The Destruction of Ad: Why Power Always Corrupt Elites
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Power is an addictive force. It transforms the weak into the strong, the average man into a warrior and a small village into a mighty nation. This was the case for the people of Ad but was also the reason for their downfall. In particular, their tribal chiefs rejected Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and lead a hostile campaign to discredit him. But why were they hostile in the first place? What stopped Ad’s chiefs from engaging with their prophet and accepting Monotheism?
This article utilises power psychology to explore the mindset of Ad’s chiefs, outline how power corrupts leaders, affects their behaviour and decision making skills. These factors will explain what ultimately led to Ad’s destruction.
The Tribe of Ad: A Unique Nation
The people of Ad lived in an area between Yemen and Oman. They were a strong people known for powerful craftsmanship. Their land was filled with lofty palaces and high buildings which rivalled each other in splendour and detail. They built statues of famed warriors and carved idols to worship. They were the most powerful nation. The superpower of their day.
However, their power led to arrogance, particularly amongst its unjust rulers. They knew of Allah but worshipped idols alongside Him and rejected the Hereafter. As a result, they utilised their power to torment and control the weak.
“Indeed, when kings invade a land, they ruin it and debase its nobles.”
Prophet Hud's call to his people
Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ was from the tribe of Ad, and advised his people against idol worship.
And to the people of ’Âd We sent their brother Hûd. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. You do nothing but fabricate lies ˹against Allah˺.
He told them of the benefits of seeking forgiveness.
O my people! Seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will shower you with rain in abundance, and add strength to your strength. So do not turn away, persisting in wickedness.”
They argued, “O Hûd! You have not given us any clear proof, and we will never abandon our gods upon your word, nor will we believe in you.
The chiefs then accused Prophet Hud of being possessed by their gods, leading to him rejecting their claims and invoking Allah against them.
I have put my trust in Allah—my Lord and your Lord. There is no living creature that is not completely under His control. Surely my Lord’s Way is perfect justice.
But if you turn away, I have already delivered to you what I have been sent with. My Lord will replace you with others. You are not harming Him in the least. Indeed, my Lord is a ˹vigilant˺ Keeper over all things.”
Campaign By the Disbelieving Chiefs
Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ patiently called his people to the truth. He explained that Allah made them Prophet Nuh's successors on earth after his nation was destroyed by floods. In addition, Ad’s power and strength came from Allah and not themselves.
The people contested his claims, particularly The Resurrection. They were confused by how one could die, turn to dust, be restored again and be held accountable for their deeds. This campaign of disbelief was led by the chiefs.
But the chiefs of his people—who disbelieved, denied the meeting ˹with Allah˺ in the Hereafter, and were spoiled by the worldly luxuries We had provided for them—said ˹to the masses˺, “This is only a human like you. He eats what you eat, and drinks what you drink.
And if you ˹ever˺ obey a human like yourselves, then you would certainly be losers.
There is nothing beyond our worldly life. We die, others are born, and none will be resurrected.
He is no more than a man who has fabricated a lie about Allah, and we will never believe in him.
The conflict between Prophet Hud and his people continued for years. The tribe of Ad believed their gods would save them from any punishment. Eventually, they delivered a final refutation of their prophet who gave them a warning.
All we can say is that some of our gods have possessed you with evil.” He said, “I call Allah to witness, and you too bear witness, that I ˹totally˺ reject whatever you associate with Him ˹in worship˺. So let all of you plot against me without delay!
The Punishment Arrives
After Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ renounced Ad and their gods, it was clear the punishment would descend on them.
Hud and his people waited for Allah's promise. They were struck with a drought, the sun scorched the desert but the people remained defiant. Eventually a day came showing a sky full of clouds.
Then when they saw the torment as a ˹dense˺ cloud approaching their valleys, they said ˹happily˺, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.” ˹But Hûd replied,˺ “No, it is what you sought to hasten: a ˹fierce˺ wind carrying a painful punishment!”
And as for Ȃd, they were destroyed by a furious, bitter wind
which Allah unleashed on them non-stop for seven nights and eight days, so that you would have seen its people lying dead like trunks of uprooted palm trees.
Self Deification: When Desire Becomes A Man’s God
The downfall of Ad is a chilling example of when power overrides reason. Like Prophet Nuh's people it was the tribal chiefs who rejected the message on their people’s behalf, leading to their collective destruction. But why does Monotheism alienate the elite class, and why did Ad commit the same mistake as their forefathers?
The conversation between Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and Ad’s leaders provides an insight into the concept of power and how some leaders think. At first, Prophet Hud urged them to believe in Allah who would increase them in strength.
And O my people! Seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will shower you with rain in abundance, and add strength to your strength.
This signals to Ad’s leaders that their power comes from a source Who can increase or limit it. To believe in Allah and His Oneness demands the people to acknowledge they are not all powerful. This also means their empire didn’t reach its status by their own efforts. Therefore, there must be a deity who is self-sufficient and stronger than them. When arrogant people hear of a stronger force, their mindset is to subjugate it.
