Surah 23. Al-Mu'minun

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Verses [Section]: 1-22[1], 23-32 [2], 33-50 [3], 51-77 [4], 78-92 [5], 93-118 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 23-32وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentنُوْحًاNuhاِلٰیtoقَوْمِهٖhis peopleفَقَالَand he saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!اعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahمَاnotلَكُمْfor youمِّنْ(is) anyاِلٰهٍgodغَیْرُهٗ ؕother than HimاَفَلَاThen will notتَتَّقُوْنَ you fear فَقَالَBut saidالْمَلَؤُاthe chiefsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedمِنْamongقَوْمِهٖhis peopleمَاThis is notهٰذَاۤThis is notاِلَّاbutبَشَرٌa manمِّثْلُكُمْ ۙlike youیُرِیْدُhe wishesاَنْtoیَّتَفَضَّلَassert (his) superiorityعَلَیْكُمْ ؕover youوَ لَوْand ifشَآءَAllah had willedاللّٰهُAllah had willedلَاَنْزَلَsurely He (would have) sent downمَلٰٓىِٕكَةً ۖۚAngelsمَّاNotسَمِعْنَاwe heardبِهٰذَاof thisفِیْۤfromاٰبَآىِٕنَاour forefathersالْاَوَّلِیْنَۚour forefathers اِنْNotهُوَheاِلَّا(is) butرَجُلٌۢa manبِهٖin himجِنَّةٌ(is) madnessفَتَرَبَّصُوْاso waitبِهٖconcerning himحَتّٰیuntilحِیْنٍ a time قَالَHe saidرَبِّMy Lord!انْصُرْنِیْHelp meبِمَاbecauseكَذَّبُوْنِ they deny me فَاَوْحَیْنَاۤSo We inspiredاِلَیْهِto himاَنِThatاصْنَعِconstructالْفُلْكَthe shipبِاَعْیُنِنَاunder Our eyesوَ وَحْیِنَاand Our inspirationفَاِذَاthen whenجَآءَcomesاَمْرُنَاOur Commandوَ فَارَand gushes forthالتَّنُّوْرُ ۙthe ovenفَاسْلُكْthen putفِیْهَاinto itمِنْofكُلٍّevery (kind)زَوْجَیْنِ(of) matesاثْنَیْنِtwoوَ اَهْلَكَand your familyاِلَّاexceptمَنْthoseسَبَقَ(has) precededعَلَیْهِagainst whomالْقَوْلُthe Wordمِنْهُمْ ۚthereofوَ لَاAnd (do) notتُخَاطِبْنِیْaddress Meفِیconcerningالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْا ۚwrongedاِنَّهُمْindeed theyمُّغْرَقُوْنَ (are) the ones to be drowned 23. Al-Mu'minun Page 344فَاِذَاAnd whenاسْتَوَیْتَyou (have) boardedاَنْتَyouوَ مَنْand whoeverمَّعَكَ(is) with youعَلَی[on]الْفُلْكِthe shipفَقُلِthen sayالْحَمْدُPraiseلِلّٰهِ(be) to AllahالَّذِیْWhoنَجّٰىنَا(has) saved usمِنَfromالْقَوْمِthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ the wrongdoers." وَ قُلْAnd sayرَّبِّMy Lordاَنْزِلْنِیْcause me to landمُنْزَلًا(at) a landing placeمُّبٰرَكًاblessedوَّ اَنْتَand Youخَیْرُ(are) the Bestالْمُنْزِلِیْنَ (of) those who cause to" اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍsurely (are) Signsوَّ اِنْand indeedكُنَّاWe areلَمُبْتَلِیْنَ surely testing ثُمَّThenاَنْشَاْنَاWe producedمِنْۢafter themبَعْدِهِمْafter themقَرْنًاa generationاٰخَرِیْنَۚanother فَاَرْسَلْنَاAnd We sentفِیْهِمْamong themرَسُوْلًاa Messengerمِّنْهُمْfrom themselvesاَنِ[that]اعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahمَاnotلَكُمْfor youمِّنْ(is) anyاِلٰهٍgodغَیْرُهٗ ؕother than HimاَفَلَاThen will notتَتَّقُوْنَ۠you fear

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Translation of Verse 23-32

23. And verily We sent Nooh to his people,²⁶ and he said: “O my people! Worship Allah. You have no other god, but Him. Do you not fear Him ! ²⁷

24. The unbelieving nobles or His people said: “This man is but a mortal like you, feigning himself to be your superior. Had Allah willed, He surely could have sent down angels. We did not hear such a thing in the case of our forefathers.

