11-25 And certainly We sent Noah to his people: Surely I am a plain warner to you,
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنِّى لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ (۲۵)
11-26 To serve none but Allah. Verily I fear for you the chastisement of a painful day.
أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍۢ (۲۶)
11-27 But the chiefs of his people who disbelieved said: We see thee not but a mortal like us, and we see not that any follow thee but those who are the meanest of us at first thought. Nor do we see in you any superiority over us; nay, we deem you liars.a
فَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ مَا نَرَىٰكَ إِلَّا بَشَرًۭا مِّثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَىٰكَ ٱتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ وَمَا نَرَىٰ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۭ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كَـٰذِبِينَ (۲۷)
11-27a: أَرَاذِل – It is the plural of اَرۡذَل . رَذۡل and رَذِیل and اَرۡذَلmeans a low, vile, despicable person and is also used for a thing that is worthless or rejected (LA), as in: وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرْذَلِ ٱلْعُمُرِ (and of you is he who is brought back to the worst part of life) (16:70) and وَٱتَّبَعَكَ ٱلْأَرْذَلُونَ (and the meanest follow thee) (26:111).
بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ – بَدَا means to manifest itself and بَدَء means to begin, start, commence. بَادِىَ can be a derivative from either بَدَء or بَادِىَ because hamzah gets changed to یا . In the first instance, the meaning of بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ will be a casual glance and in the second instance, the meaning will be at first glance. The meaning in both cases is the same which is that those who follow Noah have not acted with deep consideration and thinking.
The first objection made against the prophets is that he is a human like other men and is dependent on eating drinking and other human needs. It is only a human who can be a guide for other humans and anyone who does not have human needs cannot be a guide for humans. If education alone would have been sufficient for the guidance of humans and there was no need of a role model, then certainly it could have been that this education may have been conveyed to humans through an angel or some other mechanism without the intermediation of a human. However, just as education is necessary, so is a role model, and without a role model education is futile. The role model for a human can only be a human. Hence this objection against the prophets arises from a lack of comprehension.
The second objection is that the followers of a prophet initially are the poor people. The rich who are intoxicated by their wealth and power are least likely to turn to Allah. It is they who are referred to here as أَرَاذِل (the meanest). Thus, they consider wealth and worldly titles as the gauge for nobility and eminence, and those who labor to earn enough to eat appear to them as mean whether they are washermen, barbers, or laborers. In fact, in the eyes of Allah, hard work and labor is the touchstone of human dignity. In some narrations it is stated that those who were with Noah were barbers and cobblers. Jesus by profession was a carpenter. His disciples were fishermen and washermen. This is Allah’s rule that he takes small people to heights of greatness when they follow the teachings of prophets and makes lowly their disobedient arrogant opponents.
Holy Prophet and diligence: The world has not appreciated the value of labor and hard work. Quran has greatly emphasized these traits and the Holy Prophet is a practical example of this behavior. He performed all kinds of tasks including carrying loaded baskets, wielding a pickaxe, milking the goats, mending his clothes, shoes etcetera. He performed these tasks with his own hands so that the world may know that all kinds of honest labor and hard work is commendable. Those people who have ignored this worthy rule have been punished by the birth of Bolshevism.
The third objection is that the prophet and his followers have no eminence or superiority over the objectors. By this they mean worldly eminence and status, although real eminence is that which is born out of high morals and spirituality and which the world can see and acknowledge. Those claimants of civilization who consider Asian men as inferior and lowly, bow their heads before an Asian who was a carpenter by profession and they have gone so far as to deify him. This shows that the real power in the world is that of morality and spirituality.
11-28 He said: O my people, see you if I have with me clear proof from my Lord, and He has granted me mercy from Himself and it has been made obscure to you. Can we compel you to (accept) it while you are averse to it?a
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَـٰرِهُونَ (۲۸)
11-28a: عُمِّيَتْ – It is a combination of the loss of عِمّی which is the physical eyesight and of بصیرت which is insight, discernment, perception and sagacity. There are multiple instances of the use of the derivatives of these two words in the Quran. جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ (the blind man came to him) (80:2); here the use is in the first sense, that is the man had physically lost his sight. صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌۭ (Deaf, dumb and blind) (2:18) and فَعَمُوا۟ وَصَمُّوا۟ (so they became blind and deaf) is the use of the word in the second sense or as an allegory, that is they were not physically blind but could not discern. Both the meanings are put together in: لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ (it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts) (22:46). The meaning of عَمِیَ علیه is the matter became doubtful or suspect or that he is اعمٰی (blind) with respect to the matter. This is the sense in which the word is used here. عماء also means cloud and ignorance.
Allah being in the state of عماء: There is a hadith according to which the Holy Prophet was asked: Where was our Lord before He created the heaven and earth? The Holy Prophet replied: عماءٍ تَحتَهٗ عَماءٌ و فَوۡقهٗ عَماءٌ , so this is an indication of a state which is not within human comprehension, and humans cannot have knowledge of it (R).
نلزم – لُزُوم – It mean for a thing to stay for a long period of time (as if it will get attached to the other thing), as in فَسَوْفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًۢا (so the punishment will come) (25:77), that is, it will become necessary or will adhere to them. Another example is: وَأَلْزَمَهُمْ كَلِمَةَ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ (and made them keep the word of observance of duty) (48:26).
