He did not demand any rewards from them so that they might...

He did not demand any rewards from them so that they might think that his appeals and his supplications were for the acquisition of wealth and position or whatever else. It declares: “(Hud said) ‘O’ my people! I ask you no reward for it. My reward is only upon Him Who created me. Have you then no sense?” The only compensation and reward for me is from Him Who has created me.

He Who has bestowed upon me my soul and my body, and to Whom I owe everything; that is my Creator and it is He Who provides for my needs. In principle, if I take any steps in the direction of your guidance and happiness, it is for the sake of being obedient to His commandments and therefore I expect Him to provide me with my sustenance, not you.

He will send you the sky pouring abundant rain, increasing you strength unto your strength; and do not you turn back (from the Truth) as sinners.” Eventually, to encourage them and utilize all possible means of awakening the truth – seeking spirit of this misled people, he takes recourse to offering those material rewards that are conditional upon faith which Allah makes available to the faithful in this world; Hud said to his people to ask the Lord for forgiveness for having committed sins, thus repenting and returning to Him.

The verse says: “And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn unto Him repentant...” By doing so, (you will notice that) He will order the skies to provide you with enlivening rain in on a regular basis. The verse continues saying: “…He will send you the sky pouring abundant rain...” He will do all this so that your cultivated lands and your gardens would not fall into the grip of drought and would always remain green.

Moreover because of your faith, virtue, abstinence from sin and returning to Him, your power would be increased. The verse says: “…increasing you strength unto your strength; and do not you turn back (from the Truth) as sinners.” Imam Hasan (as) has been quoted as saying that he once went to Mu‘awiyah. On his return, one of Mu‘awiyah’s gatemen told him that he had a great deal of wealth but he could not father a son.

Then he asked the Imam to instruct him in a prayer so that He might enable him to have a child.