Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 23 Al-Mu'minun, Ayat 23-50

وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوۡحًا اِلٰى قَوۡمِهٖ فَقَالَ يٰقَوۡمِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ مَا لَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰهٍ غَيۡرُهٗ ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:23﴾ فَقَالَ الۡمَلَؤُا الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا مِنۡ قَوۡمِهٖ مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ ۙ يُرِيۡدُ اَنۡ يَّـتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَاَنۡزَلَ مَلٰٓـئِكَةً  ۖۚ مَّا سَمِعۡنَا بِهٰذَا فِىۡۤ اٰبَآئِنَا الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ​ ۚ‏ ﴿23:24﴾ اِنۡ هُوَ اِلَّا رَجُلٌۢ بِهٖ جِنَّةٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوۡا بِهٖ حَتّٰى حِيۡنٍ‏ ﴿23:25﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرۡنِىۡ بِمَا كَذَّبُوۡنِ‏ ﴿23:26﴾ فَاَوۡحَيۡنَاۤ اِلَيۡهِ اَنِ اصۡنَعِ الۡفُلۡكَ بِاَعۡيُنِنَا وَ وَحۡيِنَا فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَمۡرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّـنُّوۡرُ​ۙ فَاسۡلُكۡ فِيۡهَا مِنۡ كُلٍّ زَوۡجَيۡنِ اثۡنَيۡنِ وَاَهۡلَكَ اِلَّا مَنۡ سَبَقَ عَلَيۡهِ الۡقَوۡلُ مِنۡهُمۡ​ۚ وَلَا تُخَاطِبۡنِىۡ فِى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا​ۚ اِنَّهُمۡ مُّغۡرَقُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:27﴾ فَاِذَا اسۡتَوَيۡتَ اَنۡتَ وَمَنۡ مَّعَكَ عَلَى الۡـفُلۡكِ فَقُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ نَجّٰٮنَا مِنَ الۡقَوۡمِ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:28﴾ وَقُلْ رَّبِّ اَنۡزِلۡنِىۡ مُنۡزَلًا مُّبٰـرَكًا وَّاَنۡتَ خَيۡرُ الۡمُنۡزِلِيۡنَ‏  ﴿23:29﴾ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ وَّاِنۡ كُنَّا لَمُبۡتَلِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:30﴾ ثُمَّ اَنۡشَاۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا اٰخَرِيۡنَ​ ۚ‏ ﴿23:31﴾ فَاَرۡسَلۡنَا فِيۡهِمۡ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡهُمۡ اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ مَا لَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰهٍ غَيۡرُهٗ​ ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:32﴾ وَقَالَ الۡمَلَاُ مِنۡ قَوۡمِهِ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَكَذَّبُوۡا بِلِقَآءِ الۡاٰخِرَةِ وَاَتۡرَفۡنٰهُمۡ فِى الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا ۙ مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ ۙ يَاۡكُلُ مِمَّا تَاۡكُلُوۡنَ مِنۡهُ وَيَشۡرَبُ مِمَّا تَشۡرَبُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿23:33﴾ وَلَـئِنۡ اَطَعۡتُمۡ بَشَرًا مِّثۡلَـكُمۡ اِنَّكُمۡ اِذًا لَّخٰسِرُوۡنَۙ‏  ﴿23:34﴾ اَيَعِدُكُمۡ اَنَّكُمۡ اِذَا مِتُّمۡ وَكُنۡتُمۡ تُرَابًا وَّعِظَامًا اَنَّكُمۡ مُّخۡرَجُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿23:35﴾ هَيۡهَاتَ هَيۡهَاتَ لِمَا تُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿23:36﴾ اِنۡ هِىَ اِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنۡيَا نَمُوۡتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَبۡعُوۡثِيۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿23:37﴾ اِنۡ هُوَ اِلَّا رَجُلُ اۨفۡتَـرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا وَّمَا نَحۡنُ لَهٗ بِمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:38﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرۡنِىۡ بِمَا كَذَّبُوۡنِ‏ ﴿23:39﴾ قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيۡلٍ لَّيُصۡبِحُنَّ نٰدِمِيۡنَ​ۚ‏ ﴿23:40﴾ فَاَخَذَتۡهُمُ الصَّيۡحَةُ بِالۡحَـقِّ فَجَعَلۡنٰهُمۡ غُثَآءً​ۚ فَبُعۡدًا لِّـلۡقَوۡمِ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:41﴾ ثُمَّ اَنۡشَاۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قُرُوۡنًا اٰخَرِيۡنَؕ‏ ﴿23:42﴾ مَا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ اُمَّةٍ اَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـاۡخِرُوۡنَؕ‏ ﴿23:43﴾ ثُمَّ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتۡـرَا​ ؕ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ اُمَّةً رَّسُوۡلُهَا كَذَّبُوۡهُ​ فَاَتۡبَـعۡنَا بَعۡـضَهُمۡ بَعۡـضًا وَّجَعَلۡنٰهُمۡ اَحَادِيۡثَ​ ۚ فَبُـعۡدًا لِّـقَوۡمٍ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:44﴾ ثُمَّ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوۡسٰى وَاَخَاهُ هٰرُوۡنَ ۙ بِاٰيٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطٰنٍ مُّبِيۡنٍۙ‏  ﴿23:45﴾ اِلٰى فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَا۟ـئِهٖ فَاسۡتَكۡبَرُوۡا وَكَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا عٰلِيۡنَ​ ۚ‏ ﴿23:46﴾ فَقَالُـوۡۤا اَنُؤۡمِنُ لِبَشَرَيۡنِ مِثۡلِنَا وَقَوۡمُهُمَا لَـنَا عٰبِدُوۡنَ​ۚ‏  ﴿23:47﴾ فَكَذَّبُوۡهُمَا فَكَانُوۡا مِنَ الۡمُهۡلَـكِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:48﴾ وَلَـقَدۡ اٰتَيۡنَا مُوۡسَى الۡـكِتٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:49﴾ وَجَعَلۡنَا ابۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَاُمَّهٗۤ اٰيَةً وَّاٰوَيۡنٰهُمَاۤ اِلٰى رَبۡوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَّمَعِيۡنٍ‏ ﴿23:50﴾

