Prophets Hūd, Ṣāliḥ and Ibrāhīm: The Ruins of the Mighty
Section 3 of 25 · Lives of the Prophets
This Is a Cloud Bringing Us Rain
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا ٱسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۭ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ لَا يُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
“So, when they saw it as a cloud proceeding towards their valleys, they said, “This is a cloud that will bring us rain.” No, it is the very thing you asked to hasten up - a wind in which there is a painful punishment, that will destroy every thing with the command of its Lord! So they became such that nothing remained to be seen except their dwelling places. This is how We punish the guilty people.” (46:24–25)
Allah (swt) says: fa-lammā raʾawhu ʿāriḍan mustaqbila awdiyatihim qālū hādhā ʿāriḍun mumṭirunā — then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: this is a cloud bringing us rain. Because this was very dark. And a dark cloud means what? A lot of rain. So they were looking forward, and happy, and pleased that we are finally receiving rain.
Allah (swt) says: bal huwa mā-staʿjaltum bihi, rīḥun fīhā ʿadhābun alīm — nay, but it is a torment which you were asking for. This is the torment you were asking for: a wind wherein is a painful torment. Tudammiru kulla shayʾin bi-amri rabbihā: destroying everything by the command of its Lord. They thought it was rain; it was the punishment of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), when he would see clouds approaching Madīnah, his face would change. You can see that he's worried. And ʿĀʾishah would notice that, and she asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). She said: O Messenger of Allah, when people see the clouds, they're happy — especially in Arabia, because they don't receive a lot of rain. When people see the clouds coming, they're happy; they're very pleased. So ʿĀʾishah said: when people see the clouds approaching, they're happy, but you look anxious. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: because a nation before us saw these clouds and thought that they had mercy. They didn't know that they had the punishment of Allah (swt) in them. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had the fear in his heart.
And we, unfortunately, in the world today in general, are exactly like the people of ʿĀd. Exactly. When the earthquake — you know the earthquake that happened a few weeks ago, and we felt it here in San Diego — the next day, I watched some of the interviews they made with people. They brought this lady; this lady said it was cool. Another guy said it was fun. Somebody else said it was an adventure. Others said it was interesting.
Subḥān Allāh, Allah is sending you these as a reminder. Allah is sending you these ayat as a reminder, and you're saying that they're cool, and fun, and interesting, and an adventure? Look at the state of the hearts of people: exactly like the people of ʿĀd. Because they are keeping Allah (swt) out of the equation. And that is the situation of the people today: they only think in terms of natural phenomena and natural laws, as if Allah (swt) does not exist.