Prophet Noah in the Quran
The following is a quotation from Chapter 71 of the Quran, titled ‘Noah’:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
We sent Noah forth to his people, saying, ‘Warn your people before there comes upon them a grievous punishment.’ [Noah] said, ‘My people! I am but a plain warner to you, that you should worship God [alone] and be conscious of Him. Pay heed to me. He will forgive your sins and will grant you respite till an appointed time. When the time appointed by God arrives, it cannot be postponed, if you only knew.’ He said, ‘My Lord! I have called my people night and day but my pleas have only increased their aversion. Every time I have called to them, so that You might forgive them, they have only thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. Then I called them openly, and spoke to them in public and in private.’ Then I said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Surely He is the most forgiving. He will send down abundant rain from the sky for you, increase your wealth and sons; and grant you gardens and waterways. What is the matter with you that you deny the greatness of God, when He has created you through different stages of existence? Do you not see how God has created the seven heavens one above another, and made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp, how God has produced you from the earth and caused you to grow, how He will then return you to it and bring you forth again, how God has spread the earth out for you so that you may walk along its spacious paths?’ Noah supplicated, ‘Lord, they have disobeyed me, and followed those whose wealth and children have only added to their ruin; and they have hatched a mighty plot, and they said [to their followers], “Do not ever abandon your deities: abandon neither Wadd, nor Suwa‘, and neither Yaghuth, nor Yauq nor Nasr!” They have led many astray; so lead the wrongdoers to further error.’
They were drowned and sent to Hell for their misdeeds; they found no one to help them against God. Noah prayed, ‘O my Lord! Do not leave on earth a single one of those who deny the truth—if You leave any, they will misguide Your servants, and they will beget none but sinners and deniers of truth—Lord! Forgive me and my parents and every true believer who enters my house, forgive all the believing men and believing women; and bestow no increase upon the wrongdoers except in ruin.’ (The Quran, 71:1-28)
Chapter 11 of the Quran also provides a detailed account of Prophet Noah and his mission. The relevant verses are quoted below:
“God’s will was revealed to Noah, ‘No more of your people will believe in you than those who already believe; do not grieve, therefore, over what they have been doing. Build the Ark under Our eyes and in accordance with Our revelation. Do not plead with Me concerning the evil-doers. They shall certainly be drowned. So he began to build the Ark, and whenever leaders of his people passed by, they scoffed at him. He said, ‘If you are scoffing at us, we shall scoff at you [and your ignorance], just as you scoff at us: you will soon come to know who will receive a humiliating punishment, and find unleashed against him an everlasting punishment.’ When Our command came, and water gushed forth in torrents, We said to Noah, ‘Take into the Ark a pair from every species, and your own family—except those on whom the sentence has already been passed, and all the true believers.’ But only a few believed along with him. Noah said, ‘Embark on it. In the name of God, it shall set sail and cast anchor. Truly, my Lord is forgiving and merciful.’ The Ark sailed along with them through mountainous waves. Noah called out to his son who stood apart, ‘O my son! Embark with us and do not be among the deniers!’ He replied, ‘I shall seek refuge on a mountain, which will save me from the water.’ Noah cried, ‘Today there is no refuge for anyone from God’s command except for those to whom He shows mercy!’ Thereupon, a wave swept in between them, and Noah’s son was among those who were drowned. A voice cried out, ‘Earth, swallow up your waters. O sky, cease your rain.’ The waters receded. The command was fulfilled. The Ark came to rest on Mount Judi. It was said, ‘Away with the wrong-doing people.’ Noah called out to his Lord, saying, ‘My Lord, my son was a part of my family. Your promise was surely true. You are the most just of all judges.’ God said, ‘Noah, he was not one of your family. For, indeed, he was unrighteous in his conduct. Do not question Me about something of which you have no knowledge; I admonish you lest you become like an ignorant man.’ He said, ‘My Lord, I take refuge with You from asking You something of which I have no knowledge. If You do not forgive me and show me mercy, I shall be one of the losers.’ God said, ‘Noah, go ashore in peace; Our blessings upon you and upon the people who are with you and upon some of the descendants of those who are with you. [As for the unrighteous] We shall grant provision for a time; then a grievous punishment from Us shall afflict them.” (The Quran, 11:36-48)
