Al-Anbya 21:77
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 328
وَنَصَرۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمَ سَوۡءٖ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٧٧
And We aided [i.e., saved] him from the people who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were a people of evil, so We drowned them, all together.
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Commentary on 21:76–77
Nuh and His People
Allah tells us how He responded to His servant and Messenger Nuh, peace be upon him, when he prayed to Him against his people for their disbelief in him:
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ
(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!") 54:10
وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ لاَ تَذَرْ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ مِنَ الْكَفِرِينَ دَيَّاراً - إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّواْ عِبَادَكَ وَلاَ يَلِدُواْ إِلاَّ فَاجِراً كَفَّاراً
(And Nuh said: "My Lord! Leave not any inhabitant of the disbelievers on the earth! If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants, and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers) 71:26-27. So Allah says here,
إِذْ نَادَى مِن قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَهُ وَأَهْلَهُ
(And (remember) Nuh, when he cried (to Us) aforetime. We answered to his invocation and saved him and his family) meaning, those who believed with him, as Allah says elsewhere:
وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ
(...and your family -- except him against whom the Word has already gone forth -- and those who believe. And none believed with him, except a few) 11: 40.
مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ
(from the great dis- tress.) meaning, from difficulty, rejection and harm. For he remained among them for one thousand years less fifty, calling them to Allah, and no one had believed in him except for a few. His people were plotting against him and advising one another century after century, generation after generation, to oppose him.
وَنَصَرْنَهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ
(We helped him against the people) means, `We saved him and helped him against the people,'
الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بَِايَتِنَا إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
(who denied Our Ayat. Verily, they were a people given to evil. So We drowned them all.) meaning, Allah drowned them all, and not one of them was left on the face of the earth, as their Prophet had prayed would happen to them.
وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَهِدِينَ
Page 328
21:73
وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡهِمۡ فِعۡلَ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِ وَإِقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِۖ وَكَانُواْ لَنَا عَٰبِدِينَ ٧٣
And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakāh; and they were worshippers of Us.
21:74
وَلُوطًا ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ حُكۡمٗا وَعِلۡمٗا وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلَّتِي كَانَت تَّعۡمَلُ ٱلۡخَبَٰٓئِثَۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمَ سَوۡءٖ فَٰسِقِينَ ٧٤
And to Lot We gave judgement and knowledge, and We saved him from the city that was committing wicked deeds. Indeed, they were a people of evil, defiantly disobedient.
21:75
وَأَدۡخَلۡنَٰهُ فِي رَحۡمَتِنَآۖ إِنَّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٧٥
And We admitted him into Our mercy. Indeed, he was of the righteous.
21:76
وَنُوحًا إِذۡ نَادَىٰ مِن قَبۡلُ فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ فَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَرۡبِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٧٦
And [mention] Noah, when he called [to Allāh]1 before [that time], so We responded to him and saved him and his family from the great affliction [i.e., the flood].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., supplicated against his people who had persisted in denial and animosity. See 71:26-28. ↩
21:77
وَنَصَرۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمَ سَوۡءٖ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٧٧
And We aided [i.e., saved] him from the people who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were a people of evil, so We drowned them, all together.
21:78
وَدَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيۡمَٰنَ إِذۡ يَحۡكُمَانِ فِي ٱلۡحَرۡثِ إِذۡ نَفَشَتۡ فِيهِ غَنَمُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكۡمِهِمۡ شَٰهِدِينَ ٧٨
And [mention] David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field - when the sheep of a people overran it [at night],1 and We were witness to their judgement.
1 translator’s note
- Eating and destroying the crops. ↩
21:79
فَفَهَّمۡنَٰهَا سُلَيۡمَٰنَۚ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيۡنَا حُكۡمٗا وَعِلۡمٗاۚ وَسَخَّرۡنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلۡجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحۡنَ وَٱلطَّيۡرَۚ وَكُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ ٧٩
And We gave understanding of it [i.e., the case] to Solomon, and to each [of them] We gave judgement and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains to exalt [Us], along with David and [also] the birds. And We were doing [that].1
1 translator’s note
- Meaning that Allāh has always been capable of accomplishing whatever He wills. ↩
21:80
وَعَلَّمۡنَٰهُ صَنۡعَةَ لَبُوسٖ لَّكُمۡ لِتُحۡصِنَكُم مِّنۢ بَأۡسِكُمۡۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُمۡ شَٰكِرُونَ ٨٠
And We taught him the fashioning of coats of armor to protect you from your [enemy in] battle. So will you then be grateful?
21:81
وَلِسُلَيۡمَٰنَ ٱلرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةٗ تَجۡرِي بِأَمۡرِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكۡنَا فِيهَاۚ وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَٰلِمِينَ ٨١
And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind, blowing forcefully, proceeding by his command toward the land which We had blessed. And We are ever, of all things, Knowing.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy