قَالَ سَـَٔاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِى مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ ۚ قَالَ لَا عَاصِمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ ۚ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُغْرَقِينَ 43
Translations
[But] he said, "I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water." [Noah] said, "There is no protector today from the decree of Allāh, except for whom He gives mercy." And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned.
Transliteration
Qālasaw'ī ilā jabalin ya'simuní mina al-māʾi qāla lā ʿāsima al-yawma min amri Allāhi illā man raḥima wa-ḥāla baynahumā al-mawju fa-kāna mina al-mughraqīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This verse describes the son of Prophet Nuh (Noah) who refused to board the ark, attempting to save himself by climbing a mountain for refuge from the flood. Allah responds through Nuh that no refuge exists against Allah's command except for those upon whom He has mercy, emphasizing the futility of resistance against divine will. The son is subsequently drowned as the waves separate him from his father, demonstrating the inevitable consequence of rejecting divine guidance and the powerlessness of human effort against Allah's decree. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari highlight this as proof that neither kinship nor worldly means can avail against Allah's punishment for those who reject faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Nuh and the Great Flood in Surah Hud. It specifically addresses the tragic moment when Nuh's own son refuses to board the ark despite witnessing the signs and his father's warnings. The broader thematic context of Surah Hud (a Meccan surah) emphasizes steadfastness in conveying the message, divine decree, and the consequences faced by those who reject the prophets.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly narrates this incident (as it is from the Quran itself), related hadiths include: (1) Hadith in Jami' at-Tirmidhi about the story of Nuh's son being among those who drowned; (2) Hadiths in Sahih Bukhari regarding the inevitability of Allah's decree (qadar) and that no one can escape it through human means.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no amount of worldly preparation, family connection, or human ingenuity can protect one from Allah's justice if one rejects His guidance and mercy. For believers today, it serves as a profound reminder that true security lies only in obedience to Allah and acceptance of His will, not in material means or temporal solutions.
Related Ayahs
أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّنِى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ
[Through a messenger, saying], "Do not worship except Allāh. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings,"
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَهْطِىٓ أَعَزُّ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱتَّخَذْتُمُوهُ وَرَآءَكُمْ ظِهْرِيًّا ۖ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
He said, "O my people, is my family more respected for power by you than Allāh? But you put Him behind your backs [in neglect]. Indeed, my Lord is encompassing of what you do.
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ
[They will be] abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will. Indeed, your Lord is an effecter of what He intends.
وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it [i.e., the ship] came to rest on the [mountain of] Jūdiyy. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people."