Surah 11. Hud

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Verses [Section]: 1-8[1], 9-24 [2], 25-35 [3], 36-49 [4], 50-60 [5], 61-68 [6], 69-83 [7], 84-95 [8], 96-109 [9], 110-123 [10]

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Quran Text of Verse 25-35وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentنُوْحًاNuhاِلٰیtoقَوْمِهٖۤ ؗhis peopleاِنِّیْIndeed I amلَكُمْto youنَذِیْرٌa warnerمُّبِیْنٌۙclear اَنْThatلَّا(do) notتَعْبُدُوْۤاworshipاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearعَلَیْكُمْfor youعَذَابَ(the) punishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayاَلِیْمٍ painful فَقَالَSo saidالْمَلَاُthe chiefsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedمِنْfromقَوْمِهٖhis peopleمَاNotنَرٰىكَwe see youاِلَّاbutبَشَرًاa manمِّثْلَنَاlike usوَ مَاand notنَرٰىكَwe see youاتَّبَعَكَfollowed [you]اِلَّاexceptالَّذِیْنَthose whoهُمْ[they]اَرَاذِلُنَا(are) the lowest of usبَادِیَimmature in opinionالرَّاْیِ ۚimmature in opinionوَ مَاAnd notنَرٰیwe seeلَكُمْin youعَلَیْنَاover usمِنْanyفَضْلٍۭmeritبَلْnayنَظُنُّكُمْwe think youكٰذِبِیْنَ (are) liars قَالَHe saidیٰقَوْمِO my peopleاَرَءَیْتُمْDo you seeاِنْifكُنْتُI wasعَلٰیonبَیِّنَةٍ(the) clear proofمِّنْfromرَّبِّیْmy Lordوَ اٰتٰىنِیْwhile He has given meرَحْمَةًmercyمِّنْfromعِنْدِهٖHimselfفَعُمِّیَتْbut (it) has been obscuredعَلَیْكُمْ ؕfrom youاَنُلْزِمُكُمُوْهَاshould We compel you (to accept) itوَ اَنْتُمْwhile you (are)لَهَاaverse to itكٰرِهُوْنَ averse to it 11. Hud Page 225وَ یٰقَوْمِAnd O my people!لَاۤnotاَسْـَٔلُكُمْI ask (of) youعَلَیْهِfor itمَالًا ؕany wealthاِنْNotاَجْرِیَ(is) my rewardاِلَّاexceptعَلَیfromاللّٰهِAllahوَ مَاۤAnd notاَنَاI amبِطَارِدِgoing to drive awayالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْا ؕbelievedاِنَّهُمْIndeed theyمُّلٰقُوْا(will) be meetingرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordوَ لٰكِنِّیْۤbut Iاَرٰىكُمْsee youقَوْمًا(are) a peopleتَجْهَلُوْنَ ignorant وَ یٰقَوْمِAnd O my people!مَنْWhoیَّنْصُرُنِیْwould help meمِنَagainstاللّٰهِAllahاِنْifطَرَدْتُّهُمْ ؕI drove them awayاَفَلَاThen will notتَذَكَّرُوْنَ you take heed وَ لَاۤAnd notاَقُوْلُI sayلَكُمْto youعِنْدِیْ(that) with meخَزَآىِٕنُ(are the) treasuresاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ لَاۤand notاَعْلَمُI knowالْغَیْبَthe unseenوَ لَاۤand notاَقُوْلُI sayاِنِّیْthat I amمَلَكٌan Angelوَّ لَاۤand notاَقُوْلُI sayلِلَّذِیْنَfor those whomتَزْدَرِیْۤlook down uponاَعْیُنُكُمْyour eyesلَنْneverیُّؤْتِیَهُمُwill Allah give themاللّٰهُwill Allah give themخَیْرًا ؕany goodاَللّٰهُAllahاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَاwhatفِیْۤ(is) inاَنْفُسِهِمْ ۖۚtheir soulsاِنِّیْۤIndeed, Iاِذًاthenلَّمِنَ(will be) surely ofالظّٰلِمِیْنَ the wrongdoers قَالُوْاThey saidیٰنُوْحُO Nuh!قَدْIndeedجٰدَلْتَنَاyou disputed with usفَاَكْثَرْتَand you (have been) frequentجِدَا لَنَا(in) dispute with usفَاْتِنَاSo bring usبِمَاwhatتَعِدُنَاۤyou threaten us (with)اِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful قَالَHe saidاِنَّمَاOnlyیَاْتِیْكُمْwill bring it (on) youبِهِwill bring it (on) youاللّٰهُAllahاِنْifشَآءَHe willsوَ مَاۤand notاَنْتُمْyou (are)بِمُعْجِزِیْنَ one who (can) escape (it) وَ لَاAnd (will) notیَنْفَعُكُمْbenefit youنُصْحِیْۤmy adviceاِنْ(even) ifاَرَدْتُّI wishاَنْtoاَنْصَحَ[I] adviseلَكُمْ[to] youاِنْifكَانَIt was (Allah's)اللّٰهُ(It was) Allah'sیُرِیْدُwillاَنْtoیُّغْوِیَكُمْ ؕlet you go astrayهُوَHe (is)رَبُّكُمْ ۫your Lordوَ اِلَیْهِand to Himتُرْجَعُوْنَؕyou will be returned اَمْOrیَقُوْلُوْنَ(do) they sayافْتَرٰىهُ ؕHe has invented itقُلْSayاِنِIfافْتَرَیْتُهٗI have invented itفَعَلَیَّthen on meاِجْرَامِیْ(is) my crimeوَ اَنَاbut I amبَرِیْٓءٌinnocentمِّمَّاof whatتُجْرِمُوْنَ۠crimes you commit

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Translation of Verse 25-35

25. And We sent Nooh to his people³⁸ (who said): “Verily, I am a plain warner to you;

26. “That you worship none but Allah;³⁹ verily I fear for you the punishment of a grievous day.”⁴⁰

27. So the nobles among his people, who were disbelievers, said: “We see you but a man like us, we do not see that anyone follow you, except the lowliest among us, with immature opinion,⁴¹ nor do we see in you any superiority compared to us nay, we think you are liars.”

