4.Prophet Hud(a.s)(Part-2)

Allah recounts his people's attitude towards the Day of Judgment: And the chiefs of his people, whom disbelieved and denied the meeting in the Hereafter, and to who We had given the luxuries and comforts of this life, said:

 "He is no more than a human being like you, he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink. If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily!

You indeed would be losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and have become dust and bones, you shall come out alive (resurrected)?

 Far, very far, is that which you are promised. There is nothing but our life of this world! We die and we live! And we are not going to be resurrected! He is only a man who has invented a lie against Allah, but we are not going to believe in him." 

Surah 23: 33-38 

The chiefs of Hud's people asked: "Is it not strange that Allah chooses one of us to reveal His message to?"

Hud replied: "What is strange in that? Allah wants to guide you to the right way of life, so He sent me to warn you. Noah's flood and his story are not far away from you, so do not forget what happened. All the disbelievers were destroyed, no matter how strong they were."

"Who is going to destroy us, Hud?" the chiefs asked.

"Allah," replied Hud.

The disbelievers among his people answered: "We will be saved by our gods."

Hud clarified to them that the gods they worshipped would be the reason for their destruction, that it is Allah alone Who saves people, and that no other power on earth can benefit or harm anyone.

The conflict between Hud and his people continued. The years passed, and they became prouder, more obstinate, more tyrannical and more defiant of their
 prophet's message. 

Furthermore, they started to accuse Hud of being a crazy lunatic. One day they told him: "We now understand the secret of your madness: you insulted our gods and they harmed you; that is why you have become insane."

Almighty Allah repeated their words in the Qur'an: "0 Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you. All that we say is that some of our gods false deities) have seized you with evil (madness). Surah 11: 53-54

Hud had to return their challenge. He had no other way but to turn to Allah alone, no other alternative but to give them a threatening ultimatum. He declared to them: "I call Allah to witness and bear you witness that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving (living) creature but He has grasp of its forelock.

Verily, my Lord is on the Straight Path (the truth). So if you turn away, still I have conveyed the message with which I was sent to you. My Lord will make another people succeed you, and you will not harm Him." Surah 11: 54-57
 

Thus Hud renounced them and their gods and affirmed his dependence on Allah Who had created him. Hud realized that punishment would be incurred on the disbelievers among his people. It is one of the laws of life. Allah punishes the disbelievers, no matter how rich, tyrannical, or great they are.

Hud and his people waited for Allah's promise. A drought spread throughout the land, for the sky no longer sent its rain. The sun scorched the desert sands, looking like a disk of fire which settled on people's heads.

Hud's people hastened to him asking: "What is that drought, Hud?"

Hud answered: "Allah is angry with you. If you believe in Him, He will accept you and the rain will fall and you will become even stronger than you are."

They mocked him and became more obstinate, sarcastic and perverse in their unbelief. The drought increased, the trees turned yellow, and plants died.

A day came when they found the sky full of clouds. Hud's people were glad as they came out of their tents crying: "A cloud which will give us rain!"

The weather changed suddenly from burning dry and hot to stinging cold, with wind that shook everything: trees, plants, tents, men and women. The wind increased day after day and night after night.

Hud's people started to flee. They ran to their tents to hide, but the gale became stronger, ripping their tents from their stakes. They hid under cloth covers, but the gale became stronger still and tore away the covers. It slashed clothing and skin. It penetrated the apertures of the body and destroyed it. It hardly touched anything before it was destroyed or killed, its core sucked out to decompose and rot. The storm raged for eight days and seven nights.

Almighty Allah recounts: Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain!" Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened! - a wind wherein is a painful torment! Destroying everything by the command of its Lord! Surah 46: 24-25

Allah the Exalted described it thus: And as for 'Ad, - they were destroyed by a furious violent wind which Allah imposed on them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed) as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees! Surah 69: 6-7 
 

That violent gale did not stop until the entire region was reduced to ruins and its wicked people destroyed, swallowed by the sands of the desert.

Only Hud and his followers remained unharmed. They migrated to Hadramaut and lived there in peace, worshiping Allah, their true Lord.