Surah 11. Hud

That which rests with God¹¹⁹ is best for you, if you but believe [in Him]! However, I am not your keeper."

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the lasting merit achieved by virtue of good deeds and fair dealings with one's fellow-men (cf. the expression al-baqiyat as-salihat in 18:46 and 19:76 ).

What remains with Allah is better for you if you are true believers, and I am not set up as a guardian over you."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That which Allah leaveth with you is better for you if ye are believers; and I am not a keeper over you.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said they: "O Shu'ayb! Does thy [habit of] praying compel thee to demand of us¹²⁰ that we give up all that our forefathers were wont to worship, or that we refrain from doing whatever we please with our possessions?¹²¹ Behold, [thou wouldst have us believe that] thou art indeed the only clement, the only right-minded man!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "Do thy prayers command thee...", etc.

I.e., without regard to the rights and needs of others, especially the poor: hence their sarcastic reference, in the next sentence, to Shu'ayb's clemency and right-mindedness.

They said: "Oh Shu'aib! Does your Salah (prayer) command you that we give up all those deities whom our forefathers worshiped or that we have no right of doing what we like with our own goods? For sure, you are the only gracious and righteous man left in the land!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They said: O Shueyb! Doth thy way of prayer command thee that we should forsake that which our fathers (used to) worship, or that we (should leave off) doing what we will with our own property. Lo! thou are the mild, the guide to right behavior.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He answered: "O my people! What do you think? If [it be true that] I am taking my stand on all clear evidence from my Sustainer, who has vouchsafed me goodly sustenance [as a gift] from Himself - [how could I speak to you otherwise than I do]?¹²² And yet, I have no desire to do, out of opposition to you, what I am asking you not to do:¹²³ I desire no more than to set things to rights in so far as it lies within my power; but the achievement of my aim depends on God alone. In Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him do I always turn!

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Zamakhshari, Razi and several other commentators, the clause interpolated here between brackets is elliptically implied in Shu'ayb's answer. His stress on the fact that God has graced him amply with worldly goods is meant to remind his countrymen that it is not self-interest that causes him to ask them to be fair in their dealings with their fellow-men.

I.e., "I do not aim at depriving you of what is rightfully yours" - a reference to verse {85} above.

He said: "O my people! You see, if I have a clear sign from my Rabb and He has given me good sustenance from Himself how can I, then, be a party to your evil and unlawful practices? I do not want to oppose you in what I am forbidding you. I desire nothing but to reform so far as I can manage. My success in this task depends entirely on the help of Allah; in Him do I trust and to Him do I turn for everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: O my people! Bethink you: if I am (acting) on a clear proof from my Lord and He sustaineth me with fair sustenance from Him (how can I concede aught to you)? I desire not to do behind your backs that which I ask you not to do. I desire naught save reform so far as I am able. My welfare is only in Allah. In Him I trust and unto Him I turn (repentant).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And, O my people, let not [your] dissent from me drive you into sin, lest there befall you the like of what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih: and [remember that] the people of Lot lived not very far from you!¹²⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

As pointed out in surah {7}, note [67], the region inhabited by Shu'ayb's people extended from what is known today as the Gulf of 'Aqabah to the mountains of Moab, east of the Dead Sea, in the vicinity of which Sodom and Gomorrah were situated.

O my people! Let not my dispute with you bring upon you the doom similar to that of the people of Nuh or of Hud or of Saleh, nor are the people of Lut far off from you;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And, O my people! Let not the schism with me cause you to sin so that there befall you that which befell the folk of Noah and the folk of Hud, and the folk of Salih; and the folk of Lot are not far off from you.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins, and then turn towards Him in repentance - for, verily, my Sustainer is a dispenser of grace, a fount of love!"

  - Mohammad Asad

seek forgiveness of your Rabb and turn to Him in repentance; for my Rabb is indeed Merciful, Affectionate."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ask pardon of your Lord and then turn unto Him (repentant). Lo! my Lord is, Merciful, Loving.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But his people] said: "O Shu'ayb! We cannot grasp the purport of much of what thou sayest;¹²⁵ on the other hand, behold, we do see clearly how weak thou art in our midst:¹²⁶ and were it not for thy family, we would have most certainly stoned thee to death, considering that thou hast no power over us!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 6:25 . In the present instance, however, the self-confessed lack of understanding on the part of the people of Madyan may have a more subjective meaning, similar to the half-indignant, half-embarrassed retort, "I don't know what you are talking about."

Lit., "we regard thee indeed as a weak one among us" - i.e., without any appreciable tribal support.

They said: "O Shu'aib! We do not comprehend much of what you say. In fact, we see that you are a powerless person among us. Were it not for your family, we certainly would have stoned you, for you are not strong enough to prevail against us."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They said: O Shueyb! We understand not much of that thou tellest, and lo! we do behold thee weak among us. But for thy family, we should have stoned thee, for thou art not strong against us.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said he: "O my people! Do you hold my family in greater esteem than God? - for, Him you regard as something that may be cast behind you and be forgotten!¹²⁷ Verily, my Sustainer encompasses [with His might] all that you do!

  - Mohammad Asad

In classical Arabic usage, as well as in the speech of certain bedouin tribes to this day, the phrase ittakhadhahu (or ja'lahu) zihriyyan (lit., "he put him behind his back") has the meaning of "he held him in contempt", or "he forgot him", or "regarded him as something that may be forgotten". This last rendering seems to be the most appropriate in the above context.

He said: "O my people! Do you regard my family to be more powerful than Allah, that you have disregarded Him totally as a thing cast behind your back? Surely my Rabb encompasses all that you do.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: O my people! Is my family more to be honored by you than Allah? And ye put Him behind you, neglected! Lo! my Lord surroundeth what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, O my people, do [to me] anything that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labour [in God's way]; in time you will come to know which [of us] shall be visited by suffering that will cover him with ignominy, and which [of us] is a liar. Watch, then, [for what is coming:] behold, I shall watch with you!"

  - Mohammad Asad

O my people! You keep on doing your way, and I shall keep up mine: soon you will find out who receives the disgraceful punishment and who is a liar! Wait if you will; I too am waiting with you!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And, O my people! Act according to your power, lo, I (too) am acting. Ye will soon know on whom there cometh a doom that will abase him, and who it is that lieth. And watch! Lo! I am watcher with you.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, when Our judgment came to pass, by Our grace We saved Shu'ayb and those who shared his faith, whereas the blast [of Our punishment] overtook those who had been bent on evildoing: and then they lay lifeless, in their very homes, on the ground,¹²⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

See verse {67} of this surah and the corresponding note [98]; also surah {7}, note [73].

When Our judgement came to pass, We delivered Shu'aib and those who believed with him through Our special mercy. A mighty blast seized the wrongdoers and they lay dead with their faces down in their homes by the morning,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when Our commandment came to pass we saved Shueyb and those who believed with Him by a mercy from Us; and the (Awful) Cry seized those who did injustice, and morning found them prostrate in their dwellings.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

as though they had never lived there. Oh, away with [the people of] Madyan, even as the Thamud have been done away with!

  - Mohammad Asad

as if they had never flourished there. Behold! Like Thamud, gone are the people of Median!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As though they had not dwelt there. A far removal for Midian, even as Thamud had been removed afar!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND, INDEED, We sent Moses with Our messages and a manifest authority [from Us]

  - Mohammad Asad

We sent Musa with Our signs and clear authority

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily We sent Moses with Our revelations and a clear warrant.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

unto Pharaoh and his great ones: but these followed [only] Pharaoh's bidding - and Pharaoh's bidding led by no means to what is right.¹²⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "was not right-guided (rashid)". The short passage dealing with Pharaoh and his followers (verses {96-99}) connects with, and amplifies, the reference to the tribe of 'Ad, who "followed the bidding of every arrogant enemy of the truth" (verse {59} of this surah). Thus, the main point of this passage is the problem of immoral leadership and, arising from it, the problem of man's individual, moral responsibility for wrongs committed in obedience to a "higher authority". The Qur'an answers this question emphatically in the affirmative: the leader and the led are equally guilty, and none can be absolved of responsibility on the plea that he was but blindly following orders given by those above him. This indirect allusion to man's relative free will-i.e., his freedom of choice between right and wrong - fittingly concludes the stories of the earlier prophets and their wrongdoing communities as narrated in this surah.

to Fir'on (Pharaoh) and his chiefs; but they followed the command of Fir'on, and the command of Fir'on was not right.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they did follow the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no right guide.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And so] he shall go before his people on the Day of Resurrection, having led them [in this world] towards the fire [of the life to come]; and vile was the destination towards which they were led -

  - Mohammad Asad

He will be in front of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will bring them down to Hell. How awful will be the place to which they will be brought?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He will go before his people on the Day of Resurrection and will lead them to the Fire for watering place. Ah, hapless is the watering place (whither they are) led.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

seeing that they were pursued by [God's] rejection in this [world], and [shall be finally overtaken by it] on the Day of Resurrection;¹³⁰ [and] vile was the gift which they were given!

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [37] on the last clause of verse {18} of this surah, as well as verse {60}, which refers in identical terms to the destiny of the tribe of 'Ad.

A curse followed them in this life, and a curse will follow them on the Day of Resurrection. What an evil reward for one to receive.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A. curse is made to follow them in the world and on the Day of Resurrection. Hapless is the gift (that will be) given (them).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THIS ACCOUNT¹³¹ of the [fate of those ancient] communities - some of them still remaining, and some [extinct like] a field mown-down - We convey unto thee [as a lesson for mankind]:¹³²

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "This of the accounts" (a construction identical with that employed in 3:44 , 11:49 and 12:102 ), alluding to the fact that only certain aspects of the relevant stories, and not the complete stories as such, are presented here (cf. verse {120} below): the purpose being, as always in the Qur'an, the illustration of an ethical principle or principles, and of men's varying reactions to the guidance which God offers them directly through His prophets and indirectly through the observable phenomena of His creation (See in this connection the second part of note [73] on verse {49} of this surah.)

See preceding note.

These are the stories of the nations which We relate to you; of them some have survived and some have ceased to exist.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is (something) of the tidings of the townships' (which were destroyed of old). We relate it unto thee (Muhammad). Some of them are standing and some (already) reaped.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall