بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Nuh 71:3
Noah · Juz 29 · Page 570
أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ٣
To worship Allāh, fear Him and obey me.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 71:1–4
Which was revealed in Makkah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Nuh's Invitation to His People
Allah says concerning Nuh that He sent him to his people commanding him to warn them of the punishment of Allah before it befell them. He was to tell them that if they would repent and turn to Allah, then the punishment would be lifted from them. Due to this Allah says,
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحاً إِلَى قَوْمِهِ أَنْ أَنذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ - قَالَ يقَوْمِ إِنِّى لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
("Warn your people before there comes to them a painful torment." He said: "O my people! Verily, I am a plain warner to you.") meaning, clarity of the warning, making the matter apparent and clear.
أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ
(That you should worship Allah, and have Taqwa of Him,) meaning, `abandon those things that He has forbidden and avoid that which He has declared to be sinful.'
وَأَطِيعُونِ
(and obey me,) `In that which I command you to do and that which I forbid you from.'
يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ
(He will forgive you of your sins) meaning, `if you do what I command you to do and you believe in what I have been sent with to you, then Allah will forgive you for your sins. '
وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى
(and respite you to an appointed term.) meaning, `He will extend your life span and protect you from the torment that He would have made befall you if you did not stay away from His prohibitions.' This Ayah is used as proof by those who say that obedience (to Allah), righteousness and maintaining the family ties truly increase the life span of a person. This is like that which has been reported in the Hadith,
«صِلَةُ الرَّحِمِ تَزِيدُ فِي الْعُمُر»
(Maintaining the family ties increases the life span.) Concerning Allah's statement,
إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لاَ يُؤَخَّرُ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
(Verily, the term of Allah when it comes, cannot be delayed, if you but know.) means, hasten to the obedience (of Allah) before the coming of His vengeance. For verily, if He commands that to happen, it cannot be repulsed or prevented. For He is the Great One Who compels everything, and He is the Almighty Whose might all of creation succumbs to.
Page 570
70:40
فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠
So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings1 that indeed We are able
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), who determines the point at which the sun, moon and stars rise and set according to season and every position of observation. ↩
70:41
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ ٤١
To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
70:42
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢
So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -
70:43
يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣
The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., just as they used to race, whenever an idol was newly appointed, to be the first of its worshippers. ↩
70:44
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.
71:1
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦٓ أَنۡ أَنذِرۡ قَوۡمَكَ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ١
Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment."
71:2
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّي لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ ٢
He said, "O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner -
71:3
أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ٣
To worship Allāh, fear Him and obey me.
71:4
يَغۡفِرۡ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمۡ وَيُؤَخِّرۡكُمۡ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمًّىۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُۚ لَوۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٤
He [i.e., Allāh] will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allāh, when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew."
71:5
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوۡتُ قَوۡمِي لَيۡلٗا وَنَهَارٗا ٥
He said, "My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day.
71:6
فَلَمۡ يَزِدۡهُمۡ دُعَآءِيٓ إِلَّا فِرَارٗا ٦
But my invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e., aversion].
71:7
وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوۡتُهُمۡ لِتَغۡفِرَ لَهُمۡ جَعَلُوٓاْ أَصَٰبِعَهُمۡ فِيٓ ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡشَوۡاْ ثِيَابَهُمۡ وَأَصَرُّواْ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ ٱسۡتِكۡبَارٗا ٧
And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments,1 persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance.
1 translator’s note
- Refusing to look or listen. ↩
71:8
ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوۡتُهُمۡ جِهَارٗا ٨
Then I invited them publicly.
71:9
ثُمَّ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَنتُ لَهُمۡ وَأَسۡرَرۡتُ لَهُمۡ إِسۡرَارٗا ٩
Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly
71:10
فَقُلۡتُ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗا ١٠
And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy