Background

The story of Hazrat Nuh (as) also known as Noah is a story known to everyone despite of what faith or community you are from. We have all heard of the Ark of Noah and the flood that came as a punishment on his people. The story of Hazrat Nuh (as) has been mentioned in most Holy scriptures such as the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible. According to the Bible Hazrat Nuh (as) was an inhabitant of Iraq (Genesis 11:9), it is said that he lived in a valley surrounded by huge mountains in Mesopotamia in Southern Iraq. Very little is known of his childhood or youth, according to the bible Hazrat Nuh’s (as) father was Lamech who lived nine generations after Hazrat Adam (as). He appeared about nine generations after Hazrat Adam (as) and ten generations before Hazrat Ibrahim (as).

Prophethood

Hazrat Nuh (as) was a law-bearing prophet, which means that he brought Shariah (a divine law). Another example of a law-bearing prophet is the Holy Prophet (saw). In the Holy Qur’an it says:

Translation:

[29:15] And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he dwelt among them a thousand years save fifty years. Then the deluge overtook them, while they were wrongdoers.

This verse is quite well-known, and some people misunderstand the “thousand years save fifty years” as Hazrat Nuh’s (as) age. However, the verse does not mean that Hazrat Nuh (as) lived to be 950 years of age, this verse actually relates to the length that his Shariah lasted which was about a thousand years.

During this time many people had become corrupt, they had started to worship idols and become disbelievers this included his own wife and son. Some of the more known idols were Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Yauq and Nasr.

Due to this corruption within the people, Allah the Almighty sent Hazrat Nuh (as) as a messenger to guide his people back to Allah.

In the Qur’an it states:

Translation:

[7:60] We sent Noah to his people and he said, ‘O my people, worship Allah, you have no other God but Him. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of the great day.’

In the Holy Qur’an it also states that:

Translation:

[71:3-4] He said, ‘O my people! surely I am a plain Warner unto you, ‘That you serve Allah and fear Him and obey me.

This verse shows many things, firstly it shows the courage that Hazrat Nuh (as) depicted and the significance of his role. The people of Hazrat Nuh (as) had become so corrupt with their righteousness that he had to warn them to come back to the right path and believe in the unity of God.

 The Holy Qur’an states: 

Translation:

[7:61] The chiefs of his people said, ‘Surely, we see thee to be in manifest error.’

The people of Noah had become quite very disrespectful, they would ignore him and dubbed Hazrat Nuh (as) a liar.

 Translation:

[23:25-26] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said, ‘He is only a man like yourselves; he seeks to make himself superior to you. And if Allah had so willed, He could have surely sent down angels with him. We have never heard of such a thing among our forefathers. ‘He is only a man stricken with madness; wait, therefore, concerning him for a while.’

The people of Hazrat Nuh (as) questioned his authority and his truthfulness. From this verse it appears that his people did not accept a mortal to be able to be a messenger of Allah. But this verse also shows that his people were challenging Allah the Almighty. Hazrat Nuh (as) had to bear a lot of disappointment due to this and he would pray to Allah constantly asking for forgiveness for his people. Hazrat Nuh (as) had gone to great extents to warn his people of the coming punishment but they would not listen, instead they threatened him.

 Translation:

[71:8] “And every time I called them that Thou mightest forgive them, they put their fingers into their ears, and covered up their hearts, and persisted in their iniquity, and were disdainfully proud.

This verse is an example of the ignorance that his people showed towards him.

 Translation:

[11:33] They said, ‘O Noah, thou hast indeed disputed with us long and hast disputed with us many a time; bring us now that with which thou threatenest us, if thou art of those who speak the truth.’

The people had started to challenge Allah the Almighty and threatening Hazrat Nuh (as).

Throughout his prophethood, Hazrat Nuh (as) had to endure a lot, he was persistent in delivering the message of Allah, but his people were ignorant, they did not listen and threatened him. In this day and age we cannot even fathom what Hazrat Nuh (as)  experienced.

Eventually Hazrat Nuh (as) asked Allah the Almighty for help.

