| Hud: (50-51) And to 'Ad, their brother Hud...

This is the second story mentioned by Allah (Exalted is He) in this Surah. It is connected to the preceding verse, "And indeed, We sent Noah..." (Al-Hadid: 26). The implied meaning is: And indeed, We sent to 'Ad their brother Hud. The mention of "Hud" is a clarification (Badal).

Know that Allah (Exalted is He) described Hud as their "brother." This brotherhood was not in religion, but in lineage, as Hud was a man from the tribe of 'Ad. This tribe was an Arab tribe located in the region of Yemen. This is similar to saying to a man, "O brother of Tamim" or "O brother of Sulaym," meaning he is one of them.

If one asks: Allah said concerning the son of Noah, "Indeed, he is not of your family" (Hud: 46), thereby clarifying that kinship of lineage is of no benefit if the kinship of religion is not achieved. Yet here, this brotherhood is affirmed despite the difference in religion. What is the difference between these two cases?

We reply: The purpose of this statement is to endear the message to the people of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Since his people found it strange that Muhammad, despite being one of their own tribe, could be a Messenger to them from Allah, Allah mentioned that Hud was one of 'Ad and Salih was one of Thamud, to remove this sense of improbability.

Know that Allah recounts that Hud (peace be upon him) invited his people to several types of obligations.

The first type: He invited them to Monotheism, saying: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventing [a falsehood]." (11:50)

A question arises here: How did he invite them to worship Allah before establishing the proof for the existence of the Divine Essence?

We reply: The proofs for the existence of Allah (Exalted is He) are apparent—they are the signs in the horizons and within themselves. Rarely does one find a group in the world that denies the existence of a Deity. This is why Allah described the disbelievers by saying: "And if you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they would surely say, 'Allah.'" (Quran 39:38).

The author of this book, Muhammad ibn Umar al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him and grant him a good end), said: When I entered the lands of India, I saw those disbelievers unanimously affirming the existence of a Deity. Most of the lands of the Turks are also like this. The issue lies in the worship of idols, which is a plague that has afflicted most regions of the earth. This was also the case in ancient times, the time of Noah, Hud, and Salih (peace be upon them). These Prophets (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon them) forbade them from worshipping idols. Therefore, His saying, "Worship Allah," means: Do not worship other than Allah. The proof for this is His subsequent statement: "You have no deity other than Him." This indicates that the purpose of this statement was to prevent them from engaging in the worship of idols.

As for His saying, "You have no deity other than Him," it has been read with Raf' (nominative case) as an adjective describing the implied state of the prepositional phrase, and it has been read with Jarr (genitive case) as an adjective describing the pronunciation.

Then He said: "You are not but inventing [a falsehood]." This means you are liars in your claim that worshipping these idols is good, or in your claim that they deserve worship. How can this not be a lie and fabrication when they are inanimate objects possessing no sensation or perception? It is man who assembled and shaped them. How fitting is it for the human who made them to worship them and place his forehead on the dust in reverence for them?

Furthermore, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) guided them to Monotheism and forbade them from worshipping idols, he said: "O my people, I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only from the One who created me." (11:51). This is exactly what Noah (peace be upon him) mentioned, because when the call to Allah (Exalted is He) is purified from the stain of greed, its effect on the heart is strengthened.

Then He said: "Do you not then use reason?" This means: Do you not use reason to understand that I am correct in forbidding the worship of idols? This is because knowledge of the correctness of this prohibition seems inherent in the primary faculties of reason.

7 < { And, O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will send upon you the heaven [with] abundant rain and increase you in strength to your strength. And do not turn away, being criminals." } > 7 !