Surah 71

Surah 71:26

"Noah said, ‘My Lord, do not leave any of the disbelievers as an inhabitant on the earth."
The Supplication of Nuh against His People and for whoever believed in Him Verses 71:25-28
Show Full Scripture Context (71:25-28) — 4 Verses
Verse 25

مِّمَّا خَطِيٓـَٰٔتِهِمۡ أُغۡرِقُواْ فَأُدۡخِلُواْ نَارٗا فَلَمۡ يَجِدُواْ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَنصَارٗا

They were drowned on account of their sins, and forced to enter a fire, and they found they had no helpers other than God.

Verse 26

وَقَالَ نُوحٞ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرۡ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا

Noah said, ‘My Lord, do not leave any of the disbelievers as an inhabitant on the earth.

Verse 27

إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرۡهُمۡ يُضِلُّواْ عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوٓاْ إِلَّا فَاجِرٗا كَفَّارٗا

Surely You – if You leave them, they will lead Your servants astray, and will give birth only to depraved disbeliever(s).

Verse 28

رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيۡتِيَ مُؤۡمِنٗا وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارَۢا

My Lord, forgive me and my parents, and whoever enters my house believing, and the believing men and the believing women, and increase the evildoers only in destruction!’

Allah says, (Because of their sins) It also has been recited as; (their errors.) (they were drowned,) meaning, for their numerous sins, rebellion, persistence in disbelief and opposition to their Messengers. (they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire.) meaning, they will be carried from the flood of the seas to the heat of the Fire. (And they found none to help them instead of Allah.) meaning, they will have no helper, assistant, or savior who can rescue them from the punishment of Allah. This is similar to Allah's statement, (This day there is no savior from the decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy.) (11:43) (And Nuh said: "My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers on the earth Dayyar!") meaning, do not leave a single one of them on the face of the earth, not even a lone individual. This is a method of speaking that gives emphasis to the negation. Ad-Dahhak said, "Dayyar means one." As-Suddi said, "Dayyar is the one who stays in the home." So Allah answered his supplication and He destroyed all of those on the face of the earth who were disbelievers. He (Allah) even destroyed Nuh's (biological) son from his own loins, who separated himself from his father (Nuh). He (Nuh's son) said, (I will betake myself to some mountain, it will save me from the water. Nuh said: "This day there is no savior from the decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy." And waves came in between them, so he (the son) was among the drowned.) (11:43) Allah saved the people of the ship who believed with Nuh, and they were those whom Allah commanded Nuh to carry with him. Allah said, (If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants,) meaning, 'if You leave a single one of them they will lead your servants astray.' This refers to those whom He will create after them. (and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers.) meaning, wicked in their deeds and disbelieving in their hearts. He (Nuh) said this due to what he knew about them since he remained among them for nine hundred and fifty years. Then he said, (My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer,) Ad-Dahhak said, "This means, my Masjid." However, there is no harm in understanding the Ayah according to its apparent meaning, which would be that he (Nuh) supplicated for every person who entered his house who was a believer. Then he said, (and all the believing men and women.) He supplicated for all of the believing men and women, and that includes those of them who were living and those of them who were dead. For this reason, it is recommended to supplicate like this, in following the example of Nuh, and that which has been reported in the narrations and well-known, legislated supplications. Then, he said, (And to the wrongdoers, grant You no increase but destruction!) As-Suddi said, "But destruction." Mujahid said, "But loss." This means in both this life and in the Hereafter. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Nuh. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.