Surah Hud (Hud) 11 : 102

Overview (Verses 100 - 102)

Summing up Past Lessons

These are some of the accounts of past communities which We relate to you. Some still remain while others are extinct, like a field mown-down. No wrong did We do to them, but it was they who wronged themselves. Those deities of theirs which they were keen to invoke instead of God availed them nothing when your Lord’s judgement came to pass; they only added to their ruin. Such is your Lord’s punishment whenever He takes to task any community which is bent on evil-doing; His punishment is indeed grievous, severe. (Verses 100-102)

So far, the sūrah has portrayed the suffering which overwhelmed various ancient nations: some were drowned in floods, some perished in a devastating storm, some by an awful cry, and some found the earth under their feet subside, opening up to swallow them and their dwellings. Then when all these scenes of destruction in this world are visible before our eyes, and when our hearts are deeply touched by what has been related of events and punishments, we have the final comment: “These are some of the accounts of past communities which We relate to you.” (Verse 100) You, Prophet, had no knowledge of any of this. You came to know of them only through divine revelation. This is indeed one of the objectives of telling such stories in the Qur’ān.

“Some still remain.” (Verse 100) Their ruins which still exist testify to the standard of civilization and strength that these communities attained. Of these the ruins of `Ād at al-Aĥqāf and Thamūd at al-Ĥijr are the best examples. “Others are extinct, like a field mown-down.” (Verse 100) They were wiped out, without a trace, as in the cases of the peoples of Noah and Lot. After all, what are people? And what is civilization? They are but fields of human beings, similar to agricultural fields. Some plants are good and pleasing, others are foul. Some acquire strength and spread, others wither and die.

“No wrong did We do to them, but it was they who wronged themselves.” (Verse 101) They chose to be blind and to stifle their instincts and senses. They turned away from divine guidance, ignored God’s signs and greeted His warnings with contempt. Hence, they brought on themselves the suffering they received, wronging themselves while no wrong was done them.

“Those deities of theirs which they were keen to invoke instead of God availed them nothing when your Lord’s judgement came to pass; they only added to their ruin.” (Verse 101) This verse states another objective behind relating such historical accounts in the Qur’ān. The sūrah opened with a warning to all those who submit to deities other than God.

The same warnings were repeated by every messenger and every prophet. They were told that these false deities could not protect them from God. Their destinies confirmed the earlier warnings. When God’s judgement came to pass, none of their deities could avail them of anything. None was able to spare them any portion of the suffering which befell them. Indeed, their false gods could only add to their ruin. This because when they relied on false gods, they added venom and contempt to their opposition to God’s messengers and His messages. Hence, their punishment was even more severe. This is the meaning of the expression: “they only added.” Indeed, those deities could do them neither good nor harm. They were, however, the cause of their increased punishment.

“Such is your Lord’s punishment whenever He takes to task any community which is bent on evil-doing.” (Verse 102) It is only when a community indulges in evil that God takes it to task and brings about its destruction. Punished communities are always bent on evildoing.

They do evil when they ascribe a share of Godhead to anyone other than God. They are unjust to themselves when they spread corruption in the land and turn their backs on calls for upright behaviour and for acknowledgement that God is the only deity in the universe. In such communities, injustice spreads and tyrants rule.

“His punishment is indeed grievous, severe.” (Verse 102) God leaves people to enjoy themselves for a while. He tests them and sends them messengers and clear signs. When, however, evil reigns supreme in a community, and the advocates of truth are only a minority unable to influence the majority, bent on evil-doing; when the small community of believers disassociate themselves from the rest of their people, who are persistent in error, and consider themselves to be a separate community with their own religion, leadership and loyalties; when they make all this plain to the rest of their people and leave them to their destiny, as determined by God, then God brings about His punishment of the evil-doers which is “grievous, severe”

Grievous and severe as the punishment in this world is, it is only an indication of the suffering in the hereafter. This is only fully appreciated by those who dread such punishment. These are they who are farsighted enough to realize that the One who punishes evil-doing communities in this life will hold them answerable for their sins in the life to come. Hence, they fear such future-life punishment, and do righteous deeds in this life to spare themselves. At this point, the sūrah portrays scenes from the Day of Judgement, in the familiar Qur’ānic style which relates such scenes to scenes of this world with no gap evident between the two.