Nuh 71:21
Noah · Juz 29 · Page 571
قَالَ نُوحٞ رَّبِّ إِنَّهُمۡ عَصَوۡنِي وَٱتَّبَعُواْ مَن لَّمۡ يَزِدۡهُ مَالُهُۥ وَوَلَدُهُۥٓ إِلَّا خَسَارٗا ٢١
Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss.
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Commentary on 71:15–22
لَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا
(Did you not see how Allah has created seven heavens one upon another, and has made the moon a light therein? ....71:15-16)
These verses are adduced as proof positive of Divine Oneness and His power. He has created seven heavens, one on top of the other, and placed the moon as a light in them. The prepositional phrase in the verse apparently indicates that the moon is placed in the body of the heavens. The subject is fully discussed in Surah Al-Furqan under the following verse:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا
Glorious is the One who made stellar formations in the sky and placed therein a lamp (sun) and a bright moon. [ 25:61] Complaining about his people, Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) said:
وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا كُبَّارًا (and they devised an enormous plan....71:22). In other words, they hatched a mighty plot. They rejected the message and persecuted Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) . In addition, they let loose hooligans and hoodlums on him. They agreed that they will not abandon their gods, especially the five major idols whose names appear in the following verse:
Page 571
71:11
يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا ١١
He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers
71:12
وَيُمۡدِدۡكُم بِأَمۡوَٰلٖ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ وَيَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ أَنۡهَٰرٗا ١٢
And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.
71:13
مَّا لَكُمۡ لَا تَرۡجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارٗا ١٣
What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allāh [due] grandeur
71:14
وَقَدۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَطۡوَارًا ١٤
While He has created you in stages?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in various progressive states and conditions. See also 22:5 and 23:12-14 in reference to development of the embryo. ↩
71:15
أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاْ كَيۡفَ خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ سَبۡعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٖ طِبَاقٗا ١٥
Do you not consider how Allāh has created seven heavens in layers1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 67:3. ↩
71:16
وَجَعَلَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورٗا وَجَعَلَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ سِرَاجٗا ١٦
And made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?
71:17
وَٱللَّهُ أَنۢبَتَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ نَبَاتٗا ١٧
And Allāh has caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth.
71:18
ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمۡ فِيهَا وَيُخۡرِجُكُمۡ إِخۡرَاجٗا ١٨
Then He will return you into it and extract you [another] extraction.
71:19
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِسَاطٗا ١٩
And Allāh has made for you the earth an expanse
71:20
لِّتَسۡلُكُواْ مِنۡهَا سُبُلٗا فِجَاجٗا ٢٠
That you may follow therein roads of passage.'"
71:21
قَالَ نُوحٞ رَّبِّ إِنَّهُمۡ عَصَوۡنِي وَٱتَّبَعُواْ مَن لَّمۡ يَزِدۡهُ مَالُهُۥ وَوَلَدُهُۥٓ إِلَّا خَسَارٗا ٢١
Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss.
71:22
وَمَكَرُواْ مَكۡرٗا كُبَّارٗا ٢٢
And they conspired an immense conspiracy
71:23
وَقَالُواْ لَا تَذَرُنَّ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدّٗا وَلَا سُوَاعٗا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسۡرٗا ٢٣
And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwāʿ or Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr.'1
1 translator’s note
- These were the names of specific idols named after pious men of earlier generations. ↩
71:24
وَقَدۡ أَضَلُّواْ كَثِيرٗاۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَٰلٗا ٢٤
And already they have misled many. And, [my Lord], do not increase the wrongdoers except in error."
71:25
مِّمَّا خَطِيٓـَٰٔتِهِمۡ أُغۡرِقُواْ فَأُدۡخِلُواْ نَارٗا فَلَمۡ يَجِدُواْ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَنصَارٗا ٢٥
Because of their sins they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides Allāh [any] helpers.
71:26
وَقَالَ نُوحٞ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرۡ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا ٢٦
And Noah said, "My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant.
71:27
إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرۡهُمۡ يُضِلُّواْ عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوٓاْ إِلَّا فَاجِرٗا كَفَّارٗا ٢٧
Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.
71:28
رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيۡتِيَ مُؤۡمِنٗا وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارَۢا ٢٨
My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house a believer and the believing men and believing women. And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy