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Fatwa CenterPeople of Nooh (Noah) did not drive him out of town
Question
Assalamu alaykum Scholars. May Allaah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his pure Family, his Companions and everybody who follows them in righteous and goodness. I have a question regarding the understanding of Surah 54, verse 9. I read in Tafsir Ibn Kathir [English translation, volume 9, p. 353] that the word “Wazdujir”, which occur in the verse, could mean “driven out”. This is the opinion of Mujahid. However, he also quotes the opinion of Ibn Zayd. This position says that the word means “rebuked, dettered, threatened and warned”. Sheikh Ibn Kathir says that this position is sound. Could you – my dear Scholars – please explain the most correct position on this, since the English translations do differ on this point? And if we say – for the sake of argument – that it means “driven out”, then how can we reconcile this position with Surah 11, verse 38, which mentions that the people of Noah (peace be upon him) used to pass by him and mock him? The enemies of Islam may present this to our youngsters and create a doubt in them. They may say, “How could they mock him, if he was driven out”. I witness that there is no contradiction in the Book of Allaah or in the Sunnah of the Messenger. Everything which seems to be a contradiction is only because of our ignorance, as Sheikh Uthaymeen says. However, I do care about the youngsters who may not be firm in knowledge, and therefore we must learn, so we can explain and protect their Deen. Sorry for the lengthy letter. May Allaah grant you the highest places in Paradise.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Ibn Katheer 
did not attribute to Mujaahid that he said that the meaning of "wazdujir" is 'driven out' in his Tafseer; rather, he stated that Mujaahid interpreted it to mean "he has gone totally mad" (they said that he was crazy and had gone mad); so the mistake might be in the translation.
It should be noted that there are interpreters who said that it means “driven out”, but there is no contradiction. What is meant here by driving out is not driving him out of his town; what is meant, however, as stated by Al-Aloosi in Rooh Al-Bayaan, “Wazdujir means that he was driven out, and the word zajr (rebuke) was used because they rebukingly shouted at him to go away, such as saying: get out of our way; leave us alone... It was also said that this was part of everything that they said, i.e. that he was mad (majnoon) and corrupted (possessed) by jinn.”
There is no contradiction at all, and this does not contradict the verse in Soorah Hood (Hud), praise be to Allaah; rather, the driving out in this sense is part of the mockery that is mentioned in Soorah Hood.
Allaah knows best.
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