47/51. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3273 — The Emissary of Ad
Regarding Surat Adh-Dhariyat
Hadith About the Emissary of Ad and the Barren Wind
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3273
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3273
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ سَلاَّمٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ أَبِي النَّجُودِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ، مِنْ رَبِيعَةَ قَالَ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذُكِرْتُ عِنْدَهُ وَافِدَ عَادٍ فَقُلْتُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ وَافِدِ عَادٍ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَمَا وَافِدُ عَادٍ " . قَالَ فَقُلْتُ عَلَى الْخَبِيرِ سَقَطْتَ إِنَّ عَادًا لَمَّا أُقْحِطَتْ بَعَثَتْ قَيْلاً فَنَزَلَ عَلَى بَكْرِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَسَقَاهُ الْخَمْرَ وَغَنَّتْهُ الْجَرَادَتَانِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يُرِيدُ جِبَالَ مَهْرَةَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي لَمْ آتِكَ لِمَرِيضٍ فَأُدَاوِيَهِ وَلاَ لأَسِيرٍ فَأُفَادِيَهُ فَاسْقِ عَبْدَكَ مَا كُنْتَ مُسْقِيَهُ وَاسْقِ مَعَهُ بَكْرَ بْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ . يَشْكُرْ لَهُ الْخَمْرَ الَّذِي سَقَاهُ فَرُفِعَ لَهُ سَحَابَاتٌ فَقِيلَ لَهُ اخْتَرْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ فَاخْتَارَ السَّوْدَاءَ مِنْهُنَّ فَقِيلَ لَهُ خُذْهَا رَمَادًا رَمْدَدًا لاَ تَذَرُ مِنْ عَادٍ أَحَدًا وَذُكِرَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْسَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الرِّيحِ إِلاَّ قَدْرُ هَذِهِ الْحَلْقَةِ يَعْنِي حَلْقَةَ الْخَاتَمِ . ثُمَّ قَرَأَ : (إذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ * مَا تَذَرُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ ) الآيَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَقَدْ رَوَى غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ سَلاَّمٍ أَبِي الْمُنْذِرِ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ أَبِي النَّجُودِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ وَيُقَالُ لَهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ .
Narrated Abu Wa'il: From A Man Of Rabi'Ah Who Said: "I Arrived In Al-Madinah, Entered Upon The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) And Mentioned The Emissary Of 'Ad To Him. I Said: 'I Seek Refuge In Allah From Being Like The Emissary Of 'Ad.' So The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: 'And What Of The Emissary Of 'Ad?'" He Said: "I Said: You Have Got The One Who Is Informed About It. When 'Ad Suffered From Famine They Sent Qail And He Stayed With Bakr Bin Mu'Awiyah. He Gave Him Wine To Drink And Two Slave Girls To Sing For Him. Then He Went Out Towards The Mountains Of Murrah And Said: "O Allah! I Did Not Come To You To Cure A Sick Person, Nor To Ransom A Captive! So Give Water To Your Slave As You Used To Do, And Give Water To Bakr Bin Mu'Awiyah Along With Him." He Said That Out Of Gratitude For The Wine Which He Gave Him To Drink. So Two Clouds Appeared And It Was Said To Him: "Choose One Of Them." So He Chose The Black One. It Was Said To Him: "Take It As Ashes That Will Leave None In 'Ad." So He Mentioned That The Wind Sent Upon Them Was Not More Than This Circle - Meaning The Circle Of A Ring - Then He Recited: "...We Sent Against Them The Barren Wind; It Spared Nothing That It Reached, But Blew It Into Broken Spreads Of Rotten Ruins. (51:41 & 42)"
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3273In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 325English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3273
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3273
This hadith about the emissary of Ad tells a warning story mentioned to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. A man from Rabi’ah said he sought refuge in Allah from being like the emissary of Ad. He then described how Ad suffered famine and sent Qail. Qail stayed with Bakr bin Mu’awiyah, drank wine, heard singing, and later prayed for water. Clouds appeared, and he was told to choose one. He chose the black cloud, but it was described as ashes that would leave none in Ad. The narration then mentions the wind sent against them and recites the ayah about the barren wind that destroyed what it reached. The text warns against heedlessness, false comfort, and a choice that looked helpful but carried punishment.
What we learn from this hadith
- A choice can appear useful while carrying harm, as shown in this story.
- The people of Ad were struck by a destructive wind.
- The man sought refuge in Allah from being like the emissary of Ad.
- The narration connects the event to Qur’anic verses about the barren wind.
