Sūrat Hūd

سورۃ ھود

Commentary (continuation of Yūnus conclusion): Whoever follows the right path — the benefit of that guidance is for himself. And whoever goes astray — the loss of that misguidance falls upon himself.

﴿وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ﴾wa-ittabiʿ mā yūḥā ilayka wa-ṣbir ḥattā yaḥkuma Allāhu wa-huwa khayru al-ḥākimīn "And follow what is revealed to you, and be patient until Allah judges — and He is the best of judges." (Yūnus 10:109)

Translation: (O Prophetﷺ!) Follow what has been revealed to you and be patient with those who oppose — bear their hostilities with patience — until Allah delivers His judgment. And He is the best of those who judge.

[Here Sūrat Yūnus concludes at p.077; Sūrat Hūd begins at p.078.]

﴿الر كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ﴾Alif Lām Rāʾ — Kitābun uḥkimat āyātuhu thumma fuṣṣilat min ladun ḥakīmin khabīr "Alif Lām Rāʾ — a Book whose verses are made firm and then elaborated, from One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware." (Hūd 11:1)

Translation: Alif Lām Rāʾ — these are the well-known disconnected letters (al-muqaṭṭaʿāt) whose full meaning is known to Allah and to His Messengerﷺ. This is a Book whose verses are made firm and perfected, then set out in detail — from the presence of One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware. Whose Book is it? It is from the One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowledgeable — from the noble presence of God, whose wisdom is perfect and whose knowledge encompasses all things.

﴿أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ﴾allā taʿbudū illā Allāha — innanī lakum minhu nadhīrun wa-bashīr "That you worship none but Allah. Indeed I am to you from Him a warner and a bearer of glad tidings." (Hūd 11:2)

Translation: (And the purport of this Book is:) that you worship none but Allah. Indeed I am sent to you from Him — I am a warner of things to be feared and a bearer of glad tidings of things to be hoped for.

Commentary: Islam and the Qurʾān — guarding against evil and encouraging good — this is the fundamental principle of Islam. It is the essence of the entire Book.

﴿وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ﴾wa-ani istaghfirū rabbakum thumma tūbū ilayhi — yumattaʿkum matāʿan ḥasanan ilā ajalin musammā — wa-yuʾti kulla dhī faḍlin faḍlahu — wa-in tawallaw fa-innī akhāfu ʿalaykum ʿadhāba yawmin kabīr "And that you seek forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance — He will give you enjoyment of goodly provision until an appointed term, and will bestow His grace on every meritorious one. But if you turn away, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day." (Hūd 11:3)

Translation: And (the Book's command is also:) seek forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance — He will allow you good and wholesome enjoyment in life until the appointed term. And He will grant His grace to every one of merit and distinction. But if you turn away (and disobey), then I fear for you the punishment of a great Day. The time of this world is short; the time of the Hereafter is immeasurably long and vast. The pleasures of this world are fleeting; what is prepared for the Hereafter is far superior.

﴿إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾ilā Allāhi marjiʿukum wa-huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr "To Allah is your return, and He has power over all things." (Hūd 11:4)

Translation: To Allah is your return — all of you must return to His court. And He has full power and authority over all things.

﴿أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا مِنْهُ أَلَا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾alā innahum yathnūna ṣudūrahum li-yastaḫfū minhu — alā ḥīna yastaghshūna thiyābahum yaʿlamu mā yusirrūna wa-mā yuʿlinūna — innahu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti al-ṣudūr "Behold! They fold up their breasts to hide from Him. But even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal — He is indeed All-Knowing of what is in the breasts." (Hūd 11:5)

Translation: Behold! They fold their breasts and turn away, seeking to conceal themselves from Him — hiding their enmity, suppressing their anger, not wishing their inner agitation to be visible. But hiding from God is impossible. Indeed, even when they wrap themselves in their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they declare. He is All-Knowing of all that the breasts contain — all the secrets and hidden thoughts. They seek to hide, but God knows their inner states and outer deeds alike, and is aware of the very secrets of their hearts.

[Page 081 contains transitional material and chapter ornament — contents reconstructed from context.]

Commentary: Thus God's encompassing knowledge is established. He knows every spoken and unspoken thing, every hidden matter and every public declaration. This is the foundation of tawakkul (reliance on God) and murāqaba (spiritual vigilance): the servant of God knows that nothing escapes Divine awareness, and this knowledge purifies his heart and orients him toward God alone.

﴿وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾wa-mā min dābbatin fī al-arḍi illā ʿalā Allāhi rizquhā — wa-yaʿlamu mustaqarrahā wa-mustawdaʿahā — kullun fī kitābin mubīn "There is no creature that moves upon the earth but its sustenance is upon Allah. He knows its place of rest and its temporary place of lodging. All is in a clear record." (Hūd 11:6)

Translation: There is no creature that walks upon the earth but its provision (rizq) is Allah's responsibility — He has made this an obligation upon Himself, not in the sense of a legal obligation, but as an act of His grace and magnanimity. He knows where each creature finally rests and where it temporarily lodges — where any person will live out his life, and where his remains will lie after death. All of this is recorded in a clear and manifest Book — the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), in which Divine knowledge encompasses all things.

Commentary: Note well: God the Exalted has made this obligation upon Himself through His own grace and generosity. It is a specific covenantal truth, not a general legal principle. Allah is the Sovereign — His work is to decree what He obligates upon Himself. He is the True Provider; it is for Him to sustain.

﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ﴾wa-huwa alladhī khalaqa al-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa fī sittati ayyāmin wa-kāna ʿarshuhu ʿalā al-māʾ "And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days — and His Throne was upon the water." (Hūd 11:7)

Translation: And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days — meaning six periods or epochs, representing the various stages in the formation of the cosmos — and His Throne was upon the water (at that primordial stage, before the creation of the heavens and earth as we know them).

Commentary (continuation): Why did God create all of this? Li-yabluwakum ayyukum aḥsanu ʿamalā — "to test you: which of you is finest in deeds" (Hūd 11:7). To distinguish the righteous from the wicked, He brought the world into being. And if you tell them: "You will be raised up from the graves after death," the disbelievers say: "This is nothing but manifest sorcery." But sorcery and sorcerers do not prosper — the liars will be exposed.

﴿وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ مَّعْدُودَةٍ لَّيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ﴾wa-la-in akhkharnā ʿanhumu al-ʿadhāba ilā ummatin maʿdūdatin la-yaqūlunna mā yaḥbisuhu — alā yawma yaʾtīhim laysa maṣrūfan ʿanhum wa-ḥāqa bihim mā kānū bihi yastahziʾūn "And if We defer their punishment until a counted time, they will surely say: 'What is holding it back?' Behold — on the day it comes upon them it will not be turned away from them, and what they used to mock will surround them." (Hūd 11:8)

Translation: And if We delay their punishment for a counted few days — and grant them a limited period of respite — they will surely say: "What is preventing it from coming?" Behold! On the day it comes upon them, it will not be averted from them — and what they used to mock and ridicule will engulf and surround them entirely.

﴿وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ﴾wa-la-in adhaqnā al-insāna minnā raḥmatan thumma nazaʿnāhā minhu — innahu la-yaʾūsun kafūr "And if We cause the human being to taste mercy from Us, and then remove it from him — indeed he is despairing, ungrateful." (Hūd 11:9)

Translation: And if We allow a human being to taste Our mercy and well-being, and then — for some wisdom or trial — remove that well-being from him, he becomes despairing and deeply ungrateful — not remembering the grace that was given to him.

﴿وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَاءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ عَنِّي إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ﴾wa-la-in adhaqnāhu naʿmāʾa baʿda ḍarrāʾa massathu la-yaqūlanna dhahaba al-sayyiʾātu ʿannī — innahu la-farihun fakhūr "And if We cause him to taste blessings after adversity has touched him, he will surely say: 'Misfortunes have gone from me' — and he becomes exultant and boastful." (Hūd 11:10)

Translation: And if We cause him to taste good fortune and blessings after hardship has afflicted him, he says: "All misfortune has gone from me!" — and he becomes haughty, exultant, and boastful, forgetting the source of his blessings and showing no gratitude.

﴿إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ﴾illā alladhīna ṣabarū wa-ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti — ulāʾika lahum maghfiratun wa-ajrun kabīr "Except those who are patient and do righteous deeds — they will have forgiveness and a great reward." (Hūd 11:11)

Translation: Except those who are patient — who bear every kind of hardship — and perform righteous deeds: in adversity they do not complain against God and in ease they do not become arrogant. For them is forgiveness and a great reward. Such is the station of those whose conduct is becoming.

﴿فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَضَائِقٌ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ مَلَكٌ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ﴾fa-laʿallaka tārikun baʿḍa mā yūḥā ilayka wa-ḍāʾiqun bihi ṣadruka an yaqūlū law-lā unzila ʿalayhi kanzun aw jāʾa maʿahu malakun — innamā anta nadhīrun wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin wakīl "Perhaps you would leave aside part of what is revealed to you, and be distressed by it — because they say: 'Why has no treasure been sent down to him, or an angel come with him?' But you are only a warner, and Allah is guardian over all things." (Hūd 11:12)

Translation: Is it that you (O Prophetﷺ!) might abandon some of what is revealed to you, your breast being constricted by it — because they say: "Why has no treasure been sent down to him, or why has not an angel come with him?" You are only a warner. And Allah is the guardian and overseer of all things.

Commentary: The unbelievers complain: why was he not sent with treasures? Why did no angel come with him? Angels are from a different realm — they sometimes appear in human form for the prophets. You are only a warner — one who makes people aware of the consequences of their actions. The responsibility of all matters belongs to God.

﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِّثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾am yaqūlūna iftarāhu — qul fa-iʾtū bi-ʿashri suwaratin mithlihi muftarayātin wa-dʿū mani istaṭaʿtum min dūni Allāhi in kuntum ṣādiqīn "Or do they say: 'He has fabricated it'? Say: Then bring ten chapters like it that are fabricated, and call upon whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful." (Hūd 11:13)

Translation: Or do they say: "He has made it up himself"? (O Prophetﷺ!) Say: Then bring ten chapters (sūras) like it — and say they are fabricated if you like — and call upon whomever you can besides Allah — if you are truthful.

Commentary: The challenge of ten sūras is difficult. Consider the entire discourse in the Qurʾān — eloquent beyond human capacity. So produce it and bring it! Can you? Bring your orators, your poets, your eloquent speakers, your diviners and soothsayers — compose, devise, try every method. What will happen? You will be utterly incapable — silenced. And in the end you will be forced to admit: laysa hādhā min kalāmi al-bashar — "This is not the speech of any human." Even the chieftains of Quraysh could not do it — and they ended up saying: "It is clear sorcery; it is enchanting magic." But what greater defeat is there? For detailed discussion, see our work Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān.

﴿فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أُنزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَأَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ﴾fa-in lam yastajibu lakum fa-iʿlamū annamā unzila bi-ʿilmi Allāhi wa-an lā ilāha illā huwa — fa-hal antum muslimūn "And if they do not respond to you — then know that it has been sent down with the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no god but He. Will you then submit?" (Hūd 11:14)

Translation: And if they cannot respond to you (and are unable to produce even ten chapters) — then know for certain that this was sent down with the knowledge of Allah; God deliberately and knowingly revealed it. And that there is no god but He. Will you then submit? (Will you surrender to this truth from the depths of your heart?)

﴿مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ﴾man kāna yurīdu al-ḥayāta al-dunyā wa-zīnatahā nuwaffi ilayhim aʿmālahum fīhā wa-hum fīhā lā yubkhasūn "Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment — We shall fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they shall not be diminished therein." (Hūd 11:15)

Translation: Those who desire only the life of this world and its adornments — We shall give them the full reward of their deeds in this world itself, and they shall not be diminished in this regard. (Their worldly efforts will find their reward in this world — but this is all they will receive.)

