Quranic theme
Ad
عاد
54 verses
Long before later nations carved houses out of mountains, the people of Ad walked the earth. The classical scholar al-Zamakhshari notes that the tribe was named after their ancestor, Ad, a descendant of Iram and Shem, the son of Noah—much like the descendants of Hashim are known as Bani Hashim (Tafsir al-Kashshaf, 4/747). They were a formidable early civilization, standing as a stark example among the ruined cities of antiquity (9:70). To this massive tribe, God dispatched a messenger from among their own ranks.
What did Prophet Hud tell his people?
The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the kinship between the messenger and his nation, introducing him as their "brother, Hud" (7:65). As Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti observes, Hud approached his people with the customary wisdom and gentle counsel of the prophets (Al-Adhb al-Namir, 3/474). He did not demand tribute, insisting his reward came only from his Creator (11:51).
Hud’s central appeal was a return to monotheism: "My people, worship God. You have no god other than Him" (11:50). He framed repentance not as a path to deprivation, but as a source of physical and material prosperity. If they sought forgiveness and returned to God, Hud promised that the sky would send down abundant rain and they would be granted extra strength upon their existing might (11:52).
How did the tribe react to the message?
Despite the promise of rain and power, the people of Ad remained entrenched in the worship of multiple deities. They dismissed Hud’s warnings, claiming he brought no clear evidence to justify abandoning their ancestral gods on his word alone (11:53). In their defiance, they concluded that Hud was merely suffering from a curse, stating, "All we can say is that one of our gods may have inflicted some harm on you" (11:54).
Hud met their mockery with unwavering conviction. He called God as his witness and openly disowned their false partners. In a stark display of reliance on his Creator, he challenged the entire tribe to mobilize their forces against him. "So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite," he told them, confident that they could not do him any harm because his Lord protects everything (11:55-57).
What was the fate of Ad?
The tribe's stubbornness ultimately sealed their ruin. Their messenger had come with clear truth, but as the Quran notes of such ruined cities, God did not deceive them; they deceived themselves (9:70). When the divine judgment finally came to pass, it was decisive. By His grace, God saved Hud and the small group of believers who stood with him from a severe punishment (11:58).
The eradication of Ad left a lasting warning for the nations that followed. Later peoples who inherited the land—building sprawling castles on its plains and carving houses directly out of the mountains—were directly told to remember God's blessings and heed the fate of Ad before spreading corruption in the land (7:74).
Faced with a defiant and powerful nation that credited its false gods with inflicting harm, Hud’s response stripped away all illusions of earthly power. He anchored himself entirely to the decree of his Creator, declaring to a hostile crowd, "I put my trust in God, my Lord and your Lord. There is no moving creature which He does not control" (11:56).
Verses
Page 1 of 2 — 54 verses in all.
۞ وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
To the people of 'Ad We sent their brother, Hud. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. Will you not take heed?’
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ ٱلْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
Remember how He made you heirs after 'Ad and settled you in the land to build yourselves castles on its plains and carve houses out of the mountains: remember God’s blessings and do not spread corruption in the land,’
أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Have they never heard the stories about their predecessors, the peoples of Noah, Ad, Thamud, Abraham, Midian, and the ruined cities? Their messengers came to them with clear evidence of the truth: God would not deceive them; they deceived themselves.
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۖ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ
To the Ad, We sent their brother, Hud. He said, ‘My people, worship God. You have no god other than Him; you are only making up lies.
يَـٰقَوْمِ لَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَنِىٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
I ask no reward from you, my people; my reward comes only from Him who created me. Why do you not use your reason?
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ
My people, ask forgiveness from your Lord, and return to Him. He will send down for you rain in abundance from the sky, and give you extra strength. Do not turn away and be lost in your sins.’
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰهُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِىٓ ءَالِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
They replied, ‘Hud, you have not brought us any clear evidence. We will not forsake our gods on the strength of your word alone, nor will we believe in you.
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعْتَرَىٰكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٍ ۗ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشْهَدُوٓا۟ أَنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
All we can say is that one of our gods may have inflicted some harm on you.’ He said, ‘I call God to witness, and you too are my witnesses, that I disown those you set up as partners with God.
مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ
So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite.
إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ ءَاخِذٌۢ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
I put my trust in God, my Lord and your Lord. There is no moving creature which He does not control. My Lord’s way is straight.
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُم مَّآ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّى قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّونَهُۥ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌ
But if you turn away, then I have conveyed the message with which I was sent to you, and my Lord will bring along another people in your place. You cannot do Him any harm: it is my Lord who protects everything.’
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا هُودًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
And so, when Our judgement came to pass, by Our grace We saved Hud and his fellow believers. We saved them from a severe punishment.
وَتِلْكَ عَادٌ ۖ جَحَدُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا۟ رُسُلَهُۥ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
These were the Ad: they rejected their Lord’s signs, disobeyed His messengers, and followed the command of every obstinate tyrant.
وَأُتْبِعُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ عَادًا كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّعَادٍ قَوْمِ هُودٍ
They were rejected in this life and so they shall be on the Day of Judgement. Yes, the 'Ad denied their Lord- so away with the Ad, the people of Hud!
وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ
If they reject you [Prophet], so did the people of Noah before them, and those of Ad, Thamud,
وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَأَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلرَّسِّ وَقُرُونًۢا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ كَثِيرًا
as We did for the people of Ad, Thamud, and al-Rass, and many generations in between.
كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
The people of Ad, too, called the messengers liars.
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
Their brother Hud said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God?
إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ
I am a faithful messenger sent to you:
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
be mindful of God and obey me.
وَمَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds.
أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ءَايَةً تَعْبَثُونَ
How can you be so vain that you set up monuments on every high place?
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ
Do you build fortresses because you hope to be immortal?
وَإِذَا بَطَشْتُم بَطَشْتُمْ جَبَّارِينَ
Why do you act like tyrants whenever you attack someone?
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
Be mindful of God and obey me;
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَمَدَّكُم بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ
be mindful of Him who has provided you with everything you know-
أَمَدَّكُم بِأَنْعَـٰمٍ وَبَنِينَ
He has given you livestock, sons,
وَجَنَّـٰتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
gardens, springs-
إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
for I truly fear that the torment of a grievous day will overtake you.’
قَالُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْوَٰعِظِينَ
They replied, ‘It makes no difference to us whether you warn us or not,
إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا خُلُقُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
for we only do what our forefathers used to do:
وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ
we shall not be punished.’
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
They denounced him as a liar, and so We destroyed them. There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe:
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَقَد تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُم مِّن مَّسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ
[Remember] the tribes of 'Ad and Thamud: their history is made clear to you by [what is left of] their dwelling places. Satan made their foul deeds seem alluring to them and barred them from the right way, though they were capable of seeing.
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو ٱلْأَوْتَادِ
The people of Noah, Ad, and firmly-supported Pharaoh rejected their prophets before them.
فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ
The people of 'Ad behaved arrogantly throughout the land without any right, saying, “Who could be stronger than us?” Did they not realize that God, who created them, was stronger than them?’ They continued to reject Our message,
فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
so We let a roaring wind loose on them for a few disastrous days to make them taste the punishment of shame in this world; more shameful still will be the punishment of the life to come, and they will not be helped.
۞ وَٱذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُۥ بِٱلْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ ٱلنُّذُرُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦٓ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
Mention [Hud] of the tribe of Ad: he warned his people among the sand dunes- other warners have come and gone both before and after him- ‘ Worship no one but God: I fear for you, that you will be punished on a terrible Day,’
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
but they said, ‘Have you come to turn us away from our gods? If what you say is true, bring down that punishment you threaten us with!’
قَالَ إِنَّمَا ٱلْعِلْمُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّآ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ
He said, ‘Only God knows when it will come: I simply convey to you the message I am sent with but I can see you are an insolent people.’
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا ٱسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
When they saw a cloud approaching their valley, they said, ‘This cloud will give us rain!’ ‘No indeed! It is what you wanted to hasten: a storm-wind bearing a painful punishment
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۭ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ لَا يُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
which will destroy everything by its Lord’s command.’ In the morning there was nothing to see except their [ruined] dwellings: this is how We repay the guilty.
وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِيهِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَـٰرًا وَأَفْـِٔدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ وَلَآ أَفْـِٔدَتُهُم مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا۟ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
We had established them in a way we have not established you [people of Mecca]; We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts, yet their hearing, sight, and hearts were of no use to them, since they denied God’s revelations. They were overwhelmed by the punishment they had mocked.
وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَٰنُ لُوطٍ
Ad, Pharaoh, Lot,
وَفِى عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلْعَقِيمَ
There is another sign in the Ad: We sent the life-destroying wind against them
وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ
that it was He who destroyed, in their entirety, ancient 'Ad
كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
The people of 'Ad also rejected the truth. How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِى يَوْمِ نَحْسٍ مُّسْتَمِرٍّ
We released a howling wind against them on a day of terrible disaster;
تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ مُّنقَعِرٍ
it swept people away like uprooted palm trunks.