这一部分经文以不同于前面各部分的方式论及本章的核心问题。它讲述了“阿德”民以及麦加周围其他城镇的命运。对于他们的兄弟胡德——神派遣他作为使者——他们所持的态度，与麦加的多神教徒对待穆罕默德ﷺ的态度相似。穆罕默德ﷺ是他们的兄弟，也是神的使者。双方提出的反对意见如出一辙。胡德以先知特有的高尚方式回应了他们，但仍限于其人性能力和所被托付的使命范围之内。当他们对他的警告置之不理时，神的惩罚降临到他们身上，使他们彻底毁灭。尽管他们比麦加的不信者更加强大、富有且聪明，但这一切对他们毫无帮助。他们所宣称的、据称能使他们更接近神的所谓神明，也没有给他们带来任何益处。

This third part of the surah addresses its central question in a different way to that of its earlier parts. It speaks of the fate of the ‘Ad and other townships around Makkah. Towards Hud, their brother, whom God sent as His messenger, they adopted a similar attitude to that of the idolaters in Makkah towards Muhammad, their brother and Gods messenger. Both raised the same objections. Hud answered them in the splendid manner of prophets, but within the limits of his human ability and the mission assigned to him. When they paid no heed to his warnings, they were smitten by God’s punishment that left them utterly destroyed. Although they were more powerful, wealthy and intelligent than the Makkan unbelievers, none of this was of any avail to them. Nor did their alleged deities, which they claimed would bring them closer to God, avail them of anything.

麦加的多神教徒也被提醒他们祖先所遭遇的命运，因为他们同样采取了相同的态度。经文明确地告诉他们，他们将遭受同样的下场。该章还向他们展示了神圣启示所遵循的路线：它是一贯的、不变的。同样，真主的律法适用于所有人，也不会改变。我们看到信仰之树根基稳固，枝条向各个世代伸展开来。对于所有时代和所有民族，都是同一种信仰。

The Makkan unbelievers are also reminded of the fate their own ancestors met, given they too had adopted the same attitude. They are told in no uncertain terms that they will suffer the same fate. The surah also shows them the line the Divine message follows: it is consistent and unchanging. Likewise, God’s law applies to all and does not change. We see the tree of faith with firm roots, its branches stretched wide across the generations. It is the same faith for all times and communities.

请记住阿德人的那位兄弟，他曾警告居住在沙丘谷地的族人。在他之前和之后，都有过其他的警告者来了又去。他说："你们只能崇拜真主，我担心你们会遭受一个可怕日子的惩罚。"（第21节）

Remember that brother of the 'Ad who warned his people who lived in the Valley of the Sand Dunes. Other warners have come and gone both before and after him. He said: 'Worship none but God. I fear lest suffering befall you on a terrible day' (Verse 21)

“阿德”部族的兄弟是先知胡德（愿主赐予他平安）。

The brother of the ‘Ad is the Prophet Hud (peace be upon him)

who is mentioned here by his position as a brother to his people. This highlights the relation of mutual love and care that existed between him and his people, which should have made them more responsive to his call and motivated them to think well of him and what he taught. The same bond existed between Muhammad ﷺ and his people who similarly opposed him.

who is mentioned here by his position as a brother to his people. This highlights the relation of mutual love and care that existed between him and his people, which should have made them more responsive to his call and motivated them to think well of him and what he taught. The same bond existed between Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his people who similarly opposed him.

“阿德”人过去在阿拉伯半岛南部一处山谷中高耸的沙丘上建造房屋，据说该地靠近哈达拉毛。1 全能的真主指示祂的使者要铭记呼德，以及他如何在沙丘之谷警告他的people。这是为了激励他，因为他意识到呼德同样遭到了自己族人的拒绝。

The ‘Ad used to build their homes on the high sand dunes in a valley in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, said to be near Hadramawt.1 God in His glory directs His messenger to remember Hud and how he warned his people at the Valley of the Sand Dunes. This to give him encouragement as he realizes that Hud was similarly rejected by his people.

这样的提醒也使麦加的不信者想起那些曾拒绝真主启示的前代民族的下场。

Such remembrance also serves to remind the Makkan unbelievers of the fate of those earlier communities that rejected Gods messages.

胡德警告了他的族人，但他并不是第一位警告自己社群的使者。在他之前，其他使者也曾做过同样的事：“在他之前和之后，都已有警告者来过去过。” 那些使者在时间和地点上，既有与他相近的，也有与他相距甚远的。

Hud warned his people, but he was not the first messenger to warn his community. Other messengers did the same before him: “ Other warners have come and gone both before and after him” Those messengers came close to him in time and place as also far from him.

