﴿ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦٓ أَنْ أَنذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ ﴾

“BEHOLD. We sent Noah unto his people. [saying:] "Warn thy people ere grievous suffering befall them!”

And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (Lo! We sent): '(Lo! We sent Noah unto his people (saying): Warn your people) from Allah's wrath and punishment (ere the painful doom come unto them) in the form of drowning.