فَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ ٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ ۙ فَٱسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُخَـٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ 27
Translations
So We inspired to him, "Construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration, and when Our command comes and the oven overflows, put into it [i.e., the ship] from each [creature] two mates and your family, except him for whom the decree [of destruction] has proceeded. And do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are to be drowned.
Transliteration
Fa-awhayna ilayhi ani isna'i al-fulka bi-a'yunina wa-wahyina fa-idha ja'a amruna wa-fara al-tannuru fa-asluk fiha min kulli zawjayn ithnayn wa-ahlaka illa man sabaq alayhi al-qawlu minhum wa-la tukhatibi fi alladhina zalamuu innahum mughraqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commanded Noah to construct the Ark under His direct supervision and revelation, and when the divine command came (the flood) and the oven began to boil (a sign of the appointed time), Noah was instructed to board it with pairs of every species and his family—except those upon whom the decree of destruction had already been passed. Ibn Kathir emphasizes that the 'boiling of the oven' (fawran al-tannur) was a miraculous sign marking the onset of the flood, while Al-Tabari notes this as the divinely appointed moment for action. The final command to not plead for those who wronged Noah illustrates the finality of divine judgment against the disbelievers.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Prophet Noah (Nuh) in Surah Al-Mu'minun, a Meccan surah that recounts the stories of believers throughout history to strengthen the Prophet Muhammad's resolve. The context follows Noah's preaching to his people for 950 years and their rejection of his message, leading to Allah's command to build the Ark as a means of salvation for the believers.
Related Hadiths
The story of Noah and the construction of the Ark is referenced in Sahih al-Bukhari (hadith on the Prophets). Additionally, the Quran itself in Surah Hud (11:37) provides complementary details about the construction: 'And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration.' These references collectively affirm the miraculous nature of the Ark's building.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true believers must follow divine guidance with complete obedience, even when facing seemingly impossible tasks, and must accept that divine judgment upon those who reject truth is inevitable and just. It reminds us that human intercession cannot change God's decree for those who have definitively chosen disbelief.