Surah Hud · سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ · Juz 12
Q 11:28
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَـٰرِهُونَ
Translations
He said, "O my people have you considered: if I should be upon clear evidence from my Lord while He has given me mercy from Himself but it has been made unapparent to you, should we force it upon you while you are averse to it?Il dit: «O mon peuple! Que vous en semble? Si je me conforme à une preuve de mon Seigneur, si une Miséricorde, (prophétie) échappant à vos yeux, est venue à moi de Sa part, devrons-nous vous l'imposer alors que vous la répugnez?Tafsir
Noah asked his people to tell him whether he and the believers would be able to enter faith into his people’s hearts against their will if he had a clear proof from his Lord, showing that what he said was the truth, and that they must believe him? They would be unable to do so, because it is Allah alone Who gives people faith.
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
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 (28)
The Response of Nuh
Allah says, informing about the response of Nuh to his people,
أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي
(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."
Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net