A story
Prophet Nuh and the Great Ark
Long ago, many years after Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, people began to forget Allah. They made statues out of stone and wood. They gave the statues names, and they bowed down to them. They thought the statues could help them, but statues cannot hear, or see, or help anyone at all.
So Allah chose a good and gentle man to remind them. His name was Nuh, peace be upon him. In English, he is often called Noah.
Nuh went to his people and spoke kindly. "O my people," he said, "worship Allah. You have no god other than Him." The meaning of these words is in the Quran (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:59).
Nuh told them that Allah made the sky and the earth. He told them that Allah sends the rain and makes the gardens grow. He told them that if they asked Allah for forgiveness, Allah would forgive them and bless them.
But most of the people did not want to listen. Some of them put their fingers in their ears. Some covered their heads with their clothes, so they would not have to hear. Some laughed at him.
"You are just a man like us," they said. "Why should we follow you? Only the poor and weak people follow you."
Nuh did not give up. He spoke to them in the daytime, and he spoke to them at night. He spoke to them in public, where everyone could hear, and he spoke to them in private, one by one. The Quran tells us that Nuh called his people for nine hundred and fifty years (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:14). That is a very, very long time to be patient!
In all those years, only a small number of people believed. Nuh was sad, but he never stopped being kind. He never stopped trusting Allah.
At last, Allah told Nuh that no more of his people would believe, except those who already had. Allah told Nuh to build a ship. A very big ship. We call it the ark.
Nuh was not near the sea. He lived on dry land. But Nuh trusted Allah completely. So he began to build.
He cut wood. He shaped long planks. He joined them together with nails. Day after day, the ship grew bigger and bigger.
The people who did not believe walked by and laughed. "Look at Nuh!" they said. "He is building a ship where there is no sea!"
Nuh did not get angry. He kept working calmly. He knew that Allah's promise is always true. He told them that one day they would understand.
The ship grew longer. The ship grew taller. It had strong sides and many rooms inside. Nuh worked with care and patience, because Allah was watching over him and guiding him.
Then one day, the sign came. Water began to gush up from the ground. Allah told Nuh that it was time.
Allah told Nuh to bring onto the ark a pair of every kind of animal, one male and one female. He told him to bring his family, except those who would not believe, and the believers who followed him.
So the animals came. Two by two, they came. The elephants came with heavy, gentle steps. The giraffes came, bending their long necks to fit. The lions came, quiet and calm. The sheep, the goats, the camels, and the horses came. The birds flew in and found places to perch. Even the tiny insects came.
The believers came too, carrying their things. There were not many of them, but they were full of faith.
Nuh said, "Ride in it. In the name of Allah it sails and it anchors" (Surah Hud, 11:41). Muslims still say these words, "Bismillah," when they begin a journey.
Then the rain came down from the sky, and the water rose up from the earth. The water rose higher and higher. The ark lifted off the ground and began to float.
The waves were very big, like mountains. But inside the ark, everyone was safe, because Allah was protecting them.
Nuh had a son who did not believe. Nuh called out to him with love. "O my son, come ride with us." But the son refused. He said he would climb a mountain to stay safe. Nuh told him that on that day, nothing could save anyone except the mercy of Allah. Then a wave came between them. The people who refused to believe did not survive the flood. Nuh was very sad, and he turned to Allah with his sadness. Allah reminded him that only Allah knows what is in every heart, and Nuh accepted Allah's wisdom with patience.
The ark sailed on and on. Inside, the animals rested together. The believers prayed and remembered Allah. They looked after the animals and shared their food.
Then, at last, Allah commanded the earth to swallow its water and the sky to hold back its rain. The water went down. The sky grew calm. The sun came out.
The ark came to rest on a mountain called Al-Judi. Everything was quiet and fresh and clean.
Allah told Nuh to go down from the ark in peace, with blessings from Allah upon him and upon the believers with him.
The doors opened. The animals stepped out onto the wet green earth. The birds flew up into the bright sky. The sheep nibbled the new grass. The believers breathed the clean air and gave thanks to Allah.
Nuh and the believers began a new life. They planted seeds. They built homes. They worshipped Allah alone, just as Adam had taught long ago.
Allah honored Nuh and blessed him. Nuh was so thankful that Allah calls him "a grateful servant" in the Quran (Surah Al-Isra, 17:3).
Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, was patient for hundreds and hundreds of years. When people laughed at him, he kept building. When the waves were high, he trusted Allah. He shows us that when Allah asks us to do something good, we should do it with patience and trust, even if others laugh. Allah never lets down those who trust Him.
So Allah chose a good and gentle man to remind them. His name was Nuh, peace be upon him. In English, he is often called Noah.
Nuh went to his people and spoke kindly. "O my people," he said, "worship Allah. You have no god other than Him." The meaning of these words is in the Quran (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:59).
Nuh told them that Allah made the sky and the earth. He told them that Allah sends the rain and makes the gardens grow. He told them that if they asked Allah for forgiveness, Allah would forgive them and bless them.
But most of the people did not want to listen. Some of them put their fingers in their ears. Some covered their heads with their clothes, so they would not have to hear. Some laughed at him.
"You are just a man like us," they said. "Why should we follow you? Only the poor and weak people follow you."
Nuh did not give up. He spoke to them in the daytime, and he spoke to them at night. He spoke to them in public, where everyone could hear, and he spoke to them in private, one by one. The Quran tells us that Nuh called his people for nine hundred and fifty years (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:14). That is a very, very long time to be patient!
In all those years, only a small number of people believed. Nuh was sad, but he never stopped being kind. He never stopped trusting Allah.
At last, Allah told Nuh that no more of his people would believe, except those who already had. Allah told Nuh to build a ship. A very big ship. We call it the ark.
Nuh was not near the sea. He lived on dry land. But Nuh trusted Allah completely. So he began to build.
He cut wood. He shaped long planks. He joined them together with nails. Day after day, the ship grew bigger and bigger.
The people who did not believe walked by and laughed. "Look at Nuh!" they said. "He is building a ship where there is no sea!"
Nuh did not get angry. He kept working calmly. He knew that Allah's promise is always true. He told them that one day they would understand.
The ship grew longer. The ship grew taller. It had strong sides and many rooms inside. Nuh worked with care and patience, because Allah was watching over him and guiding him.
Then one day, the sign came. Water began to gush up from the ground. Allah told Nuh that it was time.
Allah told Nuh to bring onto the ark a pair of every kind of animal, one male and one female. He told him to bring his family, except those who would not believe, and the believers who followed him.
So the animals came. Two by two, they came. The elephants came with heavy, gentle steps. The giraffes came, bending their long necks to fit. The lions came, quiet and calm. The sheep, the goats, the camels, and the horses came. The birds flew in and found places to perch. Even the tiny insects came.
The believers came too, carrying their things. There were not many of them, but they were full of faith.
Nuh said, "Ride in it. In the name of Allah it sails and it anchors" (Surah Hud, 11:41). Muslims still say these words, "Bismillah," when they begin a journey.
Then the rain came down from the sky, and the water rose up from the earth. The water rose higher and higher. The ark lifted off the ground and began to float.
The waves were very big, like mountains. But inside the ark, everyone was safe, because Allah was protecting them.
Nuh had a son who did not believe. Nuh called out to him with love. "O my son, come ride with us." But the son refused. He said he would climb a mountain to stay safe. Nuh told him that on that day, nothing could save anyone except the mercy of Allah. Then a wave came between them. The people who refused to believe did not survive the flood. Nuh was very sad, and he turned to Allah with his sadness. Allah reminded him that only Allah knows what is in every heart, and Nuh accepted Allah's wisdom with patience.
The ark sailed on and on. Inside, the animals rested together. The believers prayed and remembered Allah. They looked after the animals and shared their food.
Then, at last, Allah commanded the earth to swallow its water and the sky to hold back its rain. The water went down. The sky grew calm. The sun came out.
The ark came to rest on a mountain called Al-Judi. Everything was quiet and fresh and clean.
Allah told Nuh to go down from the ark in peace, with blessings from Allah upon him and upon the believers with him.
The doors opened. The animals stepped out onto the wet green earth. The birds flew up into the bright sky. The sheep nibbled the new grass. The believers breathed the clean air and gave thanks to Allah.
Nuh and the believers began a new life. They planted seeds. They built homes. They worshipped Allah alone, just as Adam had taught long ago.
Allah honored Nuh and blessed him. Nuh was so thankful that Allah calls him "a grateful servant" in the Quran (Surah Al-Isra, 17:3).
Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, was patient for hundreds and hundreds of years. When people laughed at him, he kept building. When the waves were high, he trusted Allah. He shows us that when Allah asks us to do something good, we should do it with patience and trust, even if others laugh. Allah never lets down those who trust Him.
