Tafsir of Hud 11:29-31

Surah Hud (11): Verses 29–31

The First Issue: Responding to the Second Doubt

This addresses their objection: "None follow you except the meanest among us." The response is established through several approaches:

First Approach: The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that he does not ask for any wealth in return for conveying the message of prophethood. The status of the respondent (poor or rich) makes no difference in this regard, as his reward for this arduous task is solely with his Lord.

Second Approach: The Prophet (peace be upon him) seems to be saying: You looked at the outward appearance of things and saw that I am poor. You assumed I engaged in this profession only to solicit your wealth. This assumption is false, for I ask no wage from you for delivering the message; my wage is only with my Lord. Therefore, do not deprive yourselves of the happiness of faith because of this corrupt assumption.

Third Approach: In establishing this response, they had said, "We see you as nothing but a human like us," up to the statement, "And we do not see that you have any superiority over us" (Hud: 27). In response, the Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified that God has granted him many types of virtues that necessitate his superiority over them. Consequently, he did not strive for worldly gain but for religious merit. Renouncing the world is unanimously considered one of the greatest virtues. Perhaps the intent here is to affirm the attainment of virtue through this very renunciation.

Regarding His Statement: {And I will not drive away those who believe}

This phrase serves as evidence that the people demanded he expel them so that they would not have to share the status of those poor believers. Ibn Jurayj narrated that they said, "If you wish, O Noah, that we follow you, then expel them, for we are not pleased with sharing with them." So, the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, {And I will not drive away those who believe}.

The Almighty recounting their words, {And we do not see that any followed you except those who are our meanest ones, at first sight} (Hud: 27), is evidence that they demanded his expulsion. It implies they were saying, "If the noble ones of the people followed you, we would agree with them."

God then recounted that he did not expel them and mentioned several things explaining the necessity of refraining from this expulsion:

1. That they will meet their Lord: This statement has several interpretations. One is that they (the disbelievers) claimed the believers were hypocrites, so he replied that this matter would be revealed when they meet their Lord in the Hereafter. Another is that he made it the reason for refusing expulsion, meaning they will receive what their Lord promised them, and if he expels them, they will bring a complaint against him in the Hereafter. A third interpretation is that he alerted them that they will all gather in the Hereafter, where he will be punished for expelling them, and he will find no one to support him.

He then clarified that their stance was based on ignorance of consequences and being deceived by appearances: {But I see that you are a people who are ignorant}.

Then He said: {And O my people, who will help me against God if I drive them away? Will you not remember?}

The meaning is that reason and divine law agree that the pious, believing servant must be honored, and the impious disbeliever must be humiliated. If the situation were reversed—if you honored the impious disbeliever and humiliated the pious believer—you would be acting contrary to God's command and reversing His judgment. In such a judgment, you would be acting against what God commanded regarding rewarding the truthful and punishing the false. Consequently, you would deserve great punishment. So, who will help me against God, and who will save me from God's torment? {Will you not remember?}—meaning, will you not realize that this is impossible?

He then reinforced this explanation with a fourth point: {Nor do I say to those whom your eyes disdain, "God will never grant them any good." God knows best what is in their innermost selves}. This indicates that they accused his followers, despite their poverty and lowliness, of hypocrisy. He replied that he does not say this because knowing the unseen is beyond him. Perhaps their inner reality is good, and God will grant them the good of the Hereafter. If he were to say otherwise, he would be lying about them, thus being unjust to himself and unjust to them by describing them as having no good, when God might grant them good in the Hereafter.

The Second Issue: Favoring Angels over Prophets

Some people used this verse to argue for the superiority of angels over prophets. They argued that when a person says, "I do not claim such-and-such," this is only appropriate if the thing being denied is superior to the speaker's status. Since the speaker here is Noah (peace be upon him), it must mean that the rank of angels is higher and nobler than the rank of prophets. They further argued that angels have continuously worshipped God from the creation of the world until the Hour, while prophets are human.

The complete argument is that true spiritual virtues are only three things:

1. Absolute Self-Sufficiency (Al-Istiġhnā’ al-Muṭlaq): In this world, whoever possesses great wealth is described as rich. His statement, {Nor do I say to you, "I possess the treasuries of God"} points to the fact that he does not claim absolute self-sufficiency.
2. Perfect Knowledge (Al-‘Ilm al-Tāmm): This is alluded to by his statement, {Nor do I know the unseen}.
3. Perfect Power (Al-Quwwah al-Tāmma al-Kāmila): It is established in the mind that the most perfect of creatures in power and strength are the angels. This is alluded to by his statement, {Nor do I say, "I am an angel"}.

The purpose of mentioning these three things is to show that whatever he possesses of these three ranks is only what is suitable for human capacity and potential. He does not claim absolute perfection. If this is the case, then his statement, {Nor do I say, "I am an angel"} indicates that angels are more perfect than humans.

Alternatively, this statement can be an answer to their objection. They scorned his followers for their poverty, so he said, {Nor do I say to you, "I possess the treasuries of God"} (so I could make them rich). They also scorned them for being hypocrites, so he said, {Nor do I know the unseen} (so I could know their inner state); rather, he judges based on outward appearances. They also criticized them for potentially performing improper actions, so he said, {Nor do I say, "I am an angel"} (so that I would be absolved of all sensual desires and selfish impulses).

The Third Issue: The Possibility of Sin for Prophets

Some people used this verse to argue that prophets can commit sins. They argued that this verse indicates that expelling believers to please disbelievers is a major sin. Then, they claim that Muhammad (peace be upon him) expelled poor believers to please disbelievers, leading to God rebuking him in the verse: {And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance} (Al-An'am: 52). This, they claim, proves that Muhammad (peace be upon him) committed a sin.

The Answer: The expulsion mentioned in Noah's statement should be interpreted as an absolute, perpetual expulsion. The expulsion mentioned in the incident involving Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be interpreted as a temporary measure at specific times for the sake of public interest (Maṣāliḥ).

The Fourth Issue: Intercession for Averting Punishment

Al-Jubba'i argued that intercession with God to avert punishment is not permissible, based on Noah's statement: {Who will help me against God if I drive them away?} This means: If this expulsion were forbidden, who would help me against God's punishment? If intercession were permissible, it would be permissible for Noah (peace be upon him) as well, which would invalidate his statement, {Who will help me against God?}.

Note that this reasoning is similar to their reasoning based on the verse: {And fear a Day when no soul shall avail another soul in anything... and they will not be helped} (Al-Baqarah: 48). The answer provided there is the answer to this argument as well.

Verse 30: They responded to his extensive argumentation by saying, "O Noah, you have argued with us and argued too much." This shows their obstinacy and impatience. They then challenged him: {So bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful}. They demanded the punishment he warned them about, claiming that if he were truthful, it should materialize immediately.

Verse 31: Noah replied: {It is only God who will bring it upon you, if He wills, and you will not escape}. The timing and occurrence of the punishment are entirely dependent on God's will, and they cannot evade it.

Then he added a crucial point regarding his advice: {Nor will my advice benefit you, even if I wished to advise you, if God intends to let you go astray}. This means that if God has decreed their misguidance, then even if Noah exerted all his effort to advise them sincerely, his advice would be ineffective because the ultimate power to guide or misguide rests with God.

He concluded by reminding them of their ultimate reality: {He is your Lord, and to Him you will return}. This implies that since their final destination is God, they should heed the one sent by Him, as they will ultimately face accountability before Him.