Page 355 - An Index to the Qur'an

then repent to Him. He will send heaven down yourselves, and construct great fortresses, hoping
to you in abundant rain, and increase you with to live for ever, and when you attack, attack as
strength upon strength. Do not turn away as evil- tyrants do? So have fear of Allah and obey me.
doers.’ (11:50-52) Have fear of Him Who has supplied you with
They said, ‘Hud, you have not brought us any what you know, supplied you with livestock and
clear sign. We will not forsake our gods for what children and gardens and clear springs. I fear for
you say. We do not believe you. We only say that you the punishment of a terrible Day.’ They said,
one of our gods has driven you mad.’ He said, ‘I ‘It makes no difference to us whether you preach
call on Allah to be my witness, and you also bear or do not preach. This is only what the previous
witness, that I am free of all the gods you have peoples did. We are not going to be punished.’
apart from Him. So scheme against me, all of you So they denied him and We destroyed them.
together, and then grant me no respite. I have put There is certainly a Sign in that, yet most of them
my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There are not believers. Truly your Lord is the Almighty,
is no creature He does not hold by the forelock. the Most Merciful. (26:123-140)
My Lord is on a Straight Path. If you turn your And ‘Ad and Thamud–it must be clear to you
backs, I have transmitted to you what I was sent from their dwelling places! Satan made their ac-
to you with, and my Lord will replace you with tions seem good to them and so debarred them
another people, and you will not harm Him at from the Way, even though they were intelligent
all. My Lord is the Preserver of everything.’ people. (29:38)
(11:53-57) If they turn away, then say, ‘I warn you of a light-
When Our command came, We rescued Hud ning-bolt like the lightning-bolt of ‘Ad and of
and those who believed along with him by a Thamud.’ (41:13)
mercy from Us. We rescued them from a harsh ‘Ad were arrogant in the land, without any right,
punishment. (11:58) saying, ‘Who has greater strength than us?’ Did
That was ‘Ad. They denied the Signs of their Lord they not see that Allah, Who created them, had
and disobeyed His Messengers and followed the greater strength than them? But they renounced
command of every obdurate tyrant. (11:59) Our Signs. (41:15)
They were pursued by a curse in this world and Remember the brother of ‘Ad when he warned
on the Day of Rising. Yes indeed! ‘Ad rejected his people by the sand-dunes–and warners
their Lord, so away with ‘Ad, the people of Hud! passed away before and after him–‘Worship no
(11:60) one but Allah. I fear for you the punishment of a
(Shu‘ayb said,) ‘My people! Do not let your terrible Day.’ They said, ‘Have you come to us to
breach with me provoke you into doing wrong so divert us from our gods? Bring us what you have
that the same thing happens to you as happened promised us if you are telling the truth.’ He said,
to the people of Nuh and the people of Hud and ‘All knowledge is with Allah. I only transmit to
the people of Salih; and the people of Lut are not you what I have been sent with. But I see that you
far distant from you.’ (11:89) are a people who are ignorant.’ When they saw it
The same goes for ‘Ad and Thamud and the as a storm cloud advancing on their valleys they
Companions of the Rass and many generations in said, ‘This is a storm cloud which will give us
between. (25:38) rain.’ No, rather it is what you desired to has-
‘Ad denied the Messengers when their brother ten–a wind containing painful punishment, de-
Hud said to them, ‘Will you not guard against stroying everything at its Lord’s command! When
evil? I am a faithful Messenger to you so have morning came you could see nothing but their
fear of Allah and obey me. I do not ask you for dwellings. That is how We repay the people of
any wage for it. My wage is the responsibility of the evildoers. We established them far more
no one but the Lord of all the worlds. Do you firmly than We have established you and gave
build a tower on every hilltop, just to amuse them hearing, sight and hearts. But their hearing,
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