Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
نوح
Nuh
Noah · Meccan · 28 ayahs
70:33–71:3Page 570
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."
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّي لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ ٢
He said, "O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner -
أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ٣
To worship Allāh, fear Him and obey me.
وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ (...and those who are upright in their testimonies, [ 70:33] '. The word shahadat is the plural of shahadah. The use of plural number in this verse too indicates that there are many types and categories of 'testimony', and it is necessary to stand firm by one's testimony of any type. This includes testifying to the faith of Islam, Divine existence and His Oneness, and testifying that Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ is His Final Messenger. It is obligatory to testify to the crescent of Ramadan, if one has seen it. Giving a true and accurate account of Shari'ah matters as expert witness, and in all judicial hearings is also implied. Everyone is duty-bound to offer the testimony when summoned. It is prohibited to add or omit any part thereof. According to this verse, it is obligatory to bear testimony, to be upright in it and stand firm by it.
Al-hamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Ma’ arij
Ends here.
71:4–14Page 570
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."
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوۡتُ قَوۡمِي لَيۡلٗا وَنَهَارٗا ٥
He said, "My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day.
فَلَمۡ يَزِدۡهُمۡ دُعَآءِيٓ إِلَّا فِرَارٗا ٦
But my invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e., aversion].
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.
ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوۡتُهُمۡ جِهَارٗا ٨
Then I invited them publicly.
ثُمَّ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَنتُ لَهُمۡ وَأَسۡرَرۡتُ لَهُمۡ إِسۡرَارٗا ٩
Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly
فَقُلۡتُ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗا ١٠
And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا ١١
He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers
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.
مَّا لَكُمۡ لَا تَرۡجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارٗا ١٣
What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allāh [due] grandeur
وَقَدۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَطۡوَارًا ١٤
While He has created you in stages?1
Commentary
يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ and Allah will forgive you your sins, 71:4). The particle min is often used to indicate division into parts, that is, to refer to only a part of an amount, group or number. If it is taken in that sense here, it would signify that by embracing the faith only those sins would be forgiven which pertains to the Divine rights because violation of human rights would be forgiven only when the believer fulfills the human rights which he has violated [ such as pecuniary obligations ] and if they cannot be fulfilled [ such as hurting somebody physically or verbally ], then the person who has been so hurt must first be requested to forgive. The hadith which reports that by embracing the faith all sins are forgiven must be understood in the light of the foregoing explanation. In other words, the hadith has the same conditions attached to it as the verse under comment, that is, violation of the rights of the human beings is not forgiven except upon fulfillment of those rights or seeking forgiveness from the victims of that violation. Other scholars of Tafsir interpret the particle min as za'idah, (having no meaning, and added only because of usage). In this way, it signifies that all their sins would be forgiven. However, on the basis of other texts, this general expression is subject to the conditions mentioned above.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences