10:71 Yunus (Jonas)

يقول تعالى لنبيه‏:‏ واتل على قومك ‏{‏نَبَأَ نُوحٍ‏}‏ في دعوته لقومه، حين دعاهم إلى الله مدة طويلة، فمكث فيهم ألف سنة إلا خمسين عامًا، فلم يزدهم دعاؤه إياهم إلا طغيانًا، فتمللوا منه وسئموا، وهو عليه الصلاة والسلام غير متكاسل، ولا متوان في دعوتهم، فقال لهم‏:‏ ‏{‏يَا قَوْمِ إِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَقَامِي وَتَذْكِيرِي بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ إن كان مقامي عندكم، وتذكيري إياكم ما ينفعكم ‏{‏بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ‏}‏ الأدلة الواضحة البينة، قد شق عليكم وعظم لديكم، وأردتم أن تنالوني بسوء أو تردوا الحق‏.‏ ‏{‏فَعَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ اعتمدت على الله، في دفع كل شر يراد بي، وبما أدعو إليه، فهذا جندي، وعدتي‏.‏ وأنتم، فأتوا بما قدرتم عليه، من أنواع العَدَدَ والعُددَ‏.‏ ‏{‏فَأَجْمِعُوا أَمْرَكُمْ‏}‏ كلكم، بحيث لا يتخلف منكم أحد، ولا تدخروا من مجهودكم شيئًا‏.‏ ‏{‏و‏}‏ أحضروا ‏{‏شُرَكَاءَكُمْ‏}‏ الذي كنتم تعبدونهم وتوالونهم من دون الله رب العالمين‏.‏ ‏{‏ثُمَّ لَا يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةً‏}‏ أي‏:‏ مشتبهًا خفيًا، بل ليكن ذلك ظاهرًا علانية‏.‏ ‏{‏ثُمَّ اقْضُوا إِلَيَّ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ اقضوا علي بالعقوبة والسوء، الذي في إمكانكم، ‏{‏وَلَا تُنْظِرُونِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ لا تمهلوني ساعة من نهار‏.‏ فهذا برهان قاطع، وآية عظيمة على صحة رسالته، وصدق ما جاء به، حيث كان وحده لا عشيرة تحميه، ولا جنود تؤويه‏.‏ وقد بادأ قومه بتسفيه آرائهم، وفساد دينهم، وعيب آلهتهم‏.‏ وقد حملوا من بغضه، وعداوته ما هو أعظم من الجبال الرواسي، وهم أهل القدرة والسطوة، وهو يقول لهم‏:‏ اجتمعوا أنتم وشركاؤكم ومن استطعتم، وأبدوا كل ما تقدرون عليه من الكيد، فأوقعوا بي إن قدرتم على ذلك، فلم يقدروا على شيء من ذلك‏.‏ فعلم أنه الصادق حقًا، وهم الكاذبون فيما يدعون

يقول تعالى لنبيه صلوات الله وسلامه عليه "واتل عليهم" أي أخبرهم واقصص عليهم أي على كفار مكة الذين يكذبونك ويخالفونك "نبأ نوح" أي خبره مع قومه الذين كذبوه كيف أهلكهم الله ودمرهم بالغرق أجمعين عن آخرهم ليحذر هؤلاء أن يصيبهم من الهلاك والدمار ما أصاب أولئك "إذ قال لقومه يا قوم إن كان كبر عليكم" أي عظم عليكم "مقامي" أي فيكم بين أظهركم "وتذكيري" إياكم "بآيات الله " أي بحججه وبراهينه "فعلى الله توكلت" أي فإني لا أبالي ولا أكف عنكم سواء عظم عليكم أو لا"فأجمعوا أمركم وشركاءكم" أي فاجتمعوا أنتم وشركاؤكم الذين تدعون من دون الله من صنم ووثن "ثم لا يكن أمركم عليكم غمة" أي ولا تجعلوا أمركم عليكم ملتبسا بل افصلوا حالكم معي فإن كنتم تزعمون أنكم محقون فاقضوا إلي "ولا تنظرون" أي ولا تؤخروني ساعة واحدة أي مهما قدرتم فافعلوا فإني لا أباليكم ولا أخاف منكم لأنكم لستم على شيء كما قال هود لقومه "إني أشهد الله واشهدوا أني بريء مما تشركون من دونه فكيدوني جميعا ثم لا تنظرون إني توكلت على الله ربي وربكم" الآية.

