Prophet Noah

(Reference: Dr. Imran Khan & Mufti. Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani (2018), Encyclopedia of Muhammad , Article: 05, Seerat Research Center Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 105-115.)

Noah is a significant figure in Islam. He is regarded as one of the greatest prophets of all. Noah Ibn Lamik, Ibn Mitoshilkh, Ibn Enoch, Ibn Yard, Ibn Mahlabeel, Ibn Qinan, Ibn Anoush, Ibn Seth, Ibn Adam the Father of Mankind. ¹

In the Bible and the Holy Quran, he is known as the patriarch who survived the universal Flood together with his wife and family. ² According to Tabari, the period between the birth of Noah and the death of Adam was 126 years. However, according to the Bible and Genesis, this period is 146 years. Nevertheless, Ibne Habban narrated that Prophet Muhammad said: "The period between Adam and Nooh was (about) ten centuries." ³

References to Noah are spread throughout the Holy Quran. There are 43 references to Noah in 28 chapters of the Holy Quran, and the seventy-first chapter, Chapter Noah, is named on him.

Condition Of The People Before The Arrival Of Noah

After the departure of Enoch , there were men who feared Allah and worshipped Him night and day. The generations who came after them loved those men, and spoke of them with great respect. Satan was well aware of this, so he went to those people and asked them questions regarding the earlier righteous men. The people replied: Glory be to Allah! They were men of Allah. When those men prayed, God answered them, and whenever they asked for something, He gave it to them.

Then, Satan asked, ‘How great is your sorrow for them?’ They replied, ‘very great indeed’. So he asked, ‘how great is your longing for them?’ they replied, ‘Very great indeed!’ Taking advantage of this situation, Satan added: ‘why don’t you look at them every day then?’ they replied, ‘how could we do that when they were no longer in this world?’ Satan told them to make pictures of them and look at them every morning.

The people liked the Satan’s idea, made pictures of those men and looked at them every day. Whenever the people saw the pictures, they remembered how those holy men had lived. In time, the people moved on from making pictures to making statues. They sculpted the statues of those holy men and put them in their houses and prayer areas.

The people still worshipped Allah and did not associate anything with him. They knew that these were only statues of holy men and that they could neither help nor hurt them. They only showed them respect. As time passed, the number of statues increased, as the people continued to make statues of the holy people after their death. Later on, sons saw their fathers looking for blessings from these statues, saw them kiss the statues, dress them and pray to Allah in the presence of the statues.

When the fathers passed away, the sons added to what their fathers had done. They began to prostrate before the statues, ask them for things and sacrifice animals for them. In this way, the statues were turned into idols. Hence, people began to worship them as they worshipped Allah before.

Consequently, these people were punished. The rains became scarce, their harvests were reduced, and the people had fewer offspring. Still, the people didn’t understand that they needed to repent and ask for forgiveness. They needed counsel. ⁴

The Life And Prophethood Of Noah

To bring these people to the right path, Noah was sent towards them. The mission of Noah was to make the people repent for their grave sins. Noah preached these people to give up idolatry and to worship only the One Creator - Allah. He warns them that they will be destroyed if they do not repent. When they scorn him, God commands him to build an ark and be ready to sail with two of every creature when the “oven” boils, an indication that the primordial waters are coming up from under the ground. ⁵

Noah called the people towards Allah in every possible way, night and day, in secret and in public, sometimes through encouragement and at other times through intimidation. But all of this did not bring any result. On the contrary, most of them persisted in their wrong-doing, tyranny and idol worship and they displayed enmity towards him at all times, belittling him and those who believed him. They threatened Noah and his followers with stoning and expulsion. ⁶

Still, Noah continued to preach, and according to the Holy Quran, the influence of the prophethood of Noah and his preaching spanned 950 years. As the Holy Quran states:

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًا فَأَخَذَهُمُ الطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ 14⁷

And indeed We sent Nooh to his people – he, therefore, stayed with them for a thousand years, less fifty; so the flood seized them, and they were unjust.

Noah told his people that God was the most merciful and most forgiving and that He would forgive their sins only if they repented and came towards guidance. He also added that if they didn’t correct themselves, then they would be punished severely for their wrong doings.

A summary of Noah’s life is preserved in Chapter of Noah of the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran states:

نَّا أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ أَنْ أَنذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ‎1‏ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ‎2‏ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ‎3‏ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ 4‏ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا 5‏ فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَائِي إِلَّا فِرَارًا ‎6‏ وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا ‎7‏ ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُهُمْ جِهَارًا 8‏ ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْلَنتُ لَهُمْ وَأَسْرَرْتُ لَهُمْ إِسْرَارًا 9‏ فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا 10 يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا ‎11 وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا 12‏ مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا 13‏ وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا ‎14 أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا 15‏ وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا ‎16‏ وَاللَّهُ أَنبَتَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا 17﴾‏ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا 18‏ وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا 19‏ لِّتَسْلُكُوا مِنْهَا سُبُلًا فِجَاجًا ‎20‏ قَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ إِنَّهُمْ عَصَوْنِي وَاتَّبَعُوا مَن لَّمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُ وَوَلَدُهُ إِلَّا خَسَارًا ‎21‏ وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا كُبَّارًا 22‏ وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا 23‏ وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًا وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَالًا 24‏ مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنصَارًا 25‏ وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا 26‏ إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا 27‏ رَّبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا 28‏ ⁸

Indeed We sent Nooh towards his people saying that “Warn your people before the painful punishment comes upon them.” He said, “O my people! I am indeed a Herald of clear warnings to you.”That you must worship Allah and fear Him, and obey me.” He will forgive you some of your sins, and give you respite up to an appointed term; indeed the promise of Allah cannot be averted when it arrives; if only you knew.”He said, “My Lord! I invited my people night and day.” “So for them, my calling them increased their fleeing away.”And whenever I called them, so that You may forgive them, they always thrust their fingers into their ears, and covered themselves with their clothes, and remained stubborn and were extremely haughty.”I then called them openly.”Then I also told them publicly and also spoke to them softly in private.”I, therefore, told them, ‘Seek forgiveness from your Lord; He is indeed Most Forgiving.’ He will send down abundant rain for you from the sky.’And will aid you with wealth and sons, and will create gardens for you and cause rivers to flow for you.’ What is the matter with you, that you do not desire honour from Allah?’ Whereas it is He Who created you in different stages?’ Do you not see how Allah has created the seven heavens atop each other?’And in them, has illuminated the moon, and made the sun a lamp?’And it is Allah Who made you grow like vegetation from the earth.’And He will then take you back to it, and again remove you from it.”And it is Allah Who made the earth a bed for you.’So that you may tread the wide roads in it.’” Prayed Nooh, “O my Lord! They have disobeyed me, and they follow the one whose wealth and children increase nothing for him except ruin.”And they carried out a very sinister scheme.”And they said, ‘Do not ever abandon your Gods – and never abandon Wadd, or Suwa – or Yaghuth or Yauq or Nasr.”And they have misled a large number; and (I pray that) You increase nothing for the unjust except error.” Because of their sins, they were drowned and then put into the fire; so they did not find any supporter for themselves against Allah. (Punishment in the grave is proven by this verse.) And prayed Nooh, “O my Lord! Do not leave any of the disbelievers dwelling in the land.” Indeed, if You spare them, they will mislead your bondmen – and their descendants, if any, will be none except the wicked, very ungrateful.” O my Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and the believers who are in my house, and all other Muslim men and Muslim women; and do not increase anything for the unjust except ruin.”

In the above verses, “Warn your people” means warn the people about the errors and moral evils that they were involved in would only earn them Allah’s punishment if they did not desist from them. Also, tell them which way they should adopt to ward off that punishment. Hence, Noah presented the following acts before his people:

1. Worship of Allah.
2. Adoption of piety (Taqwa).
3. Obedience of the Messenger.

Worship of Allah meant that they should give up worship and service of all others. They should acknowledge Allah alone as their Lord, worship Him and carry out only His commands.

