Noah (Nooh)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Lo! We sent Noah unto his people (saying): Warn thy people ere the painful doom come unto them. 1 He said, 'O my people, I am unto you a clear warner, 2 saying, "Serve God, and fear Him, and obey you me, 3 and He will forgive you your sins, and defer you to a stated term; God's term, when it comes, cannot be deferred, did you but know."' 4 He said: "O Lord, I called my people night and day, 5 but my calling has only increased them in flight. 6 And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance. 7 Then I invited them publicly. 8 And lo! I have made public proclamation unto them, and I have appealed to them in private. 9 I said to them: “Ask forgiveness from your Lord; surely He is Most Forgiving. 10 He will send you abundant rain from the sky, 11 And will help you with wealth and sons, and will assign unto you Gardens and will assign unto you rivers. 12 What is the matter with you that you deny the greatness of God, 13 when He has created you through different stages of existence? 14 Do you not see how Allah has created seven heavens, one upon the other, 15 And made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp? 16 And Allah has brought you forth from the (dust of) earth. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 29, Page 97]. 17 And afterward He maketh you return thereto, and He will bring you forth again, a (new) forthbringing. 18 Allah has made the earth a wide expanse for you 19 so that you may walk along its spacious paths?" 20