قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ﴿۴۷﴾ قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَامٍ مِنَّا وَبَرَكَاتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أُمَمٍ مِمَّنْ مَعَكَ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمْ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿۴۸﴾ تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿۴۹﴾

﴾47﴿ Qaala rabbi inneee a'oozu bika an as'alaka maa laisa lee bihee 'ilmunw wa illaa taghfir lee wa tarhamneee akum minal khaasireen
﴾48﴿ Qeela yaa Noohuh bit bisalaamim minnaa wa barakaatin 'alaika wa 'alaaa umamim mimmam ma'ak; wa umamun sanumatti'uhum summa yamassuhum minna 'azaabun aleem
﴾49﴿ Tilka min ambaaa'il ghaibi nooheehaaa ilaika maa kunta ta'lamuhaaaa anta wa laa qawmuka min qabli haazaa fasbir innal 'aaqibata lilmuttaqeen

﴾47﴿ He said, O my Lord, I truly seek refuge in You from asking You about something of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I will be among the losers
﴾48﴿ It was said, O Noah, descend with peace from Us and with blessings upon you and upon many nations who will arise from those who are with you, and [also] upon other nations whom We will grant enjoyment in this world. Then, a painful punishment from Us will befall them
﴾49﴿ This is of the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; you did not know it, neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the best outcome is for the righteous

[47] In this verse, the phrase (إِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي) expresses the servanthood (‘ubūdiyyah) and humility (‘ajz) of the Prophet.
This cannot be taken as evidence that he committed a sin — rather, it is a form of pure servitude, similar to the supplication of Adam (peace be upon him).
Just as Adam's du‘a was an expression of submission and recognition of his dependence on Allah — not a proof of any blameworthy action — the same applies here.
This has been clearly stated by Khaṭīb Shirbīnī, who emphasized that such supplications reflect the Prophet’s deep humility before Allah, not any admission of sin.
[48] In this verse, there are several layers of glad tidings for Nuh (peace be upon him):
1. The first glad tiding is directed to Nuh himself, with promises of blessings and safety — protection from punishment and worldly calamities.
The worldly blessings include references to plants, sustenance, and provision, while the blessings of the Hereafter refer to the spread and success of the true religion.
2. The second glad tiding is that righteous people will emerge from his offspring — showing that his legacy will live on through the good among his descendants.
3. The third point is the indication that human generations after the flood will all descend from Nuh (peace be upon him) — he became the second father of mankind.
4. The fourth lesson is that even prophets are in need of Allah’s blessings and protection — highlighting their complete servitude and dependence on Him.
5. The fifth point is a subtle division of humanity into two groups:
– Peace and blessings are for the believers,
– Enjoyment (temporary benefit) and punishment are for the disbelievers.
This shows that divine favor is not equally distributed, but based on faith and response to the message.
[49] In this verse, there is proof of the truthfulness of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and a consolation for him as well.
(أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ) — refers to the news of the unseen, meaning events and details that were unknown to both the Prophet (ﷺ) and the polytheists he addressed.
The phrase (مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَا) — You did not know them — is an explanation and clarification of what (أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ) means.
(قَوْمُكَ) — indicates that while these stories were known to the Jews and Christians, they were unknown to the unlettered Arabs, i.e., the Prophet’s own people.
This serves as evidence that the Prophet’s knowledge of such precise historical accounts could only have come through revelation.
(إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ) — means that Nuh (peace be upon him) and the believers with him were saved and succeeded because of their righteousness.
Therefore, the same principle applies to future generations — success and ultimate victory belong to the people of taqwā (God-consciousness).