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
فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ بِعِلْمِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
And if they do not respond to you - then know that it [i.e., the Qur’ān] was revealed with the knowledge of Allāh and that there is no deity except Him. Then, would you [not] be Muslims?
وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَـٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ
And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned."
إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۖ وَمَآ أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ
To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not [at all] discerning.
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعْتَرَىٰكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٍ ۗ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشْهَدُوٓا۟ أَنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil [i.e., insanity]." He said, "Indeed, I call Allāh to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allāh