Tafsir of Nuh 71:28

"My Lord, forgive me and my parents." He intended his father, Lamak ibn Matūshalakh (the vocalization of which has been mentioned previously), and his mother, Shamkhā’ (with a shin and a kha marked with diacritical points, following the pattern of sukrā), the daughter of Anūsh (marked with diacritical points, following the pattern of uṣūl). Both were believers; were it not for that, it would not be permissible to pray for their forgiveness. It has been said that he intended by them Adam and Eve. Ibn Jubayr and al-Jaḥdarī recited li-wālidayya with a kasra on the dāl and a sukūn on the yā’; this implies either that he specified his immediate father, or that he intended all who begat him up to Adam, peace be upon him, and none of them disbelieved—as Ibn ‘Abbās said, "Noah had no father between him and Adam, peace be upon him, who was a disbeliever."

Al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī (may Allah ennoble his countenance and be pleased with both of them), Zayd ibn ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with them), Yaḥyā ibn Ya‘mar, al-Nakha‘ī, and al-Zuhrī recited li-waladayya (the dual form of walad), meaning Shem and Ham, according to one account. In one report, Shem was a prophet.

"And whoever enters my house as a believer." It has been said that he intended his home, and it has been said his Ark. The majority and Ibn ‘Abbās said he intended his mosque. In a report from "the Authority" (Ibn ‘Abbās), he intended his Sharī‘ah (law), borrowing the name "house" for it, as they say "the dome of Islam" and "the tent of the religion." The most immediate meaning is the dwelling, and his wife and his son Canaan are excluded by his saying:

"As a believer." It has been said it is possible he did not declare with certainty the exclusion of Canaan until it was said to him: "Indeed, he is not of your family."

"And to the believing men and believing women." That is, from every nation until the Day of Resurrection. This is a generalization following a specification. He asked his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic, for forgiveness to demonstrate his extreme need for Him, Exalted is He, and out of love for those for whom he sought forgiveness—his parents and the believers. It has been said that he sought forgiveness because he had prayed against the disbelievers, for that was a vengeance upon them; however, it is not hidden that the context rejects this, as does his saying:

"And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction." That is, ruin. Mujāhid said: loss. The first is more apparent. The Prophet, peace be upon him, made two supplications: a supplication against the disbelievers and a supplication for the believers. Since the first was answered, it is not far-fetched that the second would also be answered, and Allah, the Most High, is the most generous of the generous. Most of the verses of this noble Surah and others are explicit that the people were disbelievers who perished on the Day of Resurrection. Therefore, the judgment of their salvation—as necessitated by the discourse of the Greatest Master (Ibn ‘Arabī), may his secret be sanctified, in his Fuṣūṣ—is something one must disavow before Allah, similar to the claim that Noah, peace be upon him, did not invite them in a way that required their faith, despite the Almighty’s saying: "Allah is most knowing of where He places His message." The extent of what I say is: "My Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and whoever enters my house as a believer, and to the believing men and believing women."