Quran Universe
11:51

يَٰقَوۡمِ لَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَجۡرًاۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنِيٓۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ

Ya qawmi la asalukum AAalayhi ajran in ajriya illa AAala allathee fataranee afala taAAqiloona

O my people, I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is only from the one who created me. Then will you not reason?

Word by word
  1. يَٰقَوۡمِO my people
  2. لَآNot
  3. أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡI ask you
  4. عَلَيۡهِfor it
  5. أَجۡرًاۖany reward
  6. إِنۡNot
  7. أَجۡرِيَ(is) my reward
  8. إِلَّاexcept
  9. عَلَىfrom
  10. ٱلَّذِيthe One Who
  11. فَطَرَنِيٓۚcreated me
  12. أَفَلَاThen will not
  13. تَعۡقِلُونَyou use reason
Hud · 11:51Makkah

He wanted nothing from them. Will you not think?

Free advice is a sign of sincerity

What Hud asked for
paymentnone from you
only from
the One who made memy reward is there
so
use your reasonwho gains from this?
How to judge advice
who said itone of us, so ignore him
what he gainsnothing, so it is sincere

Hud told 'Ad he asked them no reward; his reward was with the One who created him. Ibn Kathir explains the point: someone is calling you to what benefits your life here and after, and wants nothing from you. Will you not reason?

The influencer sells you the course, the salesman needs his commission, the app wants your attention. Then a friend tells you something hard for your own good, and gets nothing out of it. That is the voice to listen to.

Advice that is free is probably worth what I paid for it.

Advice from someone who wants nothing from me deserves my attention most.

Try this

Think of someone who once told you a hard truth for free. Thank them today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:50)

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,)