Noah (Nooh)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
WE SENT NOAH to his people to warn them before the painful punishment came upon them. 1 He said: 'My nation, I am a clear warner for you. 2 Worship Allah, and fear Him, and obey me. 3 That He may forgive you somewhat of your sins and respite you to an appointed term. Lo! the term of Allah, when it cometh, cannot be delayed, if ye but knew. 4 He said: "O my Lord! Verily, I have called my people night and day (i.e. secretly and openly to accept the doctrine of Islamic Monotheism). 5 but my call has only increased them in running away. 6 “And whenever I called them, so that You may forgive them, they always thrust their fingers into their ears, and covered themselves with their clothes, and remained stubborn and were extremely haughty.” 7 Then indeed I called them openly; 8 Then surely I spoke to them in public and I spoke to them in secret: 9 Then I said, "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Surely He is the most forgiving. 10 He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain: 11 and will provide you with wealth and children, and will bestow upon you gardens and rivers. 12 "'What is amiss with you that you cannot look forward to God's majesty, 13 And surely He hath created you by stages. 14 Do you not see how God has fashioned seven skies one above the other, 15 and made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp, 16 And Allah has brought you forth from the (dust of) earth. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 29, Page 97]. 17 And afterward He maketh you return thereto, and He will bring you forth again, a (new) forthbringing. 18 And Allah has made for you the earth a wide expanse, 19 so that you may walk along its spacious paths?" 20