神的启示之链是连续不断的，警告也从未间断。这整个问题对所有人来说都是熟悉的。胡德（Hud）向他的民众传达了所有使者向各自民众传达过的同样警告。

The chain of Gods messages is a continuous one, and the warnings are given at all times. This whole issue is familiar to all. Hud gave them the same warnings given by all messengers to their communities:

借助这幅死亡与毁灭的景象，该章向追随“阿德”人足迹的当代世代发出告诫，给予他们一个发人深省的提醒：

With this image of death and destruction, the surah addresses the present generation who follow in the ‘Ad’s footsteps, giving them a telling reminder:

我们曾使他们稳固地立足于大地，那种稳固是我从未赐予你们的；我们也赐予他们听觉、视觉和心智。然而，由于他们坚持否认真主的启示，他们的听觉、视觉和心智对他们毫无益处。他们被自己曾经嘲笑的那件事所吞没。（第26节）

We had securely established them in a manner in which We have never established you; and We had endowed them with hearing, and sight, and hearts. Yet nothing did their hearing, sight and hearts avail them since they persisted in denying God's revelations. They were overwhelmed by the very thing which they had mocked. (Verse 26)

那些被狂风毁灭的人，曾在大地上确立了地位，而这种地位是未曾赐予麦加阿拉伯人的。这是一种泛指，指他们所被赋予的权力、财富、知识和生活中的享受。他们还被赋予了敏锐的听觉和视觉，以及心智。

Those very people who were destroyed by the stormwind had once been established in the land in a way that had not been granted to the Arabs of Makkah. This is a general reference to what they had been given of power, wealth, knowledge and life’s luxuries. They were also endowed with sharp faculties of hearing and sight, as well as hearts.

《古兰经》用不同的方式提到理解的能力，有时称为“心”，有时称为“理智”，有时称为“脑”，而这些说法指的都是同一种能力。然而，阿德族人的这些能力都毫无用处，因为他们“执意否认真主的启示”（第26节）。否认真主的启示会压制感官与各种能力，使它们与真主这光明与理解的源泉隔绝，并使其完全钝化。“他们被自己曾经嘲笑的事物所吞没。”（第26节）这指的是他们曾被警告、却加以嘲弄的惩罚。

The Qur’an uses different ways of referring to the faculty of understanding, citing it alternatively as heart, mind or brain, when all refer to the same ability. Yet none of these faculties was of any use as the ‘Ad rendered them useless when “they persisted in denying God's revelations” (Verse 26) Denying Gods revelations suppresses senses and faculties and screens them from His source of light and understanding, blunting them altogether. “ They were overwhelmed by the very thing which they had mocked. (Verse 26) This refers to the punishment they were warned about and which they derided.

这里应当吸取的教训是：任何人都不应因自己的权力、财富或知识而过分自负，以为这些足以让自己绝对安全。我们从阿德族（the 'Ad）所遭遇的事情中看到，一种自然之力被用来对付人们，摧毁了他们以及他们所享有的一切。

The lesson to be drawn here is that no one should ever be too proud of his power, wealth or knowledge, thinking that these can afford him absolute protection. We see in what happened to the lAd a natural power being used against people, destroying them and all that they enjoyed.

除了他们空荡荒芜的居所，什么都没有留下。

Nothing was left of them except their empty and desolate dwellings.

风是一种普遍的力量，始终按照真主在宇宙中所设定的体系运行。祂可以借助风，作为祂整体安排的一部分，摧毁某些地方。因此，在这一语境下，没有必要像某些人错误地认为的那样，去扰乱或破坏宇宙的体系。设立这一体系的，正是决定个人和群体命运的那一位。每一件事物、每一桩事件、每一次变动和每一个人，都在整体体系以及祂律法的运行之中被纳入考量。与其他一切宇宙力量一样，风也受真主掌控，履行祂为它以及为宇宙所分派的职能。人类同样如此，真主已将某些宇宙力量交由人类支配。人们着手做某件事时，实际上是为了祂的目的，履行真主分派给他们的职责。他们的行动自由与抉择，也是确保宇宙和谐的整体律法的一部分。事实上，万物都是依照精确的尺度设定的，没有任何东西会有所欠缺，或造成混乱。