(23:23) We sent Noah to his people,24 and he said: "My people! Serve Allah; you have no deity other than He. Do you have no fear?"25 (23:24) But the notables among his people had refused to believe, and said: "This is none other than a mortal like yourselves26 who desires to attain superiority over you.27 Had Allah wanted (to send any Messengers) He would have sent down angels.27a We have heard nothing like this in the time of our forebears of old (that humans were sent as Messengers). (23:25) He is a person who has been seized with a little madness; so wait for a while (perhaps he will improve)." (23:26) Noah said: "My Lord! Come to my help at their accusation that I am lying."28 (23:27) Thereupon We revealed to him, saying: "Build the Ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation. And when Our command comes to pass29 and the oven boils over, take on board a pair each from every species, and also take your household except those of them against whom sentence has already been passed and do not plead to Me on behalf of the wrong-doers. They are doomed to be drowned. (23:28) And then when you and those accompanying you are firmly seated in the Ark, say: "Thanks be to Allah Who has delivered us from the wrong-doing people."30 (23:29) And say: "My Lord! Make my landing a blessed landing, for You are the Best of those Who can cause people to land in safety."31 (23:30) There are great Signs in this story;32 and surely We do put people to test.33 (23:31) Then, after them, We brought forth another generation;34 (23:32) and We sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, saying: "Serve Allah; you have no god other than He. Do you have no fear?" (23:33) The notables among his people who had refused to believe and who denied the meeting of the Hereafter, and those whom We had endowed with ease and comfort in this life,35 cried out: "This is no other than a mortal like yourselves who eats what you eat and drinks what you drink. (23:34) If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, you will certainly be losers.36 (23:35) Does he promise you that when you are dead and are reduced to dust and bones, you will be brought forth to life? (23:36) Far-fetched, utterly far-fetched is what you are being promised. (23:37) There is no other life than the life of the world. We shall live here and here shall we die; and we are not going to be raised again. (23:38) This man has forged a mere lie in the name of Allah and we shall never believe what he says." (23:39) The Messenger said: "My Lord! Come to my help at their accusing me of lying." (23:40) He answered: "A short while, and they shall be repenting." (23:41) Then a mighty blast quite justly overtook them, and We reduced them to a rubble.37 So away with the wrong-doing folk! (23:42) Then, after them, We brought forth other generations. (23:43) No nation can outstrip its term, nor can it put it back. (23:44) Then We sent Our Messengers in succession. Whenever a Messenger came to his people they rejected him, calling him a liar. Thereupon, We made each people to follow the other (to its doom), reducing them to mere tales (of the past). Scourged be the people who do not believe!38 (23:45) Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our Signs and a clear authority39 (23:46) to Pharaoh and to his chiefs, but they behaved superciliously and they were haughty.40 (23:47) They said: "Shall we put faith in two mortals like ourselves40a when their people are slaves to us?"41 (23:48) So they rejected them, calling them liars, and they too eventually became of those that were destroyed.42 (23:49) And We gave Moses the Book that people might be guided by it. (23:50) And We made Mary's son, and his mother, a Sign,43 and We gave them refuge on a lofty ground, a peaceful site with springs flowing in it.44

Notes

24. See also (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 59-64); (Surah Yunus, Ayats 71-73); (Surah Houd, Ayats 25-48); (Surah Bani Israil, Ayat 3 )and (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayats 76-77).

