23-23 And certainly We sent Noah to his people, so he said: O my people, serve Allah, you have no God other than Him. Will you not guard against evil?
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (۲۳)
23-24 But the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said: He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves, who desires to have superiority over you. And if Allah had pleased, He could have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our fathers of yore.a
فَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَأَنزَلَ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةًۭ مَّا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـٰذَا فِىٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ (۲۴)
23-24a: يَتَفَضَّلَ – تَفَضَّل is to claim superiority over others. Prophet Noah was accused of wanting to become a messenger, so that he had more respect and honor than a common person (LA).
23-25 He is only a madman, so bear with him for a time.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌۢ بِهِۦ جِنَّةٌۭ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ بِهِۦ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍۢ (۲۵)
23-26 He said: My Lord, help me against their calling me a liar.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱنصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ (۲۶)
23-26a: بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ – The با in بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ is to give a cause for why help is needed or it is for requital. Another meaning could be to help me with that which they say I have fabricated, in other words, send the promised punishment.
23-27 So We revealed to him: Make the ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation; then when Our command comes, and water gushes forth from the valley, take into it of every kind a pair, two, and thy people, except those among them against whom the word has gone forth, and speak not to Me in respect of those who are unjust; surely they will be drowned.
فَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ ٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ ۙ فَٱسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّۢ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُخَـٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ (۲۷)
23-28 Then when thou art firmly seated, thou and those with thee, in the ark, say: Praise be to Allah, Who delivered us from the unjust people!
فَإِذَا ٱسْتَوَيْتَ أَنتَ وَمَن مَّعَكَ عَلَى ٱلْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى نَجَّىٰنَا مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۲۸)
23-28a: Even though the evil people of Prophet Noah’s nation had been drowned, the gratitude expressed in the form of praise be to Allah is not at the drowning, but for their own salvation from the oppression of unjust people who were determined to finish them off. The lesson is that one should not rejoice at anyone’s misfortune.
23-29 And say: My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing and Thou art the Best of those who bring to land.a
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلْنِى مُنزَلًۭا مُّبَارَكًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْمُنزِلِينَ (۲۹)
23-29a: مُنزَلً – can be a verbal noun like انزال landing and it can also be the place of landing. Since this prayer comes after إذَا ٱسْتَوَيْتَ أَنتَ when thou art firmly seated (23:28), it is generally considered to be a supplication about boarding the ark, but Mujahid and another group hold that Prophet Noah and his party were commanded to say this prayer at the time of disembarking. The latter view is more credible.
23-30 Surely there are signs in this, and surely We are ever trying (men).
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ (۳۰)
23-30a: إِن – is used as إِنَّ surely and it can mean a trial for Prophet Noah’s nation, but as it is stated to be a sign, it is better interpreted as an example to other nations, that they will be tried in a similar fashion. These words lay down a principle: it is Allah’s law that He keeps testing people, as a way of manifesting their compassion and malice.
23-31 Then We raised after them another generation.
ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا ءَاخَرِينَ (۳۱)
23-32 So We sent among them a messenger from among them, saying: Serve Allah — you have no God other than Him. Will you not guard against evil?
فَأَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِمْ رَسُولًۭا مِّنْهُمْ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (۳۲)
23-32a: The nation that is mentioned in the Quran after the nation of Prophet Noah is Ād: إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍۢ when He made you successors after Noah’s people (7:69). The name of their prophet is Prophet Hūd.
Bayan-ul-Quran 