Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:59

{لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا} This is the response to an omitted oath.

If you ask: Why is this lām (in la-qad) almost never used without qad, and why is it rare in their speech, such as in the verse: “I swore to her by God, a wicked oath, that they would sleep...”

I reply: This is because an oath-sentence is only brought forth to emphasize the sentence being sworn to (the response). Thus, it is a locus for the meaning of "expectation," which is the meaning of qad when the listener hears the word of the oath.

It is said: Noah (peace be upon him) was sent when he was fifty years old, and he was a carpenter. He is Noah, son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch—and Enoch is the name of the Prophet Idris (peace be upon him).

Regarding the reading of {غَيْرُهُ} (in verse 59): It is read with all three vowel marks (nominative, genitive, and accusative).

• Nominative (ghayruhu): Based on the position (of the noun it replaces), as if it were said: "You have no god other than Him."
• Genitive (ghayrihi): Based on the literal word (the grammatical case of the preceding noun).
• Accusative (ghayrahu): As an exception (istithnāʾ), meaning: "You have no god except Him," similar to saying: "There is no one in the house except Zayd (Zaydan) or other than Zayd (ghayra Zayd)."

If you ask: What is the position of the two sentences following the command {اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ}?

I reply:

• The first ({مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ}) is an explanation of the reason for His exclusivity in worship.
• The second ({إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ}) is an explanation of the motive for worshipping Him, for He is the One whose punishment is to be feared, unlike what they worshipped besides God.

The "Great Day" is the Day of Resurrection, or the day the punishment descended upon them, which was the Flood.

{قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِهِ إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ * قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلَالَةٌ وَلَٰكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَأَنصَحُ لَكُمْ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ}