أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ 3
Translations
To worship Allāh, fear Him and obey me.
Transliteration
An i'budoo Allaha wattaqooh wa ati'oon
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Noah commands his people to worship Allah alone, fear Him, and obey his message as a messenger sent by Allah. Ibn Kathir explains that this verse encapsulates Noah's core message to his people: exclusive worship of Allah (tawhid), piety and God-consciousness (taqwa), and acceptance of prophetic guidance. This threefold call represents the complete submission required of believers—devotion to Allah, consciousness of His presence, and obedience to His messenger.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Nuh, which chronicles Prophet Noah's 950-year mission to his people. The context is Noah's initial proclamation to his people, establishing the fundamental principles of his da'wah (call to Allah). This represents one of the longest and most patient prophetic missions in Islamic history, where Noah repeatedly conveyed this same message despite widespread rejection.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of supplications is the supplication of the Day of Arafah, and the best of what I and the prophets before me have said is: There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, alone, without partners' (Tirmidhi). This hadith echoes the essence of obedience and tawhid central to Noah's message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that true faith requires three inseparable elements: sincere worship of Allah alone, consciousness of His presence in all actions, and humble obedience to divine guidance through the Quran and Sunnah. For modern Muslims, it teaches that following prophetic instruction is not mere ritualism but an expression of genuine fear and love of Allah.