A Meccan sura. The title refers to the sand dunes mentioned in verse 21, where the people of ‘Ad used to live, and where they were destroyed when they rejected the warning of their prophet. It reflects one of the major themes of this sura: the inescapable punishment that awaits those who deny the truth and the Resurrection. Emphasis is placed on the fact that communities more established than the Meccans’ have been destroyed, and that even the jinn believe in the Qur’an before the disbelievers of Mecca do. Finally, the Prophet is encouraged to be steadfast and await God’s judgement on the disbelievers.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Ha Mim
2This Scripture is sent down from God, the Almighty, the Wise. 3It was for a true purpose and a specific term that We created heaven and earth and everything in between, yet those who deny the truth ignore the warning they have been given. 4Say [Prophet], ‘Consider those you pray to other than God: show me which part of the earth they created or which share of the heavens they own; bring me a previous scripture or some vestige of divine knowledge—if what you say is true.’ 5Who could be more wrong than a person who calls on those other than God, those who will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, those who are unaware of his prayers, 6those who, when all mankind is gathered, will become his enemies and disown his worship?
7When Our revelations are recited to them in all their clarity, the disbelievers say of the Truth that has reached them, ‘This is clearly sorcery,’ 8or they say, ‘He has invented it himself Say [Prophet], ‘If I have really invented it, there is nothing you can do to save me from God. He knows best what you say amongst yourselves about it; He is sufficient as a witness between me and you; He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’ 9Say, ‘I am nothing new among God’s messengers. I do not know what will be done with me or you; I only follow what is revealed to me; I only warn plainly.’ 10Say, ‘Have you thought: what if this Qur’an really is from God and you reject it? What if one of the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity [to earlier scripture] and believes in it, and yet you are too proud to [do the same]? God certainly does not guide evildoers.’
11Those who disbelieve say of the believers, ‘If there were any good in this Qur’an, they would not have believed in it before we did,’a and, since they refuse to be guided by it, they say, ‘This is an ancient fabrication.’ 12Yet the scripture of Moses was revealed before it as a guide and a mercy, and this is a scripture confirming it in the Arabic language to warn those who do evil and bring good news for those who do good. 13For those who say, ‘Our lord is God,’ and then follow the straight path there is no fear, nor shall they grieve: 14they are the people of Paradise, there to remain as a reward for what they were doing.
15We have commanded man to be good to his parents: his mother struggled to carry him and struggled to give birth to him—his bearing and weaning took a full thirty months. When he has grown to manhood and reached the age of forty he [may] say, ‘Lord, help me to be truly grateful for Your favours to me and to my parents; help me to do good work that pleases You; make my offspring good. I turn to You; I am one of those who devote themselves to You.’ 16We accept from such people the best of what they do and We overlook their bad deeds. They will be among the people of Paradise—the true promise that has been given to them.
17But some say to their parents, ‘What? Are you really warning me that I shall be raised alive from my grave, when so many generations have already passed and gone before me?’ His parents implore God for help; they say, ‘Alas for you! Believe! God’s promise is true,’ but still he replies, ‘These are nothing but ancient fables.’ 18The verdict has been passed on such people, along with all the communities that went before them, jinn and human: they are lost. 19Everyone will be ranked according to their deeds and God will repay them in full for what they have done: they will not be wronged. 20On the Day when those who deny the truth are brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, ‘You squandered the good things you were given in your earthly life, you took your fill of pleasure there, so on this Day a punishment of shame is yours: you were arrogant on earth without any right, and exceeded all limits.’
21Mention [Hud] of the tribe of ‘Ad: he warned his people among the sand dunes—other warners have come and gone both before and after him—‘Worship no one but God: I fear for you, that you will be punished on a terrible Day,’ 22but they said, ‘Have you come to turn us away from our gods? If what you say is true, bring down that punishment you threaten us with!’ 23He said, ‘Only God knows when it will come: I simply convey to you the message I am sent with but I can see you are an insolent people.’ 24When they saw a cloud approaching their valley, they said, ‘This cloud will give us rain!’ ‘No indeed! It is what you wanted to hasten: a storm-wind bearing a painful punishment 25which will destroy everything by its Lord’s command.’ In the morning there was nothing to see except their [ruined] dwellings: this is how We repay the guilty.
26We had established them in a way we have not established you [people of Mecca]; We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts, yet their hearing, sight, and hearts were of no use to them, since they denied God’s revelations. They were overwhelmed by the punishment they had mocked. 27We have also destroyed other communities that once flourished around you—We had given them various signs so that they might return to the right way— 28so why did their gods not help them, those they set up as gods besides God to bring them nearer to Him? No indeed! They failed them utterly: it was all a lie of their own making.
29We sent a group of jinn to you [Prophet] to listen to the Qur’an. When they heard it, they said to one another, ‘Be quiet!’ Then when it was finished they turned to their community and gave them warning. 30They said, ‘Our people, we have been listening to a Scripture that came after Moses, confirming previous scriptures, giving guidance to the truth and the straight path. 31Our people, respond to the one who calls you to God. Believe in Him: He will forgive you your sins and protect you from a painful torment.’ 32Those who fail to respond to God’s call cannot escape God’s power anywhere on earth, nor will they have any protector against Him: such people have clearly gone far astray.
33Do the disbelievers not understand that God, who created the heavens and earth and did not tire in doing so, has the power to bring the dead back to life? Yes indeed! He has power over everything. 34On the Day the disbelievers are brought before Hell [it will be said to them], ‘Is this not real?’ ‘Yes, by our Lord,’ they will reply and He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment for having denied the truth.’
35Be steadfast [Muhammad], like those messengers of firm resolve.a Do not seek to hasten the punishment for the disbelievers: on the Day they see what they had been warned about, it will seem to them that they lingered no more than a single hour of a single day [in this life]. This is a warning. Shall any be destroyed except the defiant?