25. That is, are you not afraid that if you set up partners and associates with Allah, Who is the real Sovereign, and worship and submit to them, you shall incur His wrath and punishment?

26. There has been a common deviation that a human being cannot be a Prophet, and a Prophet cannot be a human being. That is why the Quran has refuted this wrong conception over and over again, and has stated forcefully that all the Prophets were human beings and that a human being only could be sent as a Prophet to human beings. For details, see (Suras Al-Aaraf Ayats 63, 69); (Yuonus, Ayat 2); (Houd, Ayats 27-31); (Yousuf, Ayat 109); (Ar- Raad, Ayat 38); (Ibrahim, Ayats 10-11); (An-Nahl, Ayat 43), (Bani Israil, Ayats 94-95); (Al-Kahf, Ayat 110); (Al-Anbiya, Ayats 3, 34); (Al-Mominoon, Ayats 33-34, 47); (Al-Furqan, Ayats 7, 20); (Ash-Shuara, Ayats 154, 186); (Ya-Sin, Ayat 15), (Ha Mim Sajdah, Ayat 6) along with the relevant E.Ns.

27. This accusation is another old objection, which has always been raised against those who tried to reform their people. Their opponents always accused them of exploiting religion to gain domination in the land. Prophets Moses, Aaron and Jesus were accused of the same and so was Muhammad (peace be upon them all). So much so that the disbelievers of Makkah offered to make the Prophet (peace be upon him) their king, if he gave up his message.

As a matter of fact, the people who exhaust themselves in pursuit of worldly benefits and gains cannot believe that somebody in this world could also exert himself sincerely and selflessly for the sake of human welfare. They regard deceptive slogans, which they raise to capture power, and false promises, which they make day and night to bring about reforms as natural. They think that sincerity and selflessness can be employed only to deceive people and these cannot be put to any better use. That is why the epithet of power hungry for the reformers in all ages has been used by those already in power as if their own power and domination in the land was their birth right, and they were in no way blame worthy for struggling for it and achieving it. (For further explanation, see (E.N. 36 )below)

In this connection, it should also be noted that all those, who try to reform the prevalent corrupt system of life, have inevitably to fight against those in power in order to establish the righteous system. That is why those with powers have always been against the Prophets and their followers, who had to dislodge the corrupt rulers. It is, however, obvious that here is a vast difference between those who want power to gain their own selfish ends and those who want it to reform their people.

27a. This is a clear proof of the fact that Noah’s people were not disbelievers in the existence of God nor did they reject Him as Lord of the universe and the angels as His obedient servants. They were only guilty of shirk: they had set up other deities as partners in God’s attributes and powers and rights.

28. “Help me because they have denied me”: Take Thy vengeance on these people for they have denied me. (Verse 10 of Surah Al-Qamar) says: Then cried Noah to his Lord, I am overcome, so take Thy vengeance on these people, and (verses 26-27 of Noah) say: And Noah said, O my Lord, do not leave of these disbelievers any dweller upon the earth, for if Thou sparest them, they will mislead Thy servants and will beget none but sinners and disbelievers. 2

28. “Help me because they have denied me”: Take Thy vengeance on these people for they have denied me. (Verse 10 of Surah Al-Qamar) says: Then cried Noah to his Lord, I am overcome, so take Thy vengeance on these people, and (verses 26-27 of Noah) say: And Noah said, O my Lord, do not leave of these disbelievers any dweller upon the earth, for if Thou sparest them, they will mislead Thy servants and will beget none but sinners and disbelievers. 2

29. Some commentators think that tannur means the earth; others take it for the highest part of the earth; and still others think that the words far-at-tannur in the text have been used for the break of dawn. There are some who express the opinion that the words have been used metaphorically for the creation of turmoil. But in view of the context, we see no reason why one should take a far fetched figurative meaning of a clear word of the Quran. It appears that a particular oven (tannur) had been earmarked for the deluge to start from, which was to all appearances an unexpected origin of the doom of the wretched people.

30. The fact that Allah should be praised and thanked for the annihilation of those people, is a clear proof that they were the most wicked and villainous people in the world.

31. “Landing” here does not simply mean touching and resting on the land, but it also implies the sense of hospitality, as if to say: O God, now we are Thy guests and Thou alone art our Host.

32. At the conclusion of the story of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him), particular attention has been drawn to the many signs in the story from which one can learn many lessons. For instance, the Prophet who invited the people to Tauhid was in the right and those who practiced and insisted on shirk and disbelief were in the wrong and were destroyed. That the same kind of conflict, which took place between Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) and his people, was going on in Makkah. Therefore, ultimately the Prophet (peace be upon him) will come out victorious over his antagonists just like Prophet Noah (peace be upon him).

33. This can also be translated as: We had to or have to put people to the test. In each case the purpose is to warn the people that they will not be left alone after they have been granted power in the land and over good things of life, but Allah will put them to the test to see how they used their power. Whatever happened with the people of Noah was in accordance with this law, and the same will happen in future with any community which is raised to power.

34. The people of Aad, who were raised to power after the people of Noah. Refer to (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 69). 3

35. It should be noted that all those people who opposed the Messengers had three common characteristics: (1) They were the chiefs of their people. (2) They denied life in the Hereafter. (3) They were prosperous in the worldly life. Obviously, they loved the life of this world and could never conceive that their way of life, which had made them chiefs and brought prosperity, could ever be wrong. Therefore they opposed their Messengers, who took away their peace of mind, by preaching that there was a life-after-death and they shall have to render an account to Allah of what they did in this world. And this was exactly what was happening at Makkah.

36. Some commentators have wrongly opined that the chiefs exchanged these remarks against the Messenger between themselves. These remarks in fact were addressed to the common people. When the chiefs felt that the message was spreading among the common people and there was a real danger that they would be influenced by the pure character of the Messenger and that their superiority then would automatically come to an end, they began to delude them by raising such objections against him. It is worth while to note that both the chiefs of the people of Noah and the chiefs of the people of Aad accused their Messengers of the lust for power but as regards to themselves, they thought that power and prosperity were their inherent rights and they were in every respect entitled to be the chiefs of their people.

36a These words show that the people of Aad were also not disbelievers in the existence of God. They too were involved in the sin of shirk. Refer to (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 70); (Surah Houd, Ayats 53-54); (Surah HaMim Sajdah, Ayat 14), and (Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayats 21-22).

37. Lexically, the word ghutha means the rubbish which is brought by flood waters and is deposited on the banks to rot there.

38. That is, those who do not believe in the Messengers.

39. The use of a manifest Authority along with Our signs may either mean that the signs were a clear proof that they were Messengers of Allah, or the signs may refer to all other miracles of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) than the staff, which may stand here for a clear authority, because the miracles shown by means of it were a clear proof that the two brothers had been sent by Allah.

40. The words in the text may either mean: (1) They were highly arrogant and tyrannous people, or (2) They showed haughtiness and self conceit.

40a For explanation, see (E.N. 26).

40. The words in the text may either mean: (1) They were highly arrogant and tyrannous people, or (2) They showed haughtiness and self conceit.

40a For explanation, see (E.N. 26).

41. Abid is worshiper. According to the Arabic usage, to be a worshiper and a bondsman are almost synonymous. Therefore when the Prophets invited their people to worship Allah alone, they wanted them to worship and serve and obey none but Allah, and that is the real significance of the word ibadat. For further explanation, see (E.N. 50 of Surah Al-Kahf).

42. For further details of the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 49-50); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 103-136); (Surah Younus, Ayats 75-92), (Surah H0ud, Ayats 96-99), (Surah Bani Israil, Ayats 101-104), (Surah TaHa, Ayats 9-80 ) along with the relevant E. Ns.

43. The wording “We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign” is very significant, because it means that neither the son of Mary nor his mother was each a separate sign, but both of them together were a sign. This verse is a clear proof that a son was born to Mary without cohabitation with a man and that Jesus had no father. For further details see (Surah Aal-Imran, Ayats 45-49); (Surah An-Nisa, Ayats 156, 171); (Surah Maryam, Ayats 16-35) and (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayats 91) and the relevant E.N.s.

In this connection, it should also be noted that the case of the error in regards to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and his mother was different from the error in regard to other Prophets, who were rejected because they were human beings. But the deviation in regard to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and his mother was that the credulous people raised them from the low position of human beings to the high rank of Godhead. On the other hand, those, who went to the other extreme accused Mary of unchastity, although they were witnesses of the miraculous birth of Jesus and had heard him speak in the cradle.

44. Different people have mentioned different places, like Damascus, Ar-Ramlah, Jerusalem and Egypt, in regard to the plateau where Allah gave them shelter. From the Christian traditions it appears that Mary had to leave her home twice after the birth of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), first in the time of Herod when she took him to Egypt and stayed there till Herod’s death, and then in the time of Arichelaus when she took him to Nazareth in Galilee. (Matthew, 2: 13-23). Therefore it cannot be said with certainty to which of these two emigrations the Quran refers here. It is, however, obvious that the place of shelter was a plateau which provided them with all the necessities of life.