﴿أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ulāʾika alladhīna laysa lahum fī al-ākhirati illā al-nāru wa-ḥabiṭa mā ṣanaʿū fīhā wa-bāṭilun mā kānū yaʿmalūn "These are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire — and futile is what they wrought therein, and vain is what they used to do." (Hūd 11:16)

Translation: These are the people for whom in the Hereafter there is nothing but the Fire. All that they fashioned and laboured for in this world is rendered void. All their deeds are futile and wasted.

﴿أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ وَمِن قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ فَلَا تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾a-fa-man kāna ʿalā bayyinatin min rabbihi wa-yatlūhu shāhidun minhu wa-min qablihi kitābu Mūsā imāman wa-raḥmatan — ulāʾika yuʾminūna bihi — wa-man yakfur bihi mina al-aḥzābi fa-al-nāru mawʿiduhu — fa-lā taku fī miryatin minhu — innahu al-ḥaqqu min rabbika wa-lākinna akthara al-nāsi lā yuʾminūn "Is one who stands on clear proof from his Lord — and there follows him a witness from Him, and before it was the Book of Mūsā as a leader and mercy — like those who do not? Those believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it from among the factions — the Fire is their promised meeting-place. So be not in doubt about it — it is the truth from your Lord, but most people do not believe." (Hūd 11:17)

Translation: Can one who has clear proof (bayyina) from his Lord — and who is followed by a witness from God Himself — and before this Book there was the Book of Mūsā (upon him be peace) as a guide and a mercy — can such a one be like those who have none of this? The true believers receive and accept this Qurʾān. But those who disbelieve in it from among all the factions — their promised destination is the Fire, a pledge already sealed. So (O Prophetﷺ!) do not be in any doubt about this — it is the truth from your Lord. But most people refuse to believe.

﴿وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أُولَٰئِكَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَقُولُ الْأَشْهَادُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أَلَا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ﴾wa-man aẓlamu mimmani iftarā ʿalā Allāhi kadhiban — ulāʾika yuʿraḍūna ʿalā rabbihim wa-yaqūlu al-ashhādu hāʾulāʾi alladhīna kadhabū ʿalā rabbihim — alā laʿnatu Allāhi ʿalā al-ẓālimīn "And who is more unjust than one who forges a lie against Allah? Those shall be presented before their Lord, and the witnesses will say: 'These are those who lied against their Lord.' Behold — the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers." (Hūd 11:18)

Translation: And who is more unjust than one who fabricates lies about Allah? These people will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses — the angels and prophets present on that Day — will declare: "These are those who lied against their Lord." Behold — the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers!

Commentary: See — this is the terrible end of the liars.

﴿الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ﴾alladhīna yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīli Allāhi wa-yabghūnahā ʿiwajan wa-hum bi-l-ākhirati hum kāfirūn "Those who turn away from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked — and they are disbelievers in the Hereafter." (Hūd 11:19)

Translation: (And who are these wrongdoers?) They are those who obstruct others from the path of Allah and try to make it appear crooked and deviant — and who disbelieve in the Hereafter, rejecting it entirely. (They not only misguide themselves but actively lead others astray.)

﴿أُولَٰئِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا مُعْجِزِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مَا كَانُوا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُوا يُبْصِرُونَ﴾ulāʾika lam yakūnū muʿjizīna fī al-arḍi wa-mā kāna lahum min dūni Allāhi min awliyāʾa — yuḍāʿafu lahumu al-ʿadhābu — mā kānū yastaṭīʿūna al-samʿa wa-mā kānū yubṣirūn "Those — they were not able to escape on earth, and they had no protectors besides Allah. The punishment will be doubled for them. They could not hear, and they could not see." (Hūd 11:20)

Translation: These people — they had no power to escape or frustrate God's will on earth. And besides Allah they had no protectors to intercede or help them. For them the punishment will be doubled — because they themselves went astray and misled others as well. They could not bring themselves to hear the truth, and the guidance of the Qurʾān did not avail them.

﴿أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ﴾ulāʾika alladhīna khasirū anfusahum wa-ḍalla ʿanhum mā kānū yaftarūn "These are those who have ruined themselves; and all that they used to fabricate has vanished from them." (Hūd 11:21)

Translation: These are those who have truly ruined their own souls — trading themselves for an utter loss. And all the false deities and fabricated gods upon which they depended will abandon them and be lost.

﴿لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْأَخْسَرُونَ﴾lā jarama annahum fī al-ākhirati humu al-akhsarūn "Without doubt they will be, in the Hereafter, the greatest losers." (Hūd 11:22)

Translation: Without doubt, they shall be — in the Hereafter — the greatest losers of all.

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَخْبَتُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴾inna alladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti wa-akhbatū ilā rabbihim — ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-jannati hum fīhā khālidūn "Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds and humble themselves before their Lord — these are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein forever." (Hūd 11:23)

Translation: Indeed those who believe, and perform righteous deeds, and humble themselves with total submission before their Lord — these are the people of Paradise, who shall dwell therein forever.

Commentary: Allah the Exalted now presents the simile of the two parties — the disbelievers and the believers.

﴿مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا﴾mathalu al-farīqayni ka-al-aʿmā wa-al-aṣammi wa-al-baṣīri wa-al-samīʿ — hal yastawiyāni mathalā "The likeness of the two parties is as the blind and deaf, and the seeing and hearing. Are they equal in comparison?" (Hūd 11:24)

Translation: The likeness of these two groups is like the blind and the deaf on one side, and the seeing and hearing on the other. Can their condition be equal? (Clearly not!)

Commentary: And We sent Nūḥ (upon him be peace) to his people — he said: "I am a plain warner to you."

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ﴾wa-la-qad arsalnā Nūḥan ilā qawmihi innī lakum nadhīrun mubīn "And We sent Nūḥ to his people: 'I am for you a clear warner.'" (Hūd 11:25)

Translation: And indeed We sent Nūḥ (upon him be peace) to his people — he declared: "I am a plain and clear warner to you."

And then:

﴿أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾an lā taʿbudū illā Allāha — innī akhāfu ʿalaykum ʿadhāba yawmin alīm "That you should worship none but Allah. Indeed I fear for you the punishment of a painful day." (Hūd 11:26)

Translation: That you worship none but Allah alone. I fear for you the punishment of a painful Day. If you do not believe, what will happen?

﴿فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ مَا نَرَاكَ إِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِيَ الرَّأْيِ﴾fa-qāla al-malaʾu alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi mā narāka illā basharan mithlanā — wa-mā narāka ittabaʿaka illā alladhīna hum arādhilunā bādiya al-raʾy "The chiefs among his people who disbelieved said: 'We see you as nothing but a human being like us. And we see that only the most inferior among us follow you, at first glance.'" (Hūd 11:27)

Translation: The chiefs of his people who disbelieved said: "We see you as no more than a human being like ourselves. And we see that those who follow you are only the basest among us — the common and lowly folk. What standard of excellence did they possess? Wealth? Position? Birth?" These were the criteria of the arrogant elite — they could not conceive of the worth of those who had believed.

﴿قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَآتَانِي رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ﴾qāla yā qawmi a-raʾaytum in kuntu ʿalā bayyinatin min rabbī wa-ātānī raḥmatan min ʿindihi fa-ʿummiyat ʿalaykum — a-nulzimukumūhā wa-antum lahā kārhūn "He said: 'O my people! Tell me — if I stand upon clear proof from my Lord, and He has given me mercy from Himself — yet it is hidden from your perception — can we then force it upon you while you are averse to it?'" (Hūd 11:28)

Translation: (Nūḥ) said: "O my people! Tell me — if I stand on clear proof from my Lord and He has bestowed His mercy upon me from His presence — yet this truth has been veiled from your sight — can we compel you to accept it against your will, while you resent it? (God's gift of guidance to whom He wills: you cannot be coerced into accepting what God has veiled from you. Make your own choice, and do not blindly follow your desires.)"

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا بِطَارِدِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّهُم مُّلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَلَٰكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ﴾wa-yā qawmi lā asʾalukum ʿalayhi mālan — in ajriya illā ʿalā Allāhi — wa-mā anā bi-ṭāridi alladhīna āmanū — innahum mulāqū rabbihim — wa-lākinni arākum qawman tajhalūn "And O my people! I do not ask you for wealth for this. My reward is only upon Allah. And I will not drive away those who have believed — they shall meet their Lord. But I see you as a people acting in ignorance." (Hūd 11:29)

Translation: "And O my people! I ask you for no wealth in return for this calling. My reward is only with Allah — He alone shall give me my recompense. And I will not drive away those who have believed — for they shall surely meet their Lord (they will one day stand before God's court). But I see you as a people acting in ignorance."

Commentary: Fellow seekers! This verse contains a stern reminder for those who practice worldly pandering and religious flattery. Some who are worldly-minded seek to please the wealthy; they belittle the poor; they humble and dishonour the believers just because they are destitute — as though they do not know that they will one day stand before God's court. The truly pious are the ones who are servants of God; the worldly-minded are the ones who worship the world and its power. Do not court the approval of the worldly for the sake of this life. Do not sacrifice religion for the world. Speak the truth and fear nothing. You must one day go to His court and show your face to Him.

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾wa-yā qawmi man yanṣurunī mina Allāhi in ṭaradttuhum — a-fa-lā tadhakkarūn "And O my people! Who would help me against Allah if I were to drive them away? Will you not then reflect?" (Hūd 11:30)

Translation: "And O my people! If I were to drive them away, who would come to my aid against Allah? Will you not reflect upon this?"

﴿وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ وَلَا أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ إِنِّي إِذًا لَّمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾wa-lā aqūlu lakum ʿindī khazāʾinu Allāhi wa-lā aʿlamu al-ghayba wa-lā aqūlu innī malakun — wa-lā aqūlu li-lladhīna tazdirī aʿyunukum lan yuʾtiyahumu Allāhu khayran — Allāhu aʿlamu bi-mā fī anfusihim — innī idhan la-mina al-ẓālimīn "And I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say: I am an angel. Nor do I say of those whom your eyes despise that Allah will not grant them good — Allah knows best what is in their souls. If I did, I would be among the wrongdoers." (Hūd 11:31)

Translation: "I do not claim that the treasures of Allah are in my hands. Nor do I claim knowledge of the unseen. Nor do I say that I am an angel. And I will not say of those whom you belittle and regard with contempt that Allah will not grant them good — perhaps those who are now poor will become wealthy; those afflicted in this world will find mercy in the next. Allah knows best what is within their souls. If I said any such thing, I would be among the wrongdoers."

Commentary: Fellow seekers! The worldly-minded flatter the wealthy and despise the religiously sincere. They think that wealth is the measure of honour, and they humiliate the poor believer. But these believers will one day know that the court of God is for the honoured servants of God, not for those who are worldly-minded and pleasure-seeking. Do not curry favour with the worldly by abandoning your faith. Do not sell your religion for this world. Say the truth and fear nothing. You have to go before God.

﴿قَالُوا يَا نُوحُ قَدْ جَادَلْتَنَا فَأَكْثَرْتَ جِدَالَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾qālū yā Nūḥu qad jādaltanā fa-aktharta jidālanā fa-iʾtinā bi-mā taʿidunā in kunta mina al-ṣādiqīn "They said: 'O Nūḥ! You have disputed with us and prolonged the dispute greatly. Now bring upon us what you have promised us — if you are of the truthful.'" (Hūd 11:32)

Translation: (Nūḥ's) people said: "O Nūḥ! You have argued with us at great length — the discussion and debate have gone on far too long. Now bring upon us what you threaten us with — if you are truly truthful!"

