Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/222)

Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

They went so far as to demand that he drive away the believers who were with him, out of sheer arrogance and disdain for both truth and people. Noah made it clear to them that he was not astray; rather, through him misguidance is removed from creation. He informed them that he was a trustworthy messenger, supported by clear proof from his Lord and manifest evidence; that it was unlawful to expel the believers—indeed, their due was honor and respect—and that he never claimed any rank that would vie with the Lord’s. He therefore declared: “I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah, nor that I know the unseen; nor do I say, ‘I am an angel’; nor do I say of those whom your eyes look down upon, ‘Allah will never grant them any good’” (Hud 31).

Yet he continued to invite them night and day, privately and publicly. His call only increased their flight, aversion, and stubborn avoidance, and they mutually urged one another to persist in worshipping others besides Allah and to cling to that practice. Noah then said: “My Lord, they have disobeyed me and have followed those whose wealth and children have only increased them in loss (21); and they have hatched a tremendous plot (22); and they have said, ‘Do not abandon your gods. Do not forsake Wadd, or Suwaʿ, or Yaghūth, Yaʿūq, or Nasr’” (Noah 21–23).

When he saw that no form of reminder benefited them, and that each successive generation was more wicked than the one before, he prayed: “My Lord, do not leave on earth a single dweller from among the disbelievers (26). If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and will beget none but wicked, stubborn deniers” (Noah 26–27).

Allah answered his supplication and commanded him to build the Ark under His care, gracious oversight, and direct instruction—a craft Allah bestowed upon humankind as a favor. Noah thus gained the distinction of pioneering this craft, from which countless religious and worldly benefits have flowed throughout all ages. Allah also informed him that the drowning of his people was now certain, and that he was not to plead with his Lord on their behalf (1), for they were wrongdoers.

So he began constructing the Ark, and whenever a group of his people’s leaders passed by, they mocked him. He said, “If you mock us today, then surely we will mock you when destruction overtakes you” (Hud 38).

(1) This is the wording found in manuscript Kh; the T edition reads: “wa-annahu la” (“and that he does not”).

وطلبوا منهُ أنْ يطردَ مَنْ كان معهُ من المؤمنينَ؛ استكبارًا منهم، واستنكافًا على الحقِّ وعلى الخلقِ، فبيَّنَ لهم أنهُ ليسَ بهِ ضلالٌ، وإنما بهِ تزولُ الضلالةُ عن الخلقِ، وأنهُ رسولٌ أمينٌ، على بينةٍ من ربهِ وبراهينَ واضحةٍ، وأنَّ المؤمنينَ لا يحلُّ طردُهم، بلْ حقُّهم الإكرامُ والاحترامُ، وأنهُ لا يدَّعي لهم طورًا يزاحمُ فيه الربَّ، فقالَ: ﴿وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ وَلَا أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا﴾ [هود: ٣١]. فلم يزَلْ يدعُوهم ليلًا ونهارًا، وسرًّا وجهارًا، فلم يزِدْهم دعاؤهُ إلا فرارًا ونفورًا وإعراضًا، وتواصيًا منهم على الإقامةِ على ما هم عليهِ من عبادةِ غيرِ اللهِ والتمسكِ بها؛ فقالَ نوحٌ: ﴿رَبِّ إِنَّهُمْ عَصَوْنِي وَاتَّبَعُوا مَنْ لَمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُ وَوَلَدُهُ إِلَّا خَسَارًا (٢١) وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا كُبَّارًا (٢٢) وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا (٢٣)﴾ [نوح: ٢١ - ٢٣]. فلما رأى أنَّ التذكيرَ لا ينفعُ فيهم بوجهٍ من الوجوهِ، وأنهُ كلَّما جاءَ قرنٌ كان أخبثَ مما قبلَهُ، قالَ: ﴿رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا (٢٦) إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا (٢٧)﴾ [نوح: ٢٦ - ٢٧]. فأجابَ اللهُ دعوتَهُ، وأمرَهُ أنْ يصنعَ الفلكَ برعايةٍ منهُ، وحسنِ نظرٍ، وتعليمٍ من اللهِ لهُ هذهِ الصنعةَ التي امتنَّ اللهُ بها على العبادِ، وصارَ نوحٌ لهُ الفضلُ والابتداءُ بهذهِ الصناعةِ التي حصلَ بها من المنافعِ الدينيةِ والدنيويةِ في جميعِ الأوقاتِ ما لا يعدُّ ولا يُحصَى. وأخبرَهُ اللهُ بتحتمِ إغراقِهم، [وألَّا] (١) يُخاطِبَ ربَّهُ فيهم؛ فإنهم ظالمونَ. وجعل ﴿يَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُ﴾ [هود: ٣٨]، فقالَ لهم: ﴿إِنْ تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا﴾ اليومَ، ﴿فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنْكُمْ﴾ إذا وقعَ الهلاكُ بكم.

(١) كذا في (خ). وفي (ط): وأنه لا.