Piety (Taqwa) meant that they should abstain from all those activities which caused Allah’s anger and displeasure. Instead, they should adopt the likewise attitude of God fearing people in their lives. As for “obedience”, it meant that they should obey the commands that he gave them as Allah’s Messenger.

Secondly, the rebellious attitude against God causes man to lead a wretched life, not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. Contrary to this, if a nation adopts the way of faith, piety and obedience to divine commands, instead of disobedience, it benefits it not only in the Hereafter but also in the world; it is favoured with every kind of blessing. In verse 124 of Chapter Taha, Allah Almighty said: ‘And whoever turns away from My admonition, will have a wretched life in the world, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection’. In verse 52 of Chapter of Hud, the Prophet Hud addressed his people, saying: “And O my people, beg forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in penitence, and He will open the gates of heavens for you and add more strength to your present strength.”

Acting on this same instruction from the Holy Quran, once during a famine Umar came out to invoke Allah for the rain and begged only forgiveness of Him. The people said: “O Commander of the faithful, you have not prayed for the rain.” He replied: “I have knocked on the doors of heaven wherefrom the rain is sent down.” Then he recited these verses of Chapter of Noah to them. (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Likewise, when in the assembly of Hasan Basri, a person complained of drought, he said to him, “Beg forgiveness of Allah.” Another person complained of poverty, a third one stated that he was not being blessed with children, a fourth one said that his harvest had failed, and he continued to remind everyone to beg forgiveness of Allah. The people asked: “How is it that you have suggested to all the people the same cure for the different complaints?” He recited these verses of Chapter of Noah to them in response.

The sinister scheme refers to all those deceits, deceptions and frauds which the chiefs and religious guides were employed in an attempt to mislead the common people against the teachings of the Noah . For example, they said: Noah is no more than a mere man like yourselves. Had there been some weight in what he says, the elders of the people would have believed in him. ⁹ Had Allah willed, He would have sent down angels. ¹⁰ Had he been sent by Allah, he would possess treasures, he would know the unseen, and he would be free from all human needs, like the angels. ¹¹ We find nothing in him that might give him superiority over us. ¹² He merely intends to obtain superiority over you. ¹³ Apparently, this man is possessed. ¹⁴¹⁵

Due to these schemes, most of the people did not pay heed to the calls of Noah , persisted in their rascalities, and were eventually punished. Their punishment did not end with their deaths. In fact, as soon as they died, their souls were cast into the fires of hell.

The Ark

Allah the Exalted ordered Noah to build an ark with the help of angels. He said:

وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ ‎ 37‏وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ 38‏ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ 39¹⁶

And build the Ark under Our eyes and Our direction. And do not supplicate Me concerning those who have engaged in wrong-doing. They are doomed to be drowned. “And build the ship in front of Us, and by Our command, and do not speak to Me regarding the unjust; they will surely be drowned.” And Nooh builds the ship; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they used to laugh at him; he said, “If you laugh at us, then time will come when we will laugh at you just as you laugh.”

Hence, Noah commenced the construction of the Arc. Noah chose a place outside the city, far from the sea. He collected wood and tools and began to build the ark day and night. The people's mockery continued: "O Nooh! Does carpentry appeal to you more than prophethood? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?" Noah replied: "You will come to know who will be put to shame and suffer." ¹⁷

On the dimensions and plan of the Ark there was much difference of opinion. It is evident that Noah conception of a simple ship had been changed by outside influence. Baidawi gives the Biblical dimensions of 300 cubits by 50 by 30, and expands only in explaining that in the first of the three stories wild and domesticated animals were lodged, in the second were human beings, and in the third the birds. But other professed legend gatherers go much farther. Al-Tha'labi in his "Qasis-ul-Anbiya" and al-Diyarbakri in his "Al-Khamis" give stories of how Noah, under the direction of Gabriel, built a "house" of teak-wood—after having first grown the trees for the purpose—with dimensions of 80 cubits by 50 by 30; or, according to others, 660 by 330 by 33; or, again—and this on the authority of Jesus, who raised up Shem to give the information to his disciples—1,200 by 600. On every plank there was the name of a prophet, and the body of Adam was carried in the middle to divide the men from the women.