﴿قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ إِن شَاءَ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ﴾qāla innamā yaʾtīkum bihi Allāhu in shāʾa wa-mā antum bi-muʿjizīn "He said: 'Allah alone will bring it upon you if He wills — and you cannot escape.'" (Hūd 11:33)

Translation: (Nūḥ) said: "Allah will bring it upon you — if He so wills. And you cannot frustrate or escape His will."

﴿وَلَا يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِي إِنْ أَرَدتُّ أَن أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ﴾wa-lā yanfaʿukum nuṣḥī in aradtu an anṣaḥa lakum in kāna Allāhu yurīdu an yughwiyakum "And my counsel will not benefit you — even if I wished to counsel you — if Allah wills to send you astray." (Hūd 11:34)

Translation: And my sincere counsel will not benefit you — even if I desire to counsel you — if Allah wills to lead you into misguidance due to your own persistent corruption and refusal to accept the truth. He is your Lord — and to Him you must return.

Commentary (continuation): This is the agonised declaration of Nūḥ (upon him be peace) after decades of patient preaching. When the door of guidance was closed to them through their own wilful obstruction — the time came for God's decree.

﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامِي وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ﴾am yaqūlūna aftarāhu — qul ini iftaraytuhu fa-ʿalayya ijrāmī wa-anā barīʾun mimmā tujrimūn "Or do they say: 'He has made it up'? Say: If I made it up, then my crime is upon me; but I am free of the crimes you commit." (Hūd 11:35)

Translation: Or do they say: "He has invented all this (from his own imagination)"? (O Nūḥ) say: "If I have invented it, then the burden of my crime falls upon me alone. And I am free of all the sins and crimes that you commit."

﴿وَأُوحِيَ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلَّا مَن قَدْ آمَنَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ﴾wa-ūḥiya ilā Nūḥin annahu lan yuʾmina min qawmika illā man qad āmana fa-lā tabtaʾis bi-mā kānū yafʿalūn "And it was revealed to Nūḥ: None of your people shall believe except those who have already believed. So do not grieve over what they do." (Hūd 11:36)

Translation: And it was revealed to Nūḥ (upon him be peace): "None among your people will believe — not a single one more — beyond those who have already believed. So do not grieve over their conduct."

﴿وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ﴾wa-iṣnaʿi al-fulka bi-aʿyuninā wa-waḥyinā wa-lā tukhāṭibnī fī alladhīna ẓalamū — innahum mughraqūn "And build the ark under Our eyes and by Our revelation. And do not address Me regarding those who have wronged — they are to be drowned." (Hūd 11:37)

Translation: "And build the ark under Our watching and according to Our revelation. And do not speak to Me in intercession for those who have wronged — they are condemned to drowning. The door of intercession is now closed."

﴿وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ﴾wa-yaṣnaʿu al-fulka wa-kullamā marra ʿalayhi malaʾun min qawmihi sakhirū minhu — qāla in taskhurū minnā fa-innā naskharu minkum kamā taskhurūn "And he was building the ark — and whenever a group of his people passed by him they mocked him. He said: 'If you mock us, we shall also mock you just as you mock.'" (Hūd 11:38)

Translation: And (Nūḥ upon him be peace) was building the ark. Whenever a group from his people passed him, they mocked and ridiculed him. He said: "If you mock us, then we too shall mock you — just as you mock."

Commentary: Kufr (denial) and imān (faith) are like a sea and the people of imān like a ship. Those who will persist in kufr and refuse to believe are destined for certain punishment. O people! The storm of heedlessness and faithlessness is coming. There is still time — enter the ship of obedience to God and His Messengerﷺ. Otherwise, when the punishment grips you, there will be no one to save you.

﴿فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ﴾fa-sawfa taʿlamūna man yaʾtīhi ʿadhābun yukhzīhi wa-yaḥillu ʿalayhi ʿadhābun muqīm "You will soon come to know who receives a punishment that disgraces him, and upon whom falls a lasting punishment." (Hūd 11:39)

Translation: "You will soon come to know upon whom a punishment falls that brings disgrace — and upon whom a permanent, lasting punishment is established."

Commentary: At that time the faith of the disbelievers was not genuine faith — it was not heart-felt conviction. After the punishment arrives, what avenue remains? All transgression and disobedience leads ultimately to ruin. Until true faith comes, that kind of transgression can never be free from punishment.

﴿حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا احْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ آمَنَ وَمَا آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ﴾ḥattā idhā jāʾa amrunā wa-fāra al-tannūru qulnā iḥmil fīhā min kullin zawjayni ithnayn wa-ahlaka illā man sabaqa ʿalayhi al-qawlu wa-man āmana — wa-mā āmana maʿahu illā qalīl "Until when Our command came and the oven gushed forth, We said: 'Load on it, of every kind, two pairs — and your family, except those against whom the word has already gone forth — and those who believe.' And none had believed with him except a few." (Hūd 11:40)

Translation: Until, when Our command arrived and the earth's oven (the great spring) burst forth and water gushed up — We said: "Load onto it of every kind two pairs (male and female), and your family — except those against whom the decree has already been issued — and those who believe." And only a very few had believed with him.

Commentary: God reveals to Nūḥ the method of salvation. The imagery of the oven (tannūr) bursting forth water — referring to a miraculous source — signals the beginning of the Flood. Different variant readings (qirāʾāt) of the Qurʾān have slight variations in wording — for example, majrāhā vs majrīhā, riḍwān vs ruḍwān — these variant readings are preserved in the seven authoritative modes of recitation. They were transmitted in this form because the Qurʾān was revealed in seven modes of recitation (sab'atu aḥruf) to accommodate different dialects, as confirmed by the renowned ḥadīth:«أُنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ»— unzila al-Qurʾānu ʿalā sabʿati aḥruf — "The Qurʾān was revealed in seven modes" (al-Bukhārī, Muslim).

﴿وَقَالَ ارْكَبُوا فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾wa-qāla irkabū fīhā bismillāhi majrāhā wa-mursāhā — inna rabbī la-Ghafūrun Raḥīm "And he said: 'Board it — in the name of Allah shall be its sailing and its anchoring. Indeed my Lord is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.'" (Hūd 11:41)

Translation: And (Nūḥ upon him be peace) said: "Board it — in the name of Allah its sailing and its coming to rest. Indeed my Lord is All-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful."

﴿وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾wa-hiya tajrī bihim fī mawjin ka-l-jibāli wa-nādā Nūḥun ibnahu wa-kāna fī maʿzilin yā bunayya irkab maʿanā wa-lā takun maʿa al-kāfirīn "And it sailed with them amid waves like mountains. And Nūḥ called out to his son — who was in a separate place: 'O my son! Board with us, and do not be with the disbelievers.'" (Hūd 11:42)

Translation: And the ark sailed with them through waves like mountains. And Nūḥ (upon him be peace) called out to his son — who had kept apart and stood at a distance — "O my dear son! Come, board with us, and do not be with the disbelievers!"

﴿قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَىٰ جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ قَالَ لَا عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُغْرَقِينَ﴾qāla sa-āwī ilā jabalin yaʿṣimunī mina al-māʾi — qāla lā ʿāṣima al-yawma min amri Allāhi illā man raḥima — wa-ḥāla baynahumā al-mawju fa-kāna mina al-mughraqīn "He said: 'I shall take refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water.' He (Nūḥ) said: 'Today there is no protector from the command of Allah, except for one upon whom He has mercy.' And the wave came between them, and he was among those who drowned." (Hūd 11:43)

Translation: He (the son) said: "I shall take shelter on a mountain — it will protect me from the water!" (Nūḥ) said: "Today there is no protection against Allah's decree — none at all — except for the one upon whom Allah Himself bestows mercy." And a wave came between them, and he was among those who drowned.

Commentary: When all the disbelievers drowned and submerged into the depths of the Fire and perdition, Allah the Exalted then commanded:

﴿وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾wa-qīla yā arḍu iblaʿī māʾaki wa-yā samāʾu aqliʿī wa-ghīḍa al-māʾu wa-quḍiya al-amru wa-istawat ʿalā al-Jūdiyyi wa-qīla buʿdan li-l-qawmi al-ẓālimīn "And it was said: 'O earth, swallow up your water! And O sky, cease!' And the water receded, the matter was concluded, the ark rested upon al-Jūdī — and it was said: 'Away with the wrongdoing people!'" (Hūd 11:44)

Translation: And the command was given: "O earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky — cease!" And the water receded and the matter was concluded — all that was decreed had come to pass, the drowned were drowned and the saved were saved. The ark came to rest on Mount al-Jūdī. And it was proclaimed: "Away — cursed and driven far — be the wrongdoing people!" (God's condemnation on them.)

Commentary on the importance of righteous deeds and their role in salvation:

Fellow seekers! Consider these verses carefully — they reveal the importance of righteous deeds (ʿamal ṣāliḥ). The Prophet Nūḥ (upon him be peace) was rebuked by God — in the compassionate admonition of a caring Lord — with the words: "O Nūḥ! He is not of your household — this is a deed that is not righteous (ʿamal ghayru ṣāliḥ)." The son was not counted among Nūḥ's true family because of his evil deeds — lineage without righteousness confers no protection.

O you who boast of noble lineage and saintly ancestry! O you who append the titles Sayyid, Shah, Pīrzāda to your names! If the deeds of your ancestors are attributed to you while your own deeds are wicked, you dishonour them. (Laysa al-fatā man yaqūlu kāna abī — inna al-fatā man yaqūlu hā anā dhā) — "A man is not one who says 'My father was such-and-such' — a true man is one who says 'Here I am, this is what I do.'" The attributes of the described belong to the person described. Noble ancestry must be matched by noble conduct. Wake up — or you will fall outside the ranks of your noble forebears. (Al-ḥaqnā bihim — We will join their progeny to them) — but only on the condition of righteousness.

﴿وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ﴾wa-nādā Nūḥun rabbahu fa-qāla rabbi inna ibnī min ahlī wa-inna waʿdaka al-ḥaqqu wa-anta aḥkamu al-ḥākimīn "And Nūḥ called upon his Lord and said: 'My Lord! My son is of my family, and Your promise is true — and You are the most just of judges.'" (Hūd 11:45)

Translation: And Nūḥ (upon him be peace) called upon his Lord and said: "My Lord! My son was of my family — and Your promise is the truth — and You are the wisest and most just of all judges."

﴿قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ﴾qāla yā Nūḥu innahu laysa min ahlika — innahu ʿamalun ghayru ṣāliḥin — fa-lā tasʾalni mā laysa laka bihi ʿilmun — innī aʿiẓuka an takūna mina al-jāhilīn "He said: 'O Nūḥ! He is not of your family — he is a deed not of righteousness. So do not ask Me for that of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you lest you be among the ignorant.'" (Hūd 11:46)

Translation: (Allah the Exalted) said: "O Nūḥ! He is not of your family — he was a deed unrighteous (ʿamal ghayru ṣāliḥ). So do not ask Me that of which you have no knowledge. I admonish and counsel you: do not be among the ignorant."

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴾qāla rabbi innī aʿūdhu bika an asʾalaka mā laysa lī bihi ʿilmun wa-illā taghfir lī wa-tarḥamnī akun mina al-khāsirīn "He said: 'My Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I shall be among the losers.'" (Hūd 11:47)

Translation: (Nūḥ upon him be peace) said in utter contrition: "My Lord! I take refuge with You from ever asking You for that of which I have no knowledge. And if You do not forgive me and have mercy upon me, I shall be among the losers."

Commentary: Fellow seekers! Reflect on these verses — they reveal the importance of righteous deeds. Nūḥ (upon him be peace) was granted mercy by God, but he was counselled regarding a matter of which he lacked full knowledge. This counselling comes out of God's care and love for His servant. O those who have been blessed with spiritual lineage! O those addressed as Sayyid, Shāh, Pīrzāda and all such honoured descendants! Your noble ancestors' conduct and their deeds belong to them; but what matters for you is your own conduct. Honour the names of your ancestors by your own righteous deeds, not by mere title. If your deeds fall short, know that you have brought shame to them. The true inheritor is the one who inherits goodness.

﴿قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَامٍ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَاتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾qīla yā Nūḥu ihbiṭ bi-salāmin minnā wa-barakātin ʿalayka wa-ʿalā umamin mimman maʿaka wa-umamun sa-numattaʿuhum thumma yamassuhum minnā ʿadhābun alīm "It was said: 'O Nūḥ! Descend in peace from Us, and blessings upon you and upon nations from those with you. But there are nations whom We shall allow to enjoy themselves — then a painful punishment from Us will touch them.'" (Hūd 11:48)

Translation: It was said: "O Nūḥ! Descend — with peace from Us and blessings upon you, and upon the communities among those with you. But there are also other communities — We shall allow them to enjoy the world for a time, and then Our painful punishment will touch them." Do not rejoice in the brief pleasures of this world; do not be beguiled by the respite given to the wicked. A reckoning awaits.

﴿تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾tilka min anbāʾi al-ghaybi nūḥīhā ilayka — mā kunta taʿlamuhā anta wa-lā qawmuka min qabli hādhā — fa-ṣbir — inna al-ʿāqibata li-l-muttaqīn "These are from the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you. You did not know them — neither you nor your people — before this. So be patient; the ultimate outcome is for the God-fearing." (Hūd 11:49)

Translation: These are tidings of the unseen (ghayb) — We reveal them to you (O Prophetﷺ!). You did not know them — neither you nor your people — before this revelation. So be patient! (Bear with fortitude whatever hardships befall you.) The final and beautiful outcome is for those who are God-fearing.

Commentary: The Qurʾān is a noble book — causing people to take heed is its purpose. Conveying the truth and the proof of the unseen is its central aim. The Qurʾān teaches: be patient — for the final felicity belongs to the pious.

Now after Nūḥ (upon him be peace), the narrative turns to the Prophet Hūd (upon him be peace) and the people of ʿĀd.

﴿وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ﴾wa-ilā ʿādin akhāhum Hūdan — qāla yā qawmi uʿbudū Allāha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu in antum illā muftarūn "And to ʿĀd We sent their brother Hūd. He said: 'O my people! Worship Allah — you have no god other than Him. You are nothing but fabricators.'" (Hūd 11:50)

Translation: And to the people of ʿĀd We sent their brother Hūd (upon him be peace). Hūd (upon him be peace) said: "O my people! Worship Allah alone — you have no god other than Him. You who associate others with Him are fabricators and forgers of falsehood."

﴿يَا قَوْمِ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ﴾yā qawmi lā asʾalukum ʿalayhi ajran — in ajriya illā ʿalā alladhī faṭaranī — a-fa-lā taʿqilūn "O my people! I do not ask you for any reward for this. My reward is only upon the One Who created me. Will you not then reason?" (Hūd 11:51)

Translation: "O my people! I ask you for no reward or recompense for this. My reward is solely with the One Who created and fashioned me. Will you not then reason?"

Commentary: (And yet they had been deeply immersed in sins — how much they had strayed, what wicked deeds they had committed!)

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوْا مُجْرِمِينَ﴾wa-yā qawmi istaghfirū rabbakum thumma tūbū ilayhi yursili al-samāʾa ʿalaykum midrāran wa-yazidkum quwwatan ilā quwwatikum wa-lā tatawallaw mujrimīn "And O my people! Seek forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance — He will send the sky upon you with abundant rain, and add strength to your strength. So do not turn away as sinners." (Hūd 11:52)

Translation: "And O my people! Seek forgiveness of your Lord — ask for pardon, repent of your sins — then turn to Him in repentance. He will then send down abundant rain from the sky upon you, and increase your strength upon your strength — increasing your good fortune and prosperity. So do not turn away in criminal disobedience and stubbornness."

﴿قَالُوا يَا هُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾qālū yā Hūdu mā jiʾtanā bi-bayyinatin wa-mā naḥnu bi-tārikī ālihatinā ʿan qawlika wa-mā naḥnu laka bi-muʾminīn "They said: 'O Hūd! You have not brought us any clear sign, and we are not going to abandon our gods on your mere word — and we are not believers in you.'" (Hūd 11:53)

Translation: They said: "O Hūd! You have brought us no clear proof. And we are not about to abandon our gods merely on your say-so. We will never believe in you."

﴿إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ آلِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ وَاشْهَدُوا أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ﴾in naqūlu illā iʿtarāka baʿḍu ālihatinā bi-sūʾin — qāla innī ushhidu Allāha wa-ishhadū annī barīʾun mimmā tushrikūn "We only say that one of our gods has afflicted you with evil." He said: "I call Allah to witness — and you too bear witness — that I am free of what you associate as partners." (Hūd 11:54)

Translation: (They said:) "We only say that one of our idols has afflicted you with some ill — (your god has cast a spell upon you, and that is why you speak so)." (Hūd) said: "I call Allah to witness — and you too bear witness — that I am entirely free and innocent of all those whom you associate as partners with God."

﴿مِن دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ﴾min dūnihi fa-kīdūnī jamīʿan thumma lā tunẓirūn "Besides Him — so plot against me, all of you together, and give me no respite." (Hūd 11:55)

Translation: "Besides Him — so scheme against me, all of you together, and give me no respite! (Come — do what you will — do your worst!)"

﴿إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ﴾innī tawakkaltu ʿalā Allāhi rabbī wa-rabbikum — mā min dābbatin illā huwa ākhidhun bi-nāṣiyatihā — inna rabbī ʿalā ṣirāṭin mustaqīm "Indeed I place my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock. Indeed my Lord is on a straight path." (Hūd 11:56)

Translation: "Indeed I place my full trust in Allah — my Lord and your Lord. There is not a single creature that moves upon the earth but that He holds it by its forelock — all are in His grasp and under His power. No one who thinks himself free is truly free of God. Indeed my Lord is upon a straight and just path — whatever He does, He does rightly."

﴿فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُم مَّا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّي قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّونَهُ شَيْئًا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ﴾fa-in tawallaw fa-qad ablaghtukum mā ursiltu bihi ilaykum — wa-yastaẖlifu rabbī qawman ghayrakum — wa-lā taḍurrūnahū shayʾan — inna rabbī ʿalā kulli shayʾin ḥafīẓ "And if you turn away — I have indeed conveyed to you what I was sent with to you. And my Lord will install another people in your place, and you will not harm Him at all. Indeed my Lord is guardian over all things." (Hūd 11:57)

Translation: "And if you turn away (in rejection and stubbornness) — then I have conveyed to you what I was sent with: I have fulfilled my mission. And my Lord will raise up another people in your place — you shall perish and others shall come. You cannot harm Him in the least. Indeed my Lord is the guardian and protector of all things."

Commentary: When the command of God came, He saved Hūd (upon him be peace) and those who believed with him, by His mercy and grace, and delivered them from the punishment. And as for the people of ʿĀd:

﴿وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا هُودًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَنَجَّيْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ﴾wa-lammā jāʾa amrunā najjaynā Hūdan wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿahu bi-raḥmatin minnā wa-najjaynāhum min ʿadhābin ghalīẓ "And when Our command came, We saved Hūd and those who believed with him by mercy from Us, and We saved them from a severe punishment." (Hūd 11:58)

Translation: And when Our command came, We saved Hūd (upon him be peace) and those who believed with him — by Our mercy — and We delivered them from a severe and grievous punishment.

﴿وَتِلْكَ عَادٌ جَحَدُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا رُسُلَهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ﴾wa-tilka ʿādun jaḥadū bi-āyāti rabbihim wa-ʿaṣaw rusulahu wa-ittabaʿū amra kulli jabbārin ʿanīd "And such was ʿĀd — they rejected the signs of their Lord, disobeyed His messengers, and followed the command of every stubborn tyrant." (Hūd 11:59)

Translation: And so it was with ʿĀd — they denied the signs of their Lord with absolute rejection, disobeyed His messengers, and followed the dictates of every arrogant and wilfully obstinate tyrant.

﴿وَأُتْبِعُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلَا إِنَّ عَادًا كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّعَادٍ قَوْمِ هُودٍ﴾wa-utbiʿū fī hādhihi al-dunyā laʿnatan wa-yawma al-qiyāmati — alā inna ʿādan kafarū rabbahum — alā buʿdan li-ʿādin qawmi Hūd "And they were followed in this world by a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection. Behold — indeed ʿĀd rejected their Lord. Behold — away with ʿĀd, the people of Hūd!" (Hūd 11:60)

Translation: And a curse was sent upon them in this world, and it shall pursue them on the Day of Resurrection as well. Behold! Indeed ʿĀd rejected their Lord and denied Him utterly. Behold — away with ʿĀd, the people of Hūd! (God's curse upon them.)

Commentary: Fellow seekers! Allah the Exalted narrates the accounts of one people after another — so that the end of those who rejected and denied, and those who violated God's commands, may become known. All of this is a lesson and a guidance for you. If you too reject and fail to heed — you will be overtaken by the same fate. So repent — seek forgiveness — turn to God — obey His commands — and learn from what happened to others; that same fate awaits you too.

And after ʿĀd comes the narrative of the people of Thamūd and the Prophet Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace).

﴿وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا﴾wa-ilā Thamūda akhāhum Ṣāliḥan — qāla yā qawmi uʿbudū Allāha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu — huwa ansha-akum mina al-arḍi wa-istaʿmarakum fīhā "And to Thamūd We sent their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said: 'O my people! Worship Allah — you have no god other than Him. He created you from the earth and settled you in it.'" (Hūd 11:61)

Translation: And to the people of Thamūd We sent their brother Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace). He said: "O my people! Worship Allah alone — you have no god other than Him. He created you from the earth and caused you to flourish and dwell in it. (He brought you forth from the earth; He nourished you; He established you in it.)"

Sūrat Hūd (11)

﴿وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾Wa mā min dābbatin fī l-arḍi illā ʿalā llāhi rizquhā wa yaʿlamu mustaqarrahā wa mustawdaʿahā kullun fī kitābin mubīn "There is not a creature on earth but that its provision is the responsibility of Allah, and He knows its stable dwelling-place and its temporary lodging. Everything is in a manifest Register." — Hūd 11:6

Translation: There is no living creature upon the earth whose sustenance is not Allah's responsibility. He knows where it permanently dwells and where it is temporarily lodged. All of this is written in a clear Book.

Commentary: Everything that exists — every creature that moves — has been created from the earth, whether through a short chain of causes or a long one. Some have held that humankind is fashioned directly from the four elements, others that the higher intelligences (ʿulūm ʿalawiyya) and the influences of the celestial spheres mediate the process, or that the peculiar configurations of the stars cause different human temperaments. In any case, humanity ultimately derives from the earth. Whether through the intermediary of minerals, plants, animals, or by a more direct path — all living creatures eat what the earth produces, and thus ultimately owe their being to it. This is why the verse says of Ṣāliḥ's people: Huwa ansha'akum min al-arḍi — "He brought you forth from the earth."

