Overview - Surah 11: Hud (Hud)
In this Surah we have the stories of Prophets Noah, Salih, Hud, Lot, Shuaib and Moses - peace be upon them all. The basic point is that Allah sent His Prophets and Messengers to mankind out of His grace and mercy, but when people did not listen to the Prophets and rejected their message then Allah's punishment came and came relentlessly. It did not make any difference whether someone was the son of a Prophet or his wife or any one, none could escape Allah’s judgment.
Sections:
- Seek forgiveness from Allah and His bounties will be for you.
- Patience and good deeds bring the stability in character.
- The story of Prophet Noah -peace be upon him.
- The fate of those who disbelieved in Prophet Noah. The moving description of the fate of Prophet Noah's son.
- The Message of Prophet Hud. 'Ad people denied Allah's message and were punished.
- The Message of Prophet Saleh, the Sign of the She-Camel, and end of Thamud.
- Prophet Ibrahim receives the angles. The angels then went to Prophet Lot. The punishment of the people of Lot -peace be upon him.
- Prophet Shu'aib and his message, his people's denial and their punishment.
- Prophet Moses was sent to Pharaoh and his people. The purpose of these stories.
- Prophets were denied before. Continue presenting the message with patience. Had Allah forced His will upon the people, He would have made them all one people.
The mention of Prophet Hud occurs more time in this Surah than any other Surah of the Qur'an. It appears a total of 5 times.
The Prophet refered to this surah as Hud in a number of hadeeth. Abu Bakr once said to the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you have become old.’ The Prophet said, ‘I have become old [due to] [Surah] Hud, al-Waqiah [56], al-Murasalat [77], Amma yatasailoon [an-Naba 78] and Waidha ash-Shamsu kuwirat [at-Takweer 81].” [Tirmidhee]
There are 123 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 123 |
| Total Words * | 1917 |
| Root Words * | 358 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 52nd (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 12th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
2nd Pledge of Aqabah, 1st Pledge of Aqabah, Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
| |
| Events during/after still to occur*
,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
| |
| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut, Ibrahim, Ishaq, Yaqub, Shuaib, Musa
| |
| Surah Index
‘Aad, Abraham, Adversity (patience during) , God (ability to do anything) , God (throne rests upon the water) , Angels, Behaviour (each group given a law and way of life) (God could have made them one community), Death (those communities who have no revelation will not be destroyed) , Disbelievers (relationship to belivers) , Earth (creation and recreation of) , Earth (creation of) (in six days), Hell, Hud, Humankind (creation of) (from earth), Isaac, Jacob, Jinn, Judgement (Day) , Lot, Madyan, Moses, Noah, Noah (ark) , Noah (ark) (came to rest on Mt. Judi), Noah (flood) , Pharaoh, Prayer (times of day of) , Prophet (people who are false prophets are wicked) , Qur’an, Religion, Resurrection (Day) , Resurrection (of soul) , Revelation, Salih, Shu’ayb, Thamud, Thamud (she camel) , Thamud (she camel) (killing of), Thamud (she camel) (punishment for), Torah
| |
Issue 1: Lessons from history regarding those who denied. From the time of Prophet Nuh to the time of the Prophet Muhammad [saw], there is one manifest truth and that this that there is no one who deserved to be worshipped except God alone without any equal and partner.
Issue 2: The stance of the Messengers. Despite these Messengers being rejected, mocked at, belied and denied, they stood firm with Yaqin [certainty], Thabat [steadfastness] and Sabr [patience and perseverance].
Issue 3: Warning and Admonition. The Surah deals with the same subject as Surah 10: Yunus (Jonah) that is invitation to the Message admonition and warning with this difference that the warning is sterner. This is also supported by a hadith: Some time after its revelation, Abu Bakr noted to the Prophet that he had been noticing that he was growing older and older. The Prophet replied, “Surah Hud and the like Surahs have made me old.” This shows that it was a very hard time for the Prophet and these stern warnings added greatly to his anxieties that were caused by the persecution from the Quraysh who were doing their worst to crush down the Message of Islam. For it was obvious to the Prophet that the last limit of the respite given by God was approaching nearer and nearer and he was afraid lest the term of the respite should expire and his people be seized by the torment. The invitation is this: Obey the Messenger of God; discard polytheism (Shirk) and worship God and God alone: establish the entire system of your life on the belief that you shall be called to account in the Hereafter
The admonition is this: Remember that those people who put their faith in the outward appearance of this worldly life and rejected the Message of the Prophets met with dire consequences. Therefore you should consider it seriously whether you should follow the same way that history has proved to be the path to ruin
The warning is this: You should not be deluded by the delay in the coming of the punishment: it is because of the respite that God has granted you by His grace so that you might mend your ways: if you do not make use of this opportunity you shall be inflicted with an inevitable punishment that will destroy you all except the Believers
Instead of addressing the people directly, the Qur’an has used the stories of the people of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu’aib and Moses to achieve the above mentioned objects. What is most prominent in their stories is that when God passes His judgement on the people He does not spare anyone whatsoever even if he be the nearest relative of the Prophet of the time. Only that one is rescued who had believed in the Prophet and none else not even his own son or wife. More than that: the Faith demands from each and every Believer that he should totally forget his relationships when that judgement comes and remember only the relationship of the Faith. For it is against the spirit of Islam to show any regard whatsoever for the relationships of blood and race. And the Muslims demonstrated these teachings practically in the Battle of Badr four years after the revelation of this Surah.
