The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of Sura Yusuf
Section 8 : the Ministries of Noah and Moses Referred To Noah's Exhortation and the Punishment Meted Out To Those Who Rejected Noah Reference To the Other Apostles of Allah and the Encounter of Moses With Pharaoh Commentary : Verse 71
(71) وَ اتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ نُوحٍ إِذْ قالَ لِقَوْمِهِ يا قَوْمِ إِنْ كانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَقامي وَ تَذْكيري بِآياتِ اللَّهِ فَعَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ فَأَجْمِعُوا أَمْرَكُمْ وَ شُرَكاءَكُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةً ثُمَّ اقْضُوا إِلَيَّ وَ لا تُنْظِرُونِ
- " And recite to them the story of Noah when he said to his people: 'O my people! if my stay(with you)and my reminding you of the Signs of Allah is grievous to you, yet I have put my trust in Allah, so resolve on your affair, with your partners, so that your affair be not dubious to you. Then make decision on me, and give me no respite. '"
Commentary :
Allah the Exalted had commissioned His prophet that he should relate the news of the people of Noah to them, because this verse indicates that Noah(a.s.)used to receive support and encouragement from Divine sources, which made him not fear the threats and strategies of the enemy. Noah announces if listening to his useful instructions and advice with demonstrations and reasoning concerning the authenticity of Monotheism, Justice, prophethood and Resurrection are difficult and unbearable for them, and thus they have decided to kill him or they intend to cast him out, he does put all his hopes and trust in Allah, in which case, he will leave his fate in His will, with the conviction that He will save him from their wickedness and vice. The verse says:
" And recite to them the story of Noah when he said to his people: 'O my people! if my stay(with you)and my reminding you of the Signs of Allah is grievous to you, yet I have put my trust in Allah, ..."
Had rat Noah then threw out a powerful challenge saying that they should collect their thoughts and invite their idols to participate in their decision- making so that nothing should be left hidden from them, there should be no ambiguity remaining in their plans, they should make the appropriate decisions and come up with the best stratagem concerning him. The verse continues saying:
"... so resolve on your affair, with your partners, so that your affair be not dubious to you. ..."
Noah(a.s.)added telling them if they were able, they should go ahead and put an end to his life, and not spare him a single moment. Here is his statement:
"... Then make decision on me, and give me no respite. '"
It has been narrated that before noon on the Day of Ashura Imam Hussein(a. s.)also recited this very verse to the Kufan army.
This is a lesson for all Islamic leaders who might feel daunted when confronted by a multitude of enemies, rather; they must, by taking recourse to Allah and appealing to Him, with utmost decisiveness challenge them and humiliate them their power which would reinforce the morale of their followers and lower that of their enemies.
Commentary : Verse 72
(72) فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَما سَأَلْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمينَ
- " But if you turn back, I have not asked you for any recompense, my recompense is only upon Allah, and I am commanded to be of those(who) surrender(unto Him). "
Commentary :
Anxieties often revolve around either one's life or one's wealth. In the foregoing verse, the issue in question centers on the conspiracy of their enemies with regard to the lives of the prophets. The issue dealt with in this verse relates to the prophets' lack of expectations for reward and wealth from the side of people.
Noah(a.s.)in this verse announced that if the unbelievers were to turn away from the truth, not accepting or following it, he did not expect any rewards for bringing them the message. This was his mission, so they should not balk at acceptance for fear of feeling that they would end up owing him something, which would be burdensome to them. The verse says:
" But if you turn back, I have not asked you for any recompense, my recompense is only upon Allah, ..."
The verse also implies that if they turn away from accepting his words, he would not be at a disadvantage for he was not after their wealth(he did not covet)so that their turning away would put him at a loss, on the contrary, their rejection would turn out to be at their own disadvantage.
He emphasized that his reward for the prophetic mission and its accomplishment lay with Allah alone.
