The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 338
CH. 71 NŪḤ PT. 29 إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ For, if Thou dost leave. 28 وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا them, they will only lead astray Thy servants and will not beget but sinners and disbelievers. 4397 رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ My Lord! forgive me and. 29 my parents, and him who enters بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِتِ my house as a believer, and the ع وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّلِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَاران believing men and the believing women; and increase Thou not the wrongdoers but in perdition. ' £ & "14:42. of human kindness. Noah's prayer shows that opposition to him must have been long, persistent and unremitting, and that all his efforts to bring his people to the right path must have been abortive, and that there had remained no possibility for any further addition to his small following, and also that his opponents must have exceeded all legitimate bounds in opposing and persecuting him and his followers, and in indulging in evil pursuits. Matters must have come to such a pass that a man of a compassionate disposition like Noah was constrained to pray against his people. In an identical situation the Holy Prophet's attitude to his opponents presents a vivid contrast. In the Battle of Uḥud, the Holy Prophet had two of his teeth broken. He was badly wounded and bled profusely, and yet the only words that escaped his lips on that occasion, were, "How will a people get salvation who have wounded their Prophet and have smeared his face with blood, for no fault but that he calls them to God. My Lord! forgive my people, they know not what they do" (Zurqānī & Hishām). (the land) in the verse signifies Noah's own land-Iraq and not the whole earth. This word has been used at several places in the Quran in the sense of a particular land or country (5:27 & 28:82). 4397. Commentary: and the preceding verse may be read Noah's prayer, embodied in this as not against but rather for his people. Besides the meaning given in the text the prayer may signify that not a single disbeliever should remain in the land, i. e. all should become believers. 3234