﴿وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا﴾Wa staʿmarakum fīhā "And He has settled you therein." — Hūd 11:61

Translation: And He settled you in it and made you to dwell there. He created you in the earth and established you upon it.

Commentary: [The verse continues with the preaching of the Prophet Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace) to his people, the Thamūd.] Ṣāliḥ declared: Fastaghfirūhu thumma tūbū ilayhi — "Seek His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance, directing all your attention toward Him." [The Urdu word-gloss exposition explains the grammar and exhortation.] He called on his people to worship Allah alone, to seek forgiveness, and to return to Him with sincere repentance. His Lord is indeed near, ever-responsive to supplication.

﴿قَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَٰذَا﴾Qālū yā Ṣāliḥu qad kunta fīnā marjuwwan qabla hādhā "They said: O Ṣāliḥ! Before this you were among us a source of hope." — Hūd 11:62

Translation: [The people of Thamūd] said: O Ṣāliḥ! We had placed great hopes in you before this. Do you forbid us from worshipping what our forefathers worshipped? We are truly in disquieting doubt about what you are calling us to.

Commentary: Their objection was that they had counted on Ṣāliḥ as a man of promise among them, but now he was trying to draw them away from their ancestral religion. They confessed their doubt (shakk) — and the commentary notes that doubt is akin to wavering and confusion. Their objection to Ṣāliḥ's message was framed in terms of ancestral custom (mā yaʿbudu ābāʾunā), a recurring argument of the disbelievers throughout the Qurʾān.

﴿قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَآتَانِي مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَن يَنصُرُنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ﴾Qāla yā qawmi a-raʾaytum in kuntu ʿalā bayyinatin min rabbī wa ātānī minhu raḥmatan fa-man yanṣurunī min allāhi in ʿaṣaytuh "He said: O my people! Consider — if I stand upon a clear proof from my Lord, and He has bestowed upon me mercy from Himself, who then would help me against Allah if I disobeyed Him?" — Hūd 11:63

Translation: [Ṣāliḥ replied]: O my people! Tell me — if I stand on clear evidence from my Lord, and He has granted me His mercy [and guided me and confirmed me], then who would save me from Allah if I were to disobey Him? You would only be increasing my loss and ruin.

Commentary: Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace) acknowledged that despite his clear proof and Divine mercy, he could not defy his Lord. The phrase fa-mā tazīdūnanī ghayra takhsīr means: "you would cause me nothing but loss." His position was one of complete reliance on Allah (may He be exalted), and his warning to his people was grounded in that certainty.

Regarding the story of the miracle: Ṣāliḥ's people, the Thamūd, demanded a miraculous sign (āya). Allah (may He be exalted) produced the she-camel (nāqa) as a divine sign. The arrangement was: one day was for the people and their herds, and the next day was for the she-camel and her offspring. When they violated this, the she-camel was hamstrung and the punishment was brought near.

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ هَٰذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ قَرِيبٌ﴾Wa yā qawmi hādhihi nāqatu llāhi lakum āyatan fa-dharūhā taʾkul fī arḍi llāhi wa lā tamasūhā bi-sūʾin fa-yaʾkhudhakum ʿadhābun qarīb "O my people! This is the she-camel of Allah — a sign for you. So leave her to graze in Allah's earth and do not touch her with harm, lest a near punishment seize you." — Hūd 11:64

Translation: [Ṣāliḥ said]: O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a sign for you — a manifest demonstration of His power. Leave her free to graze on Allah's earth. Touch her not with any harm and do not kill her, lest a swift punishment come upon you and you be overtaken by it.

Commentary: The word hādhihi nāqatu llāh uses the possessive form (iḍāfa) to express the greatness of the she-camel, signifying that she belongs to Allah. The phrase tāʾkul fī arḍi llāhi is the grammatical response (jawāb) to the imperative dharū. The command is: leave her to wander freely. Any harm done to her — wa lā tamasūhā bi-sūʾin — would bring the inevitable punishment near. The punishment would be swift and unavoidable.

﴿فَعَقَرُوهَا فَقَالَ تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ذَٰلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ﴾Fa-ʿaqarūhā fa-qāla tamattaʿū fī dārikum thalāthata ayyāmin dhālika waʿdun ghayru makdhūb "Then they hamstrung her. And [Ṣāliḥ] said: Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days — that is a promise which will not be falsified." — Hūd 11:65

Translation: They hamstrung her — they killed her. [Ṣāliḥ] said: This is the word [that will come to pass]. [Enjoy your homes for three days, then the punishment will come.] This promise is unfalsifiable. [The punishment came, and all were destroyed.]

[The page is heavily damaged by OCR corruption. Based on context and the running narrative of Hūd 11, the following is reconstructed:]

Commentary: [reconstructed] Then when Our command came, We saved Ṣāliḥ and those who believed with him by Our mercy from that day's disgrace and humiliation. Indeed your Lord is the Strong, the Mighty (al-Qawī al-ʿAzīz).

﴿وَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ﴾Wa akhadha lladhīna ẓalamū l-ṣayḥatu fa-aṣbaḥū fī diyārihim jāthimīn "And the thunderous blast seized those who had done wrong, and they lay prostrate in their dwellings." — Hūd 11:67

Translation: The mighty blast — the terrifying roar — overtook those who had done wrong, and come morning they lay collapsed and prostrate in their homes.

Commentary: The word al-ṣayḥa denotes a thunderous, shattering sound — like the crack of an earthquake or a celestial bolt. Jāthimīn means fallen face-down, prostrated and lifeless. As the verse indicates: ka-an lam yaghnaw fīhā — as though they had never even dwelt there.

﴿أَلَا إِنَّ ثَمُودَ كَفَرُوا رَبَّهُمْ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّثَمُودَ﴾A-lā inna Thamūda kafarū rabbahum a-lā buʿdan li-Thamūd "Behold! The Thamūd disbelieved in their Lord. Behold! Perished are the Thamūd." — Hūd 11:68

Translation: [They became as though they had never dwelt there.] Behold! The Thamūd denied their Lord, rejected Him, and refused to heed. Gone! Perished, remote from all mercy!

Commentary: The word buʿd here means distance from all mercy and prosperity — a curse of exclusion and ruin. After recounting the fates of the peoples of Hūd and Ṣāliḥ (upon them both be peace), the commentary now turns to the story of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). The author notes: the Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was elderly and had no children. His son-in-law was the great Prophet Lūṭ (upon him be peace). The story of the heavenly messengers visiting Ibrāhīm and announcing the birth of Isḥāq is now to be told.

﴿وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ بِالْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌ﴾Wa laqad jāʾat rusulunā Ibrāhīma bi-l-bushrā qālū salāman qāla salām "Our messengers came to Ibrāhīm with the glad tidings. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace!" — Hūd 11:69

Translation: Our messengers — the angels — came to Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) bearing the good news [of a son]. They greeted him with salām, and he returned their greeting with salām. Then without delay he brought a roasted calf.

Commentary: The Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was famously generous with guests. The angels saluted him and he immediately responded with the same greeting. The exchange of salām was immediate — qālū salāman qāla salām — with the first in the accusative (direct object of a verbal greeting) and the second as a nominal sentence expressing constancy and stability in that peace. Then, faithful to the sunna of hospitality, he hastened to bring a roasted calf.

﴿فَلَمَّا رَأَىٰ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ﴾Fa-lammā raʾā aydiyahum lā taṣilu ilayhi nakirahum wa awjasa minhum khīfatan qālū lā takhaff innā ursilnā ilā qawmi Lūṭ "But when he saw that their hands did not reach toward it, he mistrusted them and felt a fear of them. They said: Fear not; we have been sent to the people of Lūṭ." — Hūd 11:70

Translation: When Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) saw that the angels did not extend their hands toward the food, he felt something was wrong and became wary of them, a fear rising in him. They said: Do not fear! We have been sent to the people of Lūṭ.

Commentary: Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was a man of great perception. When he noticed that his guests did not eat, he understood that they were not ordinary human beings — they were sent for a purpose toward the guilty community of Lūṭ (upon him be peace). Lūṭ (upon him be peace) was the nephew of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). The angels now also brought tidings of the impending birth of Isḥāq (upon him be peace).

﴿وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَائِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ﴾Wa mraʾatuhū qāʾimatun fa-ḍaḥikat fa-bashsharnāhā bi-Isḥāqa wa min warāʾi Isḥāqa Yaʿqūb "And his wife was standing; she laughed. So We gave her the glad tidings of Isḥāq, and after Isḥāq, of Yaʿqūb." — Hūd 11:71

Translation: Ibrāhīm's wife, Sāra (may Allah be pleased with her), was standing there. She smiled — or laughed — upon hearing the angels' words, for she was a very elderly woman. Then We gave her the good news of the birth of Isḥāq (upon him be peace), and, after Isḥāq, of Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace).

Commentary: The word ḍaḥikat — she laughed — carries, in the usage of the Arabs, the meaning of being astonished or overjoyed. The glad tidings (bushrā) were of two grants: a son named Isḥāq and, through him, a grandson named Yaʿqūb.

﴿قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌ وَهَٰذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ﴾Qālat yā waylatā a-alidu wa anā ʿajūzun wa hādhā baʿlī shaykhan inna hādhā la-shayʾun ʿajīb "She said: Alas for me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? This is truly a wondrous thing!" — Hūd 11:72

Translation: [Sāra] said: O my wonder! How shall I give birth when I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? This is indeed an astounding thing!

Commentary: Her exclamation was one of astonishment, not doubt. This is the expression of a human being overwhelmed by news that transcends the ordinary course of nature.

﴿قَالُوا أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ﴾Qālū a-taʿjabīna min amri llāhi raḥmatu llāhi wa barakātuhū ʿalaykum ahla l-bayt innahu Ḥamīdun Majīd "They said: Are you amazed at the command of Allah? The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the household! Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious." — Hūd 11:73

Translation: [The angels] said: Do you marvel at the command of Allah? He who created the whole world has the power to grant a child to an old man and an old woman. The mercy of Allah and His blessings are upon you, O household of Ibrāhīm! He is indeed worthy of all praise, glorious in might.

Commentary: Note that ahl al-bayt here refers to the household of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), specifically Sāra. This is a Qurʾānic usage addressed directly to the wives. The author takes care to note that in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb (33:33), the term ahl al-bayt al-nubuwwa also encompasses the sacred wives (azwāj muṭahharāt) of the Prophetﷺ. Some have wrongly attempted to exclude the blessed wives from ahl al-bayt — the Qurʾān itself includes them. The blessed Fāṭima al-Zahrā (may Allah be pleased with her) is of course among ahl al-bayt, but the sacred wives are equally of ahl al-bayt al-nubuwwa. May Allah guide those who err on this point.

﴿فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ وَجَاءَتْهُ الْبُشْرَىٰ يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ﴾Fa-lammā dhahaba ʿan Ibrāhīma l-rawʿu wa jāʾat-hu l-bushrā yujādilunā fī qawmi Lūṭ "When the fear had passed from Ibrāhīm and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to argue with Us concerning the people of Lūṭ." — Hūd 11:74

Translation: When the fear and apprehension had left Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) and the glad tidings of the birth of Isḥāq (upon him be peace) were given to him, he began to plead on behalf of the people of Lūṭ. Lūṭ (upon him be peace) was his nephew (ibn akhi). Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was concerned lest Lūṭ (upon him be peace) perish along with the guilty community.

﴿إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُّنِيبٌ﴾Inna Ibrāhīma la-ḥalīmun awwāhun munīb "Indeed, Ibrāhīm was forbearing, tender-hearted, and ever-returning [to Allah]." — Hūd 11:75

Translation: Indeed Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was a man of great forbearance (ḥilm), deeply tender-hearted (awwāh — one who laments and is moved by the suffering of others), and ever-turning to Allah in repentance and devotion (munīb).

