denying Our signs. So We sent against them a furious wind on ill-fated days, that We might make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world. Yet the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.” [Fussilat: 15–16]

What Allah did to ‘Ād was to send against them the barren wind, which He subjected to them for seven nights and eight days without respite. You would see them lying felled within it, as though they were hollow trunks of date palms. By morning, nothing could be seen except their dwellings. Through this question, Allah draws attention to what He did to these people so that others might take heed. In other words: O you who deny the Messenger Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—take warning from these people and consider how they were made to taste this punishment. Allah, Exalted is He, said: “And it is not far from the wrongdoers.” [Hūd: 83]

As for His words, “Iram,” this is said to be the name of the tribe; it is also said to be the name of the town, and other views have been expressed. Whether it was the name of the tribe or the town, Allah, Exalted is He, inflicted a tremendous exemplary punishment upon them despite their might.

His words, “of the lofty pillars, whose like had never been created in any land,” mean that they possessed “pillars”—that is, sturdy buildings—“whose like had never been created in any land,” meaning that nothing comparable had ever been constructed elsewhere, for they were strong and solidly built. This was what deluded them and led them to say, “Who is mightier than us in strength?”

Although these structures were made by human beings, the words “whose like had never been created in any land” provide evidence that creation may also be attributed to a human being, so that it may be said, “He created such-and-such.” An example is the Prophet’s statement concerning image-makers: “It will be said to them, ‘Bring to life what you created.’” (1) However, the creation attributed to a created being is not the same as the creation attributed to Allah. The creation attributed to Allah comprises bringing something into existence after it did not exist, as well as transformation and alteration. Creation attributed to anyone other than Allah, however, is merely transformation and alteration. I shall give you an example: this door is made of wood. It was Allah who created the wood, and human beings cannot create it; but they can transform tree trunks—