The disbelievers remain ignorant

Prophet Nooh (Noah)  firmly continued his efforts in calling his people to the way of Allah Almighty. The rulers were tired of Nooh's arguments. Allah, the Exalted, related their attitude in the following verses (which mean): "They said: 'O Nooh! You have disputed [i.e., opposed] us and been frequent in dispute of us. So bring us what you threaten us with, if you should be of the truthful.' He said: 'Allah will only bring it to you if He wills, and you will not cause [Him] failure. And my advice will not benefit you – although I wished to advise you – if Allah should intend to put you in error. He is your Lord, and to Him you will be returned.'" [Quran: 11:32-34]

The battle continued; the arguments between the disbelievers and Nooh  became prolonged. When all the refutations of the disbelievers collapsed and they had no more to say, they began to be offensive and insulted Allah's prophet as in the verse (which means): "Said the eminent among his people: 'Indeed, we see you in clear error.'" [Quran: 7:60]

Nooh  responded in the manner of the prophets; he said (what means): "…'O my people! There is not error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and advise you; and I know from Allah what you do not know.'" [7: 61-62]

Nooh  continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour after hour, day after day and year after year. He admonished his people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and openly. He gave them examples, explained Allah's signs and illustrated Allah's ability in the formation of His creatures. But whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him. Whenever he urged them to ask Allah to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears and became too proud to listen to the truth.

Allah, the Almighty, relates what Nooh  faced, Saying (what means): "Indeed, We sent Nooh to his people, [saying]: 'Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment.' He said: 'O my people! Indeed I am to you a clear warner, [Saying]: 'Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me. He [i.e. Allah] will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah, when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.'' He said: 'My Lord! Indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day. But my invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e. aversion]. And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments [in refusal], persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance. Then I invited them publicly. Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly. And said: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allah [due] grandeur, while He has created you in stages? Do you not consider how Allah has created seven heavens in layers, and made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp? And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth. Then He will return you into it and extract you [another] extraction. And Allah has made for you the earth an expanse. That you may follow therein roads of passage.'' Nooh said: 'My Lord! Indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss. And they conspired an immense conspiracy, and said: ‘Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwaa’ or Yaghooth and Ya’ooq and Nasr [i.e., the names of their idols]' And already they have misled many. And, [my Lord], do not increase the wrongdoers except in error.' Because of their sins they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides Allah [any] helpers." [Quran: 71:1-25]

Nooh  continued to call his people to believe in Allah for nine hundred and fifty years. Allah, the Almighty, Says (what means): "And We certainly sent Nooh to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years…" [Quran: 29:14]

Insistence on disbelief

It happened that every passing generation admonished the succeeding one not to believe Nooh  and to wage war against him. The father would