Hazrat Hud — Page 9
Who were these people whose kingdom extended practically over the whole of Arabia and who ruled over the fertile parts of Yemen, Syria and Mesopotamia? They were known as the Aad. The Aad were a mighty people; they lived just after the time of Hazrat Nuh (peace be on him). They were strong in number and they wished to rule over many lands. They tried to overpower weaker communities and destroy their cultures. If anyone stood up against them, they would crush them brutally. They were cruel rulers. Even though the Aad had achieved so much in science, agriculture and in knowledge of all kinds, they had at the same time become very evil and dishonest. They no longer worshipped Allah. They lived as if they would live forever and never gave a thought to the after life. They spent their time eating, drinking and wasting their time doing nothing of any use. They had no care for the poor and needy and no sense of justice. Their dealings and lives were full of bad behaviour, which was disliked by Allah. They failed to recall that it was Allah who had blessed them with everything: their knowledge, their wealth, their children and their security. They chose to worship idols which they had made by themselves from stone. 9