Noah (Nuh)
Verses 5-20 GROUP_1523 71.5-20
5
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا
He said, ‘My Lord! I have called my people night and day
6
فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَائِي إِلَّا فِرَارًا
but my pleas have only increased their aversion.
7
وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا
Every time I have called to them, so that You might forgive them, they have only thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance.
8
ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُهُمْ جِهَارًا
Then I called them openly,
9
ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْلَنتُ لَهُمْ وَأَسْرَرْتُ لَهُمْ إِسْرَارًا
and spoke to them in public and in private.’
10
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
Then I said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Surely He is the most forgiving.
11
يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاء عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
He will send down abundant rain from the sky for you,
12
وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا
increase your wealth and sons; and grant you gardens and waterways.
13
مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا
What is the matter with you that you deny the greatness of God,
14
وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا
when He has created you through different stages of existence?
15
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا
Do you not see how God has created the seven heavens one above another,
16
وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا
and made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp,
17
وَاللَّهُ أَنبَتَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا
how God has produced you from the earth and caused you to grow,
18
ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا
how He will then return you to it and bring you forth again,
19
وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا
how God has spread the earth out for you
20
لِتَسْلُكُوا مِنْهَا سُبُلًا فِجَاجًا
so that you may walk along its spacious paths?’
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(b) It is evident from the utterances of Noah that his way of delivering the divine message is identical with that adopted in the Quran for inviting people to the Truth. Noah based his reasoning on the events of the universe while urging others to reform. He addressed the people collectively and also had individual discussions. He spared no effort to bring people on to the right path. But his people were not ready to accept him. (a) Literally ‘Why do you deny the greatness of God?’ This has been explained by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas thus, ‘You do not accept the Majesty of God as it should be accepted.’ This shows that Noah’s people did accept God, but the consciousness of the Majesty of God had not become ingrained as it should have done. The fact is that this acceptance of God’s greatness is the real standard of God-worship. One who is living in the knowledge of the Majesty of God is a real God-worshipper, while one whose heart is not immersed in God’s greatness is not a true believer.