English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 26: Al-Shuara — The Poets (Revealed at Makkah: 11 sections, 227 verses)
Section 7 (Verses 26:123–26:140): History of Hud
Translation:
کَذَّبَتۡ عَادُۨ الۡمُرۡسَلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۲۳﴾ۚۖ
26:123 Ād rejected the messengers.
اِذۡ قَالَ لَہُمۡ اَخُوۡہُمۡ ہُوۡدٌ اَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲۴﴾ۚ
26:124 When their brother Hūd said to them: Will you not guard against evil?
اِنِّیۡ لَکُمۡ رَسُوۡلٌ اَمِیۡنٌ ﴿۱۲۵﴾ۙ
26:125 Surely I am a faithful messenger to you:
فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوۡنِ ﴿۱۲۶﴾ۚ
26:126 So keep your duty to Allah and obey me.
وَ مَاۤ اَسۡـَٔلُکُمۡ عَلَیۡہِ مِنۡ اَجۡرٍ ۚ اِنۡ اَجۡرِیَ اِلَّا عَلٰی رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۱۲۷﴾ؕ
26:127 And I ask of you no reward for it: my reward is only with the Lord of the worlds.
اَتَبۡنُوۡنَ بِکُلِّ رِیۡعٍ اٰیَۃً تَعۡبَثُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲۸﴾
26:128 Do you build on every height a monument,1 being vain?
وَ تَتَّخِذُوۡنَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَخۡلُدُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲۹﴾ۚ
26:129 And you make fortresses that you may abide forever.
وَ اِذَا بَطَشۡتُمۡ بَطَشۡتُمۡ جَبَّارِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۰﴾ۚ
26:130 And when you seize (people), you seize as tyrants.
فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوۡنِ ﴿۱۳۱﴾ۚ
26:131 So keep your duty to Allah and obey me.
وَ اتَّقُوا الَّذِیۡۤ اَمَدَّکُمۡ بِمَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۳۲﴾ۚ
26:132 And keep your duty to Him Who aids you with what you know —
اَمَدَّکُمۡ بِاَنۡعَامٍ وَّ بَنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۳﴾ۚۙ
26:133 He aids you with cattle and children
وَ جَنّٰتٍ وَّ عُیُوۡنٍ ﴿۱۳۴﴾ۚ
26:134 and gardens and fountains.
اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ عَظِیۡمٍ ﴿۱۳۵﴾ؕ
26:135 Surely I fear for you the punishment of a grievous day.
قَالُوۡا سَوَآءٌ عَلَیۡنَاۤ اَوَ عَظۡتَ اَمۡ لَمۡ تَکُنۡ مِّنَ الۡوٰعِظِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۶﴾ۙ
26:136 They said: It is the same to us whether you admonish or do not admonish;
اِنۡ ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّا خُلُقُ الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۷﴾ۙ
26:137 this is only a fabrication of the ancients,
وَ مَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۸﴾ۚ
26:138 and we will not be punished.
فَکَذَّبُوۡہُ فَاَہۡلَکۡنٰہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً ؕ وَ مَا کَانَ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳۹﴾
26:139 So they rejected him, then We destroyed them. Surely there is a sign in this, yet most of them do not believe.
وَ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الرَّحِیۡمُ ﴿۱۴۰﴾٪
26:140 And surely your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.
Commentary:
- The word āyat, literally a sign, is used here to indicate the lofty building that should acquire renown as a sign of greatness. These lofty buildings were, no doubt, used to terrorize others, as v. 130 shows that acts of cruelty and violence were committed by Ād, while they considered themselves safe in their fortresses. ↩