Commentary: The attribute awwāh means one who sighs frequently out of compassion and holy awe — one profoundly affected by the pain of others. Munīb means one who perpetually turns back (rujūʿ ilā llāh) and whose heart is ever oriented toward Allah (may He be exalted).

﴿يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَٰذَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَاءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ وَإِنَّهُمْ آتِيهِمْ عَذَابٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدُودٍ﴾Yā Ibrāhīmu aʿriḍ ʿan hādhā innahu qad jāʾa amru rabbika wa innahum ātīhim ʿadhābun ghayru mardūd "O Ibrāhīm! Desist from this. The command of your Lord has already gone forth, and there is coming to them a punishment that cannot be repelled." — Hūd 11:76

Translation: O Ibrāhīm! Cease this pleading. Your Lord's decree has already been issued, and upon them is coming a punishment that cannot be turned aside.

﴿وَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌ﴾Wa lammā jāʾat rusulunā Lūṭan sīʾa bihim wa ḍāqa bihim dharʿan wa qāla hādhā yawmun ʿaṣīb "And when Our messengers came to Lūṭ, he was distressed on their account and felt straitened concerning them, and he said: This is a trying day." — Hūd 11:77

Translation: When Our messengers [came to Lūṭ in the form of handsome youths], Lūṭ (upon him be peace) was grieved on their account and his heart was constricted for them, knowing the wickedness of his people. He said: This is a dreadful and trying day!

Commentary: The angels came in the form of beautiful young men. Lūṭ (upon him be peace) was distressed because the people of his community had made the abomination (khilāf al-fiṭra, against natural law) a common habit, having no shame whatsoever. The phrase ḍāqa bihim dharʿan is an idiom meaning his heart sank, he was overwhelmed with anxiety and helplessness — as when a task is beyond one's capacity. He feared what would happen if his own community confronted these guests.

﴿وَجَاءَهُ قَوْمُهُ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِي ضَيْفِي أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ﴾Wa jāʾahu qawmuhū yuhraʿūna ilayhi wa min qablu kānū yaʿmalūna l-sayyiʾāti qāla yā qawmi hāʾulāʾi banātī hunna aṭharu lakum fa-ttaqū llāha wa lā tukhzūni fī ḍayfī a-laysa minkum rajulun rashīd "His people came rushing toward him — and before this they used to commit evil deeds. He said: O my people! These are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me before my guests. Is there not among you a single man of right judgment?" — Hūd 11:78

Translation: His people came rushing to his door — they were already in the habit of committing evil deeds. Lūṭ (upon him be peace) said: O my people! These are my daughters — they are far purer and more lawful for you. Fear Allah! Do not disgrace me in front of my guests. Is there not even one man of right reason and sound conscience among you?

Commentary: The word yuhraʿūna means rushing, hurrying with unseemly eagerness — a word that conveys indecent urgency of desire. Lūṭ (upon him be peace) tried to redirect them toward what is lawful in nature, offering the women of his community [understood as his spiritual daughters, i.e. the women of the town] in lawful marriage. Rashīd means one of right guidance, a person of sound character who follows the straight path.

﴿قَالُوا لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِي بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ﴾Qālū laqad ʿalimta mā lanā fī banātika min ḥaqqin wa innaka la-taʿlamu mā nurīd "They said: You well know we have no desire in your daughters, and you certainly know what we want." — Hūd 11:79

Translation: [The corrupt men] said: You know well that we have no interest in your daughters, and you know perfectly what we want!

﴿قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِي بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ آوِي إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ﴾Qāla law anna lī bikum quwwatan aw āwī ilā ruknin shadīd "He said: Would that I had power against you, or could find support in some strong pillar!" — Hūd 11:80

Translation: [Lūṭ] said: If only I had the strength to resist you, or could take shelter in some firm, powerful support! [He was saying: if my people had heeded me, I would not now be so helpless.] Ultimately it was upon Allah (may He be exalted) that Lūṭ (upon him be peace) placed his trust, and in the end that reliance served him well.

﴿قَالُوا يَا لُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوا إِلَيْكَ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ إِنَّهُ مُصِيبُهَا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ﴾Qālū yā Lūṭu innā rusulu rabbika lan yaṣilū ilayka fa-asri bi-ahlika bi-qiṭʿin mina l-layli wa lā yaltafit minkum aḥadun illā mraʾatak innahu muṣībuhā mā aṣābahum "They said: O Lūṭ! We are messengers of your Lord. They shall never reach you. So travel with your family in the depth of the night — and let none of you look back — except your wife; she will suffer what they suffer." — Hūd 11:81

Translation: [The angels] said: O Lūṭ! We are the messengers of your Lord. These [wicked men] shall never harm you. So set out with your household in the depth of the night — let no one among you look back — except your wife [who is to remain]. Indeed, the same disaster that strikes them will strike her. Their appointed time of destruction is the morning. And is the morning not near?

﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ مَّنضُودٍ﴾Fa-lammā jāʾa amrunā jaʿalnā ʿāliyahā sāfilahā wa amṭarnā ʿalayhā ḥijāratan min sijjīlin manḍūd "When Our command came, We turned [the city] upside down and rained upon it stones of baked clay, one upon another." — Hūd 11:82

Translation: When Our decree of punishment came, We overturned the city — We turned what was on high to the bottom and what was on the bottom to the top. And We rained down upon them stones of dense, piled-up baked clay, wave upon wave.

Commentary: Sijjīl signifies stones of baked clay — hard, dense, and heavy. Manḍūd means piled up, one upon another in succession, continuously. The destruction was total — the city was inverted and then pelted without relent.

﴿مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ﴾Musawwamatan ʿinda rabbika wa mā hiya min al-ẓālimīna bi-baʿīd "Marked with your Lord's [decree], and they are not far from the wrongdoers [of this age]." — Hūd 11:83

Translation: Those stones were marked and designated at your Lord's command — He knew which stone would fall on which criminal. And this punishment is not far removed from the wrongdoers of every age.

Commentary: [The author speaks directly to his readers:] Reflect, dear reader, on the scale of corruption in our own time. What we are doing is far worse than what was done then. The punishment that descended on the people of Lūṭ — both the inversion of the earth and the stoning — these are both forms of the divine chastisement. Those upon whom the stoning is unleashed are not protected. And it is not only the sinners who are afflicted; even those who stand aside and remain silent may be overtaken. Consider wa mā hiya min al-ẓālimīna bi-baʿīd — this punishment is never distant from the wrongdoers of any era.

[The author then refutes a false Biblical account alleging that Lūṭ's daughters committed a reprehensible act with their father. He dismisses this emphatically as an Israelite fabrication (isrāʾīliyyāt) — not fit to be attributed to the prophets of Allah (may He be exalted). Such tales are forgeries in scripture and reflect only the corruption of those traditions, not anything the holy Prophets did. The sacred night context of Lūṭ's (upon him be peace) departure itself is testimony to the purity of the Prophets and their families.]

﴿وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ وَأَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُّحِيطٍ﴾Wa ilā Madyana akhāhum Shuʿayban qāla yā qawmi ʿbudū llāha mā lakum min ilāhin ghayruhu wa lā tanquṣū l-mikyāla wa l-mīzāna innī arākum bi-khayr wa akhāfu ʿalaykum ʿadhāba yawmin muḥīṭ "And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb. He said: O my people! Worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. And do not diminish the measure and the balance. I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the punishment of an encompassing day." — Hūd 11:84

Translation: And to the people of Madyan, We sent their brother Shuʿayb (upon him be peace). He said: O my people! Worship Allah! You have no deity worthy of worship besides Him. Do not shortchange in the measure and the balance. I see you in a state of goodness and prosperity — and because of that I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day.

Commentary: After recounting the stories of the destroyed nations — Hūd's people, Ṣāliḥ's people, Lūṭ's people — the Qurʾān turns to the people of Madyan and their Prophet Shuʿayb (upon him be peace). The word mikyāl refers to the vessel used for measuring volume; mīzān is the balance for weighing. Muḥīṭ — encompassing — means a punishment that encircles and leaves no escape. The warning has both a material and eschatological dimension.

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ﴾Wa yā qawmi awfū l-mikyāla wa l-mīzāna bi-l-qisṭi wa lā tabkhasū l-nāsa ashyāʾahum wa lā taʿthaw fī l-arḍi mufsidīn "O my people! Fill the measure and the balance with justice, and do not diminish people's goods, and do not spread corruption in the land." — Hūd 11:85

Translation: O my people! Give full measure and weight with justice and fairness. Do not short-change people of their rightful dues. And do not go about in the land causing corruption and disorder.

﴿بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ﴾Baqiyyatu llāhi khayrun lakum in kuntum muʾminīna wa mā anā ʿalaykum bi-ḥafīẓ "What Allah leaves over for you is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not a guardian over you." — Hūd 11:86

Translation: What Allah (may He be exalted) reserves for you through honest gain is better for you — if only you had faith. I am not set over you as a keeper. It is your own affair; do as you will. I have conveyed the message. Work righteously or reject it.

﴿قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ﴾Qālū yā Shuʿaybu a-ṣalātuka taʾmuruka an natruka mā yaʿbudu ābāʾunā aw an nafʿala fī amwālinā mā nashāʾ "They said: O Shuʿayb! Does your prayer command you that we should abandon what our fathers worshipped, or that we may not do with our wealth what we wish?" — Hūd 11:87

Translation: [The people of Madyan] said: O Shuʿayb! Does your ṣalāt (prayer) command you to [command] us to abandon what our forefathers worshipped? Are you dictating to us how to use our own property? You seem, they said, to be a very sensible, right-guided man — [yet your demands are unreasonable]!

Commentary: The mockery is evident — they use ṣalāt sarcastically, as if to say: is your constant praying the source of these unusual instructions? The irony of calling him al-ḥalīm al-rashīd — the forbearing, right-guided one — while rejecting his message is characteristic of arrogant peoples in the Qurʾān.

﴿قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَن أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ﴾Qāla yā qawmi a-raʾaytum in kuntu ʿalā bayyinatin min rabbī wa razaqanī minhu rizqan ḥasanan wa mā urīdu an ukhālifakum ilā mā anhākum ʿanhu in urīdu illā l-iṣlāḥa mā staṭaʿtu wa mā tawfīqī illā bi-llāhi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu wa ilayhi unīb "He said: O my people! Consider — if I stand on a clear proof from my Lord, and He has provided me with a good provision from Himself — I have no desire to do, behind your backs, what I forbid you from. I desire only rectification to the best of my power. My success lies only with Allah. Upon Him I rely, and to Him I turn." — Hūd 11:88

Translation: [Shuʿayb] said: O my people! Consider this well — if I stand on a clear proof from my Lord, and He has bestowed upon me good and pure sustenance from Himself [and saved me from the crooked ways you follow], would I then be so hypocritical as to secretly do what I forbid you from? My only intention is reform to the best of my ability. And [know that] my success and guidance come only from Allah — I rely upon Him and to Him is my return.

Commentary: Tawfīqī illā bi-llāh — "my success is only from Allah" — this is the confession of every sincere servant. Shuʿayb (upon him be peace) declared complete dependence on Allah (may He be exalted) for the efficacy of his work, and his tawakkul (reliance on Allah) and ināba (turning to Allah) are hallmarks of the prophetic character.

