Commentary

وَنُوحًا إِذْ نَادَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ

And (remember) Nuh, when he called (for help) earlier - 21:76

Here مِن قَبْلُ (earlier) means before the time of Sayyidna Ibrahim and Sayyidna Lut (علیہما السلام) ، whose account has just preceded in previous verses. As for the prayer of Nuh علیہ السلام which is referred to here briefly, the version given in Surah Nuh is that Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) had cursed his people, رَّ‌بِّ لَا تَذَرْ‌ عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ دَيَّارً‌ا (My Lord, leave not upon the earth of the unbelievers even one - 71:26). It is reported at another place that when the people of Nuh (علیہ السلام) did not listen to him at all, he prayed to Allah Ta` ala أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ‌ (I am vanquished; do Thou succour me! - 54:10) so You take revenge from them.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْ‌بِ الْعَظِيمِ (So, We responded to him and saved him and his family from the terrible agony - 21:76) Here the expression 'terrible agony' either refers to the drowning in the deluge which annihilated the entire people or the torture which he and his followers suffered at the hands of those people.