People of Ad: Difference between revisions

'''People of 'Ād''' (Arabic: {{ia|قوم عاد}}) were Arab and lived in south of [[Arabia]]. They were descendants of 'Ad b. 'Aws who named their tribe after their forefather. They had large bodies and benefitted from many blessings. [[God]] sent [[Prophet Hud (a)]] to them to invite them to [[monotheism]]. Most of them stood against him and did not accept his invitation and thus were afflicted with divine punishment.

The glorious Qur'an has mentioned the people of 'Ad in several [[verses]] some of which are verses 21 – 26 of [[Qur'an 46]], verses 69 – 74 of [[Qur'an 7]], verse 46 of [[Qur'an 51]], verse 50 of [[Qur'an 11]], verse 31 of [[Qur'an 23]], verses 13 – 15 of [[Qur'an 41]], verse 20 of [[Qur'an 54]], verse 7 of [[Qur'an 69]], verse 8 of [[Qur'an 89]], verse 15 of [[Qur'an 32]] and verse 130 of [[Qur'an 26]].

The glorious Qur'an considered the people of 'Ad after Nuh (a);<ref>Qurʾān, 7:69; 51:46.</ref> when it says, "and that it is He who destroyed the former 'Ad",<ref>Qur'an 53:50.</ref> "The former 'Ad" were the people of [[Prophet Hud (a)]]<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 19, p. 50.</ref> who lived after the [[people of Nuh (a)]] and before the [[Thamud|people of Thamud]].<ref>Miybudī, ''Kashf al-asrār'', vol. 5, p. 532.</ref> Thus, there was a latter 'Ad as well, whom some [[exegete]]s considered the people of Thamud.<ref>Miybudī, ''Kashf al-asrār'', vol. 6, p. 435.</ref>

The Qur'an calls the place where the people of 'Ad lived [[al-Ahqaf]], and mention Prophet Hud (a) the brother of 'Ad, when he warned his people at Ahqaf.<ref>Qur'an 46:21.</ref> "al-Ahqaf" means: dunes which pile up by the blow of wind in the deserts" and the land of 'Ad was called al-Ahqaf because it was a dune of such nature.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 21, p. 292.</ref> Exegetes have considered al-ahqaf a region in the south of Arabia.<ref>Qarashī, ''Qāmūs al-Qurʾān'', vol. 5, p. 65.</ref> However, there are disagreements on its accurate location.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 18, p. 210.</ref> [['Allama Tabataba'i]] and [[al-Tabrisi]] believed that al-Ahqaf was a place between [[Yemen]] and [[Oman]] which is a dune now.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 10, p. 456; Ṭabrisī, ''Tarjuma-yi Tafsīr Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 18, p. 218.</ref> In Qur'an 46 which meant to warn [[polytheists]] about a painful [[reward and punishment|punishment]].<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 18, p. 283.</ref> A part of the story of 'Ad is mentioned as an example of punished polytheists. In ''[[Tafsir-i Nimuni]]'', [[Ayatollah Makarim Shirazi]] believed that the name of Sura al-Ahqaf (Qur'an 46) is adopted from the story of 'Ad and their place of living.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 21, p. 295.</ref>

Some exegetes believe that from the appearance of the verses, it can be learned that these people had a civilization and a developed community. They also had developed cities and fertile lands full of gardens, palm gardens and farms. Verse 8 of [[Qur'an 89]] describes Eram which was one of their cities, "the like of which was not created among cities" <ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 26, p. 452; Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 10, p. 456.

People of 'Ad worshipped different deities.<ref>Qurʾān, 11:53.</ref> Every time, they made an idol for themselves out of fun. They made water reservoirs in their basements for they hoped to be immortal.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 6, p. 226-232; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 10, p. 457; Ṭabrisī, ''Tarjuma-yi Tafsīr Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 23, p. 15.</ref> Prophet Hud (a) was chosen to guide them.<ref>Qurʾān, 11:50.</ref> The Qur'an introduces Prophet Hud (a) as the brother of 'Ad,<ref>Qurʾān, 11:50.</ref> because he (a) was one of them.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 10, p. 298.</ref> [['Allama Tabataba'i]] believed that there is a possibility that 'Ad had prophets other than Hud (a) as well who were chosen after Noah (a) and before Hud (a), but the Qur'an has not mentioned them; however, the context of verses does not agree with this possibility.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 10, p. 453.</ref>

Exegetes believe that from verse 59 of [[Qur'an 11]] (Sura Hud) which says, "and followed the dictates of every obdurate tyrant",<ref>Qurʾān, 11:59.</ref> it can be learned that 'Ad were had three problems of rejecting divine signs, disobeying prophets and obeying tyrants. In fact, they followed the orders of every despot and that kept them away from following Hud (a) and accepting his invitation. Then, God continues describing them in the next verse as, "they were pursued by a curse in this world and on the [[Resurrection]]", because of those three problems. The curse in this verse refers to the punishment which followed them and finally reached them.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 9, p. 143-144; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 10, p. 453.</ref>

In different verses, the Qur'an mentions the conversations between [[Prophet Hud (a)]] and people of 'Ad.<ref>Qurʾān, 11:50-57.</ref> 'Ad were afflicted with drought and for many years it did not rain there.<ref>Qummī, ''Tafsīr al-Qummī'', vol. 1, p. 329.</ref> Prophet Hud (a) promised them that if they repent, drought will be gone and their power may even increase.<ref>Qurʾān, 11:52.</ref> But, they did not accept Hud's (a) invitation.<ref>Qurʾān, 11:53.</ref>

 

They saw a great cloud in the distance and thought that it was a rain cloud, while it was actually the cloud of punishment. <ref>Qurʾān, 46:24.</ref>Finally, for seven days punishment casted upon them.<ref>Qurʾān, 69:24.</ref> After destruction of the people of 'Ad, Prophet Hud (a) and other believers left that land and went to [[Mecca]].<ref>ʿŪtabī al-Ṣaḥārī, ''al-Ansāb'', vol. 1, p. 71.</ref>

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