52 Preface وَيا قَومِ استَغفِروا رَبَّكُم ثُمَّ توبوا إِلَيهِ يُرسِلِ السَّماءَ عَلَيكُم مِدرارًا وَيَزِدكُم قُوَّةً إِلىٰ قُوَّتِكُم وَلا تَتَوَلَّوا مُجرِمينَYusuf Ali“And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you the skies1 pouring abundant rain, and add strength to your strength:2 so turn ye not back in sin!”The beautiful metaphor about the skies coming down with rain has been obscured unnecessarily in most translations. The country of ‘Ād was an arid country, and rain was the greatest blessing they could receive. We can imagine this being said in a time of famine, when the people performed all sorts of superstitious rites and invocations instead of turning to the true God in faith and repentance. Further, when we remember that there were, in this tract in ancient times, dams like that at Ma'rib, for the storage of rain water, the effect is still further heightened in pointing to God’s care and mercy in His dealing with men.Adding strength to strength may refer to an increase of population, as some Commentators think. While other parts of Arabia were sparsely populated, the irrigated lands of ‘Ād supported a comparatively dense population and added to their natural strength in the arts of peace and war. But the term used is perfectly general. They were a powerful people in their time. If they obeyed God and followed the law of righteousness, they would be still more powerful, for “righteousness exalteth a nation.”