is mentioned in the Korân", and often alluded to by the oriental writers. The city, they tell us, is still standing in the desarts of Aden, being preserved by Providence as a monument of divine justice, though it be invisible, unless very rarely, when GOD permits it to be seen, a favour one Colabah pretended to have received in the reign of the Khalif Moâwiyah, who sending for him to know the truth of the matter, Colabah related his whole adventure; that, as he was seeking a camel he had lost, he found himself on a sudden at the gates of this city, and entering it, saw not one inhabitant, at which being terrified, he stayed no longer than to take with him some fine stones which he shewed the Khalîf ". The descendants of Ad in process of time falling from the worship of the true GOD into idolatry, GOD sent the prophet Hûd (who is generally agreed to be Heber') to preach to and reclaim them. But they refusing to acknowledge his mission, or to obey him, GOD sent a hot and suffocating wind, which blew seven nights and eight days together, and entering at their nostrils, passed through their bodies', and destroyed them all, a very few only excepted, who had believed in Hûd, and retired with him to another place. That prophet afterwards returned into Hadramaut, and was buried near Hasec, where there is a small town now standing called Kabr Hûd, or the Sepulchre of Hûd. Before the Adites were thus severely punished, GOD, to humble them, and incline them to hearken to the preaching of his prophet, afflicted them with a drought for four years, so that all their cattle perished, and themselves were very near it; upon which they sent Lokmân (different from one of the same name who lived in David's time) with sixty others to Mecca to beg rain, which they not obtaining, Lokman with some of his company staid at Mecca, and thereby escaped destruction, giving P Cap, 89. The Jews acknowledge Heber q D'Herbel. 51. to have been a great prophet, Seder Olam, p. 2. Spec. 35, &c. |