"Nuh" is the name of this Surah as well as the title of its subject matter, for in it, from beginning to the end, the story of the Prophet Noah has been related.
This also is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah, but the internal evidence of its subject matter shows that it was sent down in the period when opposition to the Holy Prophet's message of Islam by the disbelievers of Makkah had grown very strong and active.
In this surah the story of the Prophet Noah has not been related only for the sake of story telling, but its object is to warn the disbelievers of Makkah, so as to say:"You, O people of Makkah, are adopting towards Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) the same attitude as the people of the Prophet Noah had adopted towards him; if you do not change this attitude, you too would meet with the same end." This had not been said in so many words anywhere in the Surah, but in the background of the conditions under which this story was narrated to the people of Makkah, this subject itself became obvious.
vv. 2-4 briefly explain how he began his mission and what he preached.
Then after suffering hardships and troubles in the way of preaching his mission for ages the report that he made to his Lord has been given in vv. 5-20. In it he states how he had been trying to bring his people to the right path and how his people had stubbornly opposed him.
After this, the Prophet Noah's final submission has been recorded in vv. 21-24, in which he prays to his Lord, saying: "These people have rejected my invitation: they are blindly following their chiefs, who have devised a tremendous plot of deceit and cunning. Time now has come when these people should be deprived of every grace to accept guidance." This was not an expression of impatience by the Prophet Noah, but when after having preached his message under extremely trying circumstances for centuries be became utterly disappointed with his people, he formed the opinion that no chance whatever was left of their coming to the right path. His this opinion fully conformed to Allah's own decision. Thus, in the next verse (25), it has been said: "The torment of Allah descended on those people because of their misdeeds."
In the concluding verse, the Prophet Noah's supplication that he made to his Lord, right at the time the torment descended, has been recorded. In it he prays for his own and for all the believers' forgiveness, and makes a submission to Allah to the effect: "Do not leave any of the disbelievers alive on the earth, for they have become utterly devoid of every good: they will not beget any but disbelieving and wicked descendants."
While studying this Surah one should keep in view the details of the Prophet Noah's story which have been given in the Qur'an above. For this see Al-Araf: 59-64, Yunus: 71-73, Hud: 25-49, Al-Mu'minun: 23-31, Ash- Shua'ra: 105-122, Al-Ankabut: 14-15, As-Saaffat: 75-82, Al-Qamar: 9-16.
En el nombre de Allah, el Misericordioso, el Compasivo.
Enviamos a Nuḥ a su gente: ¡Advierte a tu gente antes de que les llegue un doloroso castigo!
Dijo: ¡Gente mía! He venido a vosotros para advertiros con claridad
que adoréis a Allah, Le temáis y me obedezcáis.
Él os perdonará vuestras faltas y os dejará hasta un plazo fijado, pero cuando el plazo de Allah llegue a su fin, no habrá más demora. ¡Si supierais!
Dijo: ¡Señor mío! He llamado a mi gente noche y día
pero mi llamada no ha hecho sino aumentarles su rechazo.
Cada vez que les he llamado a Tu perdón, se han puesto los dedos en los oídos y se han tapado con los vestidos, aferrándose a lo suyo con gran soberbia.
Los he llamado de viva voz
y les he hablado en público y a cada uno en privado.
Y les he dicho: Pedid perdón a vuestro Señor, Él es muy Perdonador.
Enviará sobre vosotros el cielo con lluvias abundantes
y os dará más riquezas e hijos, así como jardines y ríos.
¿Pero qué os pasa que no podéis concebir grandeza en Allah
cuando Él os creó en fases sucesivas?
¿Es que no veis cómo Allah creó siete cielos uno sobre otro
y puso en ellos una luna a modo de luz y un sol a modo de lámpara,
y os originó a partir de la tierra, cual plantas?
Luego os hará regresar a ella y os hará salir de nuevo.
Allah os ha puesto la tierra extendida
para que en ella recorrierais amplios caminos.
Dijo Nuḥ: ¡Señor mío! Me han desobedecido y han seguido a quien no les procura ni más riquezas ni más hijos, sólo perdición.
Y urdieron una gran estratagema
Dijeron: No abandonéis a nuestros dioses, no abandonéis a Wudd ni a Suwa ni a Yaghuz ni a Yauq ni a Nasr.
(Dijo Nuḥ:) Ellos han extraviado a muchos; ¡No acrecientes a los injustos sino en extravío!
Y así fueron ahogados a causa de sus transgresiones y fueron introducidos en un Fuego*; y no encontraron para ellos quien los defendiera aparte de Allah.
Y dijo Nuḥ: ¡Señor mío! No dejes en pie sobre la tierra ningún hogar de incrédulos.
Pues si los dejas, extraviarán a Tus siervos y no engendrarán sino libertinos e incrédulos.
¡Señor mío! Perdóname a mí y a mis padres y a todo aquel que entre creyente en mi casa, así como a todos los creyentes y a todas las creyentes. Y no acrecientes a los injustos sino en destrucción.