After the flood, it is mentioned that the ark settled on al-Judi (a mountain). This name goes back to a flood-legend current among the Syrians of the east Tigris, in which the Ark settled on the mountains of Gordyaea. But in Muslim tradition this has become a specific mountain, lofty and long in shape, near the town called Jazirat Ibn 'Umar, on the east bank of the Tigris, in the province of Mosul. Mas'udi states that the place where the Ark grounded could be seen to his day. ¹⁸ Masudi also says that the Ark began its voyage at Kufa in central Iraq and sailed to Makkah, where it circled the Kaaba, before finally travelling to Judi. Chapter 11: 41 says: "And he said, ‘Board it – upon Allah’s name is its movement and stopping; indeed my Lord is surely Oft forgiving, most Merciful! " Abdullah Ibn 'Umar al-Baidawi, writing in the thirteenth century, takes this to mean that Noah said, "In the Name of God!" when he wished the Ark to move, and the same when he wished it to stand still. ¹⁹

As per Biblical accounts, it was really a great house set afloat, and was so called in the Babylonian version. According to both accounts, its purpose was to accommodate Noah and his family and the animals of every kind that were to populate the earth after the waters subsided. In the Babylonian account the Ark rested on Mount Nisir, east of the Lower Zab River, therefore not far from the starting-point; and the high water lasted but a week. Noah's Ark, after tossing about for a year, rested in the highlands of Ararat or Armenia, and stories have been current at various times to the effect that remains of it had been found in that region. ²⁰

The Great Flood

Having constructed the ship, Noah waited for Allah's command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Noah's house that would be the signal of the beginning of the flood.

Noah and his family and the animals entered the Ark, and "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." The flood covered even the highest mountains to a depth of more than 6 metres (20 feet), and all creatures died; only Noah and those with him on the Ark were left alive. The flood story is considered by many modern scholars to consist of two slightly different interwoven accounts. Hence, the apparent uncertainty regarding the duration of the flood (40 or 150 days) and the number of animals taken on board Noah's Ark (2 of each kind, or 7 pairs of some kinds). ²¹ As Noah was taking the pairs, the people laughed loudly and said: "Noah must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?" They didn’t understand the fact that Noah was acting on the following order (as stated in the Holy Quran) of the God.

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا احْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ آمَنَ وَمَا آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ 40²²

To the extent that when Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said, “Board into the ship a couple – male and female – from every kind, and your family members, except those upon whom the Word has been passed, and all other Muslims”; and only a few Muslims were with him.

Hardly anyone answered the call of Noah . Even The wife of Noah , who was a disbeliever, did not join him; nor did one of his sons, who was secretly a disbeliever, but had pretended to be a believer in front of Noah . Likewise, most of the people were disbelievers, so they did not board the ship. The scholars hold different opinions on the number of those who were with Noah on the ship. Ibn Abbas stated that there were 30 believers while Ka’ab Al-Ahbar held that there were 72 believers. Others claimed that there were ten believers with Noah. ²³

Water rose from each crack in the earth, leaving not a single crack of the land. A heavy rain began in a manner that never seen before on earth. Water continued pouring from the sky rising from the cracks; hour after hour the level increased. The seas and waves invaded the land. The interior of the earth moved strangely, and the ocean floors lifted suddenly, flooding the dry land. The earth, for the first time, was submerged.

