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Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

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1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 23. Al-Mu'minun
Verses [Section]: 1-22[1], 23-32 [2], 33-50 [3], 51-77 [4], 78-92 [5], 93-118 [6]

Quran Text of Verse 23-32
وَ 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
Translation of Verse 23-32

(23:23) And We did send Nuh to his people.30 He said, ‘O my people! Worship Allah. You have no god other than He. Will you not then fear?’

(23:24) Said the chiefs of the unbelievers of his people, ‘This is no more than a man like yourselves who seeks to gain superiority over you.31 Had Allah willed, He could have surely sent down angels.32 We have never heard of this33 among our ancestors of old.

(23:25) Surely, he is naught but a man bedeviled; so wait on him for a while.’34

(23:26) He said, ‘My Lord! Help me for that they give me the lie.’

(23:27) So We revealed to him (to the effect), ‘Construct the boat under Our sight and Our instruction.35 Then, when Our command comes, and the oven gushes forth,36 take on board37 of every pair two,38 as well as your family, except for him of them against whom the Word has preceded; and address Me not concerning the wrongdoers; they are to be drowned.

(23:28) Then, when you are settled - you and those with you on the boat - say, ‘All praise for Allah who delivered us from a people given to wrongdoing.’

(23:29) And say, ‘My Lord! Enable me to land a blessed landing, and indeed You are the best of those who enable to land.’

(23:30) Verily, in that are signs; and indeed We were determined to test.39

(23:31) Then We raised after them another generation.

(23:32) And We sent among them a Messenger from themselves (commanding), ‘Worship Allah. You have no god other than He. Will you not then observe precaution?’


Commentary

30. Yusuf Ali shows the connection between the earlier passage and this new one, “The material gifts having been mentioned, which we receive from a Wise and Kindly Provider, our attention is now directed to Allah’s Providence in spiritual matters. He sent Teachers to instruct and guide us, and though they were mocked, rejected, and accused of falsehood and selfishness, they were protected by Allah, and Allah’s Truth at length prevailed.”

31. (While this was said partly in earnest), partly it was to provoke the people to anger (Alusi).

Mawdudi comments: “The enemies of the truth have always been wont to charge that the activity of reformers is actuated by their hunger for power. This very charge was leveled by Pharaoh against Moses and Aaron and was phrased in the form of the following question ‘Have you come to turn us away from the way of our forefathers that the two of you might become supreme in the land?’ (Yunus 10: 78). The Prophet Jesus (peace be on him) was also subjected to a similar accusation: that he was striving to become the king of the Jews..

“It is inconceivable for those who ceaselessly hanker after worldly benefits, after pomp and glory, to appreciate that anyone can strive simply for the good of mankind, and that all such striving be absolutely sincere and selfless. Such people are wont to come up, every now and then, with catchy slogans and lay false claims to be working for the common welfare of all. They do so even though the true purpose of their effort is nothing else but to achieve power and influence. Furthermore, they regard craftiness and deception as absolutely natural. No wonder then that they tend to believe that no one can call for reform sincerely and altruistically. If someone does call for reform, he must inevitably be prompted, like them, by some ulterior motive. For example, as a subterfuge for the realization of his own selfish designs.

“It is also interesting that accusation of hungering after power are always hurled at reformers by those who have been able to entrench themselves in power or by their sycophantic cronies. They seem to believe that the power they enjoy is their birth-right. Hence, if they strive to wrest power from others and to perpetuate their hold on it, all is viewed as perfectly legitimate. But it becomes altogether objectionable if anyone else, someone who has no birth-right to enjoy power, shows the least sign of hungering for it.”

32. Zamakhshari remarks: “Consider the wonders of error and ignorance. They were prepared to accept stones as gods, but were not prepared to grant messengership to a human!”

33. “This” of the text refers to the call that Nuh was making, viz., worship Allah alone (Ibn Jarir). And, either no Messenger had appeared among them for a long time, or, alternatively, the unbelievers were so engrossed in the life of the world that they never had time to learn about messengers and messages of the past (Kashshaf).

34. What they meant is, wait for a while, maybe he will be cured of his madness, but if he is not, then we shall take him out through assasination (Kashshaf).

35. The rendering of “wah-yinaa” as “instruction” is influenced by Tabari’s understanding (Au.), and the implication is, Allah Himself supervised the work in order that defects may not remain in it (Zamakhshari). For, soon there was going to be no land to allow for any repair or improvement (Au.).

36. In common language, “tannur” is an oven. It is a hole in the ground, about a meter deep, lined up with baked clay. Coal or firewood is placed at the bottom. The rising heat cooks the bread lined up on the walls. It was in the past perhaps the fastest and the most economic way of making bread in large quantities. The method is still in use in eastern countries and the bread thus made is considered a delicacy. Of the word, however, as used here, several interpretations have been reported from the Salaf. But, as Imam Razi points out, there is no need to look for allegorical meanings if the apparent meaning, viz., ‘oven,’ is possible. So, Nuh was told that he was to wait for water to gush forth from a place most unlikely to yield water: an oven. When that happened, he was to board the boat (Au.).

For other explanations refer to Huud, verse 40.

37. Since “aslaka” gives the sense of insertion, one can venture to guess that the ship had a door at the side through which the unwilling animals had to be virtually pushed through, or, inserted (Au.).

38. “Zawjayn” refers to male and female of every species, whereas “two” is “zaa’idah”, added for emphasis (Zamakhshari, Razi). Yusuf Ali wrote at an earlier occurrence (10: 40), “Zaujain: the dual number refers to the individuals in each pair of opposite sexes. Some of the authoritative commentators (e.g., Imam Razi) construe in this sense, though others construe it to mean two pairs of each species.”

39. Yusuf Ali again, “Noah’s contemporaries had all sorts of chances and warning. But they refused to believe and perished. But Allah’s Truth survived, and it went to the next and succeeding generations. Will not mankind understand?”