Overall meaning : Allah Almighty recounts part of the story of Noah, peace be upon him, with his people. He says: Noah’s people denied all of Allah’s messengers—because their denial of Noah was tantamount to their denial of all the messengers—when their brother Noah said to them, ‘Will you not fear Allah’s punishment, obey His commands, worship Him alone and abandon the worship of idols? I am a messenger from Allah to you, faithful to the message with which He has entrusted to me to convey it to you exactly as it is. Fear Allah’s punishment, then, and obey me. I do not ask you for any reward in return for my advice to you. My reward rests with none but the Lord of all the worlds. Therefore, fear Allah’s punishment and obey me.’
The arrogant leaders among his people said, ‘How can we believe you, Noah, when only the weak and the poor in our midst follow you?!’ Noah said, ‘And what knowledge do I have of what they do? My mission is only to call them to faith. It is for my Lord alone to bring them to account, for He knows best their inner thoughts and conditions. If you could but understand and be aware of the true nature of things, you would not malign them. I am not to drive away these believers who have followed me; I am but a warner, making my warning plain to all of you.’
‘Noah, they threateningly said, ‘desist from calling us to abandon worshipping our gods, or you will be stoned to death.’
Noah prayed, ‘My Lord, my people have denied me, so judge between me and them in such a way as to deliver those who follow the truth and destroy those who follow falsehood, and save me and my believing followers.’
The Almighty states that He answered his prayer, that He saved him and those who were with him in the ship that was laden with them and others, and that He then drowned those who had chosen to remain unbelievers and did not board the ship.
Then He says: Surely in what We have said there was a sign of Allah’s oneness and perfect power; yet most of Noah’s people would not believe. And surely your Lord, Muhammad, is the Almighty who vanquishes and severely punishes His enemies, and the All-Compassionate towards His servants, who does not hasten their punishment once they commit a sin.