The Story of Nuh and His People

Allah instructed His Prophet , saying:

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ

(And recite to them) relate to the disbelievers of the Quraysh who belied you and rejected you,

نَبَأَ نُوحٍ

(the news of Nuh) meaning, his story and news with his people who belied him. Tell them how Allah destroyed them and caused every last one of them all to drown. Let this be a lesson for your people, lest they will be destroyed like them.

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ يَقَوْمِ إِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَّقَامِى وَتَذْكِيرِى بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَعَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ

(When he said to his people: "O my people, if my stay (with you), and my reminding (you) of the Ayat of Allah is hard on you, then I put my trust in Allah.") Meaning, `if you find that it is too much of an offense that I should live among you and preach to you the revelation of Allah and His signs and proofs, then I do not care what you think, and I will not stop inviting you.'

فَأَجْمِعُواْ أَمْرَكُمْ وَشُرَكَآءَكُمْ

(So devise your plot, you and your partners), `get together with all of your deities (idols and statues) that you call upon beside Allah,'

ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةً

(and let not your plot be in confusion for you) meaning, an`d do not be confused about this, rather come and let us settle this together if you claim that you are truthful,'

وَلاَ تُنظِرُونَ

(and give me no respite.) `Do not give me respite even for one hour. Whatever you can do, go ahead and do it. I do not care, and I do not fear you, because you are not standing on anything.' This is similar to what Hud said to his people,

إِن نَّقُولُ إِلاَّ اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّى أُشْهِدُ اللَّهِ وَاشْهَدُواْ أَنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - مِن دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لاَ تُنظِرُونِ إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ

(I call Allah to witness, and you bear witness, that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord!) (11:54-55)

Islam is the Religion of all of the Prophets

Nuh said,

فَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ

(But if you turn away) if you belie the message and turn away from obedience.

فَمَا سَأَلْتُكُمْ مِّنْ أَجْرٍ

(then no reward have I asked of you,) I have not asked you anything for my advice.

إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(My reward is only from Allah. And I have been commanded to be of the Muslims.) I submit to Islam. Islam is the religion of all of the Prophets from the first to the last. Their laws and their rules may be of different types but the religion is the same. Allah said:

لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَـجاً

(To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way.)(5:48) Ibn `Abbas said: "A way and a Sunnah." Here Nuh is saying:

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(and I have been commanded to be of the Muslims.) Allah said about His friend, Ibrahim:

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَوَصَّى بِهَآ إِبْرَهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَـبَنِىَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

(When his Lord said to him, "Submit (be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of all that exists." And this was enjoined by Ibrahim upon his sons and by Ya`qub (saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims.")(2:131-132) Yusuf said:

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِى مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ الاٌّحَادِيثِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّ فِى الدُّنُيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِالصَّـلِحِينَ

(My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams -- the (Only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous.)(12:101) Musa said:

يقَوْمِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءامَنْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُواْ إِن كُنْتُم مُّسْلِمِينَ

(O my people! If you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims.)(10:84) The magicians said:

رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

(Our Lord! pour out on us patience, and cause us to die as Muslims.)(7:126) Bilqis said:

رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (I have become Muslim) together with Sulayman to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.) (27:44) Allah said:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ

(Verily, We did send down the Tawrah, therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, judged for the Jews.)(5:44) He also said:

وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ ءَامِنُواْ بِى وَبِرَسُولِى قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ

(And when I (Allah) inspired Al-Hawariyyin to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.") (5:111) The last of the Messengers and the leader of mankind said:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(Verily, my Salah, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.) (6:162-163) meaning, from this Ummah. He said, in an authentic Hadith:

«نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الْأَنِبْيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ. وَدِينُنُا وَاحِد»

(We, the Prophets are brothers with (the same father but) different mothers. Our religion is the same,) meaning, `we should worship Allah alone without partners while having different laws.'

