English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 71: Nuh — Noah (Revealed at Makkah: 2 sections, 28 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 71:21–71:28): Destruction of Transgressors
Translation:
قَالَ نُوۡحٌ رَّبِّ اِنَّہُمۡ عَصَوۡنِیۡ وَ اتَّبَعُوۡا مَنۡ لَّمۡ یَزِدۡہُ مَالُہٗ وَ وَلَدُہٗۤ اِلَّا خَسَارًا ﴿ۚ۲۱﴾
71:21 Noah said: My Lord, surely they disobey me and follow him whose wealth and children have increased him in nothing but loss.
وَ مَکَرُوۡا مَکۡرًا کُبَّارًا ﴿ۚ۲۲﴾
71:22 And they have planned a mighty plan.
وَ قَالُوۡا لَا تَذَرُنَّ اٰلِہَتَکُمۡ وَ لَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَّ لَا سُوَاعًا ۬ۙ وَّ لَا یَغُوۡثَ وَ یَعُوۡقَ وَ نَسۡرًا ﴿ۚ۲۳﴾
71:23 And they say: Do not abandon your gods; nor abandon Wadd, nor Suwā‘, nor Yaghūth and Ya‘ūq and Nasr.1
وَ قَدۡ اَضَلُّوۡا کَثِیۡرًا ۬ۚ وَ لَا تَزِدِ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ اِلَّا ضَلٰلًا ﴿۲۴﴾
71:24 And indeed they have led many astray. And (my Lord) increase the wrongdoers in nothing but ruin.2
مِمَّا خَطِیۡٓــٰٔتِہِمۡ اُغۡرِقُوۡا فَاُدۡخِلُوۡا نَارًا ۬ۙ فَلَمۡ یَجِدُوۡا لَہُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ اَنۡصَارًا ﴿۲۵﴾
71:25 Because of their wrongs they were drowned, then made to enter Fire, so they found no helpers besides Allah.
وَ قَالَ نُوۡحٌ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرۡ عَلَی الۡاَرۡضِ مِنَ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ دَیَّارًا ﴿۲۶﴾
71:26 And Noah said: My Lord, do not leave any of the disbelievers dwelling in the land.3
اِنَّکَ اِنۡ تَذَرۡہُمۡ یُضِلُّوۡا عِبَادَکَ وَ لَا یَلِدُوۡۤا اِلَّا فَاجِرًا کَفَّارًا ﴿۲۷﴾
71:27 For if You leave them, they will lead astray Your servants, and will not produce any offspring but immoral, ungrateful ones.
رَبِّ اغۡفِرۡ لِیۡ وَ لِوَالِدَیَّ وَ لِمَنۡ دَخَلَ بَیۡتِیَ مُؤۡمِنًا وَّ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ ؕ وَ لَا تَزِدِ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ اِلَّا تَبَارًا ﴿٪۲۸﴾
71:28 My Lord, forgive me and my parents and him who enters my house believing, and the believing men and the believing women. And increase the wrongdoers in nothing but destruction!
Commentary:
- The names of the idols given here are those which existed in Arabia in the Prophet’s time. The Quran, while relating the histories of previous prophets, often introduces the Prophet’s own history, as is the case here. Even if these verses are taken as referring to Noah, no difficulty arises because there is reason to believe that the Arabs obtained most of their idols from foreign countries. The commentators say that Wadd was worshipped in the form of a man, Suwā‘ in that of a woman, Yaghūth in that of a lion, Ya‘ūq in that of a horse and Nasr in that of an eagle. ↩
- They only went on adding wrongs to their wrongs, hence the prayer of the messenger to increase them in nothing but ruin. In fact, they were bringing ruin on their heads with their own hands. ↩
- Noah was speaking only of his own people and praying against them only. All his statements and prayers refer to them, and not to the whole world. Hence al-arḍ simply signifies the land in which they lived and does not refer to the whole earth. ↩