ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا بَعْدُ ٱلْبَاقِينَ 120
Translations
Then We drowned thereafter the remaining ones.
Transliteration
Thumma aghraaqnaa ba'du al-baaqeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's drowning of the remaining disbelievers from the people of Noah after the believers had already boarded the Ark. Ibn Kathir explains that 'al-baaqeen' (those who remained) refers to those who rejected Noah's message and persisted in disbelief, while Al-Tabari emphasizes that this was the final judgment upon them after Noah's 950-year mission to call them to tawheed (monotheism). The ayah demonstrates Allah's mercy toward the believers and His justice toward those who stubbornly rejected the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that recounts stories of the prophets and their peoples. The context is the narrative of Prophet Noah (Nuh), emphasizing how he preached for 950 years with patience and only a few believers accepted his message. This ayah specifically follows the salvation of Noah and the believers, illustrating the dual Divine attributes of mercy and justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned Noah's people in various contexts. See At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah where the Prophet discusses how Noah preached for 950 years, with the Quran confirming this timeframe, establishing the severity of their disbelief and the certainty of their punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that persistent rejection of Divine guidance inevitably leads to severe consequences, while steadfast faith and obedience lead to salvation. It teaches that Allah's patience with disbelievers is not endless, and that one should heed the message of the prophets before facing irreversible judgment.