The people of Noah cried lies to the messengers when their brother Noah said to them, “Will you not be godwary?” The purport of this verse is to explain how to invite and to explain the attribute of the inviter. Whenever someone invites and calls another to God, his road is first to command godwariness, just as God recounts from the prophets that they said, “Will you not be godwary?” Then, when they speak to them, they should speak with the utmost gentleness so that the words will get to them and be easier for them to accept. Do you not see that the Exalted Lord sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and commanded them to speak gently? He said, “Speak to him with soft words. Perhaps he will remember or fear” [20:44]. He commanded MuṣṬafā in the same way: “Say: 'I admonish you in but one thing, that you stand up for God'” [34:46]. In these accounts, when the prophets spoke to their communities with gentleness saying, “Will you not be godwary?,” they did not say, “Be wary of God,” or “Be wary of His punishment,” for in that there would have been a kind of harshness, and the hearts of the people would have found it repellent. This is like when someone says to someone else, “Do such and such!” This is a peremp- tory command, empty of benevolence and gentleness. If he were to say, “Will you not do such and such?,” this is the same command, but mixed with a gentleness and benevolence that will cling to the listener's heart. Will you not be godwary? is a command to godwariness, and godwariness is the root of all excellent qualities and the basis of all obedient acts. For the lords of certainty, there are no supplies for the promised return other than godwariness: And take along supplies, but the best of supplies is godwariness [2:197]. There are all sorts of clothing. The clothing that you yourself can put on and take off is trifling. What does the work is the clothing of godwariness that the Real puts on someone. One person is draped in the clothing of submission, and he then sometimes falls and sometimes rises; finally, at the end, he is saved. Another is given the clothing of faith.
