Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Revelation to Nuh concerning what would happen to the People and the Command to prepare for It Allah, the Exalted, sent revelation to Nuh when his people hastened the vengeance and punishment of Allah upon themselves. Then, Nuh supplicated against them, as Allah mentioned, when He said; رَّبِّ لاَ تَذَرْ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ دَيَّاراً (My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers inhabiting the earth!) 71:26 And he said, فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")54:10 At this point Allah revealed to him, أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلاَّ مَن قَدْ ءَامَنَ (None of your people will believe except those who have believed already.) Therefore, do not grieve over them and do not be concerned with their affair. وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ (And construct the ship.) The word Fulk here means ship. بِأَعْيُنِنَا (under Our Eyes) This means under Our vision. وَوَحْيِنَا (and with Our revelation,) This means, "We will teach you (Nuh) what to do." وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ (and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned.) Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned from the Tawrah, "Allah commanded him (Nuh) to make it (the ship) from Indian oak wood. Then He commanded him to make its length eighty cubits and its width fifty cubits. Allah then commanded him to coat its interior and exterior with tar and to make it with a slanted bow to part the water (as it sailed). Its height was thirty cubits into the sky. It had three levels and each level was ten cubits high. The lowest level was for the animals, both tame and wild, the second level was for the human beings and the highest level was for the birds. Its door was in the center of it and it had a cover on top of it that covered the entire ship. Concerning Allah's statement, وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ (And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him.) This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood). قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ (He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise...") This is a severe threat and a serious warning. مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ (who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace) This means that it (the torment) will humiliate him in this life. وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and on whom will fall a lasting torment.) that is continuous and everlasting.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Revelation to Nuh concerning what would happen to the People and the Command to prepare for It Allah, the Exalted, sent revelation to Nuh when his people hastened the vengeance and punishment of Allah upon themselves. Then, Nuh supplicated against them, as Allah mentioned, when He said; رَّبِّ لاَ تَذَرْ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ دَيَّاراً (My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers inhabiting the earth!) 71:26 And he said, فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")54:10 At this point Allah revealed to him, أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلاَّ مَن قَدْ ءَامَنَ (None of your people will believe except those who have believed already.) Therefore, do not grieve over them and do not be concerned with their affair. وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ (And construct the ship.) The word Fulk here means ship. بِأَعْيُنِنَا (under Our Eyes) This means under Our vision. وَوَحْيِنَا (and with Our revelation,) This means, "We will teach you (Nuh) what to do." وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ (and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned.) Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned from the Tawrah, "Allah commanded him (Nuh) to make it (the ship) from Indian oak wood. Then He commanded him to make its length eighty cubits and its width fifty cubits. Allah then commanded him to coat its interior and exterior with tar and to make it with a slanted bow to part the water (as it sailed). Its height was thirty cubits into the sky. It had three levels and each level was ten cubits high. The lowest level was for the animals, both tame and wild, the second level was for the human beings and the highest level was for the birds. Its door was in the center of it and it had a cover on top of it that covered the entire ship. Concerning Allah's statement, وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ (And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him.) This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood). قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ (He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise...") This is a severe threat and a serious warning. مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ (who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace) This means that it (the torment) will humiliate him in this life. وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and on whom will fall a lasting torment.) that is continuous and everlasting.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Revelation to Nuh concerning what would happen to the People and the Command to prepare for It Allah, the Exalted, sent revelation to Nuh when his people hastened the vengeance and punishment of Allah upon themselves. Then, Nuh supplicated against them, as Allah mentioned, when He said; رَّبِّ لاَ تَذَرْ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ دَيَّاراً (My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers inhabiting the earth!) 71:26 And he said, فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")54:10 At this point Allah revealed to him, أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلاَّ مَن قَدْ ءَامَنَ (None of your people will believe except those who have believed already.) Therefore, do not grieve over them and do not be concerned with their affair. وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ (And construct the ship.) The word Fulk here means ship. بِأَعْيُنِنَا (under Our Eyes) This means under Our vision. وَوَحْيِنَا (and with Our revelation,) This means, "We will teach you (Nuh) what to do." وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ (and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned.) Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned from the Tawrah, "Allah commanded him (Nuh) to make it (the ship) from Indian oak wood. Then He commanded him to make its length eighty cubits and its width fifty cubits. Allah then commanded him to coat its interior and exterior with tar and to make it with a slanted bow to part the water (as it sailed). Its height was thirty cubits into the sky. It had three levels and each level was ten cubits high. The lowest level was for the animals, both tame and wild, the second level was for the human beings and the highest level was for the birds. Its door was in the center of it and it had a cover on top of it that covered the entire ship. Concerning Allah's statement, وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ (And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him.) This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood). قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ (He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise...") This is a severe threat and a serious warning. مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ (who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace) This means that it (the torment) will humiliate him in this life. وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and on whom will fall a lasting torment.) that is continuous and everlasting.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Revelation to Nuh concerning what would happen to the People and the Command to prepare for It Allah, the Exalted, sent revelation to Nuh when his people hastened the vengeance and punishment of Allah upon themselves. Then, Nuh supplicated against them, as Allah mentioned, when He said; رَّبِّ لاَ تَذَرْ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ دَيَّاراً (My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers inhabiting the earth!) 71:26 And he said, فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")54:10 At this point Allah revealed to him, أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلاَّ مَن قَدْ ءَامَنَ (None of your people will believe except those who have believed already.) Therefore, do not grieve over them and do not be concerned with their affair. وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ (And construct the ship.) The word Fulk here means ship. بِأَعْيُنِنَا (under Our Eyes) This means under Our vision. وَوَحْيِنَا (and with Our revelation,) This means, "We will teach you (Nuh) what to do." وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ (and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned.) Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned from the Tawrah, "Allah commanded him (Nuh) to make it (the ship) from Indian oak wood. Then He commanded him to make its length eighty cubits and its width fifty cubits. Allah then commanded him to coat its interior and exterior with tar and to make it with a slanted bow to part the water (as it sailed). Its height was thirty cubits into the sky. It had three levels and each level was ten cubits high. The lowest level was for the animals, both tame and wild, the second level was for the human beings and the highest level was for the birds. Its door was in the center of it and it had a cover on top of it that covered the entire ship. Concerning Allah's statement, وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ (And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him.) This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood). قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ (He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise...") This is a severe threat and a serious warning. مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ (who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace) This means that it (the torment) will humiliate him in this life. وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and on whom will fall a lasting torment.) that is continuous and everlasting.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The beginning of the Flood and Nuh loads Every Creature in Pairs upon the Ship This was the promise of Allah to Nuh , when the command of Allah came, the rain was continuous and there was a severe storm which did not slacken or subside, as Allah said, فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَبَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَاءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ - وَفَجَّرْنَا الاٌّرْضَ عُيُوناً فَالْتَقَى المَآءُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ - وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَحٍ وَدُسُرٍ - تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ (So We opened the gates of the heaven with water pouring forth. And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails. Floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected!)54:11-14 In reference to Allah's statement, وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ (and the oven gushed forth.) It is related from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "At-Tannur is the face of the earth." This verse means that the face of the earth became gushing water springs. This continued until the water gushed forth from the Tananir, which are places of fire. Therefore, water even gushed from the places where fire normally would be. This is the opinion of the majority of the Salaf (predecessors) and the scholars of the Khalaf (later generations). At this point, Allah commanded Nuh to select one pair from every kind of creature possessing a soul, and load them on the ship. Some said that this included other creatures as well, such as pairs of plants, male and female. It has also been said that the first of the birds to enter the ship was the parrot, and the last of the animals to enter was the donkey. Concerning Allah's statement, وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ (and your family -- except him against whom the Word has already gone forth) This means, "Load your family upon the ship." This is referring to the members of his household and his relatives, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, for they did not believe in Allah. Among them was the son of Nuh, Yam, who went in hermitage. Among them was the wife of Nuh who was a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger. Concerning Allah's statement, وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ (and those who believe.) from your people. وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ (And none believed with him, except a few.) This means that only a very small number believed, even after the long period of time that he (Nuh) was among them -- nine hundred and fifty years. It is reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "They were eighty people including their women."