Surah 11:38
Show Full Scripture Context (11:36-40) — 5 Verses
وَأُوحِيَ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُۥ لَن يُؤۡمِنَ مِن قَوۡمِكَ إِلَّا مَن قَدۡ ءَامَنَ فَلَا تَبۡتَئِسۡ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ
And Noah was inspired: ‘None of your people will believe, except for the one who has (already) believed, so do not be distressed by what they have done.
وَٱصۡنَعِ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ بِأَعۡيُنِنَا وَوَحۡيِنَا وَلَا تُخَٰطِبۡنِي فِي ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ إِنَّهُم مُّغۡرَقُونَ
Build the ship under Our eyes and Our inspiration, and do not address Me concerning those who have done evil. Surely they are going to be drowned.’
وَيَصۡنَعُ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيۡهِ مَلَأٞ مِّن قَوۡمِهِۦ سَخِرُواْ مِنۡهُۚ قَالَ إِن تَسۡخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسۡخَرُ مِنكُمۡ كَمَا تَسۡخَرُونَ
And he was building the ship, and whenever the assembly of his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, ‘If you ridicule us, surely we shall ridicule you as you ridicule.
فَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ مَن يَأۡتِيهِ عَذَابٞ يُخۡزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيۡهِ عَذَابٞ مُّقِيمٌ
Soon you will know (on) whom punishment will come, disgracing him, and on whom a lasting punishment will descend.’
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ قُلۡنَا ٱحۡمِلۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلّٖ زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَأَهۡلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ وَمَنۡ ءَامَنَۚ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞ
– Until, when Our command came and the oven boiled, We said, ‘Load into it two of every kind, a pair, and your family – except for the one against whom the word has (already) gone forth – and whoever has believed.’ But only a few had believed with him.
Allah, the Exalted, sent revelation to Nuh when his people hastened the vengeance and punishment of Allah upon themselves. Then, Nuh supplicated against them, as Allah mentioned, when He said;
{My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers inhabiting the earth!} 71:26
And he said,
{Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!"} 54:10
At this point Allah revealed to him,
Therefore, do not grieve over them and do not be concerned with their affair.
{And construct the ship.} The word Fulk here means ship.
{under Our Eyes} This means under Our vision.
{and with Our revelation,} This means, "We will teach you (Nuh) what to do."
Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned from the Tawrah, "Allah commanded him (Nuh) to make it (the ship) from Indian oak wood. Then He commanded him to make its length eighty cubits and its width fifty cubits. Allah then commanded him to coat its interior and exterior with tar and to make it with a slanted bow to part the water (as it sailed). Its height was thirty cubits into the sky. It had three levels and each level was ten cubits high. The lowest level was for the animals, both tame and wild, the second level was for the human beings and the highest level was for the birds. Its door was in the center of it and it had a cover on top of it that covered the entire ship."
Concerning Allah's statement,
This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood).
This is a severe threat and a serious warning.
{forth. And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails. Floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected!} 54:11-14
In reference to Allah's statement,
{and the oven gushed forth.} It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, "At-Tannur is the face of the earth." This verse means that the face of the earth became gushing water springs. This continued until the water gushed forth from the Tananir, which are places of fire. Therefore, water even gushed from the places where fire normally would be. This is the opinion of the majority of the Salaf (predecessors) and the scholars of the Khalaf (later generations).
At this point, Allah commanded Nuh to select one pair from every kind of creature possessing a soul, and load them on the ship. Some said that this included other creatures as well, such as pairs of plants, male and female. It has also been said that the first of the birds to enter the ship was the parrot, and the last of the animals to enter was the donkey.
Concerning Allah's statement,
This means, "Load your family upon the ship." This is referring to the members of his household and his relatives, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, for they did not believe in Allah. Among them was the son of Nuh, Yam, who went in hermitage. Among them was the wife of Nuh who was a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger.
Concerning Allah's statement,
{and those who believe.} from your people.
This means that only a very small number believed, even after the long period of time that he (Nuh) was among them - nine hundred and fifty years. It is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, "They were eighty people including their women."