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11. Hud

Hud · Meccan · 123 ayahs

سُورَةُ هُودٍ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 31–40 of 123

31

وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ إِنِّى مَلَكٌۭ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِىٓ أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرًا ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ إِنِّىٓ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

And I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel, nor do I say of those upon whom your eyes look down that Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is most knowing of what is within their souls. Indeed, I would then be among the wrongdoers."

Noah told his people that he would not say that he had the treasuries of Allah, which he could spend on them if they believed; and he would not say to them that he had knowledge of the Ghaib. He would not say to them that he was an angel, because he was a man like them; nor would he say of the poor people, whom they scorned and thought of as inferior to them, that Allah would not give them success and guidance: Allah knew best their intentions and their states. If Noah claimed any of these things, then he would be among the wrongdoers, deserving of Allah’s punishment.

32

قَالُوا۟ يَٰنُوحُ قَدْ جَٰدَلْتَنَا فَأَكْثَرْتَ جِدَٰلَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

They said, "O Noah, you have disputed us and been frequent in dispute of us. So bring us what you threaten us, if you should be of the truthful."

Noah’s people said to him, out of stubbornness and pride, that he had debated and disputed long enough, and told him to bring them the punishment he had promised them, if he was telling the truth in what he claimed.

33

قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ إِن شَآءَ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ

He said, "Allah will only bring it to you if He wills, and you will not cause [Him] failure.

Noah said to them that he could not bring the punishment upon them, and that only Allah would bring it to them, if He willed; and that they would not be able to escape from the punishment of Allah if He willed for them to be given a punishment.

34

وَلَا يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِىٓ إِنْ أَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ ۚ هُوَ رَبُّكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

And my advice will not benefit you - although I wished to advise you - If Allah should intend to put you in error. He is your Lord, and to Him you will be returned."

Noah told them that his advice and counsel would not benefit them if Allah willed that they be led astray from the right path, and if He willed to leave them without guidance because of their stubbornness. He was their Lord and it was He Who had control over their lives, so He would lead them astray if He willed; and to Him alone they would be returned on the Day of Judgement, when they would be repaid for their actions.

35

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۖ قُلْ إِنِ ٱفْتَرَيْتُهُۥ فَعَلَىَّ إِجْرَامِى وَأَنَا۠ بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ

Or do they say [about Prophet Muhammad], "He invented it"? Say, "If I have invented it, then upon me is [the consequence of] my crime; but I am innocent of what [crimes] you commit."

The disbelief of Noah’s people led them to claim that he had made up something about Allah with this faith that he brought to them. Allah told His messenger to say to them that if he had invented it, then he would be a wrongdoer and the punishment of his crime would fall upon him alone; and if they rejected the truth he brought them, out of stubbornness and pride, then they were the wrongdoers, and he was not responsible for their crime in any way, but was innocent of it.

36

وَأُوحِىَ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُۥ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلَّا مَن قَدْ ءَامَنَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ

And it was revealed to Noah that, "No one will believe from your people except those who have already believed, so do not be distressed by what they have been doing.

Allah revealed to Noah that none of his people would believe, except those who already believed; and He told him not to be saddened by their rejection and ridicule over the many years.

37

وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ

And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned."

Allah told Noah to build the Ark, under His observation and protection; and with His inspiration, He taught him how to build it. He told him not to address Him with a request to give time to those who wronged themselves through their disbelief. They would be drowned, inevitably, in the Flood, as a consequence of persisting in their disbelief.

38

وَيَصْنَعُ ٱلْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌۭ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُوا۟ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ

And he constructed the ship, and whenever an assembly of the eminent of his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, "If you ridicule us, then we will ridicule you just as you ridicule.

Noah followed the command of his Lord, and immediately started building the Ark. Whenever the leaders and noblemen among his people passed by, they made fun of him, because he was building the Ark and there was no water or rivers around. When they continued to mock him, he said to these important people that if they mocked him and his people today when they were building the Ark, they also mocked them because of their ignorance of the fact that they would be drowned.

39

فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌۭ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌۭ مُّقِيمٌ

And you are going to know who will get a punishment that will disgrace him [on earth] and upon whom will descend an enduring punishment [in the Hereafter]."

Noah told them that they would come to know who would be punished in this world in a way that disgraced and humiliated them, and upon whom the eternal punishment would come on the Day of Judgement.

40

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا ٱحْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّۢ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ ۚ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌۭ

[So it was], until when Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said, "Load upon the ship of each [creature] two mates and your family, except those about whom the word has preceded, and [include] whoever has believed." But none had believed with him, except a few.

Noah (peace be upon him) finished building the Ark that Allah had commanded him to build. Then His command came to destroy them, and the water boiled up from the furnace they used to bake in, signalling the beginning of the Flood. Allah told Noah (peace be upon him) to take on board the Ark a pair of every type of animal on the earth, a male and a female, and to take his family, except for those who it had already been determined would drown because they did not believe. He was told to also take those who believed with him from among his people. Only a small number from his people believed with him, despite the long period of time he had remained among them calling them to have faith in Allah.

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.