Surah 11:29
Show Full Scripture Context (11:28-31) — 4 Verses
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّي وَءَاتَىٰنِي رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَنُلۡزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمۡ لَهَا كَٰرِهُونَ
He said, ‘My people! Do you see? If I (stand) on a clear sign from my Lord, and He has given me mercy from Himself, but it has been obscured for you, shall we compel you (to accept) it when you are unwilling?
وَيَٰقَوۡمِ لَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مَالًاۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُواْ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلَٰكِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰكُمۡ قَوۡمٗا تَجۡهَلُونَ
My people! I do not ask you for any money for it. My reward (depends) only on God. I am not going to drive away those who believe. Surely they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are an ignorant people.
وَيَٰقَوۡمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
My people! Who would help me against God if I drove them away? Will you not take heed?
وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ عِندِي خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٞ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزۡدَرِيٓ أَعۡيُنُكُمۡ لَن يُؤۡتِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيۡرًاۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ إِنِّيٓ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
I do not say to you, “I possess the storehouses of God,” nor do I know the unseen. And I do not say, “I am an angel,” nor do I say to those your eyes look down on, “God will not give them any good.” God knows what is in them. Surely then I would indeed be one of the evildoers.’
Allah says, informing about the response of Nuh to his people,
Bayyinah means certainty, a clear matter, and truthful prophethood. That is the greatest mercy from Allah upon him (Nuh) and them (his people).
"Obscured from your sight" in this verse means, 'it was hidden from you and you are not guided to it. Thus, you [people] did not know its importance so you hastily rejected and denied it.'
This means, "Should we force you to accept it, while you actually detest it."
Nuh says to his people, "I do not ask you for any wealth in return for my sincere advice to you." Wealth (Mal) here means, "payment that I take from you." Nuh means, "I am only seeking the reward from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime."
Concerning the statement,
This alludes to the fact that they (the disbelievers) requested Nuh to disassociate himself from the believers, because they were averse to them and felt themselves too important to sit with them. This is similar to the request of disbelievers to the seal of the Messengers to disassociate himself from a group of the people who were considered weak in their social status. They wanted the Prophet to sit with them in a special gathering of the elite. Therefore, Allah revealed,
Allah also says,
{Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) whom Allah has favored from among us?" Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?} 6:53
Nuh is informing them that he is a Messenger from Allah, calling to the worship of Allah alone, without any partners and he is doing this by the permission of Allah. At the same time, he is not asking them for any reward for this work. He invites whomever he meets, whether of nobility or low class. Therefore, whoever responds favorably, then he has achieved salvation. He also explains that he has no power to manipulate the hidden treasures of Allah, nor does he have any knowledge of the Unseen, except what Allah has allowed him to know. Likewise, he is not an angel, rather, he is merely a human Messenger aided with miracles. Nuh goes on to say, "I do not say about these people whom you (disbelievers) detest and look down upon, that Allah will not reward them for their deeds. Allah knows best what is in their souls. If they are believers in their hearts, as their condition appears to be outwardly, then they will have a good reward. If anyone behaves evilly with them after they have believed, then he is a wrongdoer who speaks what he has no knowledge of.