Hūd (AS)
Hūd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rabāḥ ibn al-Jārūd ibn ʿĀd (AS) was one of the prophets sent by Allah to guide the ancient tribe of ʿĀd, a powerful Arab people who inhabited the region of al-Aḥqāf in southern Arabia. The Qurʾān presents Hūd (AS) as a messenger who called his people to worship Allah alone, abandon arrogance and idolatry, and uphold righteousness. Allah states: “And to ʿĀd [We sent] their brother Hūd. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him’” (Qurʾān 7:65). Islamic tradition regards Hūd (AS) as one of the early Arab prophets and an important figure in the chain of prophetic guidance preceding the mission of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ.
The people of ʿĀd were renowned for their physical strength, advanced construction, and material prosperity. The Qurʾān describes them as a mighty civilization that built monumental structures and acted with pride and oppression. Hūd (AS) repeatedly warned them against arrogance and disbelief, reminding them that worldly power could not protect them from divine judgment. He urged them to seek forgiveness and repentance: “And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him; He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength” (Qurʾān 11:52). Despite these warnings, most of the people of ʿĀd rejected his message and mocked the prophet.
The Qurʾān recounts that the persistent disbelief and tyranny of the people of ʿĀd ultimately resulted in divine punishment. Allah sent upon them a violent and destructive wind that continued for several days and nights, annihilating the rebellious nation while saving Hūd (AS) and the believers who followed him. The Qurʾān states: “So We saved him and those with him by mercy from Us, and We cut off the last remnant of those who denied Our signs” (Qurʾān 7:72). Muslim scholars interpreted this account as a moral lesson concerning the consequences of arrogance, oppression, and rejection of divine guidance.
Within Islamic tradition, Hūd (AS) symbolizes patience, perseverance, and steadfast commitment to monotheism in the face of social rejection and hostility. His story occupies a significant place in Qurʾānic narratives concerning earlier prophetic communities and serves as a warning to later generations about the dangers of pride and moral corruption. In the context of sīrah studies, the narrative of Hūd (AS) also bears relevance because the Qurʾān frequently invoked earlier prophets and destroyed nations during the Makkan period to console the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and warn Quraysh against rejecting revelation. Through the story of Hūd (AS), the Qurʾān emphasizes the continuity of prophetic missions and the enduring principles of faith, repentance, and accountability before Allah.
## References
1 Qurʾān 7:65–72; 11:50–60; 26:123–140; 41:15–16; 46:21–26; 51:41–42; 54:18–21; 69:6–8. 2 Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed., ed. P. Bearman et al. (Leiden: Brill, 1960–2005), s.v. “Hūd.” 3 Jane Dammen McAuliffe, ed., Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān (Leiden: Brill, 2001–2006), s.v. “Hūd.” 4 Roberto Tottoli, Biblical Prophets in the Qurʾān and Muslim Literature (Richmond, UK: Curzon Press, 2002), 53–60. 5 Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUmar Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1985), 1: 146. 6 Qāḍī Muḥammad Sulaymān Salmān Manṣūrpūrī, Wa-mā arsalnāka illā raḥmatan li’l-ʿālamīn (Lahore: Progressive Books, 2022), 2: 220.