النص المفهرس

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Surah Hud : 11 : 15 - 17
of worldly wealth, recognition, health and comfort - until comes the
time when he reaches the stage of the Hereafter where he is left with
nothing that could bring any return there.
It appears in Tafsir Mazhari that, though a believer looks forward
to having prosperity in the mortal world as well, but his intention to
have the best of the Hereafter remains on top of everything. Therefore,
he gets what he does in the mortal world only to the measure of his
needs. However, he does get the larger return and reward in the Here-
after.
Sayyidna 'Umar a Ul », once visited the home of the Holy Prophet
When he saw virtually nothing in the house but a few .صلى الله عليه وسلم
things here and there, he said to him: 'please pray that Allah Ta'ala
blesses your Ummah too with extended material means. We see Persia
and Byzantine. They are very prosperous in this world although they
do not worship Allah Ta'ala.' The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was reclin-
ing on a pillow behind his waist. When he heard these words of Sayy-
idna 'Umar ar Al »), he sat up straight and said, 'O 'Umar, you are
still lost in those thoughts. As for these people, they are the ones who
have been given the return of their good deeds right here in this
world.' (Mazhari)
Jami' Tirmidhi and the Musnad of Ahmad report on the authority
of Sayyidna Anas رضى الله عنه that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
'Whoever intends to have (the best of) the Hereafter through his deeds,
Allah Ta'ala makes his heart need-free in this world. He (Himself)
takes care of what he must have, and (the desire of) the world comes
to him all humbled. And whoever intends to have (the best of) the
present world, Allah Ta'ala makes want and need stand before him to
the effect that they can never shake them off. There is no end to his
needs because he is constantly being driven by worldly greed. No soon-
er does one need gets fulfilled, another gaping need stands before him.
Countless concerns gang upon him but what he gets is what Allah
Ta'ala has written for him.
Regarding what has been said in this verse: 'those who aimed for
worldly life are fully recompensed for their deeds within this world,'
someone may raise a doubt. It could be said that there are many peo-
ple who, despite aiming and striving to have worldly benefits, fail to
achieve their objective even in this world and, on occasions, they would

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Surah Hud : 11 : 15 - 17
get just about nothing. The answer is that, in this verse, the Qur'an
has dealt with the subject briefly. Details appear in the following verse
مَنْ كَانَ حُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةٌ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا : of Surah al-Isra' (Bani Israil) where it was said
Rfattsu (whoever keeps aspiring for the immediate, We shall give
soon what We will to whom We will. It means whoever keeps aiming
for nothing but worldly life, Allah gives it to him right here within the
world, but this giving is restricted by two conditions. Firstly, He gives
as much as He wants. It is not necessary to let them have what match-
es their desires. Secondly, He gives only to a person it is appropriate to
give him according to His wisdom. Giving to everyone is not necessary.
The second verse (17) presents the high ground the Holy Prophet
and the purely sincere believers with him occupy. This is صلى اللّه عليه وسلم
in sharp contrast to those the sum total of whose knowledge and the
end of whose quest is restricted to worldly life only - so that the whole
world could see that these two groups could not be equal. After having
focused on this phenomena, it has been stated that the mission and
message of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as a prophet and messenger
of Allah is open to mankind right through the Last Day of Qiyamah.
Then, it has been stressed that anyone who does not believe in him
will be considered, irrespective of what one does, astray and Hell-
bound.
In the first sentence, it was asked: Can a denier of the Qur'an be
equal to the one who adheres to the Qur'an that has come from his
Lord? And along with it there is a witness present within it, while a
witness earlier to this is the Book of Musa WJILL that was sent to be
followed and to be mercy for people?
The word: bayyinah (x) appearing in this verse refers to the
Qur'an. As for the meaning of 'shahid' (l: evidence), statements of
Tafsir authorities differ. The author of Bayan al-Qur'an takes 'shahid'
to mean the miracle of the Qur'an that is present in the Qur'an as
such. Thus, it comes to mean that those who adhere to the Qur'an,
they already have a witness to the veracity of the Qur'an within it,
that is, its miracle. Then, the other witness has already come in the
form of Torah. Sayyidna Musa ,WJI u had brought it as guidance and
mercy for people. The reason is that the Torah confirms the truth of
the Qur'an clearly.
In the second sentence, in order to stress that salvation, up to the

618
Surah Hud : 11 : 18 - 24
Last Day, depends on faith in the Holy Prophet وصلى الله عليه وسلم it has
been said that anyone from any religion or community of the world
who refuses to have faith in him will have his abode in Jahannam.
The Sahih of Muslim reports on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hu-
rairah رضى الله عنه that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'by the One in
whose hands rests my life, any Jew or Christian who hears my call
and still does not believe in the teachings I have brought, then, he or
she will be of the people of Jahannam.'
This should remove the misunderstanding of those who regard the
Jews and Christians or the adherents of other religions as being on
haqq (the truth) on the basis of some outward deeds and consider these
to be sufficient for salvation without having faith in the Holy Prophet
and the Qur'an. This is an open clash with the present صلى الله عليه وسلم
ayah of the Holy Qur'an, and the authentic ahadith. والعياذ بالله (Allah may
save us from that!)
Verses 18 - 24
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَزِى عَلَى اللّهِ كَذِبًّا﴿ أُوَلِّكَ يُعْرَضُوْنَ عَلى
رَبِّهِمْ وَيَقُوْلُ الْآَشْهَادُ فَؤُلاءِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَبُوْا عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ آَلَ
لَغْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٨) الَّذِيْنَ يَصْدُّونَ عَنُ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ
وَيَبْغُوْنَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُمْ بِالْأُخِرَةِ هُمْ كُفِرُوْنَ ﴿١٩) أُوْلَِّكَ لَمْ
يَكُوُنُوْا مُعْجِزِيْنَ فِى الْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِنُ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ مِنْ
أَوْلِيَّاء» يُضْعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ ، مَا كَانُوا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ السَّمْعَ
وَمَا كَانُوا يُبْصِرُوْنَ ﴿ ٢﴾ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ خَسِرُوْاَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ
وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّاكَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾ لَ جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ
الْآَخْسَرُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ وَ آَخْبَتُؤْآَ
إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحْبُ الْجَنَِّ هُمْ فِيْهَا خُلِدُوْنَ ﴿٢٣) مَثَلُ
الْفَرِيْقَيْنِ كَالُّاَ عُمَى وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيْرِ وَالسَّمِيُعُِ هَلُ
يَسْتَوِيْنِ مَثَلَاء أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُوُنَ ﴿٢٤)
And who is more unjust than the one who forges a lie

619
Surah Hud : 11 : 25 -35
against Allah? They shall be presented before their
Lord, and the witnesses shall say, "These are the ones
who lied against their Lord. Beware, the curse of Allah
lies on the unjust, [18] those who prevent (people) from
the way of Allah and seek crookedness in it. They, sure-
ly they, are disbelievers of the Hereafter." [19]
They were unable to frustrate (Allah's plan) on the
earth, and there were no supporters for them besides
Allah. Multiplied for them shall be the punishment.
They were not able to hear, nor would they see. [20]
Those are the ones who brought loss to their own
selves, and lost for them was all that they used to fabri-
cate. [21] Invariably, they are the worst losers in the
Hereafter. [22]
Surely, those who believe and do good deeds and hum-
ble their selves before their Lord - those are the people
of Paradise. There they shall live forever. [23]
The example of the two groups is like the one blind and
deaf and the one seeing and hearing. Are the two equal
when compared? Would you still pay no heed? [24]
Verses 25 - 35
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلُنَا نُؤْحًا إِلى قَوْمِةٍ إِنِّيْ لَكُمْ نَذِيٌُ مُبِيْنٌّ ﴿٢٥) أَنْ
لَتَعْبُدُوا إِلَّ اللهَ، إِنِ آَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ اَلِيُمِ ﴿٢٦﴾
فَقَالَ الْمُلَأُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَا نَرِيكَ الَّّبَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا
وَمَا نَزِيكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ آَرَاذِلْنَا بَادِىَ الَّأِّْ وَمَا نَرى
لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلٍ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كُذِبِيْنَ ﴿٢٧﴾ قَالَ يُقَوْمِ
آرَ ◌َيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَتِنَةٍ مِنُ رَبٌِّ وَاثْنِىٌ رَحْمَةً مِنُ عِنْدِهِ
فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ ء اُنْزِ مْكُمُوْهَا وَأَنْتُمْ لَهَا كُرِهُوْنَ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَيُقَوْمِ
لَّ اسْتَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالَاء إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا بِطَارِدٍ
الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا إِنَّهُمْ تُلِقُوا رَبِّهِمْ وَلكِنٌِّ أَزْبِكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ
﴿٢٩﴾ وَيُقَوُمِ مَنْ يَّنْصُرُنِىٌ مِنَ اللهِ إِنْ طَرَدْ تُّهُمْ + آفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

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Surah Hud : 11 : 25 - 35
﴿ ٣﴾ وَلَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِىْ خَابِنُ اللهِ وَلََّ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلََّ
أَقُوْلُ إِنِّيْ مَلَكْ وَلَّ افُوْلٌ لِلَّذِيْنَ تَزْدَرِىٌّ آَعْيُنُكُمْ لَنْ يُؤْرِيَهُمُ
اللّهُ خَيْرَّاء اللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِىَ أَنْفُسِهِمٌ إِنِّى إِذَا لِّنَ الْظُلِمِيْنَ
﴿٣١﴾ قَالُوا يُنُوُْ قَدُجَادَ لُتَنَا فَاكْتَرْتَ جِدَالَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا
تَعِدُنَا إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصّدِقِيْنَ ﴿٣٢﴾ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيْكُمْ بِهِ اللّهُ
إِنْ شَآءَ وَمَّا أَنْتُمُ بِمُعْجِزِيْنَ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُكُمُ نُصْحِىٌ إِنْ
أَرَّدُتُّ أَنْ أَنْصَحَ لَكُمْ إِنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ بُرِيدُ أَنْ تُغْوِيَكُمْ(+
هُوَرَبُّكُمُ هَ وَإِلَيْهِ تُؤْجَعُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ آَمْ يَقُؤْلُوُنَ افِتَرْسُهُ+ قُلُ إِنِ
E
اقْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَّ إِجْرَامِىٌ وَأَنَا بَرِىٌّ ◌ُ مِمَا تُجْرِمُونَ
And We have sent Nuh to his people (saying to them): "I
am, for you, a clear warner, [25] that you worship none
but Allah, I fear for you the punishment of a painful
day." [26]
So, the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said, "We
see (that) you are nothing but a man like us. And we do
not see you followed by anyone but by the lowest
among us who are of shallow opinion, and we do not
see in you any superiority over us; rather, think you
are liars. [27]
He said, "O my people, tell me when I am on a clear
path from my Lord, and He has bestowed mercy upon
me from Himself and it has been hidden from your
sight. Shall we, then, impose it upon you while you are
averse to it? [28] And, O my people, I do not demand
from you any wealth for it. My reward is with none but
Allah. And I am not to drive the believers away. Surely,
they are to meet their Lord, but I see that you are an ig-
norant people. [29] And, O my people, who will help me
against (the punishment of) Allah, if I drive them
away? Would you still pay no heed? [30] And I do not
say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor
do I have the knowledge of the unseen, nor do I say
that I am an angel. And I do not say about those who
are contemptible in your eyes that Allah will never

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Surah Hud : 11 : 25 - 35
award them any good; Allah is the best- knower of what
is in their hearts. (If I do so) then, I shall indeed be one
of the unjust." [31]
They said, "O Nuh, you have quarreled with us, and
quarreled much. Now bring what you threaten us with,
if you are one of the truthful." [32]
He said, "Only Allah will bring it to you, if He so wills,
and you cannot frustrate (His will). [33] And my good
counsel will not profit you, even though I wish you the
best, if Allah wills to make you go astray. He is your
Lord and to Him you shall be made to return." [34]
Do they still say that he has forged it? Say, "If I have
forged it, then, upon me is my sin, and I am free of the
sins you commit." [35]
Commentary
When Sayyidna Nuh >Jie invited his people to believe, they re-
sponded with some doubts and objections against the veracity of his
mission as a prophet and messenger of Allah. Sayyidna Nuh MuJI de,
with the will and permission of Allah, answered their questions. Many
primary and subsidiary religious rulings relating to honesty and social
living emerge from here as a corollary. This dialogue forms the core of
the subject taken up in these verses.
Some questions raised by the disbelievers appear in the third verse
(27). Before we take these up, let us first look at the meanings of some
of the words there.
The word: > (mala') generally means a group. Some leading lexicog-
raphers say that a group of the chiefs of a people is called: ). (mala').
Bashar (+) is translated as human being or man. Aradhil (Js1,1) is the
plural form of ardhal (Js,l). It means someone lowly, not having any
status or respect among his people. The expression: sig st (badiyar-
ra'y) means cursory or shallow opinion.
As for their objections, the first one related to the status of Sayyid-
na Nuh عليه السلام as a prophet and messenger: مانريك إلاَّ بَشَرًا مِثْلَنا (We see that
you are nothing but a man like us). In effect, they were saying that he
ate, drank, walked, slept and woke up like them. How then, they ques-
tioned, could they accept this extra-ordinary status of his as a messen-
ger and prophet of God?

622
Surah Hud : 11 : 25 -35
They thought that the person who is sent to men as a messenger
from Allah should not belong to the genus of man, instead, he should
be an angel whose distinct status had to be recognized by everyone,
willingly or unwillingly.
This was answered in the fourth verse (28) as follows:
يُقَوْمِ آَرَءَيْهُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنُ رَّبِىُ وَاثْنِىْ رَحُمَةً مِنُ عِنْدِهٍ فَعُِّيَتُ
عَلَيْكُمْ آنُلْزِ مُكُمُوْهَا وَأَنْتُمْ لَهَا كُرُهُوْنَ
He said, "O my people, tell me when I am on a clear path from
my Lord, and He has bestowed mercy upon me from Himself
and it has been hidden from your sight. Shall we, then, im-
pose it upon you while you are averse to it?".
Here we are being told that for a rasul or messenger to be a man is
not contrary to his mission as a prophet or messenger. In fact, a little
thought would show that this is how it should be - that the rasul of
men should be a man so that men find it comfortable to learn their re-
ligion from him. There is an enormous difference in the mental and
emotional make up of men and angels. If an angel were to be sent as a
rasul, learning religion from him would have become terribly difficult.
The reason is that an angel is not hungry or thirsty or sleepy or plain
tired, nor does he have to deal with all those human compulsions. How
would he have the feeling for such human weaknesses? And, without
this feeling, how could men have followed him deed-wise? This theme
has appeared in other verses of the Qur'an, either explicitly or sugges-
tively, at several places. Bypassing these, they were exhorted to use
their reason and realize that it was not the least necessary that a
prophet and messenger should not be a man. But, what is necessary is
that he brings with him some proof, argument and evidence from Al-
lah Ta'ala that could make it easy for people to accept that he was defi-
nitely a rasul sent by Allah. Those open proofs (bayyinah) and binding
arguments for common people take the form of miracles shown at the
hands of prophets. Therefore, Sayyidna Nuh WILLe said that he had
brought with him the clear path, argument and mercy from his Lord.
If they had seen it carefully and thought about it, they would not have
refused to accept the invitation. But, their aversion and hostility made
them blind, hence they opted to deny the truth and became adamant
to it.

623
Surah Hud : 11: 25-35
But, this mercy of Allah Ta'ala that comes through a prophet is not
something which could be caused to fall over the heads of people - un-
til they themselves show their inclination to have it. There is a hint
here that the prophet would have passed on the wealth of 'Im an he had
come with to them, if he could, despite their denial and obstinacy. But,
this was against Divine law. A blessing is aspired for. People cannot be
compelled to have it. From here it also stands proved that it has never
been permissible, in any period of a prophet, that people should be
compelled to become believers. Even those who continue to spread the
ugly propaganda that Islam was spread by the sword are not them-
selves unaware of the truth of the matter. But, they find it convenient
to use the power of a lie to sow seeds of doubt in the hearts of the ig-
norant only to keep the torches of their hatred burning.
As a side benefit, it has also become easier to understand why an
angel was not made a prophet. The reason is that an angel is endowed
with supernatural power. He is way distinct from human beings in
every facet of his existence. To see him and then to believe in him
would have become an exercise in compulsion. With an angel in front
of him, who could dare being obstinate - something so conveniently
demonstrated before prophets? Then, according to the dictate of the
Shari'ah, if a person believes unwillingly under the threat of some co-
ercive power, his belief and faith is not acceptable. In fact, the ideally
desirable thing is to believe without seeing (al-'Iman bi 'l-ghaib) - that
one believes without having fully observed and witnessed the ultimate
subduing power of Allah Ta'ala.
وَمَّا نَرِيكُ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ الرَّأي :The second objection they raised was
(and we do not see you followed by any one but by the lowest among us
who are of shallow opinion - 27). This objection has two aspects: (1)
That the people of higher status would have been the first to accept
your call, if it was correct and true; and that only such lowly people
have accepted it shows that the call itself is not worth accepting. (2)
That there is something else that stops us from accepting your call to
believe. Suppose we were to believe, then we understand that we too
will be taken as Muslims, like them and equal to them and, in rows of
prayers as well as in other meetings, we will have to sit with them as
equals. This we cannot do.
These people were far from reality and very unaware indeed. Sim-

624
Surah Hud : 11 : 25 -35
ply because poor people did not wallow in wealth and pride in office
and status, they had elected to berate them as lowly and mundane -
although, the thought itself is as ignorant as it can be. Honor and dis-
grace, reason and understanding are not subservient to wealth and
property. Rather, as experience bears out, power and wealth can be-
come intoxicating enough as would stop its possessors from under-
standing and accepting so many reasonable and correct things. These
barriers do not stand before the meek and the poor. They go ahead and
accept what is correct and true. This is the reason why the customary
Divine practice through the lanes of time gone by has been no other
but that the first among those who believe in prophets are none but
the weak and the meek. This phenomenon has also been explained in
past Scriptures. Pursuant to this, when the blessed letter from the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم inviting him to believe reached the Byzan-
tine Emperor, Hiraql, he felt the need to ascertain the truth of the
matter - because, he had read the signs of the noble prophets in the
Torah and the Injil. Therefore, he assembled people of Arabia who
were visiting Syria at that time and asked them some questions about
those signs.
One of these questions was, 'Are those who follow him the poor and
the weak among his people, or those who are considered big and nota-
ble among them?' He was told, 'They are poor and weak.' Thereupon,
Hiraql confessed, 'this is sign of his being a true prophet because those
who follow prophets initially are these very poor and weak people.'
In short, taking poor people to be lowly was ignorance on their
part. In reality, 'radhil' or disgraced is he who does not recognize his
creator and sustainer and disobeys what He has asked him to do.
Therefore, the venerated Sufyan Ibn Said Ath-Thawri, was asked by
someone, 'who is mean and disgraced?' He said, 'people who keep flat-
tering rulers and officials.' And Ibn al-A'rabi said, 'mean is he who
earns Dunya (benefits of worldly life) by selling his din (religion).'
Someone asked him, 'who is the meanest?' Then, he said, 'a person
who ruins his religion and streamlines the worldly life of someone
else.' Imam Malik said, 'mean is he who maligns the noble Compan-
ions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم because they are the greatest
benefactors of the entire Muslim Ummah, and the source through
which the blessings of 'Iman and Shariah have reached us.'

625
Surah Hud : 11 : 25 - 35
Returning to the ignorant thought expressed by the objectors, we
see that it has been initially refuted in the third verse (29). It has been
said that a prophet does not fancy anyone's wealth or property. He
takes no compensation for his service or good counsel to people. His
compensation is with Allah alone. Therefore, the rich and the poor are
equal in his sight. Let the rich not be scared about their wealth for no
one would start asking for it once they become believers.
Then, they were told: 'As for the condition you impose that I should
remove the poor from my company in order that you could believe,
then, let it be very clear that I cannot do that. They may be poor but
they are close to the Highest of the high, the greatest honor one can
have. Turning such people out is not a right thing to do.'
And: Abil? (They are surely to meet their Lord) could also mean:
If, supposedly, I were to turn them out, when they go to their Lord on
the day of Qiyamah and complain, what would I have to say? The sub-
ject continues in the fourth verse (30): If I were to turn them out, who
would save me from Divine punishment? At the end, it was said: All
this is nothing but your ignorance and heedlessness. To you being a
man is counter to being a prophet, or you go to the other extreme and
demand that poor people should be driven away from his company.
Reported in the fifth verse (31) there is an address that Sayyidna
Nuh Jule gave before his people to announce some matters of princi-
ple after he had heard their objections. In this address it has been
stressed that the mission of a prophet and messenger does not depend
on things they think are necessary for it.
For instance, first it was said : ◌ِوَلَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِيٌ خَزَآئِنُ اللُّه (And I do not say
to you that with me are the treasures of Allah). This carries a refuta-
tion of their idea that someone coming from Allah as His messenger
should have brought treasures with him giving it out to everyone free-
ly. Sayyidna Nuh WJI u put it out clearly that the mission of prophets
has nothing to do with involving people into the mess of worldly enjoy-
ments. What for would they need all those treasures?
It is also possible that the statement may be refuting the false
thought nursed by some people that Allah has given all powers to
prophets, even to Auliya'. Assuming this, it is surmised that they have
the treasures of Allah's power in their hands and that they decide

626
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
whom to give and whom not to give. So, this declaration of Sayyidna
Nuh JI ale makes it clear that Allah Ta'ala has not entrusted the to-
tal control of the treasures of His power not even with any prophet,
not to say much about the Auliya' or men of Allah. However, when
they pray or wish, Allah Ta'ala does answer their prayers and fulfills
their wishes with His infinite power.
Secondly, it was said: chiefs, (nor do I have the knowledge of the
unseen). Another false idea these people harbored was that a person
who is a rasul of Allah Ta'ala should also be the one who knows what is
unseen ('alim al-ghayb). This sentence clarifies that the mission of a
prophet and messenger needs no knowledge of the unseen, and why
should it when the knowledge of the unseen is an exclusive attribute of
Allah Ta'ala which no prophet or angel can share with Him. However,
Allah Ta'ala does inform whomever He wills from out of His prophets
about the secrets of the unseen as much as He wills. But, because of
this, it is not correct to call them 'alim al-ghayb (possessor of the
knowledge of the unseen) - because, it is not in their power to find out
something in the domain of the unseen at their choice.
Thirdly, it was said: " pers, (nor do I say that I am an angel).
Here we have a refutation of their idea that a rasul should be some an-
gel.
Fourthly, it was stated: In your sight these poor people may appear
lowly and disgraceful. But, I cannot say as you say that Allah Ta'ala
will not bless them with what is good, because good relates to one's
heart, not wealth, and only Allah knows the secrets of hearts and He
knows whose heart is worthy of receiving good and whose heart is not.
Then, it was said: If I too were to start calling them lowly and dis-
graceful, I too would become unjust.
Verses 36 - 40
وَأُوُحِىَ إِلى نُوْجِ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُؤُمِنَ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ إِلَّ مَنْ قَدْامَنَ فَلاَ
تَبْتَبِسَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلُكَ بِآَعْيُنِنَا وَ
وَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَهُوْاْ إِنَّهُمْ تُغُرَفُوْنَ ﴿٣٧)
وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ* وَكُلَّمَا مَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأْ تِنْ قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُـ

627
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
قَالَ إِنْ تَسْخَرُوْا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنْكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾
فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ " مَنْ يَّأْتِيْهِ عَذَابٌ تُخْرِيْهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ
عَذَابٌ مُقِيْمٌ ﴿٣٩) حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَ آَمُنَا وَفَارَ التَّوْرُ " قُلْنَا
احْمِلُ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَبْنِ وَآَهْلَكَ إِلَّ مَنُ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ
الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ أمَنَ ﴿ وَمَا أَمَنَ مَعَةً إِلَّ قَلِيُلٌ ﴿٤﴾
And it was revealed to Nuh that none of your people
would ever believe except those who have already be-
lieved: "So, be not distressed by what they have been
doing. [36] And make an ark under Our eyes and ac-
cording to Our revelation. And do not speak to Me
about those who crossed the limits - they are to be
drowned." [37]
And he started making the Ark. And whenever the
chieftains of his people passed by him, they mocked at
him. He said, "If you mock at us, we mock at you like
you mock at us: [38] So, you shall soon know to whom
will come the punishment that will humiliate him and
upon whom will befall a lasting punishment." [39]
At last when Our command came and the oven over-
flowed. We said, "Load in it a pair of two from every
kind along with your family - except those against
whom the Word has already been spoken - and those
who have believed." And there were only a few who
had believed with him. [40]
Commentary
Allah Ta'ala had blessed Sayyidna Nuh JI Je with long years of
life extending up to nearly one thousand years. Along with it, he was
given a special status in terms of his prophetic mission to invite people
to Allah and make their condition better whereby he devoted these
long years to keep asking them to believe in the true Faith and in Al-
lah as One. He had to face the harshest of pains in this mission. His
people would throw stones at him until he fell down and lost con-
sciousness. But, as soon as he would regain it, he prayed to Allah for
the forgiveness of his people for they did not know what they were do-
ing. A generation was followed by the other, and the other by yet an-
other, in a chain and he kept giving his call in the hope that they

628
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
might, at some stage, accept the truth.
When centuries passed over this exercise in patience, he com-
plained about their deplorable condition before his Almighty Lord
رَبِّ إِنِّى دَعَوتُ قَوْمِىٌ لَيْلًا وَّنَهَارًا، فَلَمْ يَزِدُهُمُ: which has been mentioned in Surah Nuh
Be VEL' (My Lord, I did invite my people [to the truth] night and
day. But, my invitation increased them in nothing but flight [in aver-
sion] - 71:5,6) and, after all those long years of hardship, the prayer
that this great servant of Allah made was:ِرَبِّ انْصُرُنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُون (My Lord,
help me because they have belied me - al-Mu'minun, 23: 26,39).
When the reign of terror let loose by the people of Sayyidna Nuh Le
>JI became much too excessive, he was addressed by Allah Ta'ala in
the words appearing in the verses cited above. (al-Baghawi, Mazhari)
Firstly, he was told that, out of his people, those who were to be-
lieve had already believed. No one was to believe after that. Their
hearts were sealed with their own obstinacy and contumacy. There-
fore, he should not grieve about his people any more and feel free of
any concern about their failure to believe.
Secondly, he was told that Allah was to send the punishment of
flood against those people. Therefore, he should make an ark that
could hold his family, as many believers as there were, and what they
needed, so that they could embark it when the flood comes and be safe
from it. Sayyidna Nuh WILL made the ark as he was ordered to.
When the initial signs of the flood came before them - that water
started overflowing from the earth - Sayyidna Nuh > JILde was com-
manded to embark the ark along with his family and the few believers
who had believed in him. They were also asked to load a pair each of
animals that serve human needs, such as, cow, ox, goat, horse, mule
etc. Sayyidna Nuh WJI ule put everyone on the ark as ordered.
At the end it was said that the believers in Sayyidna Nuh >Je
who boarded the ark were only a few.
This was a gist of the subject as it appears in the cited verses. Now
we can turn to the explanation of each verse and deal with issues and
problems that emerge therefrom.
In the first verse (36), it was said that it was revealed to Sayyidna
Nuh LJI Je that those who were to believe from among his people had
already believed. In future, no one else will believe. Therefore, he

629
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
should not worry about how they deal with him because one feels the
pinch of sorrow only when one expects something good to come from
someone. Disappointment is not that bad. It has its own relief. He
might as well be disappointed with them. As for the shock felt by
Sayyidna Nuh WJI _ because of all sorts of pains inflicted by his peo-
ple on him, arrangements had already been made as indicated the
next verse (37) - 'they are to be drowned.' Under these conditions came
that invocation of curse for his people on the lips of Sayyidna Nuh de
JI which has been mentioned in Surah Nuh:
رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكُفِرِيْنَ دَيَّارًا، إِنَّكَ إِنُ تَذَرُهُمْ يُضِلَّوْا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا
يَلِثُؤْا إِلَّ فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا
"My Lord, do not leave upon the earth any inhabitant from
among the disbelievers. Indeed, if You were to leave them,
they will mislead Your servants and will not procreate anyone
but the ones wicked and disbelieving (diehards)" - 71:26,27.
In answer to this prayer, the people of Sayyidna Nuh WILL were
drowned en masse.
Boat-Making: The Education of a Prophet
When Sayyidna Nuh WILL was commanded to make an ark, he
knew no ark, nor its making. Therefore, in the next verse (37), he got
his first lesson. To orient him to the reality of boat making, it was
said : وَاصْنَع الْفُلُكَ بِاعْبُنِنَا وَ وَحْيِنًا (And make an ark under Our eyes and accord-
ing to Our revelation).
Hadith reports say that Sayyidna Jibra'il al-Amin >JILL told
Sayyidna Nuh Wie by means of revelation all about the making of
boats. He had used wood from the saul tree (shorea robusta) to build
this ark.
Some historical narratives give its measurement. It was three hun-
dred yards long, fifty yards in width and thirty yard high, almost a
three storied ship. Its ventilators, as customary, opened to the right
and the left. Thus, this industry, the first prototype of the ship build-
ing industry, began at the hands of Sayyidna Nuh WILL for the first
time through Divine revelation. After that, the progress it made is cur-
rent history.
All Essential Industries Originated through Revelation
It has been reported on the authority of some elders of early centu-

630
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
ries of Islam in at-Țibb an-Nabawi of Hafiz Shamsud-Din adh-Dhahabi
that all industries essential for human beings owe their origin to the
process of Divine revelation through some prophet. Later, improve-
ments kept coming as needed during different times. The first revela-
tion that came to Sayyidna Adam >Jude mostly related to rehabilita-
tion of the land and establishment of different industries. The
invention of wheel carts for loading and hauling things is part of the
chain of inventions.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of the well-known Aligarh Col-
lege, (now the Muslim University of Aligarh, India) used to say more
than a hundred years ago that the world has seen inventions of all
sorts in moving vehicles but its pivot continued to be the axle and the
wheel. It is the common factor between a bullock-cart, a donkey-cart,
rails and cars. Therefore, the greatest inventor of moving vehicles is
the person who invented the wheel that is the life and soul of a lot of
machines. As it was said, this invention unfolded itself at the hands of
the first prophet, Sayyidna Adam, peace on him, through a Divine rev-
elation.
From here we also learn that industries devoted to essential hu-
man needs are so important that the blessed prophets have been
taught and trained in these through Divine revelation.
Soon after instructing Sayyidna Nuh WJILL how he would make
an ark, he was told that a flood would come and his people will be
drowned and that, at the time, he was not to intercede out of compas-
sion on their behalf.
In the third verse (38), mentioned there is the total lack of concern
for their sad end shown by the people of Sayyidna Nuh WILL during
the period he was making the ark. When the chieftains of his people
saw him busy with his project under a Divine command, they would
ask him, 'what are you doing?' He said, 'a flood is to come, therefore, I
am making an ark.' They would mock at him and say, 'we have no wa-
ter to drink here and this wise man is planning to sail in a boat on this
dry land.' In response, Sayyidna Nuh >JI de told them, 'if you mock at
us today, then remember the day is sure to come when we shall be
laughing at you.' The sense is that conditions would change and events
would unfold in a manner that they themselves would become the
cause of their being mocked at. For, in reality, ridicule is contrary to

