Fasawfa taAAlamoona man ya'teehi AAathabun yukhzeehi wayahillu AAalayhi AAathabun muqeem (surah Hud: 39)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(11:39) You will come to know who will be struck by a humiliating chastisement, and who will be subjected to an unceasing torment. *41

Fasawfa ta`lamoona mai yaateehi `azaabuny yaukhzeehi wa yahillu `alaihi `azaabum muqeem

*41). This fascinating story illustrates how man can be deluded by the appearance of things. When the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) was busy building the Ark on a tract of land far from any sea or river, it must have appeared a very silly thing to do. Noah's people would surely have laughed at him, mocking at the old fellow's apparently senile plan. They may even have called it an adventure of sailing on the Ark across dry land! At that moment it would have simply been inconceivable for anyone to think that the Ark would one day indeed sail on that very tract of land as it became flooded with water. Hence they perhaps went around telling people that if anyone needed proof of Noah's mental derangement, this was now no longer needed.
The same act would, however, have been perceived quite differently by anyone who really knew what was going to happen, who knew that soon enough a ship would indeed be a necessity for anyone who wished to move around. Such a person could only have laughed at the ignorance and stupid complaisance of his people. Noah (peace be on him), who knew these things well, would often have said to himself: 'How stupid are these people! God's chastisement is just about to afflict them, and I have been warning them of this. That moment has all but come and they even see me making an effort to escape the impending chastisement. Is it not strange that they remain totally unperturbed? Not only that, but they look upon me as an utter lunatic.'
This offers a good illustration of two contrasting attitudes. One is based on knowledge of the apparent, one that is grasped by the senses. The other is based on true knowledge, a knowledge of truths that lie beyond the range of the apparent. If one were to be satisfied with what is apparent, one would regard many a thing as sheer folly. Now, if there is someone who knows truths that lie beyond the range of the apparent, that person will consider these apparent follies the very zenith of wisdom. Such a person would indeed consider the flair of smartness displayed by the superficially knowledgeable to be no more than ignorance and stupidity.