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. ]]