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ﴾Wa yā qawmi lā yajrimannakum shiqāqī an yuṣībakum mithlu mā aṣāba qawma Nūḥin aw qawma Hūdin aw qawma Ṣāliḥin wa mā qawmu Lūṭin minkum bi-baʿīd "O my people! Let not opposition to me cause you to be struck by what struck the people of Nūḥ, or the people of Hūd, or the people of Ṣāliḥ. And the people of Lūṭ are not far from you in time." — Hūd 11:89

Translation: O my people! Let not your enmity toward me cause you to incur the same disaster that befell the people of Nūḥ (upon him be peace), or the people of Hūd (upon him be peace), or the people of Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace). And the people of Lūṭ (upon him be peace) are not far from you in time.

Commentary: The author remarks: The destruction of those peoples was not ancient history to Shuʿayb's audience — Lūṭ's community was geographically close and temporally recent. The warning was urgent and vivid.

﴿وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ﴾Wa staghfirū rabbakum thumma tūbū ilayhi inna rabbī Raḥīmun Wadūd "And seek forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance. Indeed my Lord is Merciful, Most Loving." — Hūd 11:90

Translation: Seek your Lord's forgiveness and turn back to Him in repentance. He will wipe away all your errors. Indeed, my Lord is full of compassion (raḥīm) and most loving (wadūd).

Commentary: Here a questioner raised the issue of whether Nūḥ's flood was universal or local. The author's view is that the flood was directed specifically toward the area of Nūḥ's people (arḍ referring to their particular land), though the Qurʾānic verse Lā tadharkhuṣ ʿalā l-arḍi min al-kāfirīna dayyārā may suggest broader scope. In any case, the Qurʾān's authority is decisive. Allah (may He be exalted) knows best.

﴿قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَقُولُ وَإِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِينَا ضَعِيفًا وَلَوْلَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنَاكَ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْنَا بِعَزِيزٍ﴾Qālū yā Shuʿaybu mā nafqahu kathīran mimmā taqūlu wa innā la-narāka fīnā ḍaʿīfan wa lawlā rahṭuka la-rajamanāka wa mā anta ʿalaynā bi-ʿazīz "They said: O Shuʿayb! We do not understand much of what you say, and we see you as weak among us. Were it not for your kinship group, we would certainly have stoned you — and you are not at all dear to us." — Hūd 11:91

Translation: [The people of Madyan] said: O Shuʿayb! We cannot comprehend much of what you say, and we see you as a weak man in our community. Were it not for your clan's protection, we would have stoned you to death. You hold no honor in our eyes.

Commentary: Their objection was double: intellectual rejection (claiming not to understand him) and social contempt. The threat of stoning was real — only the tribal kinship (rahṭ, a group of about forty strong men) protected Shuʿayb (upon him be peace) from violence. He replied with dignity: "Is my kinship group more powerful in your eyes than Allah? You have cast Allah behind your backs!"

﴿قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَهْطِي أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَاءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا إِنَّ رَبِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ﴾Qāla yā qawmi a-rahṭī aʿazzu ʿalaykum min allāhi wa ttakhadhtumuhu warāʾakum ẓihriyyan inna rabbī bi-mā taʿmalūna muḥīṭ "He said: O my people! Is my clan more powerful in your eyes than Allah? You have cast Him behind your backs! Indeed my Lord encompasses all that you do." — Hūd 11:92

Translation: [Shuʿayb] said: O my people! Is my kinship group more esteemed by you than Allah? You have taken Allah and flung Him behind your backs — discarded and ignored Him! Indeed my Lord encompasses and oversees all that you do.

﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ﴾Wa yā qawmi ʿmalū ʿalā makānatikum innī ʿāmilun sawfa taʿlamūna man yaʾtīhi ʿadhābun yukhzīhi wa man huwa kādhib wa rtaqibū innī maʿakum raqīb "O my people! Work according to your way, and I will work [my way]. Soon you will know who will receive a punishment that humiliates him, and who is lying. Watch and wait — I too am watching with you." — Hūd 11:93

Translation: O my people! Do what you will according to your power and capacity — I too will do what I must. Soon you shall know who receives a punishment that humiliates and disgraces him, and who is the liar. Watch and wait! I too watch alongside you.

﴿وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ﴾Wa lammā jāʾa amrunā najjaynā Shuʿayban wa lladhīna āmanū maʿahu bi-raḥmatin minnā wa akhadhat alladhīna ẓalamū l-ṣayḥatu fa-aṣbaḥū fī diyārihim jāthimīn "And when Our command came, We saved Shuʿayb and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us. And the thunderous blast seized those who had done wrong — and they lay prostrate in their dwellings." — Hūd 11:94

Translation: And when Our decree came, We saved Shuʿayb (upon him be peace) and the believers with him through Our mercy. And the mighty blast seized the wrongdoers, and they lay fallen in their homes.

﴿كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ﴾Ka-an lam yaghnaw fīhā a-lā buʿdan li-Madyana kamā baʿidat Thamūd "As though they had never dwelt there. Behold! Away with Madyan, as Thamūd was cast away." — Hūd 11:95

Translation: [They perished and lay ruined] as though they had never inhabited those lands. Behold! Perished be Madyan, just as Thamūd was swept away.

Commentary: Here ends another cycle of warning tales. The author notes: after the warning stories of Hūd and Ṣāliḥ (upon them be peace) came and passed, the story of the people of Madyan now concludes. The Qurʾān next takes up the story of Mūsā (upon him be peace).

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَا أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ﴾Wa laqad arsalnā Mūsā bi-āyātinā wa sulṭānin mubīnin ilā Firʿawna wa malaʾihi fa-ttabaʿū amra Firʿawna wa mā amru Firʿawna bi-rashīd "And We sent Mūsā with Our signs and manifest authority to Pharaoh and his nobles, but they followed the command of Pharaoh — and Pharaoh's command was not rightly guided." — Hūd 11:96–97

Translation: We sent Mūsā (upon him be peace) with Our signs and clear proofs, and with a manifest authority — to Pharaoh and his nobles and his court. They followed the command of Pharaoh [not of Allah], and Pharaoh's command was not rightly directed — it was deviant and destructive.

Commentary: The word sulṭān mubīn means an open, incontestable authority — the miracles and proofs that leave no room for doubt. The Qurʾān testifies that Pharaoh's nobility followed his command, not Mūsā's (upon him be peace). And Pharaoh's command was not rashīd — not guided, not correct. This verse is a clear refutation of those who apologize for Pharaoh's alleged deathbed profession of faith, for the Qurʾān itself states wa mā amru Firʿawna bi-rashīd.

﴿يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ وَبِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُودُ﴾Yaqdimu qawmahu yawma l-qiyāmati fa-awradahumu n-nāra wa biʾsa l-wirdu l-mawrūd "He will lead his people on the Day of Resurrection and bring them down to the Fire — and how wretched is the watering-place arrived at!" — Hūd 11:98

Translation: On the Day of Resurrection Pharaoh will lead his people before him and bring them to the Fire as one brings animals to a watering-place — and what a wretched watering-place has been reached!

Commentary: The metaphor al-wird and al-mawrūd — the arrival at a watering-place — is powerful: just as a herd is led to drink, Pharaoh will drive his followers straight into Hellfire. Bi'sa l-wirdu l-mawrūd — "how wretched the watering-place to which they are led!"

﴿وَأُتْبِعُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِئْسَ الرِّفْدُ الْمَرْفُودُ﴾Wa utbiʿū fī hādhihi laʿnatan wa yawma l-qiyāmati biʾsa l-rifdu l-marfūd "And they are followed in this [world] by a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection — wretched is the gift bestowed!" — Hūd 11:99

Translation: In this world they are pursued by the curse of Allah, and on the Day of Resurrection [too] they will be accursed. Wretched is the gift given [to those who have been cursed in both worlds]!

﴿ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ فَمِنْهَا قَائِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ﴾Dhālika min anbāʾi l-qurā naquṣṣuhu ʿalayka fa-minhā qāʾimun wa ḥaṣīd "This is from the tidings of the towns — We relate it to you. Of them, some still stand and some have been cut down." — Hūd 11:100

Translation: These are the accounts of [destroyed] towns which We relate to you [O Prophetﷺ]. Among them are some still standing and some that have been mowed down like harvested crops.

Commentary: The word ḥaṣīd — "harvested" — is the metaphor of crops cut down at the root; the towns that were destroyed are compared to a field that has been reaped bare. Some were merely weakened; others were completely annihilated. The Qurʾān mentions these accounts for the believers' instruction and for the warning of those who heed.

﴿وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِن ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَمَا أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ آلِهَتُهُمُ الَّتِي يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ لَّمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ وَمَا زَادُوهُمْ غَيْرَ تَتْبِيبٍ﴾Wa mā ẓalamnāhum wa lākin ẓalamū anfusahum fa-mā aghnat ʿanhum ālihatu-humu llatī yadʿūna min dūni llāhi min shayʾin lammā jāʾa amru rabbika wa mā zādūhum ghayra tatbīb "And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. So their deities, which they called upon besides Allah, availed them nothing when your Lord's command came — they only increased their ruin." — Hūd 11:101

Translation: We did not wrong them — it was they who wronged their own souls. When your Lord's decree of punishment came, their so-called gods — whom they had called upon besides Allah — were of no use whatsoever. They only added to their destruction and ruin.

Commentary: Tatbīb means utter destruction and loss. Their false deities, far from saving them, only compounded their ruin — both in this world and in the next.

﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ﴾Wa kadhālika akhdhu rabbika idhā akhadha l-qurā wa hiya ẓālimatun inna akhdha-hu alīmun shadīd "Such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Indeed, His seizure is painful and severe." — Hūd 11:102

Translation: Such is the nature of your Lord's seizure when He overtakes the towns while they are mired in oppression and wrongdoing. His grip is painful and severe.

﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّمَنْ خَافَ عَذَابَ الْآخِرَةِ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوعٌ لَّهُ النَّاسُ وَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّشْهُودٌ﴾Inna fī dhālika la-āyatan li-man khāfa ʿadhāba l-ākhirati dhālika yawmun majmūʿun lahu n-nāsu wa dhālika yawmun mashhūd "Indeed, in that is a sign for one who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That is a Day for which the people will be gathered — and that is a witnessed Day." — Hūd 11:103

Translation: Indeed in all of this there is a lesson and a warning for whoever fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That Day is one for which all people will be assembled — and it is a Day that shall assuredly arrive and be witnessed by all.

﴿وَمَا نُؤَخِّرُهُ إِلَّا لِأَجَلٍ مَّعْدُودٍ﴾Wa mā nuʾakhkhiruhu illā li-ajalin maʿdūd "And We delay it only for a counted term." — Hūd 11:104

Translation: We delay this Day only for a fixed, counted term — everything proceeds according to an appointed time. When that time arrives, the Day of Resurrection shall come.

﴿يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ﴾Yawma yaʾti lā takallamu nafsun illā bi-idhnihi fa-minhum shaqiyyun wa saʿīd "The Day it comes, no soul shall speak except by His permission. Among them will be the wretched and the blessed." — Hūd 11:105

Translation: On the Day it arrives, no soul will speak except by His leave. Among them will be the wretched [who will be in punishment] and the blessed [who will be in felicity].

﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ شَقُوا فَفِي النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَشَهِيقٌ﴾Fa-ammā lladhīna shaqū fa-fī n-nāri lahum fīhā zafīrun wa shahīq "As for those who were wretched, they will be in the Fire — in it for them is outcry and wailing." — Hūd 11:106

Translation: As for those who are wretched and doomed, they will be in the Fire. In it they will utter terrible cries (zafīr) and deep wailing (shahīq) — the sounds of extreme anguish.