The Evil Goal and End of Criminals

Allah said:

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُ

(They denied him, but We delivered him, and those with him) meaning on his religion,

فِى الْفُلْكِ

(in the (Fulk) ship) Fulk refers to the ark, and,

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ خَلاَئِفَ

(We made them generations replacing one after another) on earth,

وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَـتِنَا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ

(while We drowned those who belied Our Ayat. Then see what was the end of those who were warned.) meaning `O Muhammad, see how We saved the believers and destroyed the deniers!'

And recite O Muhammad (s) to them that is to the Meccan disbelievers the story the tale of Noah Nūhin is substituted by the following idh qāla when he said to his people ‘O my people if my sojourn my stay among you is too great to bear is a hardship for you as is my reminding you my admonishing you by the signs of God in God have I put my trust; so decide upon your course of action resolve upon what you will do to me together with your associates wa-shurakā’akum the wāw wa- means here ‘with’ then let not your decision be a secret between you concealed nay manifest it and proclaim it to me; then implement it against me carry out what you desire and do not put it off do not give me respite for I am not concerned by you.

It was said in the last verse (64) that, for the friends of Allah, there is the good news in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. As for the good news of the Hereafter, it will come at the time of death when the spirit of the deceased will be taken to Allah. At that time, he will hear the good news of Paradise being for him. Then, on the day of Qiyamah, when he rises from his grave, he will receive the good news of being welcome to Paradise. This is similar to what al-Tabarani has reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` People who recite: لا إلہ إلا اللہ (la ilaha illallah: There is no god but Allah) will not experience any fright at the time of death, nor inside the grave, nor at the time they rise from it. This is as if my eyes are seeing the scenario of that time when these people will, shaking the dust off, rise from their graves, saying: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ (Praised is Allah who has removed from us [ all ] grief - 35:34) '

As for the good news in this world, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, `(they are) the true dreams one sees himself or are seen by someone else with him in it and, in which, there is good news for them. (Reported by al-Bukhri from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ .

Another basharah (good news) of this world unfolds in the form that Muslims at large love someone and take him to be good without any personal motive or interest. About it, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: تِلکَ عَاجِلُ بشرَی المؤمِن that is, ` being taken as good and praiseworthy is, for a true Muslim, good news in ready cash.' (Muslim and al-Baghawi)

And recite to them the story of Noah when he said to his people, " If my station and my reminding you of God's signs are too much for you, then in God I trust, so gather together your affair and those whom you associate, and let not your affair be obscure for you. Then decide about me, and do not leave me waiting. " This is a lordly example from the Glorious Presence. He is saying, " Trial from My court is a robe of honor for the friends, and drinking the draft of tribulation from the cup of love is the job of men. If someone's makeup is not worthy to be a target for the arrow of My trial, his countenance will also not be worthy of My love and beauty. " When people choose someone for friendship, it is their habit to want every ease and comfort for their friend. The divine custom is contrary to this: Whenever He approves of someone for friendship, He sends him the drink of tribulation with the robe of love. " Surely the people most severely tried are the prophets, then the friends, then the next best, then the next best. " " When God loves a servant, trial is poured down all over him. " For a moment look at the state of Noah, the elder of the envoys and the leader of the godwary: What suffering he saw from his own community, what tribulation, and what a load of trial and trouble he carried in inviting them! For a thousand years less fifty he was inviting them, and ev- ery day they would beat him such that he lost consciousness, and they advised his own children to strike and beat him. With all this tribulation and trial he used to say, " I have so much sorrow that I care nothing for your beating. " He said to them, " In God I trust, so gather together your affair and those whom you associate: Do whatever you want, and prepare whatever deception you can, for I am leaning on my Lord and have accepted Him as my caretaker, for in God I trust. " Trust is the bridge to certainty and the pillar of faith. The Exalted Lord says, " And in God put your trust, if you have faith " [5:23].