Quran Universe
11:54

إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعۡتَرَىٰكَ بَعۡضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٖۗ قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أُشۡهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشۡهَدُوٓاْ أَنِّي بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ

In naqoolu illa iAAtaraka baAAdu alihatina bisooin qala innee oshhidu Allaha waishhadoo annee bareeon mimma tushrikoona

We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil." He said, "Indeed, I call Allah to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allah

Word by word
  1. إِنNot
  2. نَّقُولُwe say
  3. إِلَّاexcept (that)
  4. ٱعۡتَرَىٰكَhave seized you
  5. بَعۡضُsome
  6. ءَالِهَتِنَا(of) our gods
  7. بِسُوٓءٖۗwith evil
  8. قَالَHe said
  9. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  10. أُشۡهِدُ[I] call Allah to witness
  11. ٱللَّهَ[I] call Allah to witness
  12. وَٱشۡهَدُوٓاْand (you) bear witness
  13. أَنِّيthat I am
  14. بَرِيٓءٞinnocent
  15. مِّمَّاof what
  16. تُشۡرِكُونَyou associate
Hud · 11:54Makkah

Our gods have struck you with madness.

Attacking the messenger instead of the message

The accusation and reply
'Adour gods hurt you
Hud replies
Allah is my witnessand you witness too
I am
free of your idolsopenly, without fear
Who was really troubled
the one speaking truthhe must be unwell
the ones defending idolsthat cannot harm

'Ad said the only explanation was that one of their gods had afflicted Hud with madness, because he spoke against them. Hud did not shrink back. He called Allah to witness, and them too, that he was free of everything they set up beside Allah.

You start praying at work or quit drinking, and friends say, "What happened to you? You have gone strange." A label is not an argument. Hud stood calm and clear when he was called mad.

If people say I have gone strange, I should go back to how I was.

Being called strange for following the truth says nothing about the truth.

Try this

If someone teases you for a faith choice today, answer once, kindly and clearly, without apologizing for it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:53)

They said: "O Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you (53)All that we say is that some of our gods (false deities) have seized you with evil (madness). He said: "I call Allah to witness and bear you witness that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship (54)Besides Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. (55)I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but He has the grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path (the truth)(56)

The Conversation between (the People of) 'Ad and Hud

Allah, the Exalted, informs that they said to their Prophet,

مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ

(No evidence have you brought us.) This means that they claimed that Hud had not brought them any proof or evidence for what he claimed.

وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ

(and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying!) They were saying how could his mere statement, "Leave these gods," be sufficient proof for them to leave their idols?

وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and we are not believers in you.) This means that they did not believe what he was saying was true.

إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ آلِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ

(All that we say is that some of our gods have seized you with evil.) They were saying, "We think that some of our idols have afflicted you with madness and insanity in your intellect because you are trying to stop them from being worshipped and defame them."

قَالَ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ وَاشْهَدُوا أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - مِن دُونِهِ

(He said: "I call Allah to witness and bear you witness, that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship besides Him (Allah).)[11:54-55] Here, he is saying, "Verily, I am innocent of all of the rivals and idols (that you associate with Allah).

فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعًا

(So plot against me, all of you,) you and your gods if they are true."

ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ

(and give me no respite.) the blinking of an eye." Then, Allah says,

إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا

(I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but He has the grasp of its forelock.)

Every creature is under His (Allah's) power and His authority. He is the Best Judge, the Most Just, Who does not do any injustice in His ruling. For verily, He is upon the straight path.

Verily, this argument contains a far-reaching proof and absolute evidence of the truthfulness of what Hud had come to them with. It also proves the falsehood of them worshipping idols that could not benefit nor harm them. Rather, these idols were inanimate objects that could not hear, see, befriend, or make enmity. The only One Who is worthy of having worship directed solely towards Him is Allah alone, without any partners. He is the One in Whose Hand is the sovereignty and He is in control of all things. There is nothing except that it is under His ownership, power and authority. Thus, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him and there is no Lord other than Him.