His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "The people of 'Aad denied the messengers. When their brother Hud said to them, 'Will you not fear [Allah]? Indeed, I am to you a messenger trustworthy. So fear Allah and obey me. And I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is only from the Lord of the worlds. Will you be erecting a sign on every height, amusing yourselves? And you take for yourselves palaces, perhaps you may abide therein? And when you strike, you strike with [great] might. So fear Allah and obey me. And fear He who provided you with that which you know. He provided you with livestock and children. And gardens and springs. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day.' They said, 'It is all the same to us whether you advise us or are not among the advisers. This is not but the custom of the former peoples. And we are not to be punished.' So they denied him, and We destroyed them. Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them were not believers. And indeed, your Lord is the Exalted in Might and the Merciful."

'Aad: a tribe, and it is said that it is the name of their father. Hud, peace be upon him, addressed them in a manner similar to the address of other messengers. Then he spoke to them regarding the actions that they uniquely engaged in. He said: "Will you be erecting a sign?" in a manner of reproach. "And the height" refers to the elevated land. From it is the saying of Al-Musayyib ibn 'Alas describing a path:

In the heights, it lowers and raises, a height that appears as if it is a white garment.

And from it is the saying of Dhī al-Rummah:

The path of the hidden is bright above a height, the dew of its night in its feathers is shimmering.

And from it is the saying of Al-A'sha:

And a vast desolate land I passed through, when its inhabitants were in the height of it.

It is said: "height" with a kasrah of the ra, and it is said: "height" with a fathah, and with it Ibn Abi 'Ablah read. Some of the interpreters expressed "the height" as the path, and some as the valley, and some as the small pass.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The summary of that is that it is the bright place, which people compete in its forms. And "the sign" refers to the building. Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: It is a landmark. Mujahid said: Towers of pigeons. Al-Naqqash and others said: Tall palaces. And "the palaces" is the plural of a place that has been made and perfected in its construction, such as a built palace and the like. And Qatadah said: They are water sources. And his saying: "perhaps you may abide therein" may mean: according to your hopes and expectations, or it may mean to inquire in a manner of reproach and mockery of them. The majority read: "you may abide" with a fathah on the ta and a dammah on the lam. Qatadah read: "you may be made to abide" with a dammah on the ta and a fathah on the lam. It is said: He made something eternal, and another made it to abide. Ubayy and Al-Qalamah read: "perhaps you may be made to abide" with a dammah on the ta and a fathah on the kha and a fathah on the lam and a shaddah. It was narrated from Ubayy: "As if you will abide," and it was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them: "As if you will abide."

'And 'al-batsh' means taking with strength and speed. 'Al-jabbar' means the arrogant. From this is their saying: 'A jabbar palm' if it does not reach a height. From this is his saying, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding the woman who refused to be moved from her path: 'Indeed, she is a jabbarah.' From this is 'al-jabruwt.' The meaning is: Indeed, you are the disbelievers of wrath. You have excessive assaults and sudden attacks without verification.

Then he reminded them, blessings and peace be upon him, of the favors of Allah, the Exalted, upon them in what He granted them of livestock, offspring, gardens, and flowing waters therein. Then he warned them of the punishment of Allah, the Exalted, in this world. Their review was that they equated between his admonition and leaving off the admonition. Ibn Muhaisin read: 'Wa'aẓt' with the merging of the dhad into the ta. Then they said: 'Indeed, this is nothing but the character of the ancients.' The readers differed in this. Nafi', Asim, Hamzah, al-Kisai, and Ibn Amer read: 'Khalq' with a damm on the lam. The reference with 'this' is to their religion, worship, and their conduct in industries, meaning: This which we are upon is the character of the people and their custom, and after that, there is no resurrection nor punishment as you claim. Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Hamzah, al-Kisai, and Abu Qalabah read: 'Khuluq' with a damm on the kha and a sukoon on the lam. Al-Asma'i narrated it from Nafi'. Abu Ja'far and Abu Amr read: 'Khuluq al-awwalin' with a fatha on the kha and a sukoon on the lam, which is the reading of Ibn Mas'ud, Alqamah, and al-Hasan. This can have two meanings: One of them is: And what you claim is nothing but the fabrication of the ancients from the lies before you, so you are upon their methodology. The second is that they mean: And what is this structure that we are upon except the structure of the ancients, life and death, and there is no resurrection nor punishment. Every meaning of what I have mentioned is supported by the reading of 'Khalq.' Alqamah narrated from Ibn Mas'ud: 'Except the fabrication of the ancients,' and the rest of the verse has already been explained.