Tanwir al-Miqbas · Tafsir · in English
نوح
Nuh
Noah · Meccan · 28 ayahs
71:1Page 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."
And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (Lo! We sent): '(Lo! We sent Noah unto his people (saying): Warn your people) from Allah's wrath and punishment (ere the painful doom come unto them) in the form of drowning.
71:2Page 570
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّي لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ ٢
He said, "O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner -
(He said: O my people! Lo! I am a plain warner unto you) I am a warning messenger unto you, addressing you in a language you understand.
71:3Page 570
أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ٣
To worship Allāh, fear Him and obey me.
((Bidding you): Serve Allah) declare Allah's divine Oneness (and keep your duty unto Him) fear Him and repent of disbelief and idolatry (and obey me) and follow my matter, religion and counsel and accept my advice to you,
71:4Page 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."
(That He may forgive you somewhat of your sins) He will forgive your sins through your repentance and belief in Allah's divine Oneness (and respite you) without sending a punishment on you (to an appointed term) until you die. (Lo! the term of Allah) the torment of Allah, (when it cometh, cannot be delayed, if ye but knew) if you believe in what I say to you.
71:5Page 570
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوۡتُ قَوۡمِي لَيۡلٗا وَنَهَارٗا ٥
He said, "My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day.
When he despaired of them, after calling them to faith for 950 years, and they refused to believe or heed his advice, (He said: My Lord! Lo! I have called unto my people) to repent and believe in Allah's divine Oneness (night and day) at night and during the day.
71:6Page 570
فَلَمۡ يَزِدۡهُمۡ دُعَآءِيٓ إِلَّا فِرَارٗا ٦
But my invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e., aversion].
(But all my calling) to them to repent and believe in Allah's divine Oneness (doth but add to their repugnance) does but increase their remoteness from faith and repentance;
71:7Page 570
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.
(And lo! Whenever I call unto them) to repentance and belief in Allah's divine Oneness (that Thou mayst pardon them) through their repentance and faith in Allah's divine Oneness (they thrust their fingers in their ears) so as not to hear my words and invitation (and cover themselves with their garments) and cover their heads with their garments so that they do not hear my voice or see me (and persist (in their refusal)) and they remain firm in their disbelief and worship of idols; it is also said that they all shouted in unison: �O Noah! We will not believe in you�, (and magnify themselves in pride) and feel too proud to accept faith or repent, because of their arrogance.
(And lo! I have called unto them) to repent and believe in Allah's divine Oneness (aloud) openly, thus avoiding secrecy,
71:9Page 570
ثُمَّ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَنتُ لَهُمۡ وَأَسۡرَرۡتُ لَهُمۡ إِسۡرَارٗا ٩
Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly
(And lo! I have made public proclamation unto them) I called them openly to the message and explained to them, (and I have appealed to them in private) and I called them secretly to the message.
71:10Page 570
فَقُلۡتُ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗا ١٠
And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
(And I have said) to them: (Seek pardon of your Lord) declare the divine Oneness of your Lord and repent of disbelief and idolatry. (Lo! He was ever Forgiving) of those who repent of disbelief and believe in Him.
71:11Page 571
يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا ١١
He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers
(He will let loose the sky for you in plenteous rain) whenever you need rain. This is because Allah had withheld rain from them for 40 years,
71:12Page 571
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.
(And will help you with wealth) camels, bovines, sheep (and sons) and daughters; this is because Allah had stopped their wives and beasts from conceiving for 40 years, (and will assign unto you Gardens and will assign unto you rivers) flowing rivers for your own benefits. This is because Allah had, before this, destroyed their fields and made their rivers dry for 40 years.
71:13Page 571
مَّا لَكُمۡ لَا تَرۡجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارٗا ١٣
What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allāh [due] grandeur
(What aileth you that ye hope not towards Allah for dignity) what ails you that you do not fear Allah's might and majesty; and it is also said that this means: what ails you that you do not magnify Allah as He deserves to be magnified and, thus, believe in His divine Oneness.