631
Surah Hud : 11 : 36 - 40
the spiritual station of prophets. It is simply not permissible for any-
one, in fact, it is haram (unlawful). Says the Holy Qur'an: 3 359335
O those who have believed, no people should mock at) عََّى أَنْ يَّكُوُنُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ
[other] people - may be, they are better than them - 49:11) Therefore,
the mocking referred to here is a pragmatic response to their mockery.
This is like saying, 'when you are seized by the punishment, we shall
be telling you that this was the outcome of your mockery.' This is as it
was said after that in the fourth verse (39): 'So, you shall soon know to
whom will come the punishment that will humble him, and upon
whom will befall the lasting punishment.' The first punishment refers
to the punishment in the mortal world, and the 'lasting punishment'
means the never-ending punishment of the Hereafter.
From the fifth verse (40) begins the description of the coming of the
flood, related instructions and events as they unfolded. So, first it was
said : ◌ُحَتَّى إِذَاجَاء أَمْنَا وَقَارَ الَّتُّوم (At last, when Our command came and the
oven overflowed).
The word: „= (tannur: oven) is used in more than one sense. The
Earth's floor is called an oven. The oven that bakes bread is also a tan-
nur. A raised part of the land is also referred to as tannur. Therefore,
some of the Tafsir authorities have said that, at this place, 'tannur'
means the surface of the land in that water started overflowing from
it. Some of them have said that it means the tannur of Sayyidna Adam
XuJI ale that was located at 'ainul- wardah' in Syria - and water over-
flowed from it. Some others said that Sayyidna Nuh's WJILL own tan-
nur was located in Kufah and that was what it means. Most commenta-
tors - Sayyidna Hasan, Mujahid, Sha'bi, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn
'Abbas e Al +, and others - have gone by this view.
As for Sha'bi, he used to say on oath that this tannur was located in
a secluded quarter of the city of Kufah, and that Sayyidna Nuh Xl
had built his ark in the mosque of Kufah. This tannur was right by the
entrance to this mosque. Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Al », says
that Allah Ta'ala had told Sayyidna Nuh >JILJe, 'when you see water
overflowing from the oven in your home, know that the flood has
come.' (Qurțubi and Mazhari)
Commentator al-Qurtubi said: The sayings of commentators appear
to be different as to the meaning of tannur, but this, in reality, is not a
difference. When water began to bulge out, it overflowed from the

632
Surah Hud : 11 : 41 - 44
bread baking oven, and from out of the surface of the land, and from
the oven of 'Ainul-Wardah in Syria. The Holy Qur'an has said explicit-
ly :فَفَتَحُنَا أَبُوَابَ السَّمَاء ◌ِجَآءٍ تُنْهَمِرٍ وَ فَبَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ مُهُوَّنًا (Then We opened the gates of the
heaven with rain pouring down and caused the earth to burst out with
springs - al-Qamar, 54:11).
In his statement, Sha'bi has also said that this grand mosque of
Kufah has its own distinct status after al-Masjid al-Haram, al-Masjid
an-Nabawii and al-Masjid al-Aqsa.
Later in the verse, it was said: When the flood had started, Sayyid-
na Nuh عليه السلام was commanded : ◌ِإِحْمِلُ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَين (Load in it a pair
of two from every kind).
This tells us that all kinds of animals were not loaded in the ark of
Sayyidna Nuh WI Le. Loaded there were animals born to a pair of
male and female and which cannot survive in water. Therefore, all sea
life stands excluded from here and so do land based life forms born
without male-female conjunction. This leaves only domestic animals
like the cow, ox, water buffalo, goat etc.
This removes the possible doubt as to how could the ark hold that
many animals.
After that, Sayyidna Nuh WILL was asked to have his family
members - other than the disbelieving ones - board the ark, as well as
those who had believed in him, though they were only a few.
The exact number of those who sailed on the ark has not been de-
termined in the Qur'an and Hadith. It has been reported from Sayyid-
na 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Ul , that their total number was eighty,
which included three sons of Sayyidna Nuh WILL - Sam, Ham, Yafith
- and the three of their wives. The fourth son had stayed with the dis-
believers and was drowned with them.
Verses 41 - 44
وَقَالَ ارْكَبُوْا فِيْهَا بِسْمِ اللهِ مَجْرِهَا وَمُرْسُهَاء إِنَّ رَبِىْ لَغَفُؤْرٌ
رَحِيمٌ ﴿٤١﴾ وَهِىَ تَجْرِئْ بِهِمْ فِىْ مَوْجِ كَالْجِبَالِ قَدْ وَ نَادى
نُؤْحُ ◌ِابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِىْ مَعْزِلٍ ثُبُنَيَّ ارُكَبْ تَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُنُ مَّعَ
الْكِفِرِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾ قَالَ سَاوٌِ إِلى جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِىٌ مِنَ الْمَاءِ﴾ قَالَ