- The mention of Prophet Hud occurs most in this Surah in comparison to any other Surah of the Qur'an. It appears a total of 5 times.
-
The Surah begins with an order to single out Allah for Ibadah (worship), أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ "Do not worship except Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings," (11:2)
The Surah ends with also an order to worship Him, وَلِلَّـهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ "And to Allah belong the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth and to Him will be returned the matter, all of it, so worship Him and rely upon Him. And your Lord is not unaware of that which you do." (11:123)
- In the beginning and end of the Surah, the Prophet is advised about staying firm upon the revelation:
فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَضَائِقٌ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ “Then would you possibly leave [out] some of what is revealed to you, or is your breast constrained by it because they say, "Why has there not been sent down to him a treasure or come with him an angel?" But you are only a warner. And Allah is Disposer of all things.” (11:12)
فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا ۚ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do. And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.” (11:112-113)
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
In the previous Surah, Yunus, there was a brief mention of the Prophet Nuh (10:71) but it was not detailed. In Surah Hud, the first of the stories of the Prophets mentioned is that of Prophet Nuh and this is followed by others.
- Words derived from J-R-M- (crime, criminal) appear 6 times in Surah Hud. This is the highest occurance compared to any other Surah.
- Words derived from KH-Z-YA (Humiliation) appear 4 times in Surah Hud, the highest compared to any other Surah
- (11:122) is the shortest Ayat of this Surah with 3 words,
وَانتَظِرُوا إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ "And wait, indeed, we are waiting." (11:122)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = * | ||
If we consider its theme deeply we come to the conclusion that it was revealed during the same period as Surah 10: Yunus (Jonah) and most probably followed it immediately.
Heavy responsibility affected the Prophet's health
It has been reported that once Abu Bakr said to the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you have become old.’ The Prophet said, ‘I have become old [due to] [Surah] Hud, al-Waqiah [56], al-Murasalat [77], Amma yatasailoon [an-Naba 78] and Waidha ash-Shamsu kuwirat [at-Takweer 81].” [Tirmidhee]
Lessons:
1) Abu Bakr's love for the Prophet - he noticed the changes in his friends face/body - like anyone who loves someone else - We need to be observant on those around us.
2) The Prophet put him looking old down to the weight and responsibility of implementing the Qur'an - The weight of it made the Prophet old, would crumble a mountain - how is our relationship to it? - The early Muslims understood completely that every word of the Qur'an is true - so they felt the pressure/weight of whatever was discussed by Allah [swt] in the Qur'an
3) The Prophet [saw] pointed out 5 Surahs specifically - We should try to read these Surahs and information on the explanation of these Surahs as to why specically these had the effect they did.
- Istiqamah [steadfastness] - the stance of the Messengers.
- Not weakening or inclining to the enemies of the truth.
- The pain of the disbelievers rejecting the truth, albeit be they love ones, like the son of Prophet Nuh, should not weaken the resolve of the Believer.
- Allah is the Provider and Sustainer of all creatures.
- The Qur'an is the pure Message of Allah and is not forged by the Prophet.
- Story of the Prophet Nuh and his people.
- Dialogue between Nuh, his son and Allah.
- Prophets Hud, Saleh, Lut and Shu'aib's addresses to their people and consequences of their people's rejecting their messages.
- Divine law of virtues removing the evils.
- Allah has given freedom of choice to mankind (whether to believe or not to believe).
