فَقالَ المَلَأُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا مِن قَومِهِ ما نَراكَ إِلّا بَشَرًا مِثلَنا وَما نَراكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا الَّذينَ هُم أَراذِلُنا بادِيَ الرَّأيِ وَما نَرىٰ لَكُم عَلَينا مِن فَضلٍ بَل نَظُنُّكُم كاذِبينَ

The disbelieving nobles among his people responded, “We see you as nothing more than a man like us, and only the most inferior among us, those lacking in judgment, follow you. We see no advantage in you over us; in fact, we think you are liars.”

قالَ يا قَومِ أَرَأَيتُم إِن كُنتُ عَلىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِن رَبّي وَآتاني رَحمَةً مِن عِندِهِ فَعُمِّيَت عَلَيكُم أَنُلزِمُكُموها وَأَنتُم لَها كارِهونَ

He replied, “O my people, what if I am backed by clear evidence from my Lord, and He bestowed His mercy upon me, yet you fail to recognize it? Can we impose it upon you against your will?”

وَيا قَومِ لا أَسأَلُكُم عَلَيهِ مالًا ۖ إِن أَجرِيَ إِلّا عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ وَما أَنا بِطارِدِ الَّذينَ آمَنوا ۚ إِنَّهُم مُلاقو رَبِّهِم وَلـٰكِنّي أَراكُم قَومًا تَجهَلونَ

“O my people, I ask no reward from you; my reward is only from God. I will not drive away those who have believed. They are going to meet their Lord. But I see that you are a people steeped in ignorance.”

وَيا قَومِ مَن يَنصُرُني مِنَ اللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُهُم ۚ أَفَلا تَذَكَّرونَ

“O my people, who would support me against God if I drove them away? Will you not then mind?”

وَلا أَقولُ لَكُم عِندي خَزائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعلَمُ الغَيبَ وَلا أَقولُ إِنّي مَلَكٌ وَلا أَقولُ لِلَّذينَ تَزدَري أَعيُنُكُم لَن يُؤتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيرًا ۖ اللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما في أَنفُسِهِم ۖ إِنّي إِذًا لَمِنَ الظّالِمينَ

“I don’t pretend to hold the treasures of God, nor to know the unseen, and I don’t claim to be an angel. I don’t say that God won’t bless those you scorn. God knows what’s in their hearts. If I were to do so, I would be among the wrongdoers.”

قالَ إِنَّما يَأتيكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ إِن شاءَ وَما أَنتُم بِمُعجِزينَ

He replied, “Only God can bring it upon you, if He wills, and you won’t be able to evade it.”

وَلا يَنفَعُكُم نُصحي إِن أَرَدتُ أَن أَنصَحَ لَكُم إِن كانَ اللَّهُ يُريدُ أَن يُغوِيَكُم ۚ هُوَ رَبُّكُم وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ

“Even if I were to advise you earnestly, my advice wouldn’t benefit you should God intend to misguide you. He is your Lord, and to Him, you will be returned.”

أَم يَقولونَ افتَراهُ ۖ قُل إِنِ افتَرَيتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجرامي وَأَنا بَريءٌ مِمّا تُجرِمونَ

If they accuse you of making it up, say, “If I made it up, then the sin rests upon me, and I am innocent of the sins you commit.”

وَأوحِيَ إِلىٰ نوحٍ أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤمِنَ مِن قَومِكَ إِلّا مَن قَد آمَنَ فَلا تَبتَئِس بِما كانوا يَفعَلونَ

It was communicated to Noah, “None of your people will believe, except those who have already believed; therefore, don’t be disheartened by their actions.”

وَاصنَعِ الفُلكَ بِأَعيُنِنا وَوَحيِنا وَلا تُخاطِبني فِي الَّذينَ ظَلَموا ۚ إِنَّهُم مُغرَقونَ

“And build the Ark under Our observation and Our inspiration, and don’t address Me concerning those who have wronged; they are to be drowned.”