Surah Nuh 71:21-28 - Quran Translation Commentary

25. Finally they were drowned due people to their sins ³⁰ then they were made to enter a Fire. ³¹ So they found no helper in confrontation with Allah.³²

26. And Nooh prayed: O MY LORD! Do not leave a single inhabitant on the earth from among the unbelievers.³³

27. If YOU will leave them, they will mislead YOUR slaves and they will beget only immoral infidels. ³⁴

28. O MY LORD! Forgive me and my parents³⁵ and those who enter my house believing ³⁶ and all believing men and believing women ³⁷ and to the wrongdoers increase in perdition.

Commentary

25. When Nooh completed his arguments by calling them, for centuries in several ways, and when his people remained only adamant, he submitted his appeal to Almighty Allah as described in the following ayah.

26. Means those leaders of the people who were wealthy and who had many children too. These things had made them proud and arrogant against Allah. People were influenced by their outward pomp and were being misguided.

27. The disbelievers had planned a very serious conspiracy against Prophet Nooh. Though details of that plot have not been given, it appears from the following ayah that they wanted to arouse their prejudice of ignorance and told to the people that Nooh was asking them to discard their deities, so that they may fall upon Nooh with anger and anguish.

28. These are the names of the deities of the community of Nooh. Allama Sayed Sulaiman Nadavi’s Research about their names is that:-

“About ‘Vadd’ it has become known that it is from the word ‘Vudd’ which means ‘love.’

Suvaa’: The root of this word is not found in the language of Arabs. May be it is from ‘Soo’ which means ‘time.’ ‘Yaooq’: It is from ‘Auq’ which means ‘to stop’ that is to say Yaooq stopped calamities.

‘Yaghoos’: This too, like above is a grammatical form made from ‘alam , (proper noun). Its root is ‘Ghaus’ (to respond to pleading).

The literal meaning of ‘Nasr’ is a vulture (eagle). A group of stars in the sky is called ‘Nasr’ as its shape is like a vulture (eagle). ‘Nasr’ is being worshipped a deity in Semite people since ancient ages.” (Arzul Quran, Vol:2, pp. 235-6)

Among these names ‘Yaghoos’ is purely an Arabic word and it is from’ Ghaus ‘ meaning ‘responding to complaints’. It was the name of an Idol worshipped by the community of Nooh. But a group of Muslims also has given this name to some of their reverend persons and they call (request) them considering that they are present everywhere, they know everything and they hear and respond to their cries or complaints and still think that it is no Shirk (poly theism) and their Tawheed (belief in the unity of God) is not at stake. This is open Shirk which is an unpardonable sin. But those Muslims who are drowned in Bidat (innovations) are not aware of this. The community of Nooh had indulged in idol worship and these people are indulging in Saint-worship. The one who responds to the cries or complaints (Ghaus) is none save Allah. Therefore to invoke HIM alone is correct. Would that they knew the difference between Tawheed and Shirk.

The idols of the community of Nooh had drowned together with them in the flood and therefore their existence is no more. The disbelievers drowned themselves as well as their deities.

Idol-worship was first started by the community of Nooh. How did it all start has been described by Ibn-e- Abbas the summary where of is that originally these names of their deities were the names of their righteous ancestors. When they died Shaitan put the idea in the hearts and minds of the people that their statues should be made. They did not worship those statues. But when they also died their posterity began to worship them later. (Bukhari, Kitabut Tafseer).

In other words, these statues which were constructed in memory of their noble persons became the means of idol-worship. Therefore Islam has prohibited statue-making.

29. These words came out from the mouth of Nooh when his people remained stuck to ignorance of deviation.

30. There was such a terrific flood of water that all the disbelievers were drowned. They got this punishment in this world as a result of their sins.

31. Though their bodies drowned in the water their souls entered the fire. They are being punished thus in the world of Barzakh (the period between death and Resurrection) and in the Hereafter they will enter Hell with their bodies. This ayah provides a proof of the torment of Barzakh (grave). At this juncture note:71 of Surah Muminoon should also be kept before eyes.

32. None of those whom they had made their deities came to their help. Thus Allah’s torment established the falsehood of those man-made gods.

33. Nooh prayed like this only when all of his Dawatul Quran 819 S. 71 arguments were exhausted and yet his people remained disbelievers and no sign of hope of their accepting the Truth was visible.

So he prayed like this. Allah Almighty says in Surah Hood:

‘And it was revealed to that no one of your folk will believe save those who have believed already.” (Hood: 36)

34. Though every child is born on the original nature (with belief in oneness of God), as has been said in one of the traditions, his parents turn (mould) him or her into a Jew, a Christian, a Fireworshipper or an idolater polytheist. That is, man usually is influenced by his environment. If he lives in a polytheistic atmosphere he mostly becomes a Mushrik. It seldom so happens that he may continue to remain on his natural faith. Even in today’s modern age man sticks to the religion of his parents and forefathers and communal prejudice does not allow him to think otherwise with an open mind. Therefore, Nooh prayed: a Lord! make the earth clean of deniers of Truth, otherwise, these disbelievers will procreate only kafirs and the progeny of these sinners will also be sinner.

35. Nooh, on this occasion, prayed Allah for his pardoning as well as for pardoning his parents. It shows that his parents were Faithful and it is a virtue in favour of one’s parents to pray for their salvation after their death. This is the teaching of Islam and Nooh also had left behind him this example.

36. It seems who ever accepted Faith had to take refuge in the house of Nooh. That is why Nooh specifically prayed for the salvation of all those who went to his house for shelter.

37. Simultaneously, he also prayed in favour of all believing men and believing women. Nooh Surah has made this prayer (Ayah 26 -28) before the devastating floods wherein his community was drowned but it has been mentioned at the end so that it may be clearly understood that it was quite appropriate and timely. Accordingly at a time when the deniers met with Divine Wrath the believers got Divine Pardon.