This describes what psychologists deem Hubris Syndrome:
“A disorder of the possession of power, particularly power which has been associated with overwhelming success, held for a period of years and with minimal constraint on the leader.”
(Useem, 2017)
These leaders are incompetent, reckless, possess a contempt for others, and are out of touch with reality. This was the mindset of Ad’s leadership when responding to Prophet Hud. Instead of analysing the knowledge presented, they chose to belittle, undermine and attack the message. This is shown when demanding Allah’s punishment. They saw the Divine as a competing force to be crushed. This explains the severity of their punishment and its duration - overwhelming them long after they were dead.
Why Does Power Corrupt Leaders?
A famous quote by 19th-century politician Lord Acton stated:
“Power tends to corrupt…and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Power psychology is a field which analyses how power dynamics influences human behaviour. Studies show that powerful people are more likely to become corrupt with increased status. They resort to lying, cheating and unethical behaviour to serve their goals.
In the case of Ad's chiefs, they were quick to insult their prophet, question why he was merely human and lead a campaign to discredit him. This was despite knowing Prophet Hud’s noble character as he grew up in the tribe. When powerful people feel threatened, they are likely to resort to extreme measures to crush their opposition.
Power itself is not inherently evil and is necessary to organise human society - from companies to marriages. However, when individuals are exposed to excessive power, they become impulsive and lose empathy. They also tend to minimise the social costs and actions of their behaviour.
Research has shown that powerful individuals are uncompassionate and less empathetic. This makes it difficult to see the world from others perspectives. They can't connect or empathise with their subordinates. Similarly, their followers often emulate leader’s characteristics. This only worsens a leader’s entitlement who interprets this as collective approval. This causes leaders to become out of touch, prioritising their personal interests over others. (Taylor, 2025)
This suggests that Ad’s chiefs were not making decisions in the best interests of their people but wished to protect their status. They lacked the empathy and awareness to engage maturely with Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ or appreciate the spiritual impact of his message. Their arrogance had a great moral cost which wasn’t realised until it was too late.
Additionally, Ad’s leaders were uninterested in how rejecting the Message impacted their people. If they accepted Monotheism and believed in their prophet, the people would follow. If they rejected it, others would do the same. Due to their negative response, the tribe held onto idolatry, believing it to be the best decision. This demonstrates how bad leadership undermines the collective, dooming the entire tribe.
Fear of Accountability: Legacy, Status and the Pursuit of Eternal Life
Another reason why Ad’s chiefs responded harshly to their prophet was the fear of death. The leaders spent a lot of time accumulating their resources and consolidating their status to build a prosperous empire. Corrupt rulers want the world in which they strived for to be everlasting. To leave it behind was to abandon their civilisation, and on top of that - to be held accountable for what they did to obtain it.
This is known as a fear of accountability. Powerful people become corrupt when officials wield excessive power but lack accountability. In a report for the European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption it noted that corruption occurs when power is centralised in the hands of a few individuals. This allows powerful people to influence and shape decisions without limit and leads to exploitation. Accountability is necessary to check the abuse of power and corrupt practices. Without accountability, officials will 'exercise their power for private ends unchecked by scrutiny, complaint or threat of punishment.' (David-Barrett, Okamura, 2013, 22)
The Day of Judgement is the ultimate form of accountability and explains why Ad’s leaders were hostile to the concept. Divine accountability makes humans realise they were not created to indulge their desires and treat others however they wish.
Evil people achieve power through blindness to their sins and refuse to see their own deficiencies. As a result, oppressors are afraid of their own demons, and what they did to achieve worldly success. A glimpse of this mindset is in Surah Al-Naziat, where Quraiysh voices their concern about The Divine Accounting.
˹But now˺ they ask mockingly, “Will we really be restored to our former state,
even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?”
Adding, “Then such a return would be a ˹total˺ loss ˹for us˺!”
This sheds light on why elites fear accountability, which they see as the cause of their destruction. However, it also explains why they must convince others to reject the Hereafter. Arrogant people fear not only accountability but their followers turning against them. If the people believed in Prophet Hud, they would learn the world is transitory and mankind will be sorted into either Heaven or Hell for eternity. As a result, they wouldn't attach as much importance to worldly life. But the elites cannot justify social hierarchy and exploitation. Therefore they must convince their people there is no Hereafter. This is how oppressors retain power.
There is nothing beyond our worldly life. We die, others are born, and none will be resurrected.
May Allah protect us from corruption, a love of this world and make us strive for the Hereafter. Ameen.
Bibliography
David-Barrett, L. and Okamura, K. (2013) The transparency paradox: Why do corrupt countries join EITI? Working Paper No. 38. European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building. Available at: https://www.againstcorruption.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/WP-38-The-Transparency-Paradox.-Why-do-Corrupt-Countries-Join-EITI1.pdf
Taylor, I. (2025) Powerful mindset: the psychology of power. BBC Science Focus Magazine, 5 July. Available at: https://www.sciencefocus.com/wellbeing/powerful-mindset-psychology
Useem, J. (2017) 'Power Causes Brain Damage', The Atlantic, 18 June. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/
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