Surah Nuh 71:27
سُورَةُ نُوحٍ · Meccan · Verse 27 of 28
إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا۟ عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا فَاجِرًۭا كَفَّارًۭا
Translation
if you leave them they will lead Your servants astray and beget only sinners and disbelievers-
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Here, Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, addresses Allah with a profound plea, reflecting the culmination of centuries of tireless دعوت (da'wah, calling people to God) met with unrelenting rejection. His words in this verse are not a casual statement but a powerful justification for his earlier supplication to wipe out the disbelievers.
A Prophet's Grave Concern
Nuh, peace be upon him, explains his dire request to Allah: "Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants." The phrase "إنك إن تذرهم" (Indeed, if You leave them) highlights his certainty about the destructive impact these people would have if allowed to continue. His primary fear was for the guidance of those who had believed, or future generations who might be swayed. He saw their persistent misguidance as an active threat to the spiritual well-being of others. As Ibn Ashur notes, this reflects a reformer's deep concern for both present and future generations.
The Certainty of Corruption
The verse continues with the stark prediction, "وَلَا يَلِدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا فَاجِرًۭا كَفَّارًۭا" (and they will not beget except immoral, disbelieving [children]). How could Nuh know this with such certainty? Scholars like al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari explain that Nuh's knowledge came from two sources. First, divine revelation had already informed him that no more of his people would believe (as in Surah Hud 11:36). Second, he had lived among them for 950 years, witnessing their entrenched disbelief and how they actively corrupted their own children, teaching them to reject the truth.
The wording "وَلَا يَلِدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا فَاجِرًۭا كَفَّارًۭا" is a powerful figure of speech. Al-Zamakhshari and al-Jadwal explain that it is a "majāz mursal" (metaphorical expression) or a description of what their children *would become*, not how they would be born. It means "they will only beget those who will *grow up to be* immoral and disbelieving." This emphasizes the inevitability of their future state given the environment and upbringing they would receive.
The Depth of Depravity
The choice of words "فَاجِرًۭا كَفَّارًۭا" is particularly striking. "فاجِر" (fājir) means severely corrupt in action, someone who transgresses limits. "كفَّار" (kaffār) is an intensified form of "كافر" (kāfir), meaning intensely disbelieving or someone who repeatedly denies the truth. Ibn Ashur points out that this combination describes individuals who unite both severe evil actions and profound corrupt beliefs, illustrating a complete and utter spiritual bankruptcy that Nuh observed and foresaw.
Nuh's prayer, therefore, was not born of impatience, but of an intimate, divinely-informed understanding of his people's unyielding rebellion and the contagious nature of their misguidance for all who came after them.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Nuh 71:27 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Nuh 71:27 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.