Allah tells about His servant and Messenger, Nuh, and that he complained to his Lord about the response he received from his people, and how he was patient with them for this long period of time - which was nine hundred and fifty years. He complained due to his explaining and clarifying matters for them and his calling them to guidance and the straightest path. So he (Nuh) said, (O my Lord! Verily, I have called to my people night and day,) meaning, 'I did not abandon calling them night and day carrying out Your command and in obedience to You.' (But all my calling added nothing but to (their) flight.) meaning, 'the more I called them to come to the truth, the more they fled from it and avoided it.' (And verily, every time I called unto them that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments,) meaning, 'they closed up their ears so that they could not hear what I was calling them to.' This is similar to what Allah said about the disbelievers of the Quraysh. (And those who disbelieve say: "Listen not to this Qur'an, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome.") (41:26) (covered themselves up with their garments,) Ibn 'Abbas said, "They concealed themselves under their garments so that he would not recognize them." Sa'id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi both said, "They covered their heads so that they could not hear what he was saying." (and persisted,) meaning, they continued in what they were upon of polytheism and great disbelief. (and magnified themselves in pride.) meaning, they were turned away from following the truth and submitting to it. (Then verily, I called to them openly.) meaning, among the people. (Then verily, I proclaimed to them in public, and I have appealed to them in private.) meaning, 'I spoke to them in various ways so that it would be more effective with them.'

What Nuh said when He called His People to Allah

(I said: Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving;) meaning, 'return to Him and turn away from what you are involved in. Repent to Him soon, for verily, He is Most Accepting of the repentance of those who turn to Him in repentance. He will accept repentance no matter what the sin is, even if it is disbelief and polytheism.' Thus, he said, (I said: Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you Midrar,) meaning, continuous rain. Thus, it is recommended to recite this Surah in the prayer for rain due to this Ayah. This has been reported from the Commander of the faithful, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. He ascended the Minbar to perform the prayer for rain, and he did not do more than seeking Allah's forgiveness and reciting the Ayat that mention seeking Allah's forgiveness. Among these Ayat. (I said: Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you Midrar,) Then he ('Umar) said, "Verily, I have sought rain with the keys of the sky which cause the rain to descend." Ibn 'Abbas and others have said, "It (Midrar) means some of it (rain) following others." Concerning Allah's statement, (And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.) meaning, 'if you repent to Allah, seek His forgiveness and obey Him, He will increase your provisions for you and provide you with water from the blessings of the sky. He will cause the earth to sprout blessings for you, increase your agricultural produce and your livestock, and increase your wealth and children. He will also create gardens for you with numerous types of fruits, and He will make rivers flow among them.' (What is the matter with you, that you do not hope for any Waqar from Allah?) Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and Ad-Dahhak all said, "This means, 'What is the matter with you that you do not revere Allah's Majesty?'" Ibn 'Abbas said, "This means, 'What is the matter with you that you do not fear Allah's grandeur?'" (While He has created you (in) Atwar (stages).) It has been said that this means from a drop of sperm, then from a hanging clot, then from a lump of flesh. Ibn 'Abbas, 'Ikrimah, Qatadah, Yahya bin Rafi', As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd, all said this. (See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens in tiers and has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp?) meaning, He made a distinction between them (the sun and moon) in reference to their lighting. He made each one of them in a set manner with a distinct quality so that the night and day may be known. They (the night and day) are known by the rising and setting of the sun. He also determined fixed stations and positions for the moon, and He made its light vary so that sometimes it increases until it reaches a maximum, then it begins to decrease until it is completely veiled. This shows the passing of months and years. This is as Allah said, (It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for its stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains the Ayat in detail for people who have knowledge.) (10:5) Concerning Allah's statement, (And Allah has brought you forth from the (dust of) earth.) This (Nabat) is a verbal noun (for emphasis) and its usage here is most excellent. (Afterwards He will return you into it (the earth),) (71:18) meaning, when you die. (And bring you forth.) meaning, on the Day of Judgement He will repeat your creation just as He first originated you. (And Allah has made for you the earth a wide expanse.) meaning, He spread it out, leveled it, settled it, and stabilized it with firm and lofty mountains. (That you may go about therein in broad roads.) meaning, He created it so that you may settle in it and travel in it wherever you wish, from its different sides, areas and regions. All of this is from what Nuh informed them of concerning Allah's power and His greatness in creating the heavens and the earth. It demonstrates the favor that He did for them by making both heavenly benefits and earthly benefits. For He is the Creator and the Sustainer Who made the heaven as a building and the earth as a bed, and He enlarged His provisions for His creatures. Therefore, He is the One Who it is obligatory to worship, and accept as One God. No one should be associated with Him as a partner, because He has no equal, peer, rival, coequal, mate, son, minister or advisor, rather He is the Most High, the Most Great.