In the beginning of this surah, a comparison is made between those seeking this world and those seeking the truth. The former make the life of this world and its provisions their goal while the latter are following the clear guidance of their Lord. This same comparison is now given from the life of prophets, and it is shown that the thing which is a clear testament for a prophet and his followers appears obscure and doubtful to their opponents because their hearts are covered by all kinds of veils of the love for provisions of this world. Because of the rust on their hearts, they cannot see this light which is visible to a person with a pure heart. The mirror of their nature becomes cloudy while the mirror of the nature of a believer is clear.
11-29 And, O my people, I ask you not for wealth (in return) for it. My reward is only with Allah, and I am not going to drive away those who believe. Surely they will meet their Lord, but I see you a people who are ignorant.a
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ لَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُوا۟ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًۭا تَجْهَلُونَ (۲۹)
11-29a: There are some common traits among all the prophets. They do not care at all for the life of this world and its fineries, and they seek no reward for their hard work in serving their nation or humanity at large. Another of their outstanding qualities is that they are a perfect role model of sacrifice and selflessness for people. They spend whatever wealth they have in the service of God’s creation, and they have no worry at all about earning wealth. This example is seen at its best in the life of the Holy Prophet and the fact is that in the narration of all prophets the real purpose is to draw attention to the high status of the Holy Prophet from whom the addresses can enlighten themselves. It is true that this is the example of all prophets, namely that they desire no wealth, nor do they have any attachment with materialists and owners of wealth and properties. Their relationship is with those who value character and spirituality. Hence it is stated that those who are about to meet their Lord, that is those who consider the purpose and goal of their life is to prepare to meet their Lord instead of going after wealth and this world, are the ones who deserve to stay in the company of the prophet. How can the prophet turn them away in favor of the worldly people.
11-30 And, O my people, who will help me against Allah, if I drive them away? Will you not then mind?
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِى مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (۳۰)
11-31 And I say not to you that I have the treasures of Allah; and I know not the unseen; nor do I say that I am an angel. Nor do I say about those whom your eyes scorn that Allah will not grant them (any) good — Allah knows best what is in their souls — for then indeed I should be of the wrongdoers.a
وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ إِنِّى مَلَكٌۭ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِىٓ أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرًا ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ إِنِّىٓ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۳۱)
11-31a: تَزْدَرِىٓ – Its root is زری and the meaning of زَرَیۡتُ علیہ is I disparaged him. اِزۡدِراء is باب افتعال (a principle of conjugation of Arabic grammar) where its تا is replaced by دال . The meaning of تَزْدَرِىٓ أَعْيُنُكُمْ is that your eyes blamed them or looked upon them as low or that they appear low to you.
The call of the prophet is above the greed for wealth and rank: These things are narrated so that a person may not accept this teaching under the notion of worldly greed. A prophet does not have in his control wealth and other treasures so that he can enrich his disciples, nor does he claim to know the future so that he can save them from some misfortune, nor does he claim to be an angel so that he is free from human needs. However, because Allah rewards people according to the condition of their hearts, the prophet is hopeful of a good end for the downtrodden and lowly, who are considered by the worldly people as lowly and worthless just because they do not have much in the way of wealth and social status.
11-32 They said: O Noah, indeed thou hast disputed with us and prolonged dispute with us, so bring upon us that which thou threatenest us with, if thou art truthful.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰنُوحُ قَدْ جَـٰدَلْتَنَا فَأَكْثَرْتَ جِدَٰلَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (۳۲)
11-33 He said: Only Allah will bring it on you, if He please, and you will not escape:
قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ إِن شَآءَ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ (۳۳)
11-34 And my advice will not profit you, if I intend to give you good advice, if Allah intends to destroy you. He is your Lord; and to Him you will be brought back.a
وَلَا يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِىٓ إِنْ أَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ ۚ هُوَ رَبُّكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (۳۴)
11-34a: يُغْوِيَكُمْ – See 7:16a. A person’s well wishing cannot be of any use to another when the other person has drifted far away pursuing the wrong path and Allah brands him as wayward and passes a decree of punishment. Allah passes this decree only when he sees that a person is not going to reform himself under any circumstance.
11-35 Or say they: He has forged it? Say: If I have forged it, on me is my guilt; and I am free of that of which you are guilty.a
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۖ قُلْ إِنِ ٱفْتَرَيْتُهُۥ فَعَلَىَّ إِجْرَامِى وَأَنَا۠ بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ (۳۵)
11-35a: إِجْرَامِ – جَرۡم means قَطۡع (cut down) and is spoken for cutting down of a tree. شجرۃ جریمة is a tree that has been cut down. The meaning of اَجۡرَمَ is حانَ جرامُه that is, it is time to cut it. جُرۡم means sin (LA). Giving regard to the essence of the meaning, it appears that جُرۡم is that sin that cuts off, that is it is such a great sin that it causes severance of ties with Allah. This is the reason that إِجْرَامِ and مجرم are words that are used in the Quran for cardinal sins. With reference to the present verse, the meaning of إِجْرَامِى is the sin of making false imputations against Allah, and by تُجْرِمُونَ is meant the sins of the opponents of truth for actions they took to destroy the truth.
The addressee in this verse has been changed and the mention is of the Holy Prophet’s opponents.
Bayan-ul-Quran 