Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers — Verse 76

Nuh and His People When Allah tells us about how most of the early people went astray from the path of salvation, He starts the detailed explanation of that with the story of Nuh and the rejection of his people. Only a few of Nuh's people believed in him, despite the long period of time he spent among them. He stayed among them for one thousand years less fifty, and after he stayed among them for so long and their disbelief became too much for him to bear -- for every time he called them, they turned away from him even more -- he prayed to his Lord saying, "I have been overcome, so help (me)!" So Allah became angry because Nuh was angry with them. He says: وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ (And indeed Nuh invoked Us, and We are the best of those who answer.) وَنَجَّيْنَـهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ (And We rescued him and his family from the great distress.) means, their disbelief and their insults. وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبَـقِينَ (And, his progeny, them We made the survivors.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, "There was no one left apart from the offspring of Nuh, peace be upon him." Sa`id bin Abi `Arubah said, narrating from Qatadah concerning the Ayah, وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبَـقِينَ (And, his progeny, them We made the survivors.) "All people descended from the offspring of Nuh, peace be upon him." At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet said, concerning the Ayah, وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبَـقِينَ (And, his progeny, them We made the survivors): «سَامُ، وَحَامُ، وَيَافِث» (Sam, Ham and Yafith.) Imam Ahmad recorded from Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «سَامُ أَبُو الْعَرَبِ، وَحَامُ أَبُو الْحَبَشِ، وَيَافِثُ أَبُو الرُّوم» (Sam was the father of the Arabs, Ham was the father of the Ethiopians and Yafith was the father of the Romans.)" This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi. What is meant here by Romans is the original Romans, i.e., the Greeks who claimed descent from Ruma (Roma) the son of Liti, the son of Yunan, the son of Yafith, the son of Nuh, peace be upon him. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And left for him among the later generations. ) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "He is remembered in a good way." Mujahid said this means "An honorable mention by all the Prophets." Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "Allah caused him to be praised constantly by others." Ad-Dahhak said it means "Salam and praise." سَلَـمٌ عَلَى نُوحٍ فِى الْعَـلَمِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Nuh among the all creatures!) This explains for us the extent of the honorable mention and praise, for he is greeted with peace by all groups and nations. إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ (Verily, thus We reward the gooddoers.) means, `This is how We reward those of Our servants who do deeds of obedience to Allah. We gave him an honorable mention so that after he died he is still remembered in a manner that befits his status.' Then Allah says: إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Verily, he Nuh was one of Our believing servants.) meaning, one of the sincere believers in the Oneness of Allah, one of those who had certain faith. ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الاٌّخَرِينَ (Then We drowned the others. ) means, `We destroyed them, and there was no trace whatsoever left of them, and they are only known by this unfavorable description.'

And We delivered him and his family from the great distress which was the drowning

ونجيناه وأهله والمؤمنين معه مِن أذى المشركين، ومن الغرق بالطوفان العظيم.

وهو التكذيب والأذى.

والمراد بأهله فى قوله - تعالى - : ( وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الكرب العظيم ) الذين آمنوا معه .أى : ونجيناه وأهله الذين آمنوا معه - بفضلنا وإحساننا - من الكرب العظيم ، الذى حل بأعدائه الكافرين ، حيث أغرقناهم أجمعين .

( وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ) يعني: أهل نوح الذين ركبوا معه السفينة. وقد ذكرناهم فيما مضى، وبيَّنا اختلاف العلماء في عددهم .وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ ) قال: أجابه الله. وقوله ( مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ) يقول: من الأذى والمكروه الذي كان فيه &; 21-59 &; من الكافرين، ومن كرب الطُّوفان والغرق الذي هلك به قوم نوح.كما حدثني محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد بن المفضَّل، قال: ثنا أسباط عن السديّ، ( وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ) قال: من الغرق.

( ونجيناه وأهله من الكرب العظيم ) [ الغم العظيم ] الذي لحق قومه وهو الغرق

وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ (76) والتنجية : الإِنجاء وهو جعل الغير ناجياً . والنجاة : الخلاص من ضر واقع . وأطلقت هنا على السلامة من ذلك قبل الوقوع فيه لأنه لما حصلت سلامته في حين إحاطة الضر بقومه نُزلت سلامته منه مع قربه منه بمنزلة الخلاص منه بعد الوقوع فيه تنزيلاً لمقاربة وقوع الفعل منزلة وقوعه ، وهذا إطلاق كثير للفظ النجاة بحيث يصح أن يقال : النجاة خلاص من ضر واقع أو متوقع .والمراد بأهله : عائلته إلاّ مَن حق عليه القول منهم ، وكذلك المؤمنون من قومه ، قال تعالى : { قلنا احمل فيها من كل زوجين اثنين وأهلك إلا من سبق عليه القول ومن آمن وما آمن معه إلا قليل } [ هود : 40 ] . فالاقتصار على أهله هنا لقلة من آمن به من غيرهم ، أو أريد بالأهل أهل دينه كقوله تعالى :{ إن أولى الناس بإبراهيم للذين اتّبعوه } [ آل عمران : 68 ] .وأشعر قوله : { ونجَّيناهُ وأهلَهُ } أن استجابة دعاء نوح كانت بأن أهلك قومه .و { الكرب } : الحزن الشديد والغمّ . ووصفه ب { العظيم } لإِفادة أنه عظيم في نوعه فهو غمّ على غم . والمعنيّ به الطوفان ، وهو كرب عظيم على الذين وقعوا فيه ، فإنجاء نوح منه هو سلامته من الوقوع فيه كما علمت لأنه هول في المنظر ، وخوف في العاقبة والواقع فيه موقِن بالهلاك . ولا يزال الخوف يزداد به حتى يغمره الماء ثم لا يزال في آلام من ضيق النفَس ورعدة القَرّ والخوف وتحقق الهلاك حتى يغرق في الماء .وإنجاء الله إياه نعمة عليه ، وإنجاء أهله نعمة أخرى ، وإهلاك ظالميه نعمة كبرى ، وجُعل عمران الأرض بذريته نعمة دائمة لأنهم يدعون له ويُذكر بينهم مصالح أعماله وذلك مما يرحمه الله لأجله ، وستأتي نعم أخرى تبلغ اثنتي عشرة .

ونجيناه وأهله يعني أهل دينه ، وهم من آمن معه وكانوا ثمانين على ما تقدم . من الكرب العظيم وهو الغرق .

When Noah’s own people turned against him, he called upon God to help him in his struggle with them. God helped him to steer clear of his difficulties. This indicates that when a subject of God calls out to Him, he receives a superlative response. But such response succeeds a tireless strife of the implorer. Noah had been trying to spread the message of God for about nine hundred and fifty years, exercising patience, wisdom and all along wishing well for his people. After a long period of time elapsed in this way, Noah finally called out to God for His succour. Noah’s opponents were utterly destroyed in a terrible flood: indeed, the whole race was wiped out. The succeeding generation came into existence through those few individuals who were saved along with him in his ark.

Commentary In the previous verses, it was said that Allah had sent messengers to warn the earlier communities as well, but most of the people did not listen to them, therefore, they met a very sad end. Now, from here details of that brief statement made earlier are being given. As a corollary, events relating to several noble prophets have been narrated. Mentioned first in these verses was Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) . The event relating to Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) has appeared in Surah Hud (11) with sufficient details. A few things connected with the explanation of these very verses particularly are being taken up here. In verse 75, it was said: وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ (And Nuh did call Us). According to most commentators, it means either the prayer of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) mentioned in Surah Nuh: رَّ‌بِّ لَا تَذَرْ‌ عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ دَيَّارً‌ا (My Lord, do not leave on earth even a single inhabitant (surviving) from the disbelievers - 71:26), or that which appears in Surah Al-Qamar: أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ‌ (I am overpowered, so defend me - 54:10). Sayyidna Nuh , 41 had made this prayer at a time when his people had crossed all limits in being wicked and unruly to him and had gone as far as conspiring to kill him.

(And We saved him and his household) and all those who believed in him (from the great distress) i.e. drowning,