Tafseer of The Believers · Al-Muminoon · 23:25
He is not but a man possessed with madness, so wait concerning him for a time."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, the Exalted, relates what the notables who disbelieved among the people of Noah said: إِنْ هُوَ إِلا رَجُلٌ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ — Noah is nothing but a man afflicted with madness. The word "jinna" (جنة) is also used for the jinn, so that the noun and the verbal noun coincide. In the expression إِنْ هُوَ the word "hu" refers to the name of Noah. And His words: فَتَرَبَّصُوا بِهِ حَتَّى حِينٍ (So wait concerning him for a time) — that is to say: be patient with him and await his affair until a certain moment. He says: until a certain time — without their meaning thereby a known, fixed time; it is merely as one says: leave him until a certain day, or until a certain moment.