(When He created you by (diverse) stages?) The stages refer to sperm drops, blood clots, small chunks of flesh and bones, etc.,
71:15Page 571
أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاْ كَيۡفَ خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ سَبۡعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٖ طِبَاقٗا ١٥
Do you not consider how Allāh has created seven heavens in layers1
(See ye not) have you not been informed, O disbelievers of Mecca, (how Allah hath created seven heavens in harmony) He created them one above the other like a dome whose different parts are cemented with each other,
71:16Page 571
وَجَعَلَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورٗا وَجَعَلَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ سِرَاجٗا ١٦
And made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?
(And hath made the moon) along with them (a light therein) a shining light therein, (and made the sun a lamp) a radiance for the children of Adam?
71:17Page 571
وَٱللَّهُ أَنۢبَتَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ نَبَاتٗا ١٧
And Allāh has caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth.
(And Allah hath caused you to grow as a growth from the earth) He created you from Adam, and Adam is created from dust and the dust is from the earth,
71:18Page 571
ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمۡ فِيهَا وَيُخۡرِجُكُمۡ إِخۡرَاجٗا ١٨
Then He will return you into it and extract you [another] extraction.
(And afterward He maketh you return thereto) He will burry you in the earth, (and He will bring you forth again) from the graves on the Day of Judgement, (a (new) forthbringing.
71:19Page 571
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِسَاطٗا ١٩
And Allāh has made for you the earth an expanse
And Allah hath made the earth a wide expanse for you) to lay and sleep on
71:20Page 571
لِّتَسۡلُكُواْ مِنۡهَا سُبُلٗا فِجَاجٗا ٢٠
That you may follow therein roads of passage.'"
(That ye may thread the valley ways thereof) that you may follow wide ways thereof.
71:21Page 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.
(Noah said: My Lord!) O my Lord! (They have disobeyed me) regarding repentance and faith in Allah's divine Oneness (and followed) and obeyed (one whose) abundant (wealth and children increase him in naught save ruin) in the Hereafter; this refers to the chieftains of his folk;
(And they have plotted a mighty plot) and they have uttered a tremendous lie,
71:23Page 571
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
(And they have said) i.e. the chieftains said to the communality of the people: (Forsake not your gods) forsake not the worship of your Lord. (Forsake not Wadd) forsake not the worship of Wadd, (nor Suwa') nor the worship of Suwa', (nor Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr) nor the worship of Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr. These were idols which Noah's folk worshipped.
71:24Page 571
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."
(And they have led many astray) he says: they have misled through them many people; and it is also said: many people went astray because of them, (and Thou increasest the wrong-doers) the disbelievers and idolaters in their worship of these idols (in naught save error) loss and destruction.
71:25Page 571
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.
(Because of their sins they were drowned) by the flood in the life of the world, (then made to enter) in the Hereafter (a Fire. And they found they had no helpers in place of Allah) they had no helpers to defend them against Allah's chastisement.
71:26Page 571
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.
(And Noah said) after Allah told him that none of his people will believe in him, apart from those who had already believed: (My Lord!) O my Lord! (Leave not one of the disbelievers in the land.
71:27Page 571
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.
If Thou shouldst leave them, they will mislead Thy slaves) they will mislead from Your religion those who believe in You and those who wish to believe in You, (and will beget none save lewd ingrates) and will not beget save offspring who are sinful and disbelievers when they reach the age of reason; and it is also said this means: save those upon whom You have decreed disbelief and lewdness when they reach the age of reason; and it is also said that they did not have among them any children because Allah stopped their women from conceiving, and thus they had only adults amongst them, and the latter were all lewd disbelievers.
71:28Page 571
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."
(My Lord!) O my Lord! (Forgive me and my parents) and forgive my believing parents (and him who entereth my house) my religion; and it is also said: my mosque; and it is also said: my ship (believing, and believing men and believing women) who are true in their faith and who will come after me, (and increase not the wrong-doers) the disbelieving idolaters (in aught save ruin) loss and destruction, like the destruction of those people whose Prophet received the revelation but refused to believe in him'.
Text: Quranic Universal Library (Tarteel), via spa5k/tafsir_api (MIT), at a fixed version. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences