AD AND THE DEADLY HURRICANE
VERSE NO.21-25
Here the ``Brother'' as an adjective to qualify the prophet of Ad, is to show how kind and compassionate their prophet was to them.
``AHGHAF'' literally means, ``running sands'' that are moved here and there in the Arabic deserts by the winds. It also means, ``a sandy region''.
Therefore, the place of Ahghaf, whether a place with sand tracts, or with running sands, probably must have been in the South Arabia, near the borders of Yemen.
Their prophet asked them not to worship anything or anyone except God, and warned them of a painful punishment which was not far from them; but they stubbornly rejected the Divine Call.
Their prophet, Hood, was not a stranger among them. He advised his brethren as a kind and well-wisher brother who was of the same tribe. But his people firmly grasped their evil way, and their false gods that they worshipped. They defied Allah and His Messenger who had come to them with Mercy and guidance; threatening him to death. They ironically told him; let your promise of punishing us come to pass!
In answer to them he said:- ``I am only a warner and that is none of my bussiness. The knowledge of punishment is only with God, and He alone knows when it will come.''
The punishment for evil deed is an awful evil end! Sooner or later it will come; but only God knows its exact time of arrival. It might come sooner or later, but it never fails to come. It generally comes out of a sudden, and when the evil doers expect it the least or never!
The advices and admonitions of their prophet affected them not at all! They thus incurred the wrath of God, and then a piece of cloud appeared in the sky! The cloud spread and expanded little by little. Now the people of Ad had been longing for a rain, when they saw the expanding cloud coming. Seeing it, they rejoiced saying:- ``Here is the cloud which will rain for us!''
Things were different. The cloud was not pregnant with water! There was a wind riding on its wings! A tremendous wind that brought them nothing but ruin, death and destruction!
Next morning there could be seen nothing of the traces of life in their houses, and so were those disobedient unbelievers recompensed.