The Believers — Verse 26

Allah tells us that Nuh, peace be upon him, invoked his Lord to help him against his people, as Allah mentions in another Ayah: فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!") 54:10. Here he says: رَبِّ انصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ (O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.) At that point, Allah commanded him to build a boat and to make it strong and firm, and to carry therein of every kind two, i.e., a male and a female of every species of animals, plants and fruits etc. He was also to carry his family, إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ (except those thereof against whom the Word has already gone forth.) meaning, those whom Allah had already decreed were to be destroyed. These were the members of his family who did not believe in him, such as his son and his wife. And Allah knows best. وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ (And address Me not in favor of those who have done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned.) means, `when you witness the heavy rain falling, do not let yourself be overcome with compassion and pity for your people, or hope for more time for them so that they may believe, for I have decreed that they will be drowned and will die in their state of disbelief and wrongdoing.' The story has already been told in detail in Surah Hud, and there is no need to repeat it here. فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنتَ وَمَن مَّعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ الَّذِى نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ (And when you have embarked on the ship, you and whoever is with you, then say: `All the praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who are wrongdoers.') This is like the Ayah: وَالَّذِى خَلَقَ الأَزْوَجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالاٌّنْعَـمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ - لِتَسْتَوُواْ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُواْ سُبْحَـنَ الَّذِى سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَـذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ - وَإِنَّآ إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ (and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride: In order that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the favor of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: "Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!") 43:12-14 So, certainly, Nuh adhered to what he was commanded, as Allah says elsewhere: وَقَالَ ارْكَبُواْ فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا (And he said: "Embark therein: in the Name of Allah will be its (moving) course and its (resting) anchorage...")11:41 So Nuh mentioned Allah at the beginning of his journey and at the end, and Allah said: وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلْنِى مُنزَلاً مُّبَارَكاً وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ (And say: `My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land.") إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لأيَـتٍ (Verily in this, there are indeed Ayat,) means in this event, which is the saving of the believers and the destruction of the disbelievers there are signs, i.e., clear evidence and proof that the Prophets speak the truth in the Message they bring from Allah, may He be exalted, and that Allah does what He wills, and He is able to do all things and knows all things. وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ (for sure We are ever putting (men) to the test.) means, `We try Our servants by means of sending the Messengers.'

He Noah said ‘My Lord help me against them because they deny me’ because of their denial of me by destroying them. God exalted be He says responding to his supplication

قال نوح: رب انصرني على قومي؛ بسبب تكذيبهم إياي فيما بلَّغتهم من رسالتك.

يخبر تعالى عن نوح عليه السلام أنه دعا ربه ليستنصره على قومه كما قال تعالى مخبرا عنه في الآية الأخري " فدعا ربه أني مغلوب فانتصر " وقال ههنا " رب انصرني بما كذبون ".

ثم يحكى القرآن بعد ذلك أن نوحاً - عليه السلام - بعد أن استمع إلى ما قاله قومه فى شأ ، ه من ضلالات وسفاهات ، لجأ إلى ربه - عز وجل - يشكو إليه ما أصابه منهم ويلتمس منه النصر عليهم . فقال : كما حكى القرآن عنه : ( رَبِّ انصرني بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ ) .أى : قال نوح فى مناجاته لربه : يا رب أنصرنى على هؤلاء القوم الكافرين بسبب تكذيبهم لى وتطاولهم على . وسخريتهم منى ، وإصرارهم على عبادة غيرك .

وقوله: ( قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ ) يقول: قال نوح داعيا ربه ، مستنصرا به على قومه؛ لما طال أمره وأمرهم ، وتمادوا في غيهم: ( رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي ) على قومي (بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ) يعني بتكذيبهم إياي، فيما بلَّغتُهم من رسالتك ، ودعوتهم إليه من توحيدك.

( قال رب انصرني بما كذبون ) أي : أعني بإهلاكهم لتكذيبهم إياي .

قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ (26) استئناف بياني لأن ما حكي عن صدهم الناس عن تصديق دعوة نوح وما لفقوه من البهتان في نسبته إلى الجنون ، مما يثير سؤال مَن يسأل عمَّاذا صنع نوح حين كذّبه قومه فيجاب بأنه قال : { رب انصرني } الخ .ودعاؤه بطلب النصر يقتضي أنه عَدّ فعلَهم معه اعتداءً عليه بوصفِه رسولاً من عند ربه .والنصر : تغليب المعتدَى عليه على المعتدي ، فقد سأل نوح نصراً مجملاً كما حكي هنا ، وأعلمه الله أنه لا رجاء في إيمان قومه إلاّ مَن آمن منهم كما جاء في سورة هود ، فلا رجاء في أن يكون نصره برجوعهم إلى طاعته وتصديقه واتِّباع ملته ، فسأل نوح حينذاك نصراً خاصاً وهو استئصال الذين لم يؤمنوا كما جاء في سورة نوح ( 26 ، 27 ) { وقال نوح ربّ لا تَذَرْ على الأرض من الكافرين دَيَّاراً إنك إن تَذَرهمُ يُضِلّوا عبادك .

فلما رأى نوح أنه لا يفيدهم دعاؤه إلا فرارا { قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ } فاستنصر ربه عليهم، غضبا لله، حيث ضيعوا أمره، وكذبوا رسوله وقال: { رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا* إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا } قال تعالى: { وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ }

أي انتقم ممن لم يطعني ولم يسمع رسالتي.

The Prophet Noah admonished his community for a long time. But his community was not ready to accept his call. At last he prayed, ‘Oh God! I have not been able to make my people accept the truth. Now, You reveal the truth to them!’ But when the outermost limit of human effort has been reached, Divine action begins. It is then the time for reckoning and not for advice or admonition. So, God’s retribution appeared in the shape of a devastating storm, which drowned Noah’s entire community, with the exception of a few believers in Noah. The refusal to acknowledge the Truth is the worst type of transgression. Those who indulge in this transgression are liable to be seized upon by God and then nothing can save them from their fate.

In the last benefit, ships and boats are also included, because they are also used in transportation وَعَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى الْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُونَ (And on them and on the boats you are transported - 23:22). All types of mounts which are run with wheels may also be added to fulk (boats) because they render the same service.

(He said) Noah said: (My Lord!) O my Lord! (Help me) through sending a punishment upon them (because they deny me) because of their denial of the message.