Tafsir of Nuh 71:21

Surah Nuh (Noah) - Verse 21

{قال نوح رب إنهم عصونى}

This is the first point: Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me." This follows his initial call in the Surah: {Worship Allah, fear Him, and obey me} (Nuh: 3). It is as if he is saying, "I commanded them to obey, yet they disobeyed me."

{واتبعوا من لم يزده ماله وولده إلا خسارا}

And the second point is His saying: {And they followed one whose wealth and children only increased his loss}.

There are two sub-issues concerning this verse:

In the previous verse, it was mentioned that they disobeyed Noah. In this verse, they are accused of adding another transgression to their disobedience: obeying their leaders who called them to disbelief.

The phrase {whose wealth and children only increased his loss} means that although wealth and children are considered benefits in this world, because they became the means for eternal loss (in the Hereafter), they are effectively pure loss. This is true in reality because the world, compared to the Hereafter, is like non-existence. When worldly benefits become causes for eternal loss, it is like a single piece of sweet food that is poisoned—it causes immediate death.

Based on this meaning, those who argue that the disbeliever has no true blessing from God use this verse as evidence. They contend that these worldly blessings are merely lures (istidraj) and means leading to eternal punishment, thus rendering them equivalent to nothingness. This is why Noah (peace be upon him) said in this verse: {only increased his loss}.

It has been recited with a ḍammah (vowel mark) on the wāw (و) as {وُلْدِهِ} (wuldihi).

The word al-walad (الولد) with a ḍammah on the wāw is a linguistic variant for al-walad (the child/offspring). Alternatively, it could be a plural form, similar to how fulk (fleet) can be singular or plural. Here, it is permissible for it to signify both a single person and a plural.

The Almighty then mentions the third category of their evil deeds:

{ومكروا مكرا كبارا * وقالوا لا تذرن ءالهتكم ولا تذرن ودا ولا سواعا ولا يغوث ويعوق ونسرا * وقد أضلوا كثيرا ولا تزد الظالمين إلا ضلالا}

{And they devised a mighty plot. And they said, "Do not ever abandon your gods; and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr." And indeed they have led many astray, and [You will not increase the wrongdoers except in misguidance.}