Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And the people of Noah before them)
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Exegesis of His saying, the Exalted: (And the people of Noah before them)
[Al-Najm: 52] Meaning: And We destroyed the people of Noah before them by drowning,As Allah the Exalted said in the surah: [Al-Qamar: 1] where He said regarding their prophet Noah: [Al-Qamar: 10-11] And in a reading: ((So We opened wide)) which indicates the abundance and the intensity of the opening, [Al-Qamar: 11] Meaning: descending with intensity, [Al-Qamar: 12] the entire earth became springs, with no place of a span but it was gushing, until even the oven, which is the place for kindling fire, began to gush, even though the place for kindling fire is the farthest thing from moisture, but it gushed, so the entire earth became springs and the sky rained.
[Al-Qamar: 12] the water of the sky and the water of the earth, [Al-Qamar: 12] Meaning: a decreed and determined amount without increase or decrease, Glory to Allah the Great! So the people drowned until the water reached the tops of the mountains, and it is mentioned that a woman was with a boy, and whenever the water rose, she climbed the mountain, until the water reached the top of the mountain and reached the woman and rose in her body, and she was with a boy, so she carried the boy in her hands to lift him so that he would not drown before her, and it came in the hadith: (If Allah had shown mercy to anyone, He would have shown mercy to the mother of the boy) but when the word of Allah becomes true, there is no repeller of the decree of Allah the Exalted, may Allah protect us and you from the painful punishment.
And his statement: [Al-Najm: 52] The exegetes differed regarding it,It was said: that the pronoun refers only to the people of Noah,And it was said: that it refers to all the nations that Allah the Mighty and Majestic mentioned whom He destroyed.
So according to the first opinion, the meaning is that the people of Noah were more unjust and more transgressive than the people of Thamud and 'Ad, and the aspect of this is that they displayed arrogance and pride along with the length of the period, since Noah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained among them for a thousand years minus fifty years,Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said about him: [Nuh: 5-7] so that they would not hear, [Nuh: 7] they covered themselves with them so that they would not see, and this indicates the intensity of their hatred for what he (peace and blessings be upon him) was calling them to.
[Nuh: 7] Meaning: with great arrogance, so they did not submit to the worship of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so they were more unjust and more transgressive than 'Ad and Thamud.
And according to the second opinion, the pronoun refers to all these nations,The meaning is: that these were more unjust and more transgressive than Quraysh who lied to you, O Muhammad! So this is a consolation for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because Allah the Exalted destroyed these people even though they were more unjust and more transgressive than your people, and the One who destroyed those who came before is capable of destroying those who came after, and both meanings are correct, so these nations were more unjust and more transgressive than Quraysh, and the people of Noah were more unjust and more transgressive than 'Ad and Thamud.
And [We destroyed] the people of Noah before
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُThe Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ(10) So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered, so help." (11) Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ * فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍgates of the heaven with rain pouring down
أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍAnd caused the earth to burst with springs
وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُوناًSo the waters met
فَالْتَقَى الْمَاءُBy a command that had been decreed
عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَAnd his statement:
Indeed, it was they who were [even] more unjust and oppressing.
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىSo according to the first opinion, the meaning is that the people of Noah were more unjust and more transgressive than the people of Thamud and 'Ad, and the aspect of this is that they displayed arrogance and pride along with the length of the period, since Noah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained among them for a thousand years minus fifty years,Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said about him:
(5) He said, "My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day. (6) But my invitation increased them not except in flight. (7) And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلاً وَنَهَاراً * فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَائي إِلَّا فِرَاراً * وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْand they would cover themselves with their garments
وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْAnd they were arrogant with great arrogance.
وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَاراًAnd according to the second opinion, the pronoun refers to all these nations,The meaning is: that these were more unjust and more transgressive than Quraysh who lied to you, O Muhammad! So this is a consolation for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because Allah the Exalted destroyed these people even though they were more unjust and more transgressive than your people, and the One who destroyed those who came before is capable of destroying those who came after, and both meanings are correct, so these nations were more unjust and more transgressive than Quraysh, and the people of Noah were more unjust and more transgressive than 'Ad and Thamud.