Quran Universe
23:27

فَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡهِ أَنِ ٱصۡنَعِ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ بِأَعۡيُنِنَا وَوَحۡيِنَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ فَٱسۡلُكۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلّٖ زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَأَهۡلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ مِنۡهُمۡۖ وَلَا تُخَٰطِبۡنِي فِي ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ إِنَّهُم مُّغۡرَقُونَ

Faawhayna ilayhi ani isnaAAi alfulka biaAAyunina wawahyina faitha jaa amruna wafara alttannooru faosluk feeha min kullin zawjayni ithnayni waahlaka illa man sabaqa AAalayhi alqawlu minhum wala tukhatibnee fee allatheena thalamoo innahum mughraqoona

So We inspired to him, "Construct the ship under Our observation, and Our inspiration, and when Our command comes and the oven overflows, put into the ship from each [creature] two mates and your family, except those for whom the decree [of destruction] has proceeded. And do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are to be drowned.

Word by word
  1. فَأَوۡحَيۡنَآSo We inspired
  2. إِلَيۡهِto him
  3. أَنِThat
  4. ٱصۡنَعِconstruct
  5. ٱلۡفُلۡكَthe ship
  6. بِأَعۡيُنِنَاunder Our eyes
  7. وَوَحۡيِنَاand Our inspiration
  8. فَإِذَاthen when
  9. جَآءَcomes
  10. أَمۡرُنَاOur Command
  11. وَفَارَand gushes forth
  12. ٱلتَّنُّورُthe oven
  13. فَٱسۡلُكۡthen put
  14. فِيهَاinto it
  15. مِنof
  16. كُلّٖevery (kind)
  17. زَوۡجَيۡنِ(of) mates
  18. ٱثۡنَيۡنِtwo
  19. وَأَهۡلَكَand your family
  20. إِلَّاexcept
  21. مَنthose
  22. سَبَقَ(has) preceded
  23. عَلَيۡهِagainst whom
  24. ٱلۡقَوۡلُthe Word
  25. مِنۡهُمۡۖthereof
  26. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  27. تُخَٰطِبۡنِيaddress Me
  28. فِيconcerning
  29. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  30. ظَلَمُوٓاْwronged
  31. إِنَّهُمindeed,they
  32. مُّغۡرَقُونَ(are) the ones to be drowned
Al-Mu'minun · 23:27Makkah

Build the ship under Our eyes.

The answer to his prayer came as a task

The instructions
build the shipunder Our eyes
when
the oven gushesthe sign comes
take
pairs and familythose who believe
How help arrives
a miracle, no effort
a task, watched overbuild, under Our eyes

Allah answered by telling Nuh to build a strong ship under His watch and guidance, then take two of each kind and his family, except those already decreed, who did not believe. He was told not to plead for the wrongdoers, for the decree was set.

You prayed for a way out of debt, and the answer looks like a budget spreadsheet and a second shift. Sometimes help comes as a task, with Allah watching you build.

If Allah answers my dua, I should not have to work for it.

Often His answer is a task, and He watches over me while I do it.

Try this

Name one dua you have made and one practical step toward it. Take the step today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 23:26)

He said: "O my Lord! Help me because they deny me. (26)So, We revealed to him: "Construct the ship under Our Eyes and under Our revelation. Then, when Our command comes, and (water) gushes forth from the oven, take on board of each kind two, and your family, except those thereof against whom the Word has already gone forth. And address Me not in favor of those who have done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned. (27)"And when you have embarked on the ship, you and whoever is with you, then say: 'All the praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who are wrongdoers. (28)"And say: 'My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land.' (29)Verily, in this, there are indeed Ayat, for sure We are ever putting (men) to the test (30)

Allah tells us that Nuh, peace be upon him, invoked his Lord to help him against his people,

as Allah mentions in another Ayah:

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ 

(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")(54:10). Here he says:

 رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ

(O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.) At that point, Allah commanded him to build a boat and to make it strong and firm, and to carry therein of every kind two, i.e., a male and a female of every species of animals, plants and fruits etc. He was also to carry his family,

إِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ

(except those thereof against whom the Word has already gone forth.) meaning, those whom Allah had already decreed were to be destroyed. These were the members of his family who did not believe in him, such as his son and his wife. And Allah knows best.

وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۖ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ

(And address Me not in favor of those who have done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned.) means, 'when you witness the heavy rain falling, do not let yourself be overcome with compassion and pity for your people, or hope for more time for them so that they may believe, for I have decreed that they will be drowned and will die in their state of disbelief and wrongdoing.' The story has already been told in detail in Surah Hud, and there is no need to repeat it here.

فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنْتَ وَمَنْ مَّعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

(And when you have embarked on the ship, you and whoever is with you, then say: 'All the praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who are wrongdoers.') This is like the Ayah:

وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ - لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ - وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ

(and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride: In order that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the favor of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: "Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!")(43:12-14) So, certainly, Nuh adhered to what he was commanded, as Allah says elsewhere:

وَقَالَ ارْكَبُوا فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا

(And he said: "Embark therein: in the Name of Allah will be its (moving) course and its (resting) anchorage...")(11:41) So Nuh mentioned Allah at the beginning of his journey and at the end, and Allah said:

وَقُلْ رَبِّ أَنْزِلْنِي مُنْزَلًا مُبَارَكًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنْزِلِينَ 

(And say: 'My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land.")

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ 

(Verily in this, there are indeed Ayat,) means in this event, which is the saving of the believers and the destruction of the disbelievers there are signs, i.e., clear evidence and proof that the Prophets speak the truth in the Message they bring from Allah, may He be exalted, and that Allah does what He wills, and He is able to do all things and knows all things.

 وَإِنْ كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ

(for sure We are ever putting (men) to the test.) means, 'We try Our servants by means of sending the Messengers.'