Noah (Nooh)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
We sent Noah to his people telling him, "Warn your people before a painful torment approaches them". 1 [Noah] said, "My people! I am but a plain warner to you, 2 Worship God, have fear of Him and obey me. 3 He will forgive your sins and will grant you respite till an appointed time. When the time appointed by God arrives, it cannot be postponed, if you only knew." 4 He said: My Lord! Lo! I have called unto my people night and day 5 but the more I called, the farther they fled. 6 And lo! whenever I call unto them that Thou mayst pardon them they thrust their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments and persist (in their refusal) and magnify themselves in pride. 7 "And behold I called unto them openly; 8 and preached to them in public, and also addressed them in secret. 9 and I said: "'Ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins - for, verily, He is all-forgiving! 10 "'He will send rain to you in abundance; 11 "'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water). 12 What aileth you that ye hope not toward Allah for dignity 13 When He created you by (divers) stages? 14 Have you not seen how Allah created the seven heavens 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 Afterwards He will return you into it (the earth), and bring you forth (again on the Day of Resurrection)? 18 "'And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out), 19 so that you may walk along its spacious paths?" 20