Transliteration:( Fa anjainaahu wallazeena ma'ahoo birahmatim minnaa wa qata'naa daabiral lazeena kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa wa maa kaanoo mu'mineen )
"Then We saved him and those with him by showing great mercy from Us, and cut off the roots of those who used to belie Our signs. And they were not believers."
This verse teaches that no Prophet, saint, or believer is ever independent of Allah’s mercy. Every form of deliverance, protection, and blessing comes solely through His Divine Grace. Even Prophet Hud (عليه السلام) and his companions were saved only by Allah’s special mercy.
Also, it is emphasized that those “with him” were saved, signifying that companionship and loyalty to a Prophet is itself a means of salvation. This highlights the immense value of being close to and aligned with the Holy Prophet ﷺ, both spiritually and socially.
The phrase “cut off the roots” means that not a single disbeliever remained alive, and their lineage was completely wiped out. Their entire generation perished, leaving no trace or remembrance—a complete end to those who rejected Allah’s signs.
Initially, the people of Aad were afflicted with three years of severe drought. Some among them went to Makkah to pray for rain. On their return, they were offered two clouds—one black and one white. They chose the black cloud, assuming it would bring rain, but instead, it brought a devastating storm and dust that annihilated every disbeliever.
Hazrat Hud (عليه السلام) then led the remaining believers to Makkah, where he eventually passed away. According to tradition, he is buried near the Holy Ka’bah under the Mataaf, the area where Tawaaf (circumambulation) is performed.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 72 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 70 which provides the complete commentary from verse 70 through 72.
(7:72) Then We delivered Hud and his companions by Our mercy, and We utterly cut off the last remnant of those who called the lie to Our signs and would not believe.[56]
56. The Qur’an informs us that God brought about the total extermination of the ‘Ad, a fact borne out by both Arabian historical traditions and recent archaeological discoveries. The ‘Ad were so totally destroyed and their monuments so completely effaced that the Arab historians refer to them as one of the umam ba’idah (extinct peoples) of Arabia. The Arab tradition also affirms that the only people belonging to the ‘Ad who survived were the followers of the Prophet Hud. These survivors are known as the Second ‘Ad (‘Ad Thaniyah). The Hisn al-Ghurib inscriptions referred to earlier (n. 51) above are among the remaining monuments of these people. One inscription, which is generally considered to date from the eighteenth century B.C., as deciphered by the experts, contains the following sentences:
We have lived for a long time in this fort in full glory, free of all want. Our canals were always full to the brim with water . . . Our rulers were kings who were far removed from evil ideas, who dealt sternly with mischief-makers and governed us according to the Law of Hud. Their edicts were recorded in a book. We believed in miracles and resurrection.
The above account fully corroborates the Qur’anic statement that it was only the companions of Hud who survived and inherited the glory and prosperity of the ‘Ad.
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