And remember the brother of `Ad
This refers to Hud, peace be upon in him. Allah sent him to the first people of `Ad who inhabited Al-Ahqaf. Ahqaf is plural of Haqf. According to Ibn Zayd, it means a sand dune; and according to `Ikrimah, it means a mountain or a cave. Qatadah said: "We were informed that `Ad was a tribe in Yemen. They dwelt among sand (hills), and overlooked the sea in a land called Ash-Shihr
" Under the chapter, "He Who supplicates should first mention Himself," Ibn Majah recorded that Ibn `Abbas narrated that the Prophet said:
(May Allah have mercy on us and the Brother of `Ad.)
And surely, warners had already passed on before him and after him.
meaning, Allah had sent Messengers and warners to the towns surrounding the land of `Ad
As allah says in
and also
And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded them.
But if they turn away, then say: "I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck `Ad and Thamud. (That occurred) when the Messengers had come to them from before them and after them (saying): "Worship none but Allah.")
Allah then says
truly, I fear for you the torment of a mighty Day.
When Hud said this to his people and they responded by saying
Have you come to delude us from our gods
Then bring us that with which you threaten us, if you are one of the truthful!
Allah gave similar warning in Suratul As-Shuraa
Prophet Hud's response was
He said: "The knowledge (of that) is only with Allah."
`Allah knows best about you. If you deserve the punishment to be hastened, He will do that to you. As for me, my duty is to deliver my message to you.
But I see that you are a people given to ignorance!)`
Which means, `you have no comprehension or understanding.
Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys,
meaning, when they saw the punishment coming towards them, they thought it to be clouds full of rain. That made them happy and joyful, because they had a drought and needed rain.
Nay, but it is that which you were asking to be hastened -- a wind wherein is a painful torment!
meaning, this is the torment that you called for saying, "Bring to us what you promise us if you should be of the truthful."
Destroying everything by the command of its Lord
As Allah says
It spared nothing that it reached, but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins
So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings!
means, all of them were destroyed, and none of them were spared.
Thus do We recompense the criminal people
means that this is Our judgement regarding those who reject Our Messengers and disobey Our commands.
Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fully laughing so that I would see his uvula. He would only smile." She added that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw clouds or wind, that would reflect on his face (as discomfort). She asked him: "O Allah's Messenger! When the people see clouds, they become happy, hoping that they bring them rain. But I notice that when you see them, displeasure appears on your face." Allah's Messenger ﷺ replied,
O `A'ishah! What would guarantee to me that they do not bring punishment Some nations had been punished with wind. On seeing the punishment approaching them, a nation once said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain.")
This is also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw clouds on any of the horizons, he would leave whatever he was doing -- even if he was in prayer -- and say:
(O Allah! I seek refuge with you from any harm that it (the cloud) contains.)
If Allah removed those clouds, the Prophet would praise Allah
If the rain fell, then Allah's Messenger ﷺ would say
O Allah! Make it pouring and beneficent.
Recorded by Muslim in his Sahih, from 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that when the wind blew, Allah's Messenger ﷺ would say,
(O `A'ishah! It could be like what the people of `Ad said, (Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain!"))