And Allah, the Gracious, had commissioned Noah(a.s.)to be among those who had submitted themselves to His commandments for, indeed, the best of what the servants of Allah can practice is to obey and submit to Him. The verse continues as follows:
"... and I am commanded to be of those(who)surrender(unto Him). "
Commentary : Verse 73
(73) فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْناهُ وَ مَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَ جَعَلْناهُمْ خَلائِفَ وَ أَغْرَقْنَا الَّذينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِنا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كانَ عاقِبَةُ الْمُنْذَرينَ
- " But they rejected him(Noah), So We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark, and We made them successors(in the earth), and We overwhelmed those who rejected Our Signs. Then see what was the end of the warned ones. "
Commentary :
The Holy Qur'an presents the final destiny of Noah's enemies and veracity of his prediction in the following way. The enemies refuted Noah while Allah saved him and all those who were with him in the Ark. Not only did He save them but He also replaced the oppressors by them and drowned all those who had denied His Signs. The verse says:
" But they rejected him(Noah), So We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark, and We made them successors(in the earth), and We overwhelmed those who rejected Our Signs. ..."
Turning to the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) , Allah finally commands him that he should consider the ultimate destiny of those who did not heed the divine warning and threats and were swept away. The verse says:
"... Then see what was the end of the warned ones. "
Noah's companions were only eighty in number whilst the numbers of the unbelievers were manifold, however, by the grace of Allah, the Almighty, the unbelievers were annihilated and the faithful became the inheritors of the earth.
Commentary : Verse 74
(74) ثُمَّ بَعَثْنا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رُسُلاً إِلى قَوْمِهِمْ فَجاؤُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّناتِ فَما كانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِما كَذَّبُوا بِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ كَذلِكَ نَطْبَعُ عَلى قُلُوبِ الْمُعْتَدينَ
- "Then, after him, We sent messengers to their people; they brought them the clear evidences, but they would not believe in what they had already rejected beforehand. Thus do We seal up the hearts of the transgressors. "
Commentary :
In these verses, Allah, the Gracious, recounts the stories of those prophets who had been appointed after Noah(a.s.).
After Noah and the annihilation of his people, several prophets were dispatched to their peoples who, as a result of marriage and reproduction, had multiplied by that time. The purpose here is prophets 'Ibrahim, Hud, Saleh, Lot, and Shu'ayb(Jethro).
These prophets went to those people with clear proofs and miracles that testified to their prophecy and provided reasons for their truthfulness. The verse says:
" Then, after him, We sent messengers to their People; they brought them the clear evidences, ..."
However, none of them any longer believed in what their divinely guided forefathers had believed. Just like the idol worshippers before them, they were also rebellious and stood in opposition to Divine guidance. The verse continues saying:
"... but they would not believe in what they had already rejected beforehand. ..."
The holy phrase saying: 'Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors' means that Allah(s. w. t.)impresses the symbol of infidelity upon the hearts of those who do injustice against themselves and violate the Divine limits and laws laid down by the Almighty, so that they become condemned to reprimand, and are recognized by the angels. The verse says:
"... Thus do We seal up the hearts of the transgressors. "
Commentary : Verse 75
(75) ثُمَّ بَعَثْنا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مُوسى وَ هارُونَ إِلى فِرْعَوْنَ وَ مَلاَئِهِ بِآياتِنا فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَ كانُوا قَوْماً مُجْرِمينَ
- " Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs, but they were arrogant, and they were a guilty people. "
Commentary :
The meaning of the Arabic word/ mala'/ is the eye- caching splendour of the courtiers and palace residents who were among the Pharaoh's entourage.
Pharaoh had divided the society into two categories: The Coptic palace- dwellers and the Sebti paupers. He had enslaved one group and the other group resided in wealth and luxury.
The primary crime of Pharaoh was his claim to being a god, and of putting innocent boys to death and letting the girls live.
Fighting against arrogant autocrats has been a major activity of the prophets, for they fight the causes of corruption not only what is caused by it.
The verse says: "
Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs, but they were arrogant, and they were a guilty people. "