They said: "Should we place our trust in you when only the condemned follow you?"
They said, “Shall we believe in you, whereas the abject people are with you?”
They said, 'Shall we believe thee, whom the vilest follow?'
They answered: “Shall we place our faith in thee, even though [only] the most abject [of people] follow thee?”
They said: shall We believe in thee when the meanest follow thee?
They said: "Shall we believe in you, when the meanest (of the people) follow you?"
They said, “Shall we believe in you, when it is the lowliest who follow you?”
They answered: "Shall we accept you even though it is the meanest of people who follow you?"
They said: "Shall we believe in you, when the inferior follow you"
They said: Shall we put faith in thee, when the lowest (of the people) follow thee?
They said, ‘Shall we believe in you, when it is the riffraff who follow you?’
They replied: 'Are we to believe you whom the lowliest follow'
They said, "Should we believe you while you are followed by the lowest [class of people]?"
They said, "Should we believe in you when no one has followed you except the lowest ones".
They said: Shall we believe in you while the meanest follow you?
Q<u>a</u>loo anuminu laka wa<b>i</b>ttabaAAaka alar<u>th</u>aloon<b>a</b>
They replied, "Are we to believe in you when your followers are but the lowest of the low?"
They said: "Shall we believe in thee when it is the meanest that follow thee?"
قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَٱتَّبَعَكَ ٱلْأَرْذَلُونَ
His people said to him, “O Noah! Should we believe you and follow what you have brought and act upon it, whilst your followers are the lowliest of people; there are no leaders and noblemen among them?”
His people said to him, “O Noah! Should we believe you and follow what you have brought and act upon it, whilst your followers are the lowliest of people; there are no leaders and noblemen among them?”
<p>Nobility of a person depends on deeds and moral qualities and not on family or status</p><p>قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْ‌ذَلُونَ ﴿111﴾ قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِي بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿112﴾</p><p>They said, "Shall we believe in you while you are followed by the lowest people?" [ 111] He said, "I do not know about what they do. (26:111-112)</p><p>It is related in this verse that the disbelievers rejected the invitation of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) to accept the faith on the plea that his followers were worthless poor people. So, how could they, the elite and noble, mix up with them? On this Nuh (علیہ السلام) replied that he did not know about their acts, thereby hinting that their understanding of nobility on the basis of family background, wealth, or status was wrong, and that the nobility or meanness and honour or disgrace is dependent on one's deeds and morals. Hence, it was their ignorance to put the label of sordidness on his followers, because they did not know about their deeds and disposition. Unless one knows fully well about the morals and deeds of others, it is not right to pass any judgment about them. (Qurtubi).</p>
Nobility of a person depends on deeds and moral qualities and not on family or statusقَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْ‌ذَلُونَ ﴿111﴾ قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِي بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿112﴾They said, "Shall we believe in you while you are followed by the lowest people?" [ 111] He said, "I do not know about what they do. (26:111-112)It is related in this verse that the disbelievers rejected the invitation of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) to accept the faith on the plea that his followers were worthless poor people. So, how could they, the elite and noble, mix up with them? On this Nuh (علیہ السلام) replied that he did not know about their acts, thereby hinting that their understanding of nobility on the basis of family background, wealth, or status was wrong, and that the nobility or meanness and honour or disgrace is dependent on one's deeds and morals. Hence, it was their ignorance to put the label of sordidness on his followers, because they did not know about their deeds and disposition. Unless one knows fully well about the morals and deeds of others, it is not right to pass any judgment about them. (Qurtubi).
<h2 class="title">The Demand of the People of Nuh and His Response</h2><p>They said: "We do not believe in you, and we will not follow you and become equal to the meanest of the people, who follow you and believe in you, and they are the lowest among us."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالُواْ أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الاٌّرْذَلُونَ - قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِى بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ </div><p>(They said: "Shall we believe in you, when the inferior follow you" He said: "And what knowledge have I of what they used to do") meaning, `what does it have to do with me if they follow me No matter what they used to do before, I do not have to check on them and examine their background; all I have to do is accept it if they believe in me; whatever is in their hearts is for Allah to know.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنْ حِسَابُهُمْ إِلاَّ عَلَى رَبِّى لَوْ تَشْعُرُونَ - وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ </div><p>(Their account is only with my Lord, if you could (but) know. And I am not going to drive away the believers.) It seems that they asked him to drive these people away, then they would follow him, but he refused to do that, and said:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - إِنْ أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ </div><p>(And I am not going to drive away the believers. I am only a plain warner.) meaning, `I have been sent as a warner, and whoever obeys me and follows me and believes in me, then he belongs to me and I to him, whether he is noble or common, upper-class or lower-class.'</p>
The Demand of the People of Nuh and His ResponseThey said: "We do not believe in you, and we will not follow you and become equal to the meanest of the people, who follow you and believe in you, and they are the lowest among us."قَالُواْ أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الاٌّرْذَلُونَ - قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِى بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ (They said: "Shall we believe in you, when the inferior follow you" He said: "And what knowledge have I of what they used to do") meaning, `what does it have to do with me if they follow me No matter what they used to do before, I do not have to check on them and examine their background; all I have to do is accept it if they believe in me; whatever is in their hearts is for Allah to know.'إِنْ حِسَابُهُمْ إِلاَّ عَلَى رَبِّى لَوْ تَشْعُرُونَ - وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Their account is only with my Lord, if you could (but) know. And I am not going to drive away the believers.) It seems that they asked him to drive these people away, then they would follow him, but he refused to do that, and said:وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - إِنْ أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ (And I am not going to drive away the believers. I am only a plain warner.) meaning, `I have been sent as a warner, and whoever obeys me and follows me and believes in me, then he belongs to me and I to him, whether he is noble or common, upper-class or lower-class.'