Noah Calls Out His Son

When the situation became terrible, and the ark moved on amidst waves as high as mountains. Noah got worried that one of his son hadn’t not joined him in the ark. Fatherly emotion rose, and he called out to his stray son to board the ship and to leave disbelievers. Nevertheless, the disobedient child did not pay heed to his father’s calls and was swallowed by a towering wave which ended his life. The account is mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

وَقَالَ ارْكَبُوا فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎41‏ وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ ‎42‏ قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَىٰ جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ قَالَ لَا عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُغْرَقِينَ 43²⁴

And he said, “Board it – upon Allah’s name is its movement and its stopping; indeed my Lord is surely Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” And the same carries them amid waves like mountains; and Nooh called out to his son whereas he was tending apart, “O my son! Embark along with us*, and do not be with the disbelievers.” (* As a Muslim.) He said, “I shall take the refuge of a mountain – it will save me from the water”; said Nooh, “Today there is none who can rescue from the punishment of Allah, except upon whom He has mercy”; and the wave came in between them, so he remained amongst the drowning.

After the whole world was submerged, and the disbelievers were punished, the earth was commanded by Allah to swallow its water and dry out. Hence, surface of the earth started to dry and the water seeped under the ground. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ 44‏ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ 45‏قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ 46‏ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ 47‏ قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَامٍ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَاتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ 48²⁵

And it was commanded, “O earth, swallow your water and, O sky, stop” – and the water was dried up, and the matter was completed – and the ship stopped upon the Mount Al-Judi, and it was said, “Away with the unjust nation!” And Nooh prayed to his Lord – submitted he, “My Lord! Indeed, my son is also of my family, and surely Your promise is true, and You are the Greatest Ruler of all.” He said, “O Nooh, he is not of your family; his deeds are most improper; therefore, do not ask Me a thing of which you do not have knowledge; I advise you not to be unwise.” He submitted, “My Lord! I seek your refuge from asking you the thing of which I do not have knowledge; and if You do not forgive me and do not have mercy on me, I would then be a loser.” It was said, “O Nooh! A light from the ship along with peace from Us and the blessings that are upon you and upon some groups that are with you; and some groups are those whom We shall let enjoy this world and then a painful punishment from Us will reach them.”

Hence, the ark returned to the land calmly. The water retreated, and once again the dry land surfaced. In fact, the flood had cleansed the land of the disbelievers and polytheists. When the ship settled on the mountain, Noah released the birds and the beasts which scattered over the earth. After that, the believers disembarked and Noah put his forehead to the ground, and prostrated in front of the lord. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it. When they were on board the ship, lighting a fire was prohibited since it could ignite the ship’s wood and burn it to the ground. Following the disembarkation, there was a day of fasting in thanksgiving to Allah.

Noah Departs From This World

The Holy Quran does not provide complete details on the life of Noah . We do not know how his affairs with his people continued. All we know or can ascertain is that on his deathbed he requested his son to worship Allah only. ²⁶ The account is preserved in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad . The hadith is narrated as:

عن عبد اللّٰه بن عمرو قال: قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه علي وسلم: إن نبي اللّٰه نوحا لما حضرته الوفاة، قال لابنه: يابني إني موصيك، فقاص عليك الوصية، آمرك باثنتين وأنهاك عن اثنتين، آمرك بلا إله إلا اللّٰه، فلو أن السماوات السبع والأرضين السبع وضعن في كفة ولا إله إلا اللّٰه في كفة لرجحت بهن، ولو أن السماوات السبع والأرضين السبع كانت حلقة مبهمة، فضمتهن لا إله إلا اللّٰه، وأوصيك بسبحان اللّٰه وبحمده، فإنها صلاة الخلق، وبها يرزق الخلق، وأنهاك عن الكفر والكبر. ²⁷

Abdullah Ibn Amru Ibn Al-Aas narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said: "When the death of the Messenger of Allah Noah approached, he admonished his sons: 'Indeed, I would give you far reaching advice, commanding you to do two things, and warning you against doing two things as well. I charge you to believe that there is no god but Allah and that if the seven heavens and the seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the words "there is no god but Allah" were put on the other, the latter would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners with Allah and pride."

