Surah 11
(Makkan Period)
Period of Revelation
The contents of this surah give the impression that it was revealed about the same period as Yūnus. It is not unlikely that it was revealed immediately in the wake of Surah Yunus since the theme of both surahs is identical. The note of warning given in Hud, however, is even more severe than that in Yūnus.
According to a hadith, Abu Bakr once told the Prophet (peace be on him): 'I observe you ageing. What is the cause of it?' The Prophet (peace be on him) replied: "The surahs Hūd and its sisters have turned my hair grey.** This shows how hard the time was which then faced the Prophet (peace be on him). For, on the one hand, the unbelieving Quraysh were fully active in their efforts to crush the Prophet's movement. On the other hand, God continually revealed stern warnings of severe punishment if his people did not respond to the truth.
Under such circumstances the Prophet (peace be on him) was consumed by an impending fear. He was overwhelmed with concern that the term granted to his people to mend their ways might suddenly expire and that the moment might suddenly arrive when God would decide to inflict His chastisement upon them. Hence, as one goes through the surah, one feels as if a fierce storm is about to burst through and break down the dykes that had so far contained it. One is also given the impression that the surah is a last warning to those oblivious of the dire consequences of this impending storm.
Subject Matter and Main Themes
As already stated, the subject on which this surah is focused is the same as that found in Yūnus. The contents can be divided into three headings: firstly, invitation to accept the truth; secondly, admonition; and finally, warning. What distinguishes the present surah from Yūnus is that the emphasis on the invitation to the truth in Hūd is less conspicuous; that the element of admonition consists less of arguments than of counsel and advice; and that the element of warning is both more elaborate and more emphatic.
The invitation consists of urging people to follow the Prophet (peace be on him), to give up associating others with God in His divinity, to turn exclusively to God in devotion, worship and service, and to make the fact of accountability to Him in the Hereafter the moving spirit of their lives.
The element of admonition in the surah is conveyed through a recounting of the tragic end of previous nations. Overly enamoured of the glittering attractions of worldly life, they wilfully rejected the call of God's Messengers. In view of this tragic past record, people are asked to think whether it is necessary for them to follow the same path which invariably led to the utter destruction of previous nations.
The warning element of the surah is conveyed by virtue of the fact that out of sheer grace God has granted them a reprieve from His punishment. If they continue to fail to mend their ways during the term allocated to them, they will, however, definitely be struck with chastisement. No one will have the power to avert such chastisement. For it will be awesome and will utterly obliterate all except a small group of people - the true men of faith.
The main focus of this surah was not communicated directly to the people. It was rather communicated by narrating the historical accounts of the people of Noah, the 'Ad, the Thamud, the people of Lot, the people of Midian, and the Pharaonites. The point that is especially highlighted in these accounts is that when God firmly decides to punish a people, He executes His decision relentlessly. After He has made such a decision, no leniency is shown to the guilty. Mercy is only shown to the righteous. God's wrath spares neither a Prophet's son nor even his own wife if they happen to be unrighteous. At this decisive stage in the encounter between faith and unbelief, the requirements of true faith are extremely exacting. Men of faith are required to disregard affinities of kinship, even those ties which mutually bind a father and his offspring or those which bind spouses. Each person is required to adhere to one bond only the bond of faith. In the same way that the Divine sword of justice disregards every affinity except that of truth, men of faith must decisively cut asunder all other ties. This was demonstrated fully after a few years by the Makkan Muslim migrants in the Battle of Badr.