English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 23: Al-Muminun — The Believers (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 118 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 23:23–23:32): Noah
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوۡحًا اِلٰی قَوۡمِہٖ فَقَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰہٍ غَیۡرُہٗ ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿۲۳﴾
23:23 And certainly We sent Noah to his people, so he said: My people, serve Allah, you have no God other than Him. Will you not guard against evil?
فَقَالَ الۡمَلَؤُا الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا مِنۡ قَوۡمِہٖ مَا ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُکُمۡ ۙ یُرِیۡدُ اَنۡ یَّتَفَضَّلَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ ؕ وَ لَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ لَاَنۡزَلَ مَلٰٓئِکَۃً ۚۖ مَّا سَمِعۡنَا بِہٰذَا فِیۡۤ اٰبَآئِنَا الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۲۴﴾
23:24 But the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said: He is only a mortal like you, who desires to have superiority over you. And if Allah had pleased, He could have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers.
اِنۡ ہُوَ اِلَّا رَجُلٌۢ بِہٖ جِنَّۃٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوۡا بِہٖ حَتّٰی حِیۡنٍ ﴿۲۵﴾
23:25 He is only a madman, so bear with him for a time.
قَالَ رَبِّ انۡصُرۡنِیۡ بِمَا کَذَّبُوۡنِ ﴿۲۶﴾
23:26 He said: My Lord, help me against their calling me a liar.
فَاَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡہِ اَنِ اصۡنَعِ الۡفُلۡکَ بِاَعۡیُنِنَا وَ وَحۡیِنَا فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَمۡرُنَا وَ فَارَ التَّنُّوۡرُ ۙ فَاسۡلُکۡ فِیۡہَا مِنۡ کُلٍّ زَوۡجَیۡنِ اثۡنَیۡنِ وَ اَہۡلَکَ اِلَّا مَنۡ سَبَقَ عَلَیۡہِ الۡقَوۡلُ مِنۡہُمۡ ۚ وَ لَا تُخَاطِبۡنِیۡ فِی الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا ۚ اِنَّہُمۡ مُّغۡرَقُوۡنَ ﴿۲۷﴾
23:27 So We revealed to him: Make the ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation; then when Our command comes, and water gushes forth from the valley, take into it two of all things, a pair,1 and your own people, except those among them against whom the word has gone forth, and do not speak to Me in respect of those who are unjust; surely they will be drowned.
فَاِذَا اسۡتَوَیۡتَ اَنۡتَ وَ مَنۡ مَّعَکَ عَلَی الۡفُلۡکِ فَقُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ الَّذِیۡ نَجّٰنَا مِنَ الۡقَوۡمِ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾
23:28 Then when you are firmly seated, you and those with you, in the ark, say: Praise be to Allah, Who delivered us from the unjust people!
وَ قُلۡ رَّبِّ اَنۡزِلۡنِیۡ مُنۡزَلًا مُّبٰرَکًا وَّ اَنۡتَ خَیۡرُ الۡمُنۡزِلِیۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾
23:29 And say: My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing and You are the Best of those who bring to land.
اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ وَّ اِنۡ کُنَّا لَمُبۡتَلِیۡنَ ﴿۳۰﴾
23:30 Surely there are signs in this, and surely We are ever trying (people).
ثُمَّ اَنۡشَاۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ قَرۡنًا اٰخَرِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۱﴾
23:31 Then We raised after them another generation.
فَاَرۡسَلۡنَا فِیۡہِمۡ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡہُمۡ اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰہٍ غَیۡرُہٗ ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿٪۳۲﴾
23:32 So We sent among them a messenger from among them, saying: Serve Allah — you have no God other than Him. Will you not guard against evil?
Commentary:
- See 11:40, 11:42. ↩