O Muhammad] - so, before them, did the people of Noah and ʿAad and Thamud deny [their prophets], (42) And the people of Abraham and the people of Lot. (43) And the inhabitants of Madyan. And Moses was denied, so I prolonged enjoyment for the disbelievers; then I seized them, and how [terrible] was My reproach. (44)} [Al-Hajj: 42-44].
These verses and similar ones were revealed to console the Prophet (Peace be upon him) regarding the rejection and dismissal he faced from his people. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) recounts the stories of those who rejected their messengers in the past and what became of them—destruction and doom. This serves as a form of comfort to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) for the pain and sorrow he felt due to the rejection of the disbelievers. It reminds him that he is not unique in facing such rejection, as earlier messengers were also denied, and it serves as a warning to the disbelievers of his people, warning them that their end may be like that of their ancestors who rejected their messengers and were struck by swift punishment.
Similar Verses on the Denial of Messengers:
Allah Almighty says: {The people of Noah denied before them, and [the tribe of] ʿAad and Pharaoh, the owner of stakes, (12) And [the tribe of] Thamud and the people of Lot and the companions of the thicket [i.e., people of Madyan]. Those are the companies. (13) Each of them denied the messengers, so My penalty was justified. (14)} [Sad: 12-14]. Ibn Kathir commented on this verse, stating that the cause of their destruction was their rejection of the messengers.
- Another similar verse from Allah Almighty is: {The people of Noah denied before them, and the companions of the well and Thamud (12) And ʿAad and Pharaoh and the brothers [i.e., people] of Lot (13) And the companions of the thicket and the people of Tubba. All denied the messengers, so My threat was justly fulfilled. (14)} [Qaf: 12-14].
As you can see, these verses clearly speak about the destruction of nations because they rejected their messengers. There are also other verses that discuss specific nations’ actions in denying their messenger and their subsequent destruction because of it.
The Denial of the Messengers refers to accusing them of lying or anything else that would imply they were false in their message. It is one of the gravest sins and crimes that the nations before committed, and they met destruction because of it. Among these nations is the people of ‘Aad. Prophet Hud (Peace be upon him) was the most truthful, pure-hearted, noble, and trustworthy among them. Allah Almighty chose him for His message and supported him with divine revelation, miracles, and signs. Allah did not choose him for the message except because of His knowledge of Hud’s fitness for the task, for He is the All-Knowing and knows where to place His message.
The Grave Crime of the People of ‘Aad in rejecting Prophet Hud (Peace be upon him) was so severe that it led to their punishment. Allah Almighty says: {Aad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning. (18) Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune, (19) Extracting the people as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted. (20) And how [severe] were My punishment and warning. (21)} [Al-Qamar: 18-21].
They were like the people of Noah (Peace be upon him) in their rejection and disregard, rejecting their prophet Hud (Peace be upon him), persistently ignoring his call until Allah’s punishment came upon them. Their rejection is also mentioned in Surah Ash-Shu‘ara: {ʿAad denied the messengers} [Ash-Shu'ara: 123]. This verse begins the story of ‘Aad in Surah Ash-Shu‘ara, and the story concludes there with the reminder of their rejection of Prophet Hud (Peace be upon him) even after the sincere and profound advice he gave them in hopes of their repentance. However, at the end of the story, they became more obstinate than before. Allah Almighty says: {And they denied him, so We destroyed them.} [Ash-Shu'ara: 139].
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) And the Causes for the Demise of the Civilization of the People of Aad, pp. 505-508.
- Noah and the Great Flood, p. 327.
- Reasons for the destruction of previous nations, p. 192.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) And the Causes for the Demise of the Civilization of the People of Aad on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
