The Poets (Al-Shu‘ara’)
Verses 105-115 GROUP_955 26.105-115
105
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
The people of Noah also rejected the messengers.
106
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
When their brother Noah said to them, ‘Will you have no fear of God?
107
إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ
I am a trustworthy messenger for you:
108
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
fear God, and obey me.
109
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
I ask of you no recompense for it, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Universe,
110
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
so fear God and obey me.’
111
قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْذَلُونَ
They replied, ‘Are we to believe in you when your followers are but the lowest of the low?’
112
قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِي بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
He said, ‘What knowledge do I have of their doings?
113
إِنْ حِسَابُهُمْ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّي لَوْ تَشْعُرُونَ
My Lord alone can bring them to account—if only you could understand—
114
وَمَا أَنَا بِطَارِدِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
I am not going to drive away any believers.
115
إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
I am only a plain warner.’
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Commentary
(a) Noah’s community rejected him, though his call was fully borne out by the strength of arguments. Besides, his character bore testimony to his truthfulness. The people of his community knew that Noah was a righteous and honest man. They knew that there was no vested self-interest attached to his call for the Truth. Indeed, his personal qualities were enough to prove his seriousness. And a person who is serious about God’s creatures cannot be other than serious about their Creator. Noah’s community rejected his call for the Truth, though they could offer nothing but irrelevant matters to justify this rejection. To say that the companions of a preacher are ordinary people in order to justify rejection of his call, is not a contradiction of the call but amounts rather to self-contradiction. It means that nothing can be found by way of arguments to warrant saying anything against the call of Truth. Such a stance did no credit to Noah’s community.