23 . Sura Al-Muminun

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ...Ali

Ali 23: 23. (Further, We sent a long line of prophets for your instruction.)

C2882. The material gifts having been mentioned, which we receive from a wise and kindly Providence, our attention is now directed to Allah's Providence in spiritual matters. He sent Teachers to instruct and guide us, and though they were mocked, rejected, and accused of falsehood and selfishness, they were protected by Allah, and Allah's Truth at length prevailed.

We sent Noah to his people: he said,

C2883. "People" here is almost equivalent to "contemporaries".

...يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ...

"O my people! worship Allah! Ye have no other god but Him:

C2884. Cf. 7:59.

To fear Allah is to lead righteous lives and eschew evil.

...أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾

will ye not fear (Him)?"

فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ...

23:24. The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people said:

...مَا هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ...

"He is no more than a man like yourselves: his wish is to assert his superiority over you:

...وَلَوْ شَاء اللَّهُ لَأَنزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً...

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ...

23: 25. (And some said:) "He is only a man possessed:

C2886. I construe this to be a speech of another group among them.

They thought he was mad, and best left alone. His madness would run out, or he would come to an evil end.

... فَتَرَبَّصُوا بِهِ حَتَّى حِينٍ ﴿٢٥﴾

wait (and have patience) with him for a time."

قَالَ رَبِّ انصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ ﴿٢٦﴾

23: 26. (Noah) said:

"O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood!"

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا...

Faawhayna ilayhi ani isnaAAi alfulka bi-aAAyunina

23: 27. So We inspired him (with this message):

"Construct the Ark within Our sight and under Our guidance:

C2887. Cf. this whole passage with 11:35-48, and notes thereon.

...فَإِذَا جَاء أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ ...

fa-itha jaa amruna wafara alttannooru

then when comes Our command, and the fountains of the earth gush forth,

C2888. See n. 1533 to 11:40, where the word Tannur is explained.

... فَاسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ...

faosluk feeha min kullin zawjayni ithnayni

take thou on board pairs of every species, male and female,

C2889. See. n. 1534 to 11:40.

...وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ...

waahlaka illa man sabaqa AAalayhi alqawlu minhum

and thy family -- except those of them against whom the Word has already gone forth:

C2890. See n. 1535 to 11:40.

...وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾

wala tukhatibnee fee allatheena thalamoo innahum mughraqoona

and address Me not in favor of the wrongdoers; for they shall be drowned (in the Flood).

Asad’s Version:

23:23 [al-Muminun, Mecca 74]

Asad AND, INDEED, We sent forth Noah unto his people, 10 and he said: "O my people! Worship

God [alone]: you have no deity other than Him. Will you not, then, become conscious of

Him?"

(23:24) But the great ones among his people, who refused to acknowledge the truth, replied: "This [man] is nothing but a mortal like yourselves who wants to make himself superior to you! For, if God had willed [to convey a message unto us], He would surely have sent down angels; [moreover,] we have never heard [anything like] this from our forebears of old! 11

(23:25) [al-Muminun, He is nothing but a madman: so bear with him for a while."

23:26 Said [Noah]: "O my Sustainer! Succour me against their accusation of lying!"

(23:27)

Thereupon We inspired him thus: "Build, under Our eyes 12 and according to Our inspiration, the ark [that shall save thee and those who follow thee]. 13 And when Our judgment comes to pass, and waters gush forth in torrents over the face of the earth, place on board of this [ark]

one pair of each [kind of animal] of either sex, as well as thy family - excepting those on whom sentence has already been passed -; and do not appeal to Me [any more] in behalf of those who are bent on evildoing - for, behold, they are destined to be drowned!

[[Asad’s notes -

8 I.e., the olive-tree, native to the lands around the eastern Mediterranean, where so many pre-Qur'anic prophets (here symbolized - because of its sacred associations - by Mount Sinai) lived and reached.

9 Lit., "of them".

10 Sc, "who had lost sight of all the multiform evidence of the Creator's uniqueness and, thus, all gratitude for the innumerable blessings which He bestows upon man".

1 1 Lit., "in connection with (fi) our early forebears" - a Qur'anic allusion to the fact that people often reject a new ethical proposition on no better grounds than that it conflicts with their "inherited" habits of thought and ways of life, [ndirectly, this allusion implies a condemnation of all blind taqlid, i.e., an unthinking acceptance of religious doctrines or assertions which are not unequivocally supported by divine revelation, the explicit teachings of a prophet, or the evidence of unprejudiced reason.

12 I.e., "under Our protection".

13 Regarding this interpolation, see surah 1 1, note 60. For an explanation of the passage that follows, see 1 1 :40 and the corresponding notes 62-64. The reason for the (abbreviated) repetition

of Noahs story - given in much greater detail in 1 1 :25-48 - becomes evident from verse 29. ]]

54. Surah Al-Qamar (The Moon)

Mecca Period 37

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا عَبْدَنَا ...

54: 9.     Before them the People of Noah rejected (their messenger):

they rejected Our servant,

C5135. The story of Noah and the Flood is frequently referred to in the Quran.

The passage which best illustrates this passage will be found in 11:25-48.

Note in that passage how they first insult and abuse him arrogantly; how he humbly argues with them; how they laugh him to scorn, as much as to say that he was a madman possessed of some evil spirit; and how the Flood comes and he is saved in the Ark, and the wicked are doomed to destruction.

... وَقَالُوا مَجْنُونٌ وَازْدُجِرَ ﴿٩﴾

and said, "Here is one possessed!"

and he was driven out.

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ ﴿١٠﴾

54: 10.  Then he called on his Lord:

 "I am one overcome: do thou then help (me)!"

C5136. He did not call down punishment. He merely asked for help in his mission, as he felt himself overpowered by brute force and cast out, which prevented the fulfilment of his mission. But the wicked generation were past all repentance, and they were wiped out.

فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاء بِمَاء مُّنْهَمِرٍ ﴿١١﴾

54: 11.  So We opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring forth.

وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَالْتَقَى الْمَاء عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ ﴿١٢﴾

54: 12.  And We caused the earth to gush forth with springs, so the waters met (and rose) to the extent decreed.

C5137. The torrents of rain from above combined with the gush of waters from underground springs, and caused a huge Flood which inundated the country.

وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ ﴿١٣﴾

54: 13.  But We bore him on an (Ark) made of broad planks and caulked with palm-fibre:

C5138. Dusur, plural of disar, which means the palm-fibre with which boats are caulked:

from dasara, to ram in, to spear.

A derived meaning is "nails", (which are driven into planks): this latter meaning also applies, and is preferred by translators not familiar with the construction of simple boats.

تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَاء لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ﴿١٤﴾

54: 14.  She floats under Our eyes (and care): a recompense to one who had been rejected (with scorn)!

C5139. As usual, Allah's Mercy in saving His faithful servants takes precedence of His Wrath and Penalty. And He helps and rewards those whom the world rejects and despises!

وَلَقَد تَّرَكْنَاهَا آيَةً ...

54: 15.  And We have left this as a Sign (for all time):

C5140. Cf. 29:15, where the Ark (with the salvation it brought to the righteous) is mentioned as a Sign for all Peoples.

So also in 25:37 and 26:121, it is a Sign for men.

Similarly the saving of Lut, with the destruction of the wicked Cities of the Plain, is mentioned as a Sign left for those who would understand: 29:35, and 51:37.

... فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿١٥﴾

then is there any that will receive admonition?

C5141. A refrain that occurs six times in this Surah:

see Introduction.

Asad’s Version:

54:9 [LONG] BEFORE those [who now deny resurrection] did Noah's people call it a lie; and they gave the lie to Our servant and said, "Mad is he!" - and he was repulsed. 6

(54:10) Thereupon he called out to his Sustainer, "Verily, I am defeated; come Thou, then, to my succour!"

54:11 And so We caused the gates of heaven to open with water pouring down in torrents,

(54:12) and caused the earth to burst forth with

springs, so that the waters met for a purpose pre- ordained:

(54:13) but him We bore on that [vessel] made of [mere] planks and nails,

(54:14) and it floated under Our eyes: 7 a recompense for him who had been rejected with ingratitude.

54:15 And, indeed, We have caused such [floating vessels] to remain forever a sign [of Our grace unto man]: 8 who, then, is willing to take it to heart?'

[[Asad’s notes - 6 See 1 1 :25-48, where the story of Noah and the Flood is given in greater detail.

7 I.e., "under Our protection". The reference to Noah's ark as "made of mere planks and nails" is meant to stress the frailly of this - as well as any other - human contrivance.

8 See 36:41-42 and the corresponding notes 22 and 23. Literally, the above phrase reads, "We have left them [or "such"] as a sign ..., etc. According to Ibn Kathir, the pronoun ha in taraknaha relates to "ships in a generic sense" (jins as-sufun), and quotes in this connection the above-mentioned passage (36:41-42); hence my interpolation, between brackets, of the words "floating vessels". The

"sign" spoken of here alludes to God's having endowed maris mind with inventiveness and, thus, with the ability to widen the scope of his life through conscious effort. ]]