28. He said: “O my people! Do you think that if I am with a clear proof from my Lord and there has come to me a mercy from His own self, and it has been made obscure to you, can we compel you to accept it when you are averse to it?⁴²

29. “And O my people! I ask of you no wealth therefore. My recompense is the concern only of Allah,⁴³ and I am not going to drive away contemptuously those who believe, verily they will be meeting their Lord, but I see you a people that are ignorant.⁴⁴

30. "And O my people! Who will help me against Allah, if I drove them away?⁴⁵ Will you not then understand?”

31. And I do not say to you: ‘I have the treasures of Allah’, nor ‘I have the knowledge of the Unseen’, nor do I say: ‘Verily I am an angel’. Nor do I say to those who are lowly in your eyes that Allah will not give them good (reward). Allah knows best what is in their hearts. (If I did) then verily I will be of the wrong-doers. “⁴⁶

32. They said: “O Nooh! You have argued with us, and argued with us too much. Now bring upon us that with which you threaten us,⁴⁷ if you are truthful.

33. He replied: “Only Allah will bring it upon you if He will, and you will not be able to stop it.

34. And my advice will not be of profit to you even if I desire to give you counsel, if Allah wills to keep you astray.⁴⁸ He is your Lord and to Him will you return.

35. “Or do they say that he has invented it?⁴⁹ Say: “If I have invented it, upon me be my crime, and I am innocent of the crime that you commit”.⁵⁰

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Commentary

38. For explanation. please see Note No.95. Surah A’raf.

39. This has been explained in Note No.97. Surah A’raf.

40. Punishment of a grievous day means the punishment of the Day of Judgment. It means that the Day of Judgment will be a day of utmost grief and suffering for the disbelievers.

41. Those who had responded to the call of Prophet Nooh were lowly and insignificant in the eyes of the nobles because they had no material resources, nor were they influential like them in the society, although being virtuous they were the best persons in the society, and since they had not hesitated to accept the truth when it clearly came out before them, they are being dubbed as people with superficial judgment by their detractors, although this was the unhesitant love for truth of the faithful people. But in the eyes of these proud and arrogant people their good quality had become objectionable.

42. This is a reply to the first objection of the objectors. The statement of Prophet Nooh means that the call of monotheism which he was giving had its deep roots in the nature of man; that he was following the same natural reasoning and the insight and thereafter God favoured him and blessed him with prophet hood, which everybody, who has the insight can see. And if the objectors have blind-folded themselves or have themselves become blind and refuse to see, how can they see the truth. In such a condition, should the truth be forced on them?

43. The prophets sent down by Allah do not seek any compensation or reward from the people to whom they convey Allah’s message, nor do they have any personal profit in view for the service they render to the people of directing them to the right path. Their service is selfless. This sincerity of theirs distinguishes them from the sooth- Sayers, poets and self-seekers.

44. This is the reply to their second objection. Prophet Nooh bluntly told them that for their sake he was not going to give up the companionship of those who believed in Allah, and if these people are lowly in their (nobles’) eyes, it is the result of their ignorance as the light of right and true knowledge leads people to appreciate those who are followers of truth. And the judgment with regard to who deserves how much appreciation is to be decided by Allah. The appropriate appreciation of these faithful people will be done by God alone, when they would meet Him.

45. From the statement of Prophet Nooh we get the guidance that a missionary of truth cannot show his unconcern for Muslims in order to appease or please Non-Muslims.

46. This is the reply to their third objection, that they do not see any superiority in them compared to themselves. The summary of what Prophet Nooh replied to them is that he had never claimed to be superior to mankind; he had only claimed that he was appointed by Allah to convey His message to the people, and this definitely is a distinguishing factor; and as for his companions who believe, Allah knows best what is in their hearts, if they are really believers then Allah will bless them with good rewards; how could he say that they would not be honoured by Allah: and what can be better than their being considered deserving of honour by God; the disbelievers consider material wealth as a criterion for superiority while actually it is the wealth of faith that makes a man deserving of honour and superiority while actually it is the wealth of faith that makes a man deserving of honour and superiority.

Prophet Nooh’s statement that Allah only knows best what is in the hearts of the people, clearly shows that even a prophet does not know the secret of men’s hearts. What to speak of the saints and other pious men, and when a Prophet does not know the secrets of men’s heart when he is alive, then how can he know it after his death? These facts cut at the roots of saint worship and grave worship.

47. That is: Allah’s punishment.”

48. That is: According to Allah’s law of misguidance, if the gates of guidance are closed on you, then my good wishes and my counsel will be of no use to you.

49. This is a parenthetical sentence. That is the main narrative is stopped, and timely reply is given to the accusation of the Quraish that the Qur’an was invented or composed by the Prophet himself, and the tales narrated in that were merely the ancient tales.

50. That is: If I have not invented this Qur’an and the fact is that I have not invented it then the consequence of this crime that you have dubbed the Book revealed by God as invented by me, will be on you.