As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 71, Nüh or Noah, verses 1-20. These verses tell of Prophet Noah’s preaching and his submission to God after exhausting all his efforts.
Tafseer for this selection concerns the seven heavens mentioned in verse 15.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.We sent Nüh (Noah) to his people, saying: “Give warning to your people before there comes to them a painful punishment.”[1] He said: “O my People! I am sent towards you as a plain Warner.[2] Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me.[3] If you will do so, He will forgive you your sins and give you respite for an appointed term. The fact is that when the term given by Allah arrives, it cannot be deferred. If you could understand!”[4] After exhausting all his efforts Nüh said: “O Rabb! I have pleaded with my people night and day,[5] but my plea has only added to their aversion.[6] Each time I called on them to seek Your pardon, they thrust their fingers in their ears and drew their cloaks over their heads, persisting in sin and puffing themselves up with insolent pride.[7] I have called them aloud,[8] appealed them openly in public and secretly in private,[9] saying: “Seek forgiveness of your Rabb, He is ever ready to forgive you.[10] He will send abundant rain for you from heaven,[11] help you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and the flowing rivers.[12] What is the matter with you that you do not regard the greatness of Allah[13] when He has created you in gradual stages?[14] Can you not see how Allah created the seven heavens one above the other,[15] placing in them the moon as a light and the sun as a glorious lamp?[16] Allah has caused you to grow as a growth from the earth.[17] He will return you to the same earth and then raise you back to life again on the Day of Resurrection?[18] Allah has made the earth for you as a wide expanse[19] so that you may walk in its spacious paths.”[20] 71:[1-20]
Ameen.
Tafseer
Concerning the seven heavens as mentioned in verse 15:
The heavens as they appear to our sight seem to be arranged in layers one above another, and ancient astronomy accounted for the motions of the heavenly bodies in an elaborate scheme of spheres. What we are concerned with here is the order and beauty of the vast spaces and the marvelous bodies that follow regular laws of motion in those enormous spaces in the visible world. From these we are to form some conception of the vastly greater Invisible World, for which we want special spiritual vision.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.