Ibn Kathir (abridged) · Tafsir · in English
Ash-Shu'ara 26:111–122
26:111–115Page 371
۞ قَالُوٓاْ أَنُؤۡمِنُ لَكَ وَٱتَّبَعَكَ ٱلۡأَرۡذَلُونَ ١١١
They said, "Should we believe you while you are followed by the lowest [class of people]?"
قَالَ وَمَا عِلۡمِي بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١١٢
He said, "And what is my knowledge of what they used to do?
إِنۡ حِسَابُهُمۡ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّيۖ لَوۡ تَشۡعُرُونَ ١١٣
Their account is only upon my Lord, if you [could] perceive.
وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١١٤
And I am not one to drive away the believers.
إِنۡ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ ١١٥
I am only a clear warner."
The Demand of the People of Nuh and His Response
They said: "We do not believe in you, and we will not follow you and become equal to the meanest of the people, who follow you and believe in you, and they are the lowest among us."
(They said: "Shall we believe in you, when the inferior follow you" He said: "And what knowledge have I of what they used to do") meaning, `what does it have to do with me if they follow me No matter what they used to do before, I do not have to check on them and examine their background; all I have to do is accept it if they believe in me; whatever is in their hearts is for Allah to know.'
(Their account is only with my Lord, if you could (but) know. And I am not going to drive away the believers.) It seems that they asked him to drive these people away, then they would follow him, but he refused to do that, and said:
(And I am not going to drive away the believers. I am only a plain warner.) meaning, `I have been sent as a warner, and whoever obeys me and follows me and believes in me, then he belongs to me and I to him, whether he is noble or common, upper-class or lower-class.'
26:116–122Page 372
قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمۡ تَنتَهِ يَٰنُوحُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَرۡجُومِينَ ١١٦
They said, "If you do not desist, O Noah, you will surely be of those who are stoned."
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوۡمِي كَذَّبُونِ ١١٧
He said, "My Lord, indeed my people have denied me.
فَٱفۡتَحۡ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ فَتۡحٗا وَنَجِّنِي وَمَن مَّعِيَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١١٨
Then judge between me and them with decisive judgement and save me and those with me of the believers."
فَأَنجَيۡنَٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ ١١٩
So We saved him and those with him in the laden ship.
ثُمَّ أَغۡرَقۡنَا بَعۡدُ ٱلۡبَاقِينَ ١٢٠
Then We drowned thereafter the remaining ones.
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٢١
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٢٢
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
His People's Threat, Nuh's Prayer against Them, and Their Destruction
Nuh stayed among his people for a long time, calling them to Allah night and day, in secret and openly. The more he repeated his call to them, the more determined were they to cling to their extreme disbelief and resist his call. In the end, they said:
(If you cease not, O Nuh you will surely be among those stoned.) meaning, `if you do not stop calling us to your religion,'
(you will surely be among those stoned.) meaning, `we will stone you.' At that point, he prayed against them, and Allah responded to his prayer. Nuh said:
(My Lord! Verily, my people have denied me. Therefore judge You between me and them.) This is like the Ayah:
(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")(54:10) And Allah says here:
(And We saved him and those with him in the laden ship. Then We drowned the rest thereafter.) The "laden ship" is one that is filled with cargo and the couples, one pair from every species, that were carried in it. This Ayah means: `We saved Nuh and all of those who followed him, and We drowned those who disbelieved in him and went against his commands, all of them.'
(Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers. And verily your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.)
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences