Al-Qamar 54:11
The Moon · Juz 27 · Page 529
فَفَتَحۡنَآ أَبۡوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٖ مُّنۡهَمِرٖ ١١
Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 54:9–11
The Story of the People of Nuh (علیہ السلام) and the Lesson Learnt from it
مَجْنُونٌ وَازْدُجِرَ (and said, " (He is) a madman", and he was threatened...54:9). The word wazdujira literally denotes 'he was rebuked'. It refers to the attitude of the people of Nuh علیہ السلام who rebuked and threatened him to stop him from preaching. On another occasion in the Qur'an, we read that the people of Nuh (علیہ السلام) threatened and warned him that if he does not stop propagating his message, he would be stoned to death.
` Abd Ibn Humaid reports from Mujahid that when some of his people found him somewhere, they would choke him, as a result he would become unconscious. But when he recovered, he would pray to Allah, '0 Allah! Forgive my people, for they do not know the truth'. In this way, he endured the persecution of his people patiently for nine hundred and fifty years, prayed for their forgiveness and understanding of the truth. Eventually, when the situation became intolerable, and he could no longer resist his people, he invoked Allah to help him against them. As a result, Allah opened the gates of the heaven with torrential rain, and the entire nation was drowned which is mentioned in the forthcoming verse.
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54:7
خُشَّعًا أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمۡ جَرَادٞ مُّنتَشِرٞ ٧
Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were locusts spreading,
54:8
مُّهۡطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِۖ يَقُولُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوۡمٌ عَسِرٞ ٨
Racing ahead toward the Caller. The disbelievers will say, "This is a difficult Day."
54:9
۞ كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ فَكَذَّبُواْ عَبۡدَنَا وَقَالُواْ مَجۡنُونٞ وَٱزۡدُجِرَ ٩
The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was repelled.
54:10
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَغۡلُوبٞ فَٱنتَصِرۡ ١٠
So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered, so help."
54:11
فَفَتَحۡنَآ أَبۡوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٖ مُّنۡهَمِرٖ ١١
Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
54:12
وَفَجَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ عُيُونٗا فَٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرٖ قَدۡ قُدِرَ ١٢
And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined.
54:13
وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلۡوَٰحٖ وَدُسُرٖ ١٣
And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,
54:14
تَجۡرِي بِأَعۡيُنِنَا جَزَآءٗ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ١٤
Sailing under Our observation as reward for he who had been denied.
54:15
وَلَقَد تَّرَكۡنَٰهَآ ءَايَةٗ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٥
And We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?
54:16
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٦
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.1
1 translator’s note
- To those after them, who were expected to derive a lesson from previous occurrences. ↩
54:17
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٧
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:18
كَذَّبَتۡ عَادٞ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٨
ʿAad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
54:19
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحٗا صَرۡصَرٗا فِي يَوۡمِ نَحۡسٖ مُّسۡتَمِرّٖ ١٩
Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune,
54:20
تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٖ مُّنقَعِرٖ ٢٠
Extracting the people1 as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted.
1 translator’s note
- From their hiding places. ↩
54:21
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٢١
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
54:22
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٢٢
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:23
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٢٣
Thamūd denied the warning.
54:24
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٗا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدٗا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٍ ٢٤
And said, "Is it one human being1 among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the prophet Ṣāliḥ. ↩
54:25
أَءُلۡقِيَ ٱلذِّكۡرُ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۢ بَيۡنِنَا بَلۡ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٞ ٢٥
Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar."
54:26
سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ ٢٦
They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.
54:27
إِنَّا مُرۡسِلُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّهُمۡ فَٱرۡتَقِبۡهُمۡ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ ٢٧
Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient.1
1 translator’s note
- This and the following verse are an address to Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace). ↩