Tafsir of Al-Ahqaf 46:21

Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes): Verse 21

[46:21] And mention the brother of ‘Ād...

Know that when the Almighty established various proofs for the Oneness of God (Tawhid) and Prophethood, the people of Mecca, due to their deep immersion in worldly pleasures and preoccupation with acquiring them, turned away and paid no heed. This is why the Almighty said concerning them: {And on the Day when those who disbelieve are exposed to the Fire, [it will be said to them], "You exhausted your good things in your worldly life and enjoyed them..."} (Al-Ahqaf 46:20).

Since this was their state, the Almighty mentioned that the people of ‘Ād were greater than them in wealth, strength, and prestige. Yet, God subjected them to punishment because of the evil consequence of their disbelief. This story is mentioned here so that the people of Mecca may take heed, abandon being deceived by what they possess of this world, and turn toward seeking religion. This is the reason God mentioned this story in this place, as it is appropriate to what preceded it, because when one wishes to condemn a certain way of life for a people, the method is to present parables, estimating that whoever persists in that way will be afflicted with such and such tribulation.

And His saying, {And mention the brother of ‘Ād} means: Mention, O Muhammad, to your people, the people of Mecca, Hūd, peace be upon him.

{when he warned his people} meaning, he cautioned them about God's punishment if they did not believe.

And His saying, {in Al-Ahqāf} (the Dunes/Sand Dunes):

• Abū ‘Ubaydah said: Al-haqf is crooked sand. From this, the crooked is called maḥqūf.
• Al-Farra’ said: Al-Ahqāf is the plural of ḥiqf, which is broken, not massive sand dune, possessing some crookedness.
• Ibn ‘Abbās said: Al-Ahqāf is a valley between Oman and Mahra.

{from before them} meaning, from their past, {and from behind them} meaning, from their future. The meaning is that Hūd, peace be upon him, warned them and told them not to worship anyone except God, saying, "Indeed, I fear the punishment for you."

Know that all the messengers sent before him and those who will be sent after him are warners, similar to his warning.

Then the Almighty recounted the response of the disbelievers: {They said, "Have you come to us to turn us away} Al-Ifk means outright diversion. It is said, afakahu ‘an ra’yihi (he diverted him from his opinion). Or perhaps it means: to remove us by means of falsehood {from our gods} and from worshipping them. {So bring us what you promise us} (i.e., hasten the punishment for our polytheism) {if you are of the truthful} in your promise.

At this, Hūd said: {Indeed, the knowledge is only with God}. This statement is a suitable response to their saying, {So bring us what you promise us}, because their demand was an impatient hastening of that punishment. Hūd told them, "I have no knowledge of the specific time when that punishment will occur; only God possesses that knowledge. {And I convey to you what I have been sent with}, which is the warning about the punishment, but the knowledge of its timing, God has not revealed it to me. {But I see that you are a people who are ignorant}."

This statement can bear several interpretations:

1. The meaning is that you do not know that the messengers were not sent asking about things they were not permitted to speak of; rather, they were sent only to convey the message.
2. "I see that you are a people who are ignorant" in the sense that you remain insistent upon your disbelief and ignorance, so it is likely that the time for punishment to descend upon you is near because of this extreme ignorance and complete impudence.
3. "I see that you are a people who are ignorant" because you insist on demanding the punishment. Even if my truthfulness has not become apparent to you, neither has my falsehood. Therefore, proceeding with such an intense demand for this punishment is great ignorance.

Then the Almighty said: {But when they saw it} Al-Mubarrid mentioned two opinions regarding the pronoun in ra’awhu (they saw it):

1. It refers to something not explicitly mentioned, clarified by His saying {as a cloud approaching} (similar to His saying, {God has not left upon the earth any creature...} (Fāṭir 35:45), where the Earth was omitted because it is known). Similarly here, the pronoun refers to the cloud, as if it were saying, "When they saw the cloud approaching." This is the preference of Al-Zajjāj, and it is a case of implicit reference rather than explicit explanation.
2. The pronoun refers back to what was mentioned in their demand, {So bring us what you promise us}, meaning, when they saw what they were promised approaching as a cloud.

Abū Zayd said: Al-‘āriḍ is a cloud seen on the horizon that then covers the sky.

And His saying, {coming towards their valleys}: The commentators said that rain had been withheld from ‘Ād for some days, so God sent them a black cloud that approached them from a valley called Al-Mughīth. {When they saw it coming towards their valleys} they rejoiced and {said, "This is a cloud bringing us rain"} meaning, bringing rain to us.

It is narrated that Hūd was sitting with his people when a dense cloud appeared. They said, {This is a cloud bringing us rain}. Hūd replied: {No, it is that for which you were impatient}—the punishment. Then He clarified its nature: {It is a wind in which there is a painful punishment}.

Then He described that wind: {destroying everything} meaning, annihilating everything—people, animals, and vegetation—{by the command of its Lord}. The meaning is that this is not due to the influence of stars or conjunctions, but rather an event initiated by God's power specifically to punish them.

{So they became} meaning, the people of ‘Ād, {such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings}.

Issue 1: It is narrated that the wind used to lift their tents high into the air until they looked like locusts. It is said that the first to see the punishment was a woman among them who said, "I saw a wind containing sparks like fire." It is narrated that the first way they recognized it as a painful punishment was when they saw their men and livestock in the desert being tossed by the wind between the sky and the earth. They entered their houses and locked their doors, but the wind tore the doors away and struck them down. God turned the Ahqāf over them, and they remained beneath them for seven nights and eight days, groaning. Then the wind uncovered them, lifted them up, and threw them into the sea.

It is narrated that when Hūd sensed the wind, he drew a line around himself and the believers near a spring that was flowing. The wind that struck them was gentle, calm, and pleasant, while the wind that struck the people of ‘Ād lifted them from the ground, carried them to the sky, and dashed them onto the earth. The effect of the miracle manifested in that wind in this manner.

It is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "God did not command the keeper of the winds to send against ‘Ād anything more than the amount the signet ring can hold." Then, that small amount completely destroyed them. The purpose of this account is to demonstrate the perfection of God's power. It is also narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him), when he saw the wind, would become alarmed and say: "O God, I ask You for its good, and the good for which it was sent, and I seek refuge in You from its evil, and the evil for which it was sent."

Issue 3 (Regarding the Reading): ‘Āṣim and Ḥamzah recited {lā yurā} (with a yā’ and a ḍammah on the yā’) and {masākinuhum} (with a ḍammah on the nūn). Al-Kisā’ī said the meaning is: Nothing could be seen except their dwellings.

Nāfi‘, Ibn Kathīr, Abū ‘Amr, Ibn ‘Āmir, and Al-Kisā’ī recited {lā turā} (with a tā’ addressing the listener), meaning: "You, O addressee, will not see anything." In some narrations from ‘Āṣim, it is {lā turā} with a tā’ and {masākinuhum} with a ḍammah on the nūn. This is the recitation of Al-Ḥasan, interpreted as: You will not see anything remaining of ‘Ād except their dwellings. The majority consider this recitation not strong.

Then the Almighty said: {Thus do We recompense the criminals}. The purpose is to frighten the disbelievers of Mecca. If it is asked: How can the warning be effective when God said, {But God would not punish them while you were among them} (Al-Anfāl 8:33)? We reply: The verse {But God would not punish them while you were among them} was revealed later in the matter; thus, the warning was effective before its revelation.

Then the Almighty frightened the disbelievers of Mecca and mentioned the superiority of ‘Ād in strength and physique over them, saying: {And We had established them in a position in which We had not established you}. Al-Mubarrid said that the mā in {fīmā} (in that which) is like alladhī (that which), and inna is like mā. The interpretation is: "And We had established them in that which We had established you." The meaning is that they were stronger than you in power and greater than you in wealth.

Ibn Qutaybah said the word inna is superfluous. The interpretation would be: "And We had established them in that which We established you." This is incorrect for several reasons:

1. No rational person would claim that a letter in the Book of God is useless.
2. The purpose of this statement is to show that they were stronger than you in power, yet they did not escape God's punishment. How, then, will your situation be? This purpose is only fully realized if the verse indicates they were stronger than the people of Mecca.
3. Other verses support this meaning, such as: {They are better in possessions} (Maryam 19:74) and {before them, they were greater than them in might and more numerous in wealth and offspring} (Ghāfir 40:82).

Then the Almighty said: {And We gave them hearing and sight and hearts}. The meaning is that We opened the doors of blessings upon them and gave them hearing, but they did not use it to listen to the proofs; We gave them sight, but they did not use it to contemplate the lessons; and We gave them hearts, but they did not use them to seek knowledge of God. Instead, they directed all these faculties toward seeking the world and its pleasures. Consequently, their hearing, their sight, and their hearts availed them nothing against God's punishment.

Then the Almighty clarified that their hearing, sight, and hearts did not avail them because they used to deny the signs of God. His saying {because they used to deny} functions as a cause (ta‘līl). The word idh (when) is sometimes used to indicate causation, as in: "I struck him idh (because) he misbehaved."

In this verse, there is a warning for the people of Mecca: When the people of ‘Ād were deceived by their worldly possessions and refused to accept proof and argument, the punishment of God descended upon them, and their strength and numbers did not save them. Therefore, the people of Mecca, despite their weakness and inability, are more deserving of being warned and fearing God's punishment.

Then the Almighty said: {And what they used to mock at befell them}. Meaning, they used to demand the descent of the punishment, but they only demanded it in mockery, and God knows best.