We sent Noah to his people (as a Messenger, with the instruction): "Warn your people before there comes upon them a painful torment."1 He said, "O my people, I am a plain warner to you. (I warn you) that you should worship Allah, and fear Him and obey me.2 Allah will forgive you your sins,3 and will give you respite till an appointed time.4 The fact is that when the appointed time of Allah comes, it cannot be deferred.5 Would that you know it."6 Noah submitted,7 “O my Lord, I called my people night and day, but my calling has only increased their aversion.8 And whenever I called them that You might pardon them,9 they thrust their fingers into their ears and covered their faces with their garments,10 and grew obstinate and showed great arrogance.11 Then I invited them openly and preached to them in public as well as in private. I said, “Seek forgiveness from your Lord: indeed He is All-Forgiving. He will send abundant rains for you from heaven, will help you with wealth and children, will create gardens for you, and provide flowing rivers for you.12 What is the matter with you that you do not expect for Allah any dignity,13 although He has created you in successive stages?14 Do you not see how Allah has created seven heavens, one above the other and made the moon a light in them and the sun a lamp? And Allah has caused you to grow out of the earth in a strange way,15 then He will restore you to the same earth, and will raise you up from it suddenly. And Allah has spread out the earth as a carpet for you that you may walk in its open paths.”