25. ”He is only a man with madness, so watch him for a while.”²⁸

26. Nooh prayed : “My Lord ! Help me because they deny me.”²⁹

27. Then We sent our revelations to him, saying : “Build the Ark³⁰ under Our eyes and Our revelation. Then, when our command comes, and the oven gushes water,³¹ take aboard a pair from every species and the members of your household except those about whom the judgment has already been given before,³² and do not plead with Me on behalf of those who have done wrong, surely they are destined to drown.

28. ”And when you and all your companions have boarded the Ark, say : ‘Thanks be to Allah who has delivered us from the wrongdoing people,³³

29. “And say: ‘My Lord! Let my landing be blessed,³⁴ for You are the best of all who bring to land.”³⁵

30. Verily in this (event) are great signs,³⁶ for verily We are ever putting (mankind) to test.³⁷

31. Then, after them We brought forth another generation;

32. And sent among them a messenger;³⁸ of their own (with the message) : ‘Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him. Do you not fear Him ?

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Commentary

26. The chronicle of Prophet Nooh (Noah) has been narrated in Surah A’raf and Surah Yunus, and also in Surah Hood, in detail. For explanation, please see Surah A’raf, Notes Nos. 94 t0104, Surah Yunus. Notes Nos. 103 to 113 , and Surah Hood, Notes Nos. 38 to 73 .

27. That is: Are you not afraid that if you worship any being other than Allah, He would subject you to severe punishment, for worship is only Allah’s due and it is only His self that is worthy of being worshipped.

28. The nation of Prophet Nooh was the world’s first nation, to whom Allah’s messenger was sent. The way in which that nation denied the messenger, and the wrong arguments on which they relied for this denial, the same way and the same arguments were adopted by the nations that came after them. The deniers of the messengers of Allah had neither proffered any reasonable arguments in the past nor are they doing it now.

29. That is: When my message has been made clear to them and when my argument has been unambiguously conveyed to them, and yet they have not given up their denial, then help me in such a way that the truth is enforced and falsehood is eliminated.

30. The prayer of Prophet Nooh was answered and the decision to destroy the nation of Prophet Nooh was taken. Prophet Nooh was informed that the divine punishment will descend on his nation in the form of deluge and that his deliverance and that of the people of faith will be by means of an Ark. He was therefore, commanded to build an Ark.

31. for explanation, see Surah Hood. Note No.56.

32. That is: A person Who may be an unbeliever and about whose destruction the judgment has already been passed, even if such a person might be from among your family people.

33.The nation of Prophet Nooh was polytheistic, unbelieving and corrupt. It has been termed wrong doing to convey this sense. Deliverance from ,such a society and such a surrounding was a great favour of Allah, for he could now live in a clean and pure atmosphere. Therefore, for this favour a command was given to offer thanks to Allah.

34.That is: My landing on the earth may result in goodness. Whatever work that may be done under my guidance may be the work for good. My existence on the earth may spread only good and nothing else.

35. This is an expression of the hope that when God will cause his landing it will be with His favour and blessings.

36. This first chapter of the history of the nations and communities has great lessons in it. e.g. monotheism is truth and polytheism is false, guidance to mankind comes from God through the agency of His messenger, who is a human, Allah severely punishes in the world those who oppose the divine messenger, and Allah provides means of delivering His messenger and the people of faith. When Allah’s judgment is enforced, then truth prevails and falsehood is eliminated.

37.This world is created for testing mankind, and life in this world will be a life of trial. The process of revelation and prophethood is also a link in the same chain of trial, as Allah wants to see who uses his intelligence and insight to recognise His messenger and accepts the guidance being given through him, and sees, light and who persists in remaining blind.

38. Qur’an has not clarified which nation was this. Possibly it might be a nation whose name might not be known to the people, but its story was narrated as an example.