Adh-Dhaariyat (The Winnowing Winds)

41. And [there are lessons and Signs] in [the story of] ‘Ad when We sent against them the barren [destructive] wind;

42. It [the wind] spared nothing that it touched, but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.

Prophet Hod (Hud AS) was sent by God Almighty to call his people to monotheism. Despite his warnings they did not pay any heed but paved the path for sending down Divine torment. Winds are sometimes rejuvenating but they may be barren and destructive at times. The Arabic phrase al-rih al-‘aqim designates ‘destructive wind’ sent as a torment against the people of ‘Ad.

It was so scorching and poisoning that it destroyed all men, animals, and plants on its way. The word ramim designates ‘rotten, decaying’ and tarmim denotes ‘restoration of decay.’ Despite their great physical strength, power, and high stature, the destructive wind shattered them like rotten bones.

The blessed twain Verses allude to the torment sent against the people of ‘Ad who despite their strong body and high stature, their strength, power, and might could not keep them from being afflicted with the Divine torment, the barren, namely destructive wind, levitating them off the ground and dumped them onto the land thus turning them into rotten bones.