وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ 33
Translations
And the eminent among his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter while We had given them luxury in the worldly life said, "This is not but a man like yourselves. He eats of that from which you eat and drinks of what you drink.
Transliteration
Wa qāla al-mala'u min qawmihi alladhīna kafarū wa kadhdhab ū bi-liqā'i al-ākhirati wa atrафnāhum fī al-hayāti ad-dunyā mā hādhā illā basharun mithlukum ya'kulu mimmā ta'kulūn minhu wa yashrabu mimmā tashrabūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The elite disbelievers of Noah's people, whom Allah had given luxury and abundance in worldly life, rejected the message by claiming that Noah was merely a human like themselves with the same basic needs. Their denial of the Hereafter and material prosperity blinded them to the truth of his prophethood, leading them to use his humanity as a pretext for disbelief. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this reflects the arrogance of those whom wealth corrupts, making them dismissive of divine guidance regardless of the messenger's legitimacy.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Prophet Noah (Nuh) in Surah Al-Mu'minun, detailing the rejection he faced from his people over 950 years of preaching. The context shows how the wealthy elite of Noah's society used his human nature as an excuse to deny his message, a pattern that would repeat with subsequent messengers. The mention of them being given luxuries emphasizes how material prosperity can be a trial that hardens hearts against divine truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those of the best character' (Sahih Bukhari 3331), which counters the notion that humanity invalidates prophethood. Additionally, the hadith about wealth being a trial: 'Wealth and children are adornments of this worldly life, but the everlasting good deeds are better' (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46, referenced in Tirmidhi as a guiding principle).
Themes
Key Lesson
Material prosperity and social status can blind people to divine truth and cause them to dismiss guidance, even when presented by truthful messengers. Believers should guard against allowing wealth or social position to create arrogance and should recognize that a messenger's humanity is not a weakness but rather a sign of mercy, as prophets are chosen from among mankind to guide their people with relatable understanding.