Al-Huda Foundation 

THE PROPHETS OF ISLAM 

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PROPHET NUH

 Nuh (Noah) was bom to Lamak in the tenth generation of Adam.  He was a grand son of ldris. He preached oneness of Allah but the people turned to idolatory. They laughed at Nuh and ridiculed his preaching.  They tortured him and his family. Their hearts had hardened and they had shut their ears to his words.  Yet he remained patient and continued preaching.  When he got tired about the obstinacy and hostility of his people towards him, his family and towards his teachings, he complained to Allah about them. Allah told Nuh that they had transgressed His limits and would meet His punishment which would serve as a lesson for generations to come. He told Nuh that he would send an enormous flood that will engulf and destroy all nonbelievers and their dwellings along with their false gods. 

The Deluge 

Allah instructed Nuh to build a large boat and bring on board all believers and a pair of each species of animals before He unleashed His floods.  Nuh carried out the instructions of Allah, and started building an enormous ark.  Since there were no sea or gulf but only a meager river, people laughed at him for constructing a boat of such large dimensions.  Upon completion of his task, Nuh invited people to come on board, but they ridiculed him. The family of the prophet, three of his four sons and a handfull of true believers along with a pair of each species of animals boarded the ark. 

No sooner Nuh entered the ark, thunderous rain started to pour from the heavens and springs burst from the bottom of the Earth. As the waters rose higher and higher, people climbed up the tallest trees and headed towards high grounds. The waters began to engulf these refuges too.  Some people repented and wanted to board the ark, but alas it was too late.  The ark had been sealed to protect against the down-pour and the turbulence of the roaring waters. The floods spread far and wide, covering the entire terrain, destroyed all except those who had believed in the prophet, and heeding his warning, had boarded with him. 

It is said that the flooding lasted one hundred and fifty days. When the waters receded, the ark came to rest over Mount Ararat. The occupants of the ark came out and thanked the Lord for their miraculous survival. They then spread out to inhabit the Earth again with the blessings of their Lord. 

Nuh is known as Noah in Torah. He lived for nine hundred and fifty years and left a large progeny after him.  His eldest surviving son Yaffath (Japheth) went north west towards Europe and settled there.  His descendents are known as the Japhetic race. His middle son Sam (Shem) remained with his father in the Middle East. His descendents are known as the Semetic race. The youngest son Ham went south west and settled in northern Africa. His descendents are called the Hemetic race. 

References:   al Qur'an: Ale Imran, Anam, Aaraf, Yunus, @ud, Ibrahim, Bani Israel, Anmbiya@,Momenoon, Furqan, Shu'ra', Ankaboot, Zatiyat, Najam, Qamar, Hadeed, Tahreem, Haqah and Nuh.