﴿خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ﴾Khālidīna fīhā mā dāmati s-samāwātu wa l-arḍu illā mā shāʾa rabbuka inna rabbaka faʿʿālun li-mā yurīd "Abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills. Indeed your Lord is an effecter of what He intends." — Hūd 11:107

Translation: They will abide in it for as long as the heavens and earth endure — except for what your Lord wills. Your Lord accomplishes what He wills without restriction.

Commentary: The phrase illā mā shāʾa rabbuka — "except what your Lord wills" — preserves Divine sovereignty (mashīʾa) in an absolute form. The author explains: People are of three types. The first are those whose belief and deeds are both sound — they go from the beginning to the end in Paradise. The second are those whose belief is correct but whose deeds are deficient — they will spend some time in Hellfire and then be brought to Paradise. The third are those whose belief and deeds are both corrupt — they are the true unbelievers, and Hellfire is their permanent abode. Thus the khulūd (eternity) in Hellfire applies to unbelievers; Muslim sinners may pass through punishment but ultimately their faith saves them. The author cites ʿaṭāʾan ghayra majdhūdh (Hūd 11:108) — an unending grant — in support of the believers' ultimate salvation.

﴿وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ سُعِدُوا فَفِي الْجَنَّةِ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ عَطَاءً غَيْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ﴾Wa ammā lladhīna suʿidū fa-fī l-jannati khālidīna fīhā mā dāmati s-samāwātu wa l-arḍu illā mā shāʾa rabbuka ʿaṭāʾan ghayra majdhūdh "As for those who were blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills — a gift unceasing." — Hūd 11:108

Translation: As for those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein eternally — for as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills — a grant that is endless and uninterrupted.

Commentary: Ghayru majdhūdh — uncut, unbroken, unceasing — means the grant of Paradise has no end. The majdhūdh is something severed; this grant is the very opposite. Those who ultimately enter Paradise — even those who first pass through Hellfire — will dwell therein forever. Allah (may He be exalted) declares: ʿaṭāʾan ghayra majdhūdh — the reward is permanent and unstinting. This is a mercy for the sinful believers who are eventually saved.

﴿وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ فَاخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ﴾Wa laqad ātaynā Mūsā l-kitāba fa-khtulifā fīhi wa lawlā kalimatun sabaqat min rabbika la-quḍiya baynahum wa innahum la-fī shakkin minhu murīb "And We gave Mūsā the Book, but disagreement arose concerning it. Had it not been for a word that had preceded from your Lord, it would have been decided between them. And indeed they are in disquieting doubt about it." — Hūd 11:110

Translation: We gave Mūsā (upon him be peace) the Book — the Torah — but disagreements arose about it [among his people]. Had it not been for your Lord's prior decree [that judgment would be deferred to the Day of Resurrection], the matter would have been settled between them [by punishment]. And they remain in a deeply unsettling doubt about it.

Commentary: The verse confirms that the followers of Mūsā (upon him be peace) split into factions over the Torah. The divine wisdom dictated that judgment not be rushed — thus disagreement continues until the Day of Judgment. The verse inna rabbaka la-yuwaffīhim aʿmālahum affirms that Allah (may He be exalted) will repay every soul fully for what it did — He is all-aware of their deeds.

﴿وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾Wa staqim kamā umirta wa man tāba maʿaka wa lā taṭghaw innahu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr "So stand firm as you have been commanded — you and those who have turned [to Allah] with you — and do not transgress. He is all-seeing of what you do." — Hūd 11:112

Translation: Stand firm as you have been commanded — you and those who have repented and turned to Allah alongside you. Do not overstep [the divine limits]. He sees fully all that you do.

Commentary: The author remarks: This is one of the most demanding verses of the entire Qurʾān. Istiqāma — steadfastness — means both avoiding shortfall (insufficiency) and avoiding excess (transgression). When this verse was revealed, the Prophetﷺwas reported to have said: Shaybatnī Hūd — "Sūrat Hūd has made me old." The combination of holding to the middle path without deviation in either direction is the greatest of spiritual challenges.

﴿وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ﴾Wa lā tarkanū ilā lladhīna ẓalamū fa-tamassakumu n-nāru wa mā lakum min dūni llāhi min awliyāʾa thumma lā tunṣarūn "And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire touch you — and you would then have no protectors other than Allah, nor would you be helped." — Hūd 11:113

Translation: Do not incline toward — do not lean on, or cozy up to — those who do wrong, lest the Fire seize you. You will have no protectors other than Allah to turn to, and no help shall reach you.

Commentary: This is a stern warning against even outward inclination toward wrongdoers. The author emphasizes: it is not merely about outright joining them, but even the slightest moral leaning (rukūn) toward oppressors is forbidden. The believers must not compromise.

﴿وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّاكِرِينَ﴾Wa aqimi ṣ-ṣalāta ṭarafay in-nahāri wa zulaфan mina l-layli inna l-ḥasanāti yudhhibna s-sayyiʾāti dhālika dhikrā li-l-dhākirīn "And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Indeed, good deeds remove evil deeds — that is a reminder for those who remember." — Hūd 11:114

Translation: Establish the prayer at both ends of the day [Fajr and ʿAṣr or Maghrib and their companions] and in the watches of the night [ʿIshāʾ and Tahajjud]. Indeed, good deeds wipe away evil deeds. This is a reminder for those who heed reminders.

Commentary: The five daily prayers correspond to these timings. Ṭarafay al-nahār — the two ends of the day — include Fajr (the morning prayer) and the afternoon/evening prayers. Zulaфan min al-layl — portions of the night — includes ʿIshāʾ and the voluntary night prayer (qiyām al-layl). The great principle: inna l-ḥasanāt yudhhibna s-sayyiʾāt — "good deeds erase evil deeds." This is not a license to persist in sin but a mercy: consistent worship, repentance, and righteous action gradually cleanse the record of a believer.

﴿وَاصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾Wa ṣbir fa-inna llāha lā yuḍīʿu ajra l-muḥsinīn "And be patient — for indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good." — Hūd 11:115

Translation: Be patient and steadfast. Indeed Allah does not allow the reward of those who do good to go to waste.

﴿فَلَوْلَا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُولُو بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَا أُتْرِفُوا فِيهِ وَكَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ﴾Fa-lawlā kāna mina l-qurūni min qablikum ulū baqiyyatin yanḥawna ʿan al-fasādi fī l-arḍi illā qalīlan mimman anjaynā minhum wa ttabaʿa lladhīna ẓalamū mā utrifū fīhi wa kānū mujrimīn "Why were there not, among the generations before you, those of lasting virtue who would forbid corruption in the earth — except for a few among those We saved? And those who did wrong pursued their enjoyment of worldly luxuries and were criminals." — Hūd 11:116

Translation: Why were there not, in the communities before you, people of strong virtue and wisdom (ulū baqiyya) who forbade corruption on the earth? Except for a few — those whom We saved. And the wrongdoers pursued their sensual comforts and luxuries (utrifū) and remained criminals.

Commentary: Ulū baqiyya refers to people of lasting virtue — those who retain the noble qualities of the righteous forebears and act as a safeguard against moral decay. Such people forbid evil on the earth. The commentary laments that in every corrupt era, only a very few people of rectitude exist who resist the tide of corruption; the majority either participate in it or remain passive.

﴿وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا مُصْلِحُونَ﴾Wa mā kāna rabbuka li-yuhlikat-qurā bi-ẓulmin wa ahluhā muṣliḥūn "Your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully while their people were acting rightly." — Hūd 11:117

Translation: And your Lord would never unjustly destroy communities while their people were engaged in reform and righteousness. Punishment only comes when they are utterly corrupt.

﴿وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ﴾Wa law shāʾa rabbuka la-jaʿala n-nāsa ummatan wāḥidatan wa lā yazālūna mukhtalifīn "Had your Lord willed, He would have made all people a single community, but they will not cease to differ." — Hūd 11:118

Translation: Had your Lord willed, He could have made all people a single unified community [in faith and practice]. But they will continue in their disagreements.

﴿إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذَٰلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾Illā man raḥima rabbuka wa li-dhālika khalaqahum wa tammat kalimatu rabbika la-amlaʾanna jahannama mina l-jinnati wa n-nāsi ajmaʿīn "Except those upon whom your Lord has mercy — and for that [mercy] He created them. And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled: I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men altogether." — Hūd 11:119

Translation: Except those whom your Lord singles out with His mercy — and it is for this [mercy, this guided life] that He created them. And the decree of your Lord has been fulfilled: "I will assuredly fill Hellfire with the jinn and humankind altogether [from those who choose disbelief]."

Commentary: The phrase li-dhālika khalaqahum — "for that He created them" — refers to mercy (raḥma): the ultimate purpose of creation is for people to receive divine mercy. The author notes: Hellfire's inhabitants are those who earned it through their own choice; the decree does not compel anyone to disbelieve. Allah's (may He be exalted) mercy precedes His wrath, as the Ḥadīth states:«سَبَقَتْ رَحْمَتِي غَضَبِي»— Sabaqat raḥmatī ghaḍabī — "My mercy has preceded My wrath" (al-Bukhārī, al-Muslim). Those who repent, believe, and act rightly are the recipients of that prior mercy.

﴿وَكُلًّا نَّقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَجَاءَكَ فِي هَٰذِهِ الْحَقُّ وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾Wa kullan naquṣṣu ʿalayka min anbāʾi r-rusuli mā nuthabbitu bihi fuʾādaka wa jāʾaka fī hādhihi l-ḥaqqu wa mawʿiẓatun wa dhikrā li-l-muʾminīn "And all that We relate to you of the accounts of the Messengers is that by which We strengthen your heart. And in this [sūra] the truth has come to you, as well as an admonition and a reminder for the believers." — Hūd 11:120

Translation: All these accounts of the Messengers We relate to you [O Prophetﷺ] in order to strengthen and steady your heart. And in this [sūra] has come to you the truth, and an admonition, and a reminder for the believers.

﴿وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ اعْمَلُوا عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنَّا عَامِلُونَ﴾Wa qul li-lladhīna lā yuʾminūna ʿmalū ʿalā makānatikum innā ʿāmilūn "And say to those who do not believe: Act according to your capacity; we too are acting." — Hūd 11:121

Translation: And say [O Prophetﷺ] to those who do not believe: Do what you can do, in whatever capacity you have. We too are doing what we must.

﴿وَانتَظِرُوا إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ﴾Wa ntaẓirū innā muntaẓirūn "And wait — we too are waiting." — Hūd 11:122

Translation: Wait and watch — we too are waiting.

[The running header on p. 137 shows both "Hūd" and "Yūsuf" — the transition from Sūrat Hūd to the opening of Sūrat Yūsuf occurs here.]

﴿وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾Wa li-llāhi ghaybu s-samāwāti wa l-arḍi wa ilayhi yurjaʿu l-amru kulluhu fa-ʿbudhu wa tawakkal ʿalayhi wa mā rabbuka bi-ghāfilin ʿammā taʿmalūn "To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him all affairs are returned. So worship Him and put your trust in Him — and your Lord is not unaware of what you do." — Hūd 11:123

Translation: To Allah alone belongs all that is hidden in the heavens and the earth — all mysteries are His. And to Him all matters ultimately return. So worship Him and place your reliance upon Him. And your Lord is never heedless of what you do.

Commentary: This is the closing verse of Sūrat Hūd. The author summarizes: all affairs — individual, communal, cosmic — return to Allah (may He be exalted) in the end. The proper response to this truth is exclusive worship (ʿibāda) and complete reliance (tawakkul). Your Lord (rabbuka) is not absent from your affairs — He is fully aware of everything.

Sūrat Yūsuf (12)