 Translation:

[26:118-119] He said, ‘My Lord, my people have treated me as a liar. ‘Therefore judge Thou decisively between me and them; and save me and the believers that are with me.’

In Surah Al-Qamar it states

 Translation:

[54:11] He therefore prayed to his Lord saying, ‘I am overcome, so come Thou to my help!’

Building of Ark 

 Translation:

[11:38] ‘And build thou the Ark under Our eyes and as commanded by Our revelation. And address not Me concerning the wrongdoers. They are surely going to be drowned.’

Hazrat Nuh (as) was instructed to build an ark, he obeyed immediately and started building an ark of wood with the help of the followers. It has been said that the chiefs of the people would laugh at them when passing by.

Allah the Almighty told Hazrat Nuh (as) to load the ark with all the animals that would be needed, a pair of each, male and female. Hazrat Nuh (as) was also told to bring his family on board except those against whom God’s judgement had already been passed. He also instructed him to bring all those on board who had accepted him as a Messenger of Allah.

 

The Flood

The punishment that came onto the people of Hazrat Nuh (as) was a great flood. That was as high as the mountains and destroyed all the disbelievers. In the Holy Qur’an it says:

 Translation:

[54:12-13] Thereupon We opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring down; And We caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so the two waters met for a purpose that was decreed.

As previously mentioned, that Allah the Almighty told Hazrat Nuh (as) to gather all the believers and his family members. This however did not include his wife and son, who were disbelievers.

In the Holy Qur’an there is a record of Hazrat Nuh (as) speaking to his son.

 Translation:

[11:43-44] And it moved along with them on waves like mountains. And Noah cried unto his son, while he was keeping apart, ‘O my son, embark with us and be not with the disbelievers.’

He replied, ‘I shall soon betake myself to a mountain which will shelter me from the water.’ He said, ‘There is no shelter for anyone this day, from the decree of Allah, excepting those to whom He shows mercy.’ And the wave came in between the two; so he was among the drowned.

 

 Translation:

[11:46] And Noah cried unto his Lord and said: ‘My Lord, verily, my son is of my family, and surely, Thy promise is true, and Thou art the most Just of judges.’

Suddenly a wave came between them and took his son away.

This is indeed a very sad account, but this shows that nobody is exempt from the punishment of Allah, not even the son of a Prophet of Allah. This verse also portrays the intensity of the punishment that bestowed upon the people of Hazrat Nuh (as).

Allah the Almighty told Hazrat Nuh (as) that the ark would float and finish its journey.

The flood had risen to the extent that it covered the entire habitation. The ark floated on waves as high as mountains. Even the tops of mountains were under water.

Allah the Almighty had taught Hazrat Nuh (as) some prayers which were recited by his followers on his ark.

The prayers were:

 Translation:

[23:29-30] “And when thou hast settled on the Ark — thou and those that are with thee — say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah Who has saved us from the unjust people!’

“And say, ‘My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing, for Thou art the Best of those who bring men to land.’”

Allah rescued Hazrat Nuh (as) and those with him in the ark, while those who rejected him were drowned as a punishment.

Eventually Allah the Almighty made the rain stop.

 Translation:

[11:45] And it was said, ‘O earth, swallow thy water, and O sky, cease raining.’ And the water was made to subside and the matter was ended. And the Ark came to rest on al-Judi. And it was said, ‘Cursed be the wrongdoing people.’

This verse says that the Ark came to rest on a mountain called Al Judi. In the Holy Bible the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

 

After the Flood

 Translation:

[10:74] But they rejected him, so We saved him and those who were with him in the Ark. And We made them inheritors of Our favours, while We drowned those who rejected Our Signs. See then, how was the end of those who had been warned!

In the Holy Qur’an it also states:

 Translation:

[37:76-81] And Noah indeed did cry unto Us, and what an excellent answer did We give to his prayer! And We saved him and his family from the great distress; And We made his offspring the only survivors. And We left for him a good name among the following generations — ‘Peace be upon Noah among the peoples!’ Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.

On the new land Allah the Almighty had bestowed numerous blessing and prosperity to Hazrat Nuh (as) and his followers.