Quran Universe
11:50

وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمۡ هُودٗاۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُۥٓۖ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا مُفۡتَرُونَ

Waila AAadin akhahum hoodan qala ya qawmi oAAbudoo Allaha ma lakum min ilahin ghayruhu in antum illa muftaroona

And to 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventors [of falsehood].

Word by word
  1. وَإِلَىٰAnd to
  2. عَادٍAad
  3. أَخَاهُمۡ(We sent) their brother
  4. هُودٗاۚHud
  5. قَالَHe said
  6. يَٰقَوۡمِO my people
  7. ٱعۡبُدُواْWorship
  8. ٱللَّهَAllah
  9. مَاnot
  10. لَكُم(is) for you
  11. مِّنۡany
  12. إِلَٰهٍgod
  13. غَيۡرُهُۥٓۖother than Him
  14. إِنۡNot
  15. أَنتُمۡyou
  16. إِلَّا(are) but
  17. مُفۡتَرُونَinventors
Hud · 11:50Makkah

Their brother came with one message.

Hud calls 'Ad to worship Allah alone

Hud's call
Hudtheir own brother
says
worship Allahno god but Him
your idols are
inventednames you made up
What their gods were
real powerswe must keep them
made-up nameslies they invented

After Nuh, the surah turns to the people of 'Ad and their brother Hud, one of their own. He told them to worship Allah alone. The idols they worshipped were names they had invented and called gods.

Nobody around you bows to statues. But you might check your phone before you pray, or let a salary figure decide your mood. Some gods are just made-up importance. Hud's call still applies: only One deserves that place.

Idol worship is something from the ancient past.

Anything I give Allah's place to is an invention, however modern it looks.

Try this

Notice the first thing you reach for when you wake up tomorrow, and make it a short dhikr instead.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And to the 'Ad (people We sent) their brother Hud. He said, "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him. Certainly, you do nothing but invent lies (50)"O my people I ask of you no reward for it (the Message). My reward is only from Him Who created me. Will you not then understand? (51)"And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as criminals. (52)

The Story of Prophet Hud and the People of 'Ad

Allah, the Exalted, says,

وَ

(And) This is an introductory to what is implied: "Verily, We sent."

إِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا

(to the 'Ad (people) their brother Hud.) Hud came to them commanding them to worship Allah alone, without any associates. He forbade them from worshipping the idols which they made up, inventing names as gods. He informed them that he did not want any reward from them for his sincere advising and conveying of Allah's Message. He only sought his reward from Allah, the One Who created him.

أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

(Will you not then understand?) Someone has come calling you to what will benefit your situation in this life and the Hereafter without asking for any wage (from them). Then he commanded them to seek the forgiveness of the One Who is capable of expiating previous sins. He also commanded them to repent for that which they may do in the future. Whoever has these characteristics, Allah will make his sustenance easy for him, grant him ease in his affairs and guard over his situation. For this reason Allah says,

يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا

(He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain,)