Surah 71. Nuh

---

Verses [Section]: 1-20[1], 21-28 [2]

---

Quran Text of Verse 1-2071. Nuhبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاِنَّاۤIndeed, Weاَرْسَلْنَا[We] sentنُوْحًاNuhاِلٰیtoقَوْمِهٖۤhis peopleاَنْthatاَنْذِرْWarnقَوْمَكَyour peopleمِنْfromقَبْلِbeforeاَنْ[that]یَّاْتِیَهُمْcomes to themعَذَابٌa punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful قَالَHe saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!اِنِّیْIndeed I amلَكُمْto youنَذِیْرٌa warnerمُّبِیْنٌۙclear اَنِThatاعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahوَ اتَّقُوْهُand fear Himوَ اَطِیْعُوْنِۙand obey me یَغْفِرْHe will forgiveلَكُمْfor youمِّنْ[of]ذُنُوْبِكُمْyour sinsوَ یُؤَخِّرْكُمْand give you respiteاِلٰۤیforاَجَلٍa termمُّسَمًّی ؕspecifiedاِنَّIndeedاَجَلَ(the) termاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاِذَاwhenجَآءَit comesلَاnotیُؤَخَّرُ ۘis delayedلَوْifكُنْتُمْyouتَعْلَمُوْنَ know قَالَHe saidرَبِّMy Lord!اِنِّیْIndeed Iدَعَوْتُinvitedقَوْمِیْmy peopleلَیْلًاnightوَّ نَهَارًاۙand day فَلَمْBut notیَزِدْهُمْincreased themدُعَآءِیْۤmy invitationاِلَّاexceptفِرَارًا (in) flight وَ اِنِّیْAnd indeed Iكُلَّمَاevery timeدَعَوْتُهُمْI invited themلِتَغْفِرَthat You may forgiveلَهُمْthemجَعَلُوْۤاthey putاَصَابِعَهُمْtheir fingersفِیْۤinاٰذَانِهِمْtheir earsوَ اسْتَغْشَوْاand covered themselvesثِیَابَهُمْ(with) their garmentsوَ اَصَرُّوْاand persistedوَ اسْتَكْبَرُواand were arrogantاسْتِكْبَارًاۚ(with) pride ثُمَّThenاِنِّیْindeed Iدَعَوْتُهُمْinvited themجِهَارًاۙpublicly ثُمَّThenاِنِّیْۤindeed Iاَعْلَنْتُannouncedلَهُمْto themوَ اَسْرَرْتُand I confidedلَهُمْto themاِسْرَارًاۙsecretly فَقُلْتُThen I saidاسْتَغْفِرُوْاAsk forgivenessرَبَّكُمْ ؕ(from) your LordاِنَّهٗIndeed HeكَانَisغَفَّارًاۙOft-Forgiving 71. Nuh Page 571یُّرْسِلِHe will send downالسَّمَآءَ(rain from) the skyعَلَیْكُمْupon youمِّدْرَارًاۙ(in) abundance وَّ یُمْدِدْكُمْAnd provide youبِاَمْوَالٍwith wealthوَّ بَنِیْنَand childrenوَ یَجْعَلْand makeلَّكُمْfor youجَنّٰتٍgardensوَّ یَجْعَلْand makeلَّكُمْfor youاَنْهٰرًاؕrivers مَاWhatلَكُمْ(is) for youلَاnotتَرْجُوْنَyou attributeلِلّٰهِto Allahوَقَارًاۚgrandeur وَ قَدْAnd indeedخَلَقَكُمْHe created youاَطْوَارًا (in) stages اَلَمْDo notتَرَوْاyou seeكَیْفَhowخَلَقَdid createاللّٰهُAllahسَبْعَ(the) sevenسَمٰوٰتٍheavensطِبَاقًاۙ(in) layers وَّ جَعَلَAnd madeالْقَمَرَthe moonفِیْهِنَّthereinنُوْرًاa lightوَّ جَعَلَand madeالشَّمْسَthe sunسِرَاجًا a lamp وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahاَنْۢبَتَكُمْhas caused you to growمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthنَبَاتًاۙ(as) a growth ثُمَّThenیُعِیْدُكُمْHe will return youفِیْهَاinto itوَ یُخْرِجُكُمْand bring you forthاِخْرَاجًا (a new) bringing forth وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahجَعَلَmadeلَكُمُfor youالْاَرْضَthe earthبِسَاطًاۙan expanse لِّتَسْلُكُوْاThat you may go alongمِنْهَاthereinسُبُلًا(in) pathsفِجَاجًا۠wide

---

Translation of Verse 1-20In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. WE sent forth Nooh to his people ¹ (saying) Warn your people before there come to them a painful chastisement. ²

2. He said: O my people! I am a plain warner to you.³

3. Worship Allah, fear HIM and obey me. ⁴

4. HE will forgive your sins⁵ and will give respite to you for an appointed time ⁶ Verily when the time appointed by Allah arrives it will not be deferred ⁷ would that you know!

5. Nooh submitted: O MY LORD! I called my people night and day. ⁸

6. But my calling only enhanced their flight. ⁹

7. And whenever I called them, that YOU may forgive them,¹⁰ they thrust their fingers in their ears, covered themselves in cloth,¹¹ remained adamant and became very proud.

