Surah 071
Nūḥ
نوح
28 verses · Meccan
Key structural observations
- The surah is structured around an inward drowning that begins before the flood: shutting out reminder narrows the interior field until only evasion and flight remain.
- Its movement repeatedly shows refusal becoming physicalized — fingers in ears, garments pulled tight, persistence in arrogance — so that rejection is revealed as a whole-body architecture of closure, not a mere opinion.
- The flood then externalises a process already underway inside: drowning is the final form of a conscience that had long been sealing itself against entry.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ أَنْ أَنْذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment."
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ
He said, "O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner,
أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ
[Saying], 'Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me.
يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Allah will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah, when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.' "
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا
He said, "My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day.
فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَائِي إِلَّا فِرَارًا
But my invitation increased them not except in flight.
وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا
And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance.
ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُهُمْ جِهَارًا
Then I invited them publicly.
ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْلَنْتُ لَهُمْ وَأَسْرَرْتُ لَهُمْ إِسْرَارًا
Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا
He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers
وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَارًا
And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.
مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا
What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allah [due] grandeur
وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا
While He has created you in stages?
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا
Do you not consider how Allah has created seven heavens in layers
وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا
And made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?
وَاللَّهُ أَنْبَتَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا
And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth.
ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا
Then He will return you into it and extract you [another] extraction.
وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا
And Allah has made for you the earth an expanse
لِتَسْلُكُوا مِنْهَا سُبُلًا فِجَاجًا
That you may follow therein roads of passage.' "
قَالَ نُوحٌ رَبِّ إِنَّهُمْ عَصَوْنِي وَاتَّبَعُوا مَنْ لَمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُ وَوَلَدُهُ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss.
وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا كُبَّارًا
And they conspired an immense conspiracy.
وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا
And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.
وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًا ۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَالًا
And already they have misled many. And, [my Lord], do not increase the wrongdoers except in error."
مِمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْصَارًا
Because of their sins they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides Allah [any] helpers.
وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا
And Noah said, "My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant.
إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا
Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا
My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house a believer and the believing men and believing women. And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction."