Al-Ḥāqqah ‎- Verse 6

وَأَمّا عادٌ فَأُهلِكوا بِريحٍ صَرصَرٍ عاتِيَةٍ

And as for ʿĀd, they were destroyed by a fierce icy gale.

EXEGESIS

The nations of ʿĀd and Thamūd, to whom the Prophets Hūd (a) and Ṣāliḥ (a) were sent, are almost always mentioned together in the Quran. As noted earlier (under verse 4), their stories are detailed in chapters 7, 11, and 26 of the Quran. For the story of ʿĀd, see 7:65-72, 11:50-60, and 41:15-16; and for the story of Thamūd, see 7:73-79, 11:61-8, 26:141-158, and 54:23-31.

The tribe of ʿĀd, in particular, came to be equated to the ancient and the old, so that phrases like kharibun ʿādiyyun (ancient ruins), biʾr ʿādiyyah (old well), bināʾ ʿādī (strong old building), mulk ʿādī (dominion of ancient origin), majd ʿādī (ancient glory), and so on, are all termed ‘ancient’ in relation to the ancient and extinct tribe of ʿĀd.[1]

It is prosperity leading on to decadence that is believed to be the main reason for the ʿĀd’s rebellion, disobedience, and final destruction.[2]

The fierce icy gale was violent; it screeched so loud and was so intensely cold that whatever it struck it burnt down, and wherever it went it left a path of destruction and devastation. It overcame the people in such a manner that they could find no cover against its strength and severity.[3]

ʿĀtiyah (fierce) is from ʿutuw meaning unruly, violent, or raging, and ʿutuw is synonymous with ṭughyān (given in verses 5 and 11).

Rīḥin ṣarṣar is an intensely strong and icy gale. It is also mentioned in 41:16 and 54:19 and it is described as a barren wind (al-rīḥ al-ʿaqīm) in 51:41.

The word ṣarṣar shares the same root as ṣirr that occurs in 3:117 as rīḥin fīhā ṣirr (a cold wind). The term ṣirr suggests an excessive cold that burns and scorches plants. Several exegetes mention the burning aspect of this severe cold, like al-Nawawī, for example, who says ṣirr can mean a devastating cold or a scorching heat.[4]

Ṣarṣar and ṣirr are also related to iṣrār (intensity, persistence) based on which Ibn al-Anbārī understands the cold wind to be a screeching wind. Fire is said to have ṣirr when it crackles and it flames leap. From this as well is ṣarīr al-bāb (the creaking of a door) and other such terms. Or, for example the verse, Then his wife came forward crying [with joy] (fī ṣarratin) (51:29).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. From the Prophet: ‘No wind was ever released except by a [fixed] measure, except at the time of ʿĀd. It raged violently over its keepers and was released [out of their control not more than] the equivalent of a needle’s eye; so it destroyed the people of ʿĀd.’[5]
[1] Lane, ʿ-w-d.
[2] Nasr, 69:4.
[3] Razi, 3/621.
[4] Nawawi, 1/148.
[5] Faqih, 1/525, h. 1494.