No, Muhammad was not prophetically speaking of the 1963 movie starring Paul Newman. Rather, Hud was a pre-Islamic prophet that God (Allah) sent to the people of ‘Ad, said to be one of the early tribes in Arabia. Supposedly they were destroyed by a violent storm because they rejected the teachings of the monotheist Hud. As usual, the namesake of the chapter only occupies a small part of it.
“In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy”
(the usual opening)
Muhammad begins the sura with one of his common exhortations, that those who repent and turn to the One True God will find forgiveness and joy but those who do not “will have torment on a terrible Day” (11:3). Both Muslims and Christians seem fixated on the idea that God must torment the unbelievers rather than simply annihilate them. Their God is indeed very sensitive and narcissistic. There are many humans who are capable of forgiving those who mistreat them without demanding they be tortured; are they more compassionate than Almighty God?
As in other surahs Muhammad claims there is no excuse for failing to believe his recitations: “Can they be compared to those who have clear proof from their Lord, recited by a witness from Him, and before it the Book of Moses, as a guide and mercy?” (11:17) Sorry, Muhammad, but I do not see ‘clear proof’ in your recitations, nor in the Book of Moses. I have read the ‘Book of Moses’ and I do not see ‘clear proof’ there. In fact I sincerely hope it is not reflective of the mind of God as it seems more reflective of an ancient culture that did primitive things like sell daughters as slaves and kill animals to appease the gods.
Anyway, before he gets to Hud Muhammad again refers back to Biblical stories. One of his favorites seems to be Noah.
The Great Flood (oil on copper) by Jan the Elder Brueghel, 1601
Noah warned people to turn to God but they responded, “‘We can see that you are nothing but a mortal like ourselves, and it is clear to see that only the vilest among us follow you. We cannot see how you are any better than we are. In fact, we think you are a liar.” (11:27) In defense of the people of Noah’s day: they have a point! What was to tell them that Noah was speaking from God? Many people claim to speak for God. Are we to believe all of them? Even when they contradict one another? I also need more than just words to convince me that someone (if anyone) is speaking from God. I think that is reasonable. I mean, a guy building a big boat in an arid area is hardly proof of anything, except maybe mania. And according to Muhammad God was not even interested in bringing them to repentance: “Do not plead with Me for those who have done evil– they will be drowned.” (11:37) He also puts an interesting spin on the story, implying that the ark carried not only Noah’s family but also a few who believed (11:40). Neither Muhammad nor the Bible explain how it is that various civilizations around the world continued to exist without knowing that they were wiped out by the Flood.
Finally, Hud:
To the ‘Ad, We sent their brother, Hud. He said, ‘My people worship God. You have no god other than Him; you are only making up lies. I ask no reward from you, my people; my reward comes only from Him who created me. Why do you not use your reason?’ (11:50, 51)
As in the previous sura he appeals to reason. As in my post on the previous sura: I use my reason but it does not lead me to accept the words of those who claim to speak for God without adequate evidence. In fact, that is what the people of ‘Ad supposedly said!
They replied, ‘Hud, you have not brought us any clear evidence. We will not forsake our gods on the strength of your word alone, nor will we believe in you.’ (11:53)
Again, I think this is reasonable. Why should we believe anyone claiming to speak for God without ‘clear evidence’? Well, Muhammad says of Hud and those who believed that God ‘saved them from a severe punishment.’ (11:58) He does not describe it here, but in sura 69 he explains that ‘Ad was destroyed by a ‘furious wind’ that God inflicted on them for a week. Scholars are divided on whether there was such a civilization and where it was located, and there is no way to verify that Muhammad’s version of their destruction is correct. You just have to take his word for it!
Muhammad then tells a related story, that of the prophet Salih going to the people of Thamud to warn them to turn to God. Like the people of ‘Ad they question his authority to speak for God. So God gives them a sign: a she-camel. Now, I’m not an expert on Arabian culture and history, but I am pretty sure that camels were well-known in ancient Arabia. What was so special about this camel that the people would know ‘this camel belongs to God, a sign for you’ as stated in verse 64? He does not say. But the people of Thamud hamstrung the camel, bringing their condemnation: a ‘blast’ as Muhammad puts it (11:67).
The Prophet Salih produces a camel out of a rock, c.1306
(This sura does not say the camel came from a rock)
Muhammad then returns to the Bible and the story of Abraham and Lot in an apparent reference to the destruction of Sodom. Once again, God seems less interested in seeing people repent and be saved: ‘Abraham, cease your pleading: what your Lord has ordained has come about; punishment is coming to them, which cannot be turned back.’ To be fair, in the Biblical story God does tell Abraham that He would relent if even ten righteous people could be found there. (Sorry, only four found, and one of them turned back!) He also makes an interesting comment about the Sodom situation. As a reminder, God sends two angels disguised as men to Abrahams’s nephew Lot, but the men of the city come and want to make sport of them (i.e., have sex with them). So Lot instead offers them his daughters, which of course seems very strange to us reading the story today. Muhammad says the men responded, ‘You know very well that we have no right to your daughters. You know very well what we want.’ (11:79) This also seems rather strange: they had ‘no right’ to his daughters, which implies they had more respect for them than for the visitors? In either the Bible or the Quran it is a strange story. But his main point is that like ‘Ad and Thamud the people of Sodom was destroyed by God for their disobedience.
Next he tells that Shu’ayb was sent to Midian with a similar message and similar outcome. He and his fellow believers were spared “but a mighty blast struck the wrongdoers.” (11:94)
Finally, Muhammad reminds us that Moses went to Pharaoh. Pharaoh refused to believe and so was destroyed.
And so he sums up his message:
We relate to you [Muhammad] such accounts of earlier towns: some of them are still standing; some have been mown down; We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves. Their gods, which they called on beside God, were no use to them when what your Lord had ordained came about; they only increased their ruin. Such is the punishment of your Lord for towns in the midst of their sins: His punishment is terrible and severe. There truly is a sign in this for anyone who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. (11:101-103)
This all sounds very impressive: one after another those cities and nations that refused to believe were destroyed. So you better believe me! But we don’t have any real evidence that any of these catastrophes happened, and absolutely no way of knowing why or by which god (if any). Maybe some other god besides Allah felt insulted by them and destroyed them. How would we know?
Ancient people witnessed terrible catastrophes just as we still do today. Floods wipe out villages, entire communities. Earthquakes level cities. Fire destroys. Famine starves people. Plagues decimate the population. The survivors question why things happen and often their answer seems to be: God was (or the gods were) angry! So we better straighten up! At least, that’s what the preachers claiming to speak for God would say. In recent times we have seen that with Hurricane Katrina: it was God’s wrath against those hedonists in New Orleans! The 9-11 attack occurred because America tolerates abortion and gays! (I have heard such claims.) But then I don’t hear them speak like this when a town in the Bible Belt is devastated by a tornado. Or quite recently, when girls at a Christian camp got swept away by a flood. Did they do something to anger God? (I don’t think so, just to be clear.) I also ponder, If God caused 9-11, maybe it is because we are an affluent nation that refuses to provide good health care to the poor and refuses to revise our economic system to favor the workers instead of the wealthy. I mean, select your cause and then attribute some disaster to God’s anger over the situation. Who can prove you wrong? Or right?
“So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers.” (11:120) Well, what do these lessons mean to you? Has Muhammad convinced you yet?
“So [Prophet], worship Him, and put your trust in Him: your Lord is never unaware of what you [people] are doing.” (11:123) See?! God knows what you’re up to! He’s making His list and checking it twice! So you better straighten up!