“We only say that one of our gods has afflicted you with evil.” He said, “I call Allah to witness, and bear witness yourselves, that I am free of whatever you associate with Him—apart from Him. So plot against me, all of you, and do not grant me any respite. Indeed, I have placed my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is upon a straight path.” (54–56)
“They said, ‘O Hud, you have brought us no clear proof’”: that is, no evident demonstration or proof for what you say. “And we will not abandon our gods at your word”: that is, because of your word. “Nor will we believe in you”: that is, nor will we accept you as truthful.
“We only say that one of our gods has afflicted you”: that is, has struck you “with evil.” In other words, the only explanation we can give for your engaging in opposition to us and reviling our gods is that one of our gods has afflicted you—has struck you with harm, madness, and insanity. This is because you reviled our gods, so they took revenge upon you by deranging your mind. We can understand your case in no other way.
He—Hud—said to them, “I call Allah to witness” against myself, “and bear witness, O my people, that I am free of whatever you associate.”
“Apart from Him”: that is, the idols. “So plot against me, all of you”: devise your schemes against me and harm me, you and your idols together; “then do not grant me respite”: do not delay or give me time.
“Indeed, I have placed my trust”: that is, relied “upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock.” Al-Dahhak said: “He gives it life and causes it to die.”
Al-Farra' said: “He owns it and has power over it.”
Al-Qutaybi said: “He subdues it, for whoever you take by the forelock, you have subdued.”
It was also said that the forelock was singled out because the Arabs used this expression when describing someone as humiliated. They would say, “So-and-so’s forelock is in so-and-so’s hand.” When they captured a person and wished to release him and show him favor, they would shave his forelock, taking pride over him in doing so. Thus Allah addressed them in terms they understood.