Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Mufti Muhammad Shafi(3)-Once again, the objection of the people of ` Ad mentioned in the fifth verse (69) is the same as raised by the people of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) before them - that is, how can we take a human being like us as our superior? Had it been an angel, maybe we would have done that.' In answer to this what the Qur'an has mentioned is the reply given by Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) to his people - where he had said that there was nothing to be surprised about the fact that a human being comes to people as the prophet or messenger of Allah to put His fear in their hearts, because it is a human being who can convince other human beings effectively.
After that they were reminded of the blessings Allah Ta` ala had bestowed upon them. It was said: وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِي الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّـهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (And remember when He made you successors after the people of Nuh and gave you increased strength in physique).
Remembering these blessings would have been for their own good, but wicked and intoxicated with power and wealth as they were, they paid no heed and gave a reply which was no different from what is generally given by people who have gone astray. They said that if Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) was trying to wean them away from the faith of their ancestors and hoping that they would abandon their idols and come around to believing in just one God, then, this they would never be able to do. As for the warning of punishment he was giving to them, they would say: go ahead and bring it upon us, if you are telling the truth.