Surah Nuh 71:1-20 - Quran Translation Commentary

(71:4) He will forgive you of your sins³ and defer you to an appointed term.⁴ Surely, when Allah’s appointed term arrives, it cannot be deferred, if only you knew.’

(71:5) (At length) He said, ‘My Lord. I have called my people by night and by day.

(71:6) But nothing augments them my calling but in flight.⁵

(71:7) And, indeed, every time I called them, so that You may forgive them, they placed their fingers in their ears, wrapped their clothes (around them),⁶ stayed defiant, and haughtily waxed proud.

(71:8) Then I called them openly.

(71:9) Then I preached publicly, and (then) confided to them confidentially,

(71:10) I said, “Seek forgiveness of your Lord. Surely, he is ever Forgiving.

(71:11) He will set loose the heaven upon you in torrents.

(71:12) He will extend you with wealth and sons. He will make for you gardens and will make for you rivers.⁷

(71:13) What ails you that you do not project Majesty for Allah?

(71:14) Seeing that He created you in varying states and stages.⁸

(71:15) Have you not considered how Allah has created the seven heavens one upon another?⁹

(71:16) And set the moon therein for a light,¹⁰ and set the sun for a lamp?

(71:17) And Allah caused you to grow out of the earth, in (an amazing) growth.¹¹

(71:18) Then He will return you therein and will bring you forth, (a definite) bringing forth.

(71:19) And Allah has laid the earth for you as a carpet.

(71:20) So that you may tread about therein, in broadways.”’

Commentary

1. Ahadith tell us that Nuh was the first of the Messengers sent to entire mankind and hence, when they disbelieved, the whole humanity was drowned (Qurtubi).

2. Once again Sayyid Qutb devotes a passage to discuss why Prophets began with this call. We paraphrase a few points. He writes: “Repeated historical experience tells us that humanity will never reach up to the level of perfection designated and determined for it by any means other than belief in Allah taking deep root in its heart and soul; and that, human life will never rise up to the heights to which it arose in the past by any other means except by this means; and that, the periods during which this was attained [i.e. belief in Allah] were the only periods when the humans reached the fullest heights of their mental, moral and spiritual development. Indeed, such attainment would have remained beyond any dream of realization, except for the fact that it did take place in real life experience.

“It must be firmly realized that humanity will never rise by means of any philosophy, knowledge, technology, any of the prevalent religions, or an organizational framework, to the heights to which it arose, or can rise, without the establishment of faith in Allah in the hearts of the people, in their lives, running through their morals, ideas, values and ideals.. and that whenever humanity lost the guidance and leadership coming from true believers, nothing could save it from degeneration and final destruction. It lost its values, ideals, and even its humanness, as it also sank into ideological puzzlement, and psychological disorders – despite having achieved progress and development in all fields of venture; and despite the availability of all means of material comfort. Despite all these, humanity never felt its heart at rest, its soul in tranquility and its mind at peace.

This reality not only explains why the Prophets began their call with belief in Allah, but also justifies the stress on this point by the later Callers, the efforts that they put in, and the sacrifices they offered in its cause ..

“Consequently, even if the Callers are rejected, jeered at, ridiculed, or even persecuted, the least that should happen is that this belief should take deep roots in the hearts of the Callers themselves, remaining there until the end of their lives; which in fact, is the true reward for all the efforts they put in, the difficulties they go through, and the sacrifices they make. This, in fact, will tilt the balance in their favor on the Day of Judgment too.”

3. “He will forgive you of your sins,” i.e., some of your sins. There are two kinds of sins: (a) against Allah, and (b) against His creations. An unbeliever coming into faith receives the guarantee of forgiveness of all his sins committed against his Creator. But, on the other hand, not all the sins committed against his fellow beings are forgivable (Mufti Shafi`).

Further, sins and crimes are two different things. A Muslim fresh in Islam is still answerable for the crimes he committed before Islam (Au.).

4. This, and other verses of similar nature, have been used in evidence that good deeds lead to lengthening of life, as says a hadith:

“Doing good to the kin increases life-span.” (Ibn Kathir).

Although the above hadith of Ahmad has been declared Hasan by Haythami, there are many versions of it that have been preserved. There is a hadith which counts Hajj and `Umrah as also those deeds that increase life-span (Au.).

Mufti Shafi` adds: Divine Decree is of two kinds. One, absolute (mubram) and another conditional (mu`allaq). For example, “mu`allaq” may say that such and such a man should die at the age of sixty, while the “mubram” decree might say he will die at seventy. The reconciliation is that the “mu`allaq” would be written as: the age of such and such person would be sixty; but if he does certain good deeds, it will be increased to seventy; which happens to be the “mubram” decree.

Thus, when it was said, “(He will) defer you to an appointed term,” the reference was to the “mu`allaq” decree, whereas the words, “Surely, when Allah’s appointed term arrives, it cannot be deferred,” refer to the “mubram” decree. E.g., rains destined for the people of N uh. They were perhaps held back as a warning (as some reports speak of drought at that time); yet came down in torrents to drown them all because of their stubborn refusal (Au.).

5. Yusuf Ali remarks: “When convincing arguments and warnings are placed before sinners, there are two kinds of reactions. Those who are wise receive admonition, repent, and bring forth fruits of repentance, i.e., amend their lives and turn to Allah. On the other hand, those who are callous to any advice take it up as a reproach, fly farther and farther from righteousness, and shut out more and more the channels through which Allah’s healing Grace can reach them and work for them.”

6. The earliest commentators have noted that perhaps some of Nuh’s people enwrapped their heads with their shrouds not to hear him while others did it to avoid being recognized. (Au.).

7. It should not be imagined, writes Thanwi, that these promises are for everyone who accepts Islamic faith (or leads a virtuous life). Perhaps after Nuh felt that the spiritual benefits did not interest his people, or perhaps because they were passing through testing times, he (by Allah’s leave) offered these earthly rewards (in his effort not to leave any leaf unturned to save them from perdition).

All that a true believer is promised, is an “easy” life, (or ease in life), which is not equivalent of life of plenty (Au.).

8. Allah created man in stages such as: dust, then the sperm, then blood clot and so on (Zamakhshari and others); or perhaps, first infancy, then childhood, then teenage, and so on (Qurtubi).

9. While stating the revolving periods of various heavenly bodies, Ibn Kathir notes that the orbital period of Saturn is 30 years. This is close to the modern observation which puts it as 29.4 years.

10. A doubt occurs. Is our moon part of our own firmament or is it part of the seven firmaments? The commentators have answered that all celestial bodies, no matter where they are, large or infinitely small, are within the seven firmaments; hence the words, “placed therein.”

11. This is how Imam Razi understands the textual “nabata.” However, “gradual growth” is another possible connotation (Au.).