633
Surah Hud : 11 : 41 - 44
لَ عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ آَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّ مَنْ تَحِمَ، وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمُؤَجُ
فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغُرَقِيْنَ ﴿٤٣﴾ وَقِيْلَ فَّارُضُ ابْلَعِى مَآءَكٍ وَيُسَمَاءُ
أَقْلِعِى وَغِيْضَ الْمَاءُ وَفُضِىَ الْآَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتُ عَلَى الْجُؤْدِيّ
وَقِيْلَ بُعْدَّالِّلْقَوْمِ الْظُلِمِيْنَ ﴿٤٤﴾
And he said, "Embark it. With the name of Allah it sails
and anchors. Surely, my Lord is Most-Forgiving, Very-
Merciful." [41]
And it was sailing with them amidst the waves like
mountains. And Nuh called out to his son, who was at
an isolated place, "O my child, come on board with us,
and do not be in the company of the disbelievers." [42]
He said, "I shall take shelter on a mountain which will
save me from the water." He said, "There is no saver to-
day from the command of Allah, except the one to
whom He shows mercy." And the waves rose high be-
tween the two, and he was among the drowned. [43]
And it was said, "O earth, suck in your water, and O
heaven, stop." And water subsided, and the matter was
over. And it (the Ark) came to rest on the Judiyy, and it
was said, "Curse be upon the wrongdoers." [44]
Commentary
Etiquette of boarding boats and other modes of conveyance
The first verse (41) teaches the etiquette of boarding boats and oth-
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرِ هَا وَمُرُسُهَا : er modes of conveyance. One should board by saying
(With the name of Allah it sails and anchors). The word: (majra
pronounced according to the reading (qira'ah) of Imam Hafs as 'majray'
with fathah on the letter mim and a major Imalah [inclination] on the
letter ra ) means to sail or to move, and __ (mursa) means to stop or
anchor. The sense is that the moving of this mode of transport owes it-
self to the power of Allah, and is with His name alone, as well as its
stopping which is also subservient to nothing but His power.
Every conveyance moves and stops only with the power of
Allah Ta'ala
Even a little thought would show that no conveyance, a boat or any
other mode of transport that moves on land (or flies in the air) is really

634
Surah Hud : 11 : 41 - 44
within one's own power, neither its creating and making, nor its mov-
ing and stopping. A shallow view of things leads man to assume that
he is the one who has manufactured it and made it move. The reality
lies elsewhere. It does not take much to realize that man has not creat-
ed iron, wood, brass, aluminum etc. which serve as raw material that
go into the making of these modes of conveyance. And it is also clear
that it does not lie in his control to create on his own a gram of iron or
a foot of wood. Then, who gave them the intelligence to design and pro-
duce all sorts of mechanical parts and instruments? How did he do
that? Did he create his own intelligence? Had it been within the power
of man, no one in this wide world would have remained dumb. Every-
one would have been a Plato and Aristotle in his field. So, man puts to-
gether wood and iron and mechanical support from all sides, makes
the body and frame for the conveyance. Now he needs to haul tons of
weight easily and quickly on the land or in the air. He needs power to
do that. It may come through petrol, gas or hydro-electricity. Has man
created any of these? Did he create the petrol or gas, or water, or oxy-
gen, or hydrogen?
If we were to look at things impartially, we will realize that even in
this age of great scientific advancement, the helplessness of man is
still visible and it is true that the moving and stopping of every con-
veyance rests within the ultimate control of the creator of this uni-
verse.
The process of inventing things and making them work makes in-
ventors self-centered. They start living in a hall of mirrors. They con-
gratulate themselves to the limit that they lose touch with the reality
of things on a canvass larger than what they invent. Allah Ta'ala tells
them through his prophets that there is more to their making that
they fail to see: 415, 5,2 0 - (With the name of Allah it sails and an-
chors). This is the reality. A brief statement, but very comprehensive.
In fact, it is a key to a door. Once he enters it, he lives in this mortal
world but turns into a citizen of the spiritual universe - seeing the
beauty of the Lord everywhere in it.
From here unfolds the difference between the world of a believer
and the world of a disbeliever. Both ride. But, when a believer steps in
there, the conveyance does not simply shorten his travel distances on
the land, it introduces him to the one higher, more sublime.

635
Surah Hud : 11 : 41 - 44
As stated in the second (42) and third (43) verse, when the whole
family of Sayyidna Nuh We had boarded the ark, a son whose
name has been reported as Kin'an (Canaan) was left out. Out of his pa-
ternal compassion, Sayyidna Nuh > JILL called out to him asking him
to come on board and warning him that he should not stay in the com-
pany of disbelievers otherwise he would be drowned with them. This
young man was already in league with those disbelieving enemies, in
fact, was himself a disbeliever. But, in all likelihood, Sayyidna Nuh de
>JI did not know that he was a disbeliever. And even if he did know
that, the good counsel he gave to his son to board the boat and leave
the company of the disbelievers was in the spirit of asking him to re-
pent from disbelief and enter the fold of faith. But, the unfortunate son
still took the flood to be something that will pass away and told him
not to worry about him for he would be safe from the flood by climbing
a mountain. Sayyidna Nuh WJILL warned him again that nothing was
going to save anyone, not even a mountain, from the punishment of Al-
lah on that day and that there was no way one could remain safe from
it unless Allah Himself were to show mercy to him. This father-son di-
alogue was on from a distance when rose a wave of the flood and took
him down and away. Historical reports say that the level of the Flood
was fifteen yards above the highest mountain peak and according to
some other reports, it was forty yards high.
In the fourth verse (44), the recession of the flood and the return of
things to normal conditions has been described in a particular manner.
Addressing the earth, Allah Tarala commanded: ◌ٍيَارُضُ ابْلَعِيُ مَاءَك (O earth,
suck in your water). The sense was that the amount of water which
had bulged out from the earth was to be taken back in by the earth.
The sky was commanded to stop raining. The water from rains that
had already accumulated on the earth, nature channeled it into rivers
and streams for human beings to benefit by it. (Tafsir Qurtubi, Mazhari)
In this verse, Allah Ta'ala has given His commands by addressing
the heaven and the earth, although these are no sensate entities, at
least outwardly. Therefore, some commentators have taken it in a fig-
urative sense. But, the fact of the matter is that, in terms of our per-
ception, things in the world which appear non-conscious, insensate,
and lifeless are, in all reality, live and conscious. Yes, their conscious-
ness and perception are not of a level as given to humankind and oth-