As for his grave, Ibn Jareer and AI-Azraqi narrated on the authority of' Abdur-Rahman Ibn Sabit, that Noah was buried within the precincts of the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah). This is stronger and more reliable than what has been said by many of the later scholars, who claimed that he is in a town, in a place known today as Kark Noah. In that place is a mosque, which has been built because of these claims. And Allah knows better. ²⁸

Noah was a prophet of God; He was a pious man who submitted before the Creator. Hence, associating unrighteous acts with him is nothing short of stupidity. Like all the prophets, he was innocent, and free from all sins. Regarding his character, Allah Almighty said:

إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا 3²⁹

He was indeed a grateful bondman.

It was said that he used to thank Allah for his food, his drink and all of his affairs, Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik that The Messenger of Allah said, "Verily, Allah is pleased with the bondman when he eats his food and thanks Him for it and when he drinks his beverage and thanks Him for it". ³⁰

His sayings and prophecies (regarding Prophet Muhammad ) are recorded in the books of other divine religions like Christianity and Judaism. The following pages will discuss those prophecies in detail.

• ¹  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 21.
• ²  Robert S. Ellwood & Gregory D. Elles (1998), The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 259.
• ³  Muhammad bin Habban Abu Hatim Al-Busti (1988), Al-Ahsaanu Fi Taqreebi Sahih Ibne Habban, Hadith: 6190, Moasisat-ur-Risala, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 14, Pg. 69.
• ⁴  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 10-13.
• ⁵  Gordon Newby (2002), A Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, One World Publications, Oxford, U.K, Pg. 166.
• ⁶  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2010), Early Days (Taken from Al Bidayah wan Nihayah, translated by the Research department of Darussalam), Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 186.
• ⁷  Holy Quran, Al-Ankabut (The Spider) 29: 14
• ⁸  Holy Quran, Nooh (Prophet Noah) 71: 1-28
• ⁹  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 27
• ¹⁰  Holy Quran, Al-Mominoon (The Believers) 23: 24
• ¹¹  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 31
• ¹²  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 27
• ¹³  Holy Quran, Al-Mominoon (The Believers) 23: 24
• ¹⁴  Holy Quran, Al-Mominoon (The Believers) 23: 25
• ¹⁵ http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=71&verse=21: 29-06-17 ( need the book)
• ¹⁶  Holy Quran, Surah Hud (Prophet Hud), 11:37-39
• ¹⁷  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 26.
• ¹⁸  Isidore Singer (1902), The Jewish Encyclopedia, Funk and Wagnalis Company, New York, USA, Vol. 2, Pg.112-113.
• ¹⁹  New World Encyclopedia Contributors, (2015), New World Encyclopedia: http://www.new worldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Noah%27s_Ark&oldid=986333: Retrieved: 01-07-17.
• ²⁰  Isidore Singer (1902), The Jewish Encyclopedia, Funk and Wagnalis Company, New York, USA, Vol. 2, Pg. 111-112.
• ²¹  New World Encyclopedia contributors, (2015), New World Encyclopedia: http://www.new worldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Noah%27s_Ark&oldid=986333: Retrieved: 01-07-17
• ²²  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 40
• ²³  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 27.
• ²⁴  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 41-43
• ²⁵  Holy Quran, Hud (Prophet Hud) 11: 44-48
• ²⁶  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 28.
• ²⁷  Suleman bin Ahmed Abul Qasim Tabarani (1994), Al-Mojam-ul-Kabeer, Al-Aaen, Maktaba Ibne Taimiyyah, Egypt, Vol. 13, Pg. 1.
• ²⁸  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2010), Early Days (Taken from Al Bidayah wan Nihayah, translated by the Research department of Darussalam), Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 202.
• ²⁹  Holy Quran, Bani Israel (The Descendants of Israel) 17: 3
• ³⁰  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Early Days (Taken from Al Bidayah wan Nihayah), (2010), Translated by the Research department of Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 200