How can the Quranic verse "And you take to yourselves palaces" from Surah Ash-Shu'ara be understood in the context of the modern era, characterized by oil installations, towering buildings, and water reservoirs? Do these constructions indicate an illusion of immortality, which is considered among the whisperings of Satan? What is the connection of this to forgetting the afterlife and a Muslim's duty towards zakat? And does this align with the noble Prophetic hadith about the best of a Muslim's wealth at the end of time?

The reason for Hud's (peace be upon him) denunciation of his people, 'Ad, was that they neglected the most important aspect for humans, which is the aspect of religion and the purification of the soul. They squandered the objectives that please Allah the Almighty, and their ambitions turned towards self-aggrandizement, boasting, amusement, and play. Thus, the works they performed, which were beneficial in themselves, such as building monuments and lighthouses, digging and constructing reservoirs for water, and erecting fortresses and palaces on elevated lands, became mere futility, holding no value with Allah; this was due to their lack of intention to please Allah, and their utilization of these works for showing off, arrogance, and grandeur, as well as their turning away from monotheism and the worship of Allah, and from the Hereafter, limiting themselves to provisioning only for the worldly life.