The stories of the prophets in the Holy Quran represent beacons that guide believers in general and preachers in particular on the path of this life, in which the struggle between truth and falsehood, faith and polytheism, good and evil, virtue and vice prevail. One of the Quranic stories that falls under this meaning is the story of Hud, peace be upon him, as this story was mentioned in several surahs of the Holy Quran, sometimes in a detailed manner, as in the surahs: Al-A'raf, Hud, Al-Mu'minun, Ash-Shu'ara, and Al-Ahqaf. And sometimes in a brief manner, as in the surahs: Fussilat, Adh-Dhariyat, Al-Qamar, Al-Haqqah, and Al-Fajr. An entire surah was named Surah Hud, which included the stories of a number of the messengers, peace be upon them, and among them was the story of Hud and his people. Ibn Kathir said: Allah mentioned their story in the Quran in more than one place; so that the believers would take heed from their death. The events of the story of Hud, peace be upon him, took place in an area called (Al-Ahqaf), (plural of Haqf: a mountain of sand), which is an area known today as (the Empty Quarter) in the Arabian Peninsula, between Oman and Hadhramaut. The gist of the story The gist of the story is that Allah, the Almighty, sent His Messenger Hud, peace be upon him, to his people calling them to worship the One, the Eternal, and asking them to abandon the worship of idols and gods other than Him. His people belittled him, mocked him, and continued in their transgression, wandering blindly. So Allah punished them for their position by sending a strong wind upon them, which uprooted their strength and made them a harvest. Allah saved Hud and those believers with him. Analysis of the elements of the story The first truth that Hud, peace be upon him, confronted his people with was the statement that the only one worthy of worship is Allah, and no one else deserves to be worshipped. Here he is addressing his people, saying: {O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him} (Al-A`raf: 65). His address to his people, peace be upon him, was that of a compassionate advisor who wants what is best for them and is pained by their polytheism and misguidance. This is guided by his statement: {I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and indeed, I am to you a trustworthy adviser} (Al-A`raf: 68). Then he announced to them the principle of separation, and made clear to them that his position towards them was the position of one who disavows their polytheism, challenges their tyranny, and relies on God for victory over them. This is what he expressed by his statement: {Indeed, I call God to witness, and you to witness, that I am innocent of what you associate with Him. So plot against me all together and then give me no respite. Indeed, I have put my trust in God, my Lord and your Lord} (Hud: 54-56). Then he reminded his people that he did not want any reward or thanks for his call, {And O my people, I do not ask of you any wealth for this. My reward is only from God} (Hud: 29). He, peace be upon him, like other messengers and truthful callers, seeks his reward from God. Not only that, but Hud goes further in his call, explaining to his people that if they abandon their misguidance and error and adhere to God’s law, God will open for them the treasures of His mercy, provide them with His grace, and increase their strength and wealth, {And, O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers and increase you in strength and strength to your strength.} (Hud: 52) He followed that up by reminding his people of the blessings that God had bestowed upon them and the favors that He had bestowed upon them, {And remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah and increased you in stature abundantly} (Al-A’raf: 69). Some of the verses that have been transmitted tell us that he, peace be upon him, exerted his utmost effort to remind his people of God’s blessings upon them and to warn them against being ungrateful for them. He concluded his guidance to them by explaining to them that he was keen on their welfare and that he feared that if they did not respond to his call, a great punishment would befall them, {I provided you with livestock and children, and gardens and springs. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible Day} (Ash-Shu’ara’: 133-135). However, this reminder only increased his people’s insistence on their error and stubbornness in their misguidance, as they responded to him by saying: {They said, “Have you come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the truthful?”} (Al-Ahqaf: 22). Their position towards his call was that of the arrogant, haughty and haughty, as they addressed him by saying: {Indeed, we see you in manifest error} (Al-A’raf: 60), and they said to him again: {We say nothing but that some of our gods have afflicted you with evil} (Hud: 54). When Hud did not succeed in dissuading his people from their misguidance and error, he confronted them with the consequences to which their matter would lead, and he said to them, as the Qur’an relates from him: {Indeed, there has fallen upon you from your Lord defilement and wrath} (Al-A’raf: 71). The Holy Quran has told us about the punishment that befell the people of Hud in various expressive phrases. Allah saved Hud and those who believed with him, saying: {So We saved him and those with him by mercy from Us, and We cut off the root of those who denied Our signs and were not believers} (Al-A’raf: 72). He also said: {And they were pursued in this world by a curse and on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, the ‘Aad disbelieved in their Lord. So away with ‘Aad, the people of Hud} (Hud: 60). He also said: {So the punishment of the Day of Shadow seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a tremendous Day} (Ash-Shu’ara’: 189). He also said: {So We sent upon them a furious wind during days of ill omen that We might make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world. But the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgraceful, and they will not be aided} (Fussilat: 16). And He said: {But when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said, "This is a cloud bringing us rain." Rather, it is that which you were impatient for - a wind containing a painful punishment. Destroying everything by the command of its Lord. So in the morning nothing could be seen except their dwellings.} (Al-Ahqaf: 24-25), and He said: {And as for the `Aad, when We sent upon them the barren wind.} (Adh-Dhariyat: 41), and He said: {And as for the `Aad, they were destroyed by a furious, violent wind.} (Al-Haqqah: 6), and He said: {So your Lord poured down upon them a scourge of punishment.} (Al-Fajr: 13).