“Sailing under Our watch, as a recompense for him who had been denied. And We certainly left it as a sign; so is there anyone who will take heed? Then how severe were My punishment and My warnings! And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember; so is there anyone who will take heed?” (14–17)

“Sailing under Our watch”: that is, within Our sight. Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: under Our protection. From this comes their saying to one who is departing: “May Allah’s eye be over you.” Sufyan said: by Our command.

“As a recompense for him who had been denied”: Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: that is, what We did to him and to them—saving Noah and drowning his people—was a recompense for the one who had been denied and whose command had been rejected, namely Noah, peace be upon him. It was also said that “who” means “what”: that is, as a recompense for Allah’s favors and blessings that those who were drowned had denied, or as a recompense for what was done to Noah and his companions. Mujahid recited it, “as a recompense for whoever had disbelieved,” with the kaf and fa’ vowelled with fathah; meaning, the drowning was a recompense for whoever had disbelieved in Allah and denied His Messenger.

⦗146a⦘ “And We certainly left it”: that is, the event that We carried out, as a sign by which people may take warning. It was also said that this refers to the Ark. Qatadah said: Allah left it in Baqirdi, in the land of al-Jazirah, as a lesson and a sign, until the earliest generations of this community saw it. “So is there anyone who will take heed?”: that is, anyone who remembers, takes admonition and warning, and fears a punishment like theirs.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il related to us; Abu Nu'aym related to us; Zuhayr related to us from Abu Ishaq, who heard a man ask al-Aswad concerning His saying, “So is there anyone who will take heed?”: is it read muddakir or mudhakkir? He replied: “I heard Abd Allah recite it as muddakir, and he said: ‘I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recite it as muddakir, with a dal.’”

“Then how severe were My punishment and My warnings!”: that is, My warning. Al-Farra’ said: indhar (warning) and nudhur (warnings) are both verbal nouns. The Arabs say, “I warned a warning,” just as they say, “I spent a spending and an expenditure,” and, “I became certain with certainty.” Thus, the noun is used in place of the verbal noun.

“And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember”: We have made the Quran easy for people to remember and take admonition from. Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: We have made it easy to memorize and recite, and none of Allah’s Books can be recited entirely from memory except the Quran. “So is there anyone who will take heed?”: anyone who takes admonition from its exhortations.