وَنَصَرْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ 77
Translations
And We aided [i.e., saved] him from the people who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were a people of evil, so We drowned them, all together.
Transliteration
Wa nasarnahu min al-qawm alladhina kadhdhaba bi-ayatina, innahum kanu qawm saw in fa-aghraqnahum ajma'in
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's support of Prophet Nuh (Noah) against his people who rejected the divine signs and disbelieved in his message. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that despite Nuh's 950 years of preaching, his people remained obstinate and wicked, so Allah drowned them all in the Great Flood as a punishment for their persistent rejection of faith and wickedness. This demonstrates both Allah's mercy toward His believing servants and His severe punishment toward those who deliberately turn away from truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Anbiya (The Prophets), which comprehensively recounts stories of various prophets and their struggles with their respective peoples. The surah uses these narratives to console Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during Meccan persecution, showing that rejection of prophets is not unique and that Allah ultimately vindicates His messengers. This specific ayah follows the broader narrative about Nuh's mission and serves as a historical lesson about divine justice.
Related Hadiths
The story of Nuh is extensively referenced in hadith collections. Notable is a hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet Muhammad mentions that Nuh was the first messenger sent to humanity, and that he called his people for 950 years before the flood came upon them, highlighting the patience and long suffering of this great prophet.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that rejection of divine truth brings inevitable consequences, and that Allah never abandons His faithful servants but grants them victory over their enemies. For contemporary Muslims, it reinforces the importance of patience in faith, obedience to divine guidance, and trust in Allah's ultimate justice, even when surrounded by those who deny the truth.