سُورَةُ هُودٍ
Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Ayahs 21–30 of 123
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Those are the ones who will have lost themselves, and lost from them is what they used to invent.
These are people who have lost themselves, heading towards their own ruin through associating partners with Allah; and the partners and intercessors they have invented will abandon them.
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرُونَ
Assuredly, it is they in the Hereafter who will be the greatest losers.
It is certain that on the Day of Judgement they will be the greatest losers, because they exchanged faith for disbelief, the Afterlife for the world, and mercy for suffering.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَأَخْبَتُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds and humbled themselves to their Lord - those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide eternally therein.
Those who have faith in Allah and His messengers, and who do good actions, are humble and fear Allah, they are the companions of Paradise, where they will live eternally.
۞ مَثَلُ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْأَصَمِّ وَٱلْبَصِيرِ وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
The example of the two parties is like the blind and deaf, and the seeing and hearing. Are they equal in comparison? Then, will you not remember?
The examples of the two groups – the disbelievers and the believers – are, firstly, like the blind who do not see and the deaf who do not hear: where it is the disbelievers who do not hear and accept the truth, and do not see in a way that is beneficial to them; and secondly, like someone who can hear and see: where it is the believers who can both hear and see. Are these two groups the same in their state and in their qualities? They are not the same. Will you not consider how truly different they are to each other? When the turning away from the faith by the idolaters became clear, Allah consoled His Prophet (peace be upon him), saying that he was not the first who had been rejected, and then He mentioned the stories of other prophets who had been treated in a similar way: The examples of the two groups – the disbelievers and the believers – are, firstly, like the blind who do not see and the deaf who do not hear: where it is the disbelievers who do not hear and accept the truth, and do not see in a way that is beneficial to them; and secondly, like someone who can hear and see: where it is the believers who can both hear and see. Are these two groups the same in their state and in their qualities? They are not the same. Will you not consider how truly different they are to each other?
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنِّى لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ
And We had certainly sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Indeed, I am to you a clear warner
I sent Noah (peace be upon him) as a messenger to his people. Noah told them that he was sent to warn them about Allah’s punishment, whilst making very clear the message he had been sent to them with.
أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍۢ
That you not worship except Allah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a painful day."
Noah called his people to worship Allah alone, and not to worship any besides Him, because he feared the punishment of a painful day for them.
فَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ مَا نَرَىٰكَ إِلَّا بَشَرًۭا مِّثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَىٰكَ ٱتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ وَمَا نَرَىٰ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۭ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كَٰذِبِينَ
So the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, "We do not see you but as a man like ourselves, and we do not see you followed except by those who are the lowest of us [and] at first suggestion. And we do not see in you over us any merit; rather, we think you are liars."
The nobility and leaders of Noah’s people said that they would not respond to his call, saying that he was no better than them, being a man like them, and that they only saw the least important people among them following him straightaway upon a simple suggestion, without considering carefully or examining the situation. They said that the believers were not more noble or wealthy than them, nor did they have a higher rank than them, which might make them worthy of being followed by them; rather, they considered them to be lying in their claims.
قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَٰرِهُونَ
He said, "O my people have you considered: if I should be upon clear evidence from my Lord while He has given me mercy from Himself but it has been made unapparent to you, should we force it upon you while you are averse to it?
Noah asked his people to tell him whether he and the believers would be able to enter faith into his people’s hearts against their will if he had a clear proof from his Lord, showing that what he said was the truth, and that they must believe him? They would be unable to do so, because it is Allah alone Who gives people faith.
وَيَٰقَوْمِ لَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُوا۟ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًۭا تَجْهَلُونَ
And O my people, I ask not of you for it any wealth. My reward is not but from Allah. And I am not one to drive away those who have believed. Indeed, they will meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people behaving ignorantly.
Noah told his people that he did not ask for any payment for the delivery of his message: his reward would only be from Allah. He would not drive away the poor among the believers, who the disbelievers asked to be removed from his company. They will be meeting their Lord on the Day of Judgement, and Allah will reward them for their faith. Noah said that he saw them as a people who did not understand the reality of what he was calling them to when they asked him to drive away the weak people among the believers.
وَيَٰقَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِى مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
And O my people, who would protect me from Allah if I drove them away? Then will you not be reminded?
Noah asked his people about who would be able to protect him from Allah’s punishment if he drove away these poor believers unjustly for no crime. Would they not reflect and strive for what was best and of most benefit to themselves?
Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
