Surah Hud (Hud) 11 : 28

Overview (Verses 28 - 31)

A Prophet’s Passionate Plea

Kind and dignified, the Prophet Noah is full of confidence that his message is the message of truth. He trusts that it comes from God, and is fully aware that his path has been set clearly for him and that his method of operation is sound and honest. He remains unaffected by the false accusations, insolence and blind rejection with which his message has been received. He applies his own values and maintains his own standards. He does not make false claims or accusations as they have done. Nor does he try to give himself any false image or impart anything alien to his message.

“Noah said: ‘Think, my people! If take my stand on a clear evidence from my Lord, and He has favoured me with grace from Himself to which you have remained blind, can we force it upon you when you are averse to it? And, my people, I ask of you no money in return; my reward rests with none but God. Nor will I drive away those who believe; they will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness [of right and wrong]. And, my people, who would protect me from God were I to drive them away? Will you not reflect? I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me, or that I know what lies beyond the reach of human perception. Nor do I say: I am an angel. Nor do I say of those whom you eye with contempt that God will never grant them any good. God knows best what is in their hearts — for then I would indeed be a wrongdoer.’” (Verses 28-31)

He addresses people with kindness and friendliness stressing his relationship to them: ‘My people,’ you object to my message saying: ‘We see you but a mortal man like ourselves.’ Yet I have a relationship with my Lord which is absolutely clear to me and firmly established in my conscience. This is something that you have not been granted. What if God has bestowed on me His grace, selecting me to carry His message? This is indeed a great mercy He has shown me. Yet what if both conditions are true, but you remain blind to them, because you are not open minded enough? “Can we force it upon you?” (Verse 28) It is not for me to try to force you to accept it “when you are averse to it.” (Verse 28)

Here we see Noah trying gently to awaken their consciences, making them feel the importance of the values to which they have been blind and making them aware of the characteristics they tend to overlook when it comes to the message and the person selected to carry it. He explains to them that these matters are not decided on the basis of their superficial criteria. At the same time he establishes the right principle that faith must be based on conviction, and that conviction is the result of study and reflection. Compulsion, arbitrary authority and conceit have no bearing on faith and conviction.

“And, my people, I ask of you no money in return; my reward rests with none but God. Nor will I drive away those who believe; they will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness [of right and wrong].” (Verse 29) Those whom you describe as the most abject among you, Noah explains, have responded positively to my call and accepted the faith. I seek no financial gain for my call, and as such, I cannot favour the rich over the poor. All my people are equal as far as I am concerned. He who does not seek pecuniary reward from people cannot make any distinction on the basis of wealth. “My reward rests with none but God.” He is the only One from whom reward may be forthcoming.

“Nor will drive away those who believe.” (Verse 29) This statement implies that Noah’s people either demanded or hinted that if he drove them away, they might consider accepting his faith. They claim that they cannot degrade themselves by meeting with such abject people or take the same route as they. Noah’s statement though is very emphatic: I am not going to drive them away. I cannot bring myself to do so when they have believed. Their fate is decided by their Lord, not by me: “They will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness.” (Verse 29) You are unaware of the true values by which people achieve their status with God. You are also unaware that all people shall return to Him.

“My people, who would protect me from God, were I to drive them away?” (Verse 30) Who will shield me from God if I contravene His rules and treat the believers among His servants unjustly, when they enjoy His pleasure? Who will protect me from Him if I confirm the false, worldly values which He sent me to change: “Will you not reflect?” (Verse 30) Your methods and conditions have certainly caused you to neglect the standards of a true and upright nature.

He then introduces himself and his message. His presentation is simple, devoid of any ornament and decoration, free of all false standards and values. He reminds them of the true values, looking with contempt on all superficial ones. He disowns all superficiality and states his message as it is, pure and simple, with no false claims. He who wants it, let him take it as it is: as pure as God made it.

“I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me.” I do not claim that I am rich or that I can make any of you rich. “Or that I know what lies beyond the reach of human perception.” (Verse 31) I do not make any claim of any super-human status or allege that my relationship with God exceeds the fact that I have been entrusted with this message. “Nor do I say: I am an angel.” (Verse 31) I do not claim to have a position which you think to be higher than that of man, so that I may gain favour or high position from you. “Nor do Ray of those whom you eye with contempt that God will never grant them any good,” so that I satisfy your pride or accommodate your standards and values. “God knows best what is in their hearts.” (Verse 31) I have to go by what I see. To me, they appear deserving of honour and hope that God will grant them of His bounty. “For then I would indeed be a wrongdoer.” (Verse 31) If I made such false claims I would be unjust to the very truth I have come to convey. I would also be unjust to myself, exposed to God’s wrath, and I would be unjust to other people to whom I gave a status other than that given them by God.

Thus Noah (peace be upon him) disowns all false values and assumed pretences. He presents his message clearly: real, great, free of all falsehood. He faces them with the clarity and strength of the truth. At the same time he makes a gentle and friendly exposition of the simple truth so that they may look it in the face and decide upon their line of action. No pretence, no flattery, no attempt to win any favour with anyone at the expense of the message and its simple nature. In this Noah sets an example for all advocates of the Islamic message in all generations and provides them with a lesson in how to confront the people of authority with the simple truth, without any attempt to compromise, or flatter, but with the sort of friendliness which is not associated with submission.

Overview (Verses 28 - 31)

A Prophet’s Passionate Plea

Kind and dignified, the Prophet Noah is full of confidence that his message is the message of truth. He trusts that it comes from God, and is fully aware that his path has been set clearly for him and that his method of operation is sound and honest. He remains unaffected by the false accusations, insolence and blind rejection with which his message has been received. He applies his own values and maintains his own standards. He does not make false claims or accusations as they have done. Nor does he try to give himself any false image or impart anything alien to his message.

“Noah said: ‘Think, my people! If take my stand on a clear evidence from my Lord, and He has favoured me with grace from Himself to which you have remained blind, can we force it upon you when you are averse to it? And, my people, I ask of you no money in return; my reward rests with none but God. Nor will I drive away those who believe; they will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness [of right and wrong]. And, my people, who would protect me from God were I to drive them away? Will you not reflect? I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me, or that I know what lies beyond the reach of human perception. Nor do I say: I am an angel. Nor do I say of those whom you eye with contempt that God will never grant them any good. God knows best what is in their hearts — for then I would indeed be a wrongdoer.’” (Verses 28-31)

He addresses people with kindness and friendliness stressing his relationship to them: ‘My people,’ you object to my message saying: ‘We see you but a mortal man like ourselves.’ Yet I have a relationship with my Lord which is absolutely clear to me and firmly established in my conscience. This is something that you have not been granted. What if God has bestowed on me His grace, selecting me to carry His message? This is indeed a great mercy He has shown me. Yet what if both conditions are true, but you remain blind to them, because you are not open minded enough? “Can we force it upon you?” (Verse 28) It is not for me to try to force you to accept it “when you are averse to it.” (Verse 28)

Here we see Noah trying gently to awaken their consciences, making them feel the importance of the values to which they have been blind and making them aware of the characteristics they tend to overlook when it comes to the message and the person selected to carry it. He explains to them that these matters are not decided on the basis of their superficial criteria. At the same time he establishes the right principle that faith must be based on conviction, and that conviction is the result of study and reflection. Compulsion, arbitrary authority and conceit have no bearing on faith and conviction.

“And, my people, I ask of you no money in return; my reward rests with none but God. Nor will I drive away those who believe; they will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness [of right and wrong].” (Verse 29) Those whom you describe as the most abject among you, Noah explains, have responded positively to my call and accepted the faith. I seek no financial gain for my call, and as such, I cannot favour the rich over the poor. All my people are equal as far as I am concerned. He who does not seek pecuniary reward from people cannot make any distinction on the basis of wealth. “My reward rests with none but God.” He is the only One from whom reward may be forthcoming.

“Nor will drive away those who believe.” (Verse 29) This statement implies that Noah’s people either demanded or hinted that if he drove them away, they might consider accepting his faith. They claim that they cannot degrade themselves by meeting with such abject people or take the same route as they. Noah’s statement though is very emphatic: I am not going to drive them away. I cannot bring myself to do so when they have believed. Their fate is decided by their Lord, not by me: “They will surely meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people with no awareness.” (Verse 29) You are unaware of the true values by which people achieve their status with God. You are also unaware that all people shall return to Him.

“My people, who would protect me from God, were I to drive them away?” (Verse 30) Who will shield me from God if I contravene His rules and treat the believers among His servants unjustly, when they enjoy His pleasure? Who will protect me from Him if I confirm the false, worldly values which He sent me to change: “Will you not reflect?” (Verse 30) Your methods and conditions have certainly caused you to neglect the standards of a true and upright nature.

He then introduces himself and his message. His presentation is simple, devoid of any ornament and decoration, free of all false standards and values. He reminds them of the true values, looking with contempt on all superficial ones. He disowns all superficiality and states his message as it is, pure and simple, with no false claims. He who wants it, let him take it as it is: as pure as God made it.

“I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me.” I do not claim that I am rich or that I can make any of you rich. “Or that I know what lies beyond the reach of human perception.” (Verse 31) I do not make any claim of any super-human status or allege that my relationship with God exceeds the fact that I have been entrusted with this message. “Nor do I say: I am an angel.” (Verse 31) I do not claim to have a position which you think to be higher than that of man, so that I may gain favour or high position from you. “Nor do Ray of those whom you eye with contempt that God will never grant them any good,” so that I satisfy your pride or accommodate your standards and values. “God knows best what is in their hearts.” (Verse 31) I have to go by what I see. To me, they appear deserving of honour and hope that God will grant them of His bounty. “For then I would indeed be a wrongdoer.” (Verse 31) If I made such false claims I would be unjust to the very truth I have come to convey. I would also be unjust to myself, exposed to God’s wrath, and I would be unjust to other people to whom I gave a status other than that given them by God.

Thus Noah (peace be upon him) disowns all false values and assumed pretences. He presents his message clearly: real, great, free of all falsehood. He faces them with the clarity and strength of the truth. At the same time he makes a gentle and friendly exposition of the simple truth so that they may look it in the face and decide upon their line of action. No pretence, no flattery, no attempt to win any favour with anyone at the expense of the message and its simple nature. In this Noah sets an example for all advocates of the Islamic message in all generations and provides them with a lesson in how to confront the people of authority with the simple truth, without any attempt to compromise, or flatter, but with the sort of friendliness which is not associated with submission.