Surah Nooh (71): Read Online and Download - English Translation

لَمْ تَرَ‌وْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّـهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ‌ فِيهِنَّ نُورً‌ا

(Did you not see how Allah has created seven heavens one upon another, and has made the moon a light therein? ....71:15-16)

These verses are adduced as proof positive of Divine Oneness and His power. He has created seven heavens, one on top of the other, and placed the moon as a light in them. The prepositional phrase in the verse apparently indicates that the moon is placed in the body of the heavens. The subject is fully discussed in Surah Al-Furqan under the following verse:

تَبَارَ‌كَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُ‌وجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَ‌اجًا وَقَمَرً‌ا مُّنِيرً‌ا

Glorious is the One who made stellar formations in the sky and placed therein a lamp (sun) and a bright moon. [ 25:61] Complaining about his people, Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) said:

وَمَكَرُ‌وا مَكْرً‌ا كُبَّارً‌ا (and they devised an enormous plan....71:22). In other words, they hatched a mighty plot. They rejected the message and persecuted Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) . In addition, they let loose hooligans and hoodlums on him. They agreed that they will not abandon their gods, especially the five major idols whose names appear in the following verse:

لَا تَذَرُ‌نَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُ‌نَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرً‌ا (and never forsake Wadd, nor Suwa', nor yaghuth and Ya` uq and Nasr…71:23). Imam Baghawi reports that these five were in fact righteous servants of Allah who lived in the intervening period between Prophets 'Adam and Nuh (علیہما السلام) . There were many people who held them in high regard and followed their footsteps. Even after their death, they followed their footsteps and complied with Divine injunctions. A while later, Shaitan misled them. He put it to them that if they make pictures of their righteous elders and place them in front, their worship would be perfect and they would attain the quality of humility and humbleness. Those people fell into the Shaitanic trap and carved statues of them and placed them in their temples. When they saw the statues of their elders, their memories were refreshed and experienced a special feeling. That generation gradually died and a new generation came up. Satan played another trick with them. He imparted to them that the object of worship of their elders were statues and idols. They fell for this trick and worshipped them. This is the beginning of idol-worship or idolatry. People of Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) gradually got steeped in idolatry. They had many idols, the five mentioned in the verse under comment being the most popular because of the deep love they had for them.

وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَالًا (…let not the wrongdoers progress in anything but deviation from the right path 71:24). This is the supplication of Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) against his people. It may not be surmised that the duty and obligation of a Prophetic office is to guide the people, but here Prophet NuhI is praying for increase in his people's misguidance. Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) did not invoke this curse out of despair or impatience. In fact, he invoked it when, after doing full justice to his mission for many centuries, his people chose the path of deviation, rebellion, disbelief and obstinacy and persisted in it until they had reached a point of no return, of which Allah informed him thus, 'And it was revealed to Nuh (علیہ السلام) that none of your people would ever believe except those who have already believed__ [ 11:36] '. This situation made it clear to him that his people would definitely and certainly die in the state of disbelief. So he prayed for their final destiny to overtake them sooner and destroy them.

مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِ‌قُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارً‌ا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ أَنصَارً‌ا (Because of their sins they were drowned, and then admitted into the Fire. So they found no helpers for them besides Allah…1:25). The 'sins' referred to here are unpardonable sins of 'kufr and shirk'. They were drowned in water and emerged in fire, an opposing punishment which is not impossible for Divine power. Obviously, the ‘Fire’ mentioned in the verse does not refer to the fire of Hell, but refers to the fire in the realm of ‘Barzakh’ (the existence between the worldly life and the life of the Hereafter). The Qur'an speaks of the fire in the realm of 'Barzakh'. It is evident that Sayyidna Nuh's (علیہ السلام) people will be punished in Hell-Fire in the Hereafter after resurrection and accounting for their deeds.

Qur’ an Confirms Punishment in the Grave

The verse under comment confirms that people will be punished in the realm of Barzakh, usually referring to the period of stay in the grave. This further proves that, since the evil-doers will be punished in the grave, the righteous believers will also be rewarded and blessed with favours. Authentic and successively transmitted ahadith report about the reward and punishment in the grave so abundantly and clearly that its reality cannot be denied or rejected. Therefore, there is a total agreement of the Ummah on this issue; and belief in it is the symbol of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jami'ah.

Al-hamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Nuh

Ends here