قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ
إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ
مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى
رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِ
ۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ
أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ
لَهَا كَـٰرِهُونَ
He said: “O my
people! Tell me,
if I have a clear
proof from my Lord,
and a mercy
(prophethood) has
come to me from
Him, but that (mercy)
has been obscured
from your sight.
Shall we compel
you (to accept) it
when you have a
strong hatred for it
The Response of Nuh
Allah says, informing about the response of Nuh to his people,
أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ
عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى
Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord
Bayyinah means certainty, a clear matter, and truthful prophethood. That is the greatest mercy from Allah upon him (Nuh) and them (his people).
فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ
but that (mercy) has been obscured from your sight
“Obscured from your sight” in this verse means, `it was hidden from you and you are not guided to it. Thus, you ﴿people﴾ did not know its importance so you hastily rejected and denied it.’
أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا
Shall we compel you (to accept) it
This means, “Should we force you to accept it, while you actually detest it.”