Tafsir Zone
|
Sayyid Qutb Overview (Verses 5 - 6) Hiding Away from God Having thus given a brief outline of what the Qur’ān, the book with perfected and clearly spelled-out verses, contains, the sūrah goes on to describe how some of them receive these verses when they are read to them by God’s Messenger. It describes the physical movements they make, hanging their heads down and covering their breasts to hide from God. It tells them of the absurdity of such action when God sees them even in their most private situations, and is fully aware of every move made by every creature on earth. They cover up their breasts in order to hide from Him. Surely, when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open. He has full knowledge of what is in people’s hearts. There is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on God; and He knows its habitation and its resting place. All this is in a clear record. (Verses 5-6) These two verses portray an awe-inspiring scene worthy of careful study. It is enough to contemplate the fact that God has knowledge of, and power over, everything, while people of His own creation try to hide away from Him when His Messenger conveys His message. The first verse portrays what the unbelievers did when the Prophet tried to recite to them God’s revelations. They covered their breasts and hung their heads down in order to hide from God, even though they felt, in the depth of their hearts, that He was the originator of this revelation. This they intimated on more than one occasion. The same verse shows how futile such action is. God, who sent down this revelation, is watching them as they hide and as they come out of hiding. In the inimitable style of the Qur’ān this meaning is presented in an awesome personal and private situation. When they go to bed, alone, in the darkness of the night, with all their clothes and covers on, God remains with them. He sees what takes place in such a private situation, and He has power over them in this condition, as well as in any other condition: “Surely, when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open.” (Verse 5) God certainly knows what is much more deeply hidden and what is kept much more secret. Their shrouds and coverings cannot hide anything from His knowledge. In such a private situation, however, man feels that he is alone, unseen by anyone. Hence, the Qur’ān touches his conscience and alerts him to what he may overlook: “He has full knowledge of what is in people’s hearts.” (Verse 5) He is, indeed, aware of the secrets people keep closely guarded. They are well hidden in people’s breasts and kept there permanently. For this reason they are described in the Arabic original as belonging to the bosom, as if they were inseparable. They are, nevertheless, known to God, who is well aware of every action, whisper and movement. “There is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on God; and He knows its habitation and its resting-place. All this is in a clear record.” (Verse 6) This is another example of God’s knowledge which encompasses everything. All the creatures which live on earth; every human being and every animal, whether it walks, flies, crawls or creeps; and every creature which lives underneath the soil or in the depths of the sea is known to God. He it is who provides them with sustenance and He knows where each one of them abides and where it lies down, where it comes and where it goes. Each single one of them is part of His very detailed knowledge. Here the Qur’ān gives us an elaborate picture of God’s knowledge of His creation. Contemplating this image fills us with awe. The matter, however, does not end with mere knowledge. God also provides sustenance for every single one of this infinite number of creatures. Our minds are even less capable of imagining how all this happens, unless God favours us with some inspiration. Out of His free-will, God has chosen to provide sustenance to every living creature on earth. He, therefore, has given the earth the ability to meet the needs of all these creatures, and has given these creatures the ability to get their sustenance which is available on earth in some form or another. Creatures want their provisions in different forms: raw, cultivated, manufactured, resulting from chemical processes or in any other form which generates food. Some creatures for example, like fleas and mosquitoes, feed on blood which is fully digested food. This comprehensive picture of providing sustenance is the one befitting God’s wisdom, grace and compassion as manifested in the way He has created the universe, and the way He has created all creatures with the abilities He has given them. This applies most particularly to man who is put in charge of this planet, and who is given the ability to analyse and synthesise, to grow and produce, to change the face of the earth and develop all life situations as he goes about seeking production by the abilities and powers that God has planted in this universe. In this he also depends on natural laws which make the universe conducive to producing all that it does for the sustenance of all living creatures. This verse does not mean that every creature has its own predetermined provisions which will not fail to come about even if he chooses not to work for them. Had this been the case, why would God require us to work and utilize the laws of nature? What would be the wisdom of giving all these creatures the abilities He has given them? How would life develop? How would man play his important role in this development? Every creature has its sustenance; this is a fact. This sustenance is available in the universe, provided by God and He has established laws of nature which make production commensurate with effort. No one, therefore, can remain idle, thinking that the heavens will shower gold or silver on them. The heavens and earth, however, are full of sustenance which is sufficient for all creatures. They need to work in order to obtain their sustenance according to God’s laws which neither favour any creature over another nor do ever fail. However, what people earn can be divided into good and bad. Both come as a result of work and effort. They certainly differ in quality, as well as in the use and results to which they are put. We should not overlook the contrast provided here by mentioning ‘living creatures’ and their sustenance, and the goodly enjoyment mentioned in Verse 3 which we have already discussed. The perfect style of the Qur’ān does not overlook the use of such finer elements that enhance the beauty of construction and effect. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
|
|
|
- Surah 11. Hud - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I1RwadiNQM&index=11&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 11. Hud Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71B7ptdhXtY&index=11&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- Surah 11. Hud Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIvyX6T1jow
- Surah Hud Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBI1Q8p8Nzs
- Surah 11. Hud muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAnCHq2caWU&index=11&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
- Dr Israr Ahmed Tafsir Surah Hud (50) to Surah Yusuf (1-40)1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWGMhfrImw&index=55&list=PLB4B8D1654A8BD263
- Surah Hud (50) to Surah Yusuf (1-40)2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBsdP0pE-qQ&index=56&list=PLB4B8D1654A8BD263