8. Then I invited them loudly. ¹²

⁹. then I exhorted them publicly as well as in privacy. ¹³

10. I told them: beseech your LORD’s forgiveness, verily HE is the Most Forgiving.

11. HE will send abundant rain on you. ¹⁴

12. will grant you lot of wealth and children, will create gardens for you and will make rivers.

13. what ails you that you fear not HIS Majesty?¹⁵

14. when HE has created you causing you to pass through various stages. ¹⁶

15. Do you not see how Allah created seven (skies) one above another. ¹⁷

16. And therein ¹⁸ made the moon a light and the sun a lamp. ¹⁹

17. And Allah caused you to grow from the earth in a unique way. ²⁰

18. Then HE will revert you in it ²¹ and make you get up there from. ²²

19. And Allah made the earth a plain carpet for you. ²³

20. That you may walk over its open pathways. ²⁴

---

Commentary

1. The story of Nooh has already been described in detail in Surah Hood and also in some other Surahs, partly. This Surah presents particularly the missionary aspects there from.

It should be remembered that Nooh was the first prophet (Messenger) (after Adam) to be sent to the progeny of Adam living at that time in North Iraq. Due to the lapse of a long time (between two messengers) their people’s belief and action was corrupted. So Nooh was sent for reforming them.

2. It is thus clear that the foremost responsibility of a Messenger is to caution the people about Allah’s wrath and His punishment. This has always been the mode of the prophetic mission which is called “INZAR” in Quranic terminology. Herein is the guidance for those reformers who work for Allah’s cause of Truth. They should frighten people of Divine torture in unambiguous words so that they may turn toward God.

3. Nooh clearly presented himself (introduced himself) as a plain warner.

4. The call of Nooh clearly was that worship Allah and none but Allah alone. It meant give up polytheism and idol-worship and make ONLY ONE GOD your deity. Secondly, fear HIM and restrain from his disobedience. In other words live a responsible life constantly fearing ALLAH.

Thirdly, obey the Messenger as each and every order of the messenger is binding because God’s commandments are received only through HIS messengers. So Messenger’s obedience is God’s obedience.

These were the three points of Prophet Nooh’s missionary call which were, as it will be clear henceforth, supported with forceful arguments.

5. That is, if you respond to this call positively your sins will be pardoned off. After becoming believer (Muslim) all the past sins of the deniers (disbelievers) are forgiven as has been mentioned in Surah Anfal:

“Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them.” (Anfal: 38)

6. In that case you will be saved from the Divine torment. Rather you will be given respite in the world for the period fixed by Allah.

7. The time fixed by Allah to act according to belief is never extended. So regard it as a boon and reform yourselves.

8.This is the summary of that missionary effort for which Prophet Nooh had spent his whole life. The appropriate time for presenting a call (invitation) is only when the addressees can listen to it attentively may it be day or night.

9. The people were not influenced even by the call of a prophet. On the contrary they became furious because they were very adamant and never wanted to come out of the abyss of ignorance.

10. To accept the invitation of Nooh was to make oneself worthy of Allah’s pardon and the one who is pardoned by Allah has definitely prospered. But the community of Nooh did not appreciate him.

11. This is how that adamant community responded negatively to the sincere call of Nooh (Peace Be Upon Him). They were hiding their faces as they did not want to listen him at all.

12. That is, addressed their gatherings loudly. One of the methods of calling people is public address through which the caller’s call reaches many persons at a time.

13. He explained to them the Truth both in their assemblies and also through private personal contact.

It means he adopted various ways of addressing people. He advised openly before all and also individually, so that they may be ready to understand the Truth.

14. It seems people had become restless for want of rain and it was a test from Allah so that they may realise the fault of their attitude and they may rush toward God. Nooh asked them to do ‘Istighfar’ (to beg pardon of Allah) and told them that in that case Allah will send heavy rain on them.

We come to understand from this guidance of Nooh that ISTIGHFAAR is the prayer which Allah accepts if those suffering due to famine recite it. It means they should pray for Allah’s pardon and mend their ways.

15.The original meaning of ‘Raja’ is to hope. But when this word is accompanied by the negative word ‘La’ it also means ‘fear’. It has been clarified in ‘Lisanul Arab’ that:

‘Raja’ carries the meaning of ‘fear’ only when it is accompanied by a negative Word.”

16. That is, just think what you were and what you have been made. After making a little insignificant drop of lowly water to pass through various stages you were given the form of a perfect human being. Is it not seen from this how great is the Might of your Creator? Why then you do not fear HIM?!

17. The meaning of seven skies one upon another is the existence of seven worlds everyone of which has a separate sky. This blue sky of ours is the sky of this earth. The knowledge of seven skies has been given to mankind through prophet’s guidance since ancient times. Therefore, it is one of the established facts. Prophet Nooh invited people to ponder over the creation of heavens (skies) so that they may get an idea of the tremendous might of Almighty Allah and they may see the signs of Nooh’s truthfulness in the heavens also.

18. The sun and the moon are in this sky of our earth and hence they have been referred to as skies.

19. For explanation please see Surah Naba, note: 11.

20. Just as a plant springs up from earth and then grows, similarly, Allah created man from earth and nourished it. His procedure of birth begins with a worthless drop of water and thereafter God nourishes him in such a way that he becomes an efficient fellow.

21. Means you will be mixed with earth (dust) after your death.

22. On the Day of Resurrection he will make you alive again and fetch you out of the earth.

23. HE made it so leveled that it became easy for man to live and walk on it.

24. Passes are formed in mountains only for this reason that people can go from one region to another by passing through them.