Tafsir of Nuh 71:8

Surah Nuh (71): Verse 8

(8) Then I called them openly (Jahāran)...

Know that these verses indicate that the stages of his call were three:

1. He began with private admonition (in secret).
2. They responded to him with the four matters (mentioned previously).
3. Then he followed up with public proclamation.
4. When that had no effect, he combined both secrecy and public declaration.

The word {ثم} (Then) indicates a sequence between these stages, either chronologically or in terms of intensity. Public proclamation is more severe than secrecy, and combining secrecy with public declaration is more severe than public proclamation alone.

Regarding the grammatical case of {جِهارًا} (openly):

There are several interpretations:

1. It is منصوب (accusative) by the verbal noun daʿwah (calling), as it is one type of calling, similar to how al-qurfuṣāʾ (sitting on one's haunches) is accusative because it is a type of sitting (qaʿd).
2. It means: "We proclaimed to them openly" (i.e., jahartuhum).
3. It is an adjective describing an implied verbal noun: daʿāʾan jihāran (a calling done openly/publicly).
4. It is a maṣdar (verbal noun) in the position of a ḥāl (circumstantial adverb), meaning "while proclaiming openly."

{فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا}

(7) And I said, "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Forgiver."