1848.] and Ghazzahfs History of the Prophets. 443 



The ' Adites were stronger in body and more powerful than the Thamu- 

 dites. There was no nation on earth equal to the 'Adites in tallness or 

 strength. Every man was twelve spans high and some of them were so 

 strong that if they struck the foot on the dry ground they would sink 

 into it to the knee. They built houses in their country which were in 

 keeping with their strength and of almost everlasting construction up to 

 this day : if you see a strange building it is called ' Adian " Iram dzat 

 imad, &c." It is said in the Koran " Do you not know how God has 

 acted with the 'Adites, who were the Lords of 'imad." 'Imad is a pillar 

 and the meaning of the passage is that they were in stature like pillars ; 

 every one of them was like several pillars in height and strength. In 

 another passage they are compared with palm roots "they are like 

 palm roots strewed about on the ground." 



They were idolators : God sent Hiid to them who was the son of 

 their uncle ; his name in Hebrew is Ghather. In the Koran he is 

 called their brother "their brother Hud." Brother has a double 

 meaning, brother by relationship and brother in faith. Hiid was their 

 brother by relationship and not by religion. Hud called them to God 

 saying : "O people, worship God, you have no God besides him." Proud 

 of their strength they said to him "Who is stronger than we?" They 

 were fifty thousand men strong, and then therefore they said " what 

 tribe is more numerous than we ?" " Do you not see that God who has 

 created them is stronger than they are?" Hiid was incensed and said 

 " Do you build a landmark on every place to direct yourselves ? And 

 do you erect strong edifices hoping that you may continue to live for 

 ever," " and if you are at feud you are at feud with giants ; you seize 

 them without mercy and you do not let them loose before they are dead, 

 fear God and obey him." After this Hud enumerated to them the 

 bounty of God. " Fear that God who has given you what you know, 

 who has given you cattle, children, gardens, and springs of water." 

 Cattle are mentioned first in this passage, because the wealth of the sons 

 of the desert consists in the sheep, cows, camels and the like. The 

 reason why first their property is mentioned and then their children, is 

 that children may be a misfortune, and a rich man can easily obtain 

 children. In another passage it is said "wealth and children." Here 

 again wealth is placed before children, because wealth is most esteemed 

 with men. Hud preached fifty years but they answered him "it is of 



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