Noah. “We carried you”: that is, We carried your forefathers while you were still in their loins, “in the sailing vessel”—that is, in the ship that sailed upon the water.

“So that We might make it a reminder for you, and that a retentive ear might retain it (12). Then, when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast (13), and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single crushing (14), on that Day the Inevitable Event will come to pass (15). The heaven will split asunder, and on that Day it will be frail (16). The angels will be at its sides, and above them, on that Day, eight will bear the Throne of your Lord (17).”

“So that We might make it”: that is, so that We might make that act which We carried out—the drowning of Noah’s people and the salvation of those whom We carried with him—“a reminder for you”: a lesson and an admonition. “And that a retentive ear might retain it”: al-Qawwas, reporting from Ibn Kathir, and Sulaym, reporting from Hamzah, recited it with a reduced articulation of the vowel on the letter ayn; the others recited it with a full kasrah—that is, that it may preserve it. “A retentive ear”: that is, one that preserves what has come from Allah. Qatadah said: “An ear (1) that heard and understood what it heard.” Al-Farra said: “So that every ear may preserve it, and it may thus serve as a lesson and an admonition for those who come after.” (2)

“Then, when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast”: this is the first blast. “And the earth and the mountains are lifted up”: they will be raised from their places. “And crushed”: broken. “With a single crushing”: with one crushing, so that they become scattered dust (3). “On that Day the Inevitable Event will come to pass”: the Resurrection will arise. “The heaven will split asunder, and on that Day it will be frail”: weak. Al-Farra said: “Its frailty is its splitting apart.” (4)

“And the angels”—that is, the angels—“will be at its sides”: at its regions and extremities, that which has not ⦗173b⦘ split apart from it. Its singular is raja, and its dual is rajawan. Al-Dahhak said: “The angels will be at its edge until the Lord commands them; then they will descend and encompass the earth and all who are upon it.” “And above them will bear the Throne of your Lord”: that is, above their heads—meaning, the bearers of the Throne—“on that Day”: the Day of Resurrection—“eight”: that is, eight angels.

It is reported in a hadith: “Today they are four; then, when the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah will support them with four others, and they will become