Surah Ash Shu'ara Tafseer

`Ad denied the Messengers. When their brother Hud said to them:

"Will you not have Taqwa! Verily, I am a trustworthy Messenger to you. So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of all that exists."

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Hud, when he called his people `Ad. His people used to live in the Ahqaf, curved sand-hills near Hadramawt, on the borders of Yemen. They lived after the time of Nuh, as Allah says in Surah Al-A`raf:

وَاذكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَأءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِى الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً

And remember that He made you successors after the people of Nuh and increased you amply in stature. (7:69)

This refers to the fact that they were physically strong and well-built, and very violent, and very tall; they had also been given a great deal of provisions, wealth, gardens, rivers, sons, crops and fruits. Yet despite all of that, they worshipped others besides Allah. So Allah sent Hud, one of their own, as a Messenger bringing them good news and delivering warnings. He called them to worship Allah alone, and he warned them of Allah's wrath and punishment if they were to go against him and treating him harshly.

He said to them, as Nuh had said to his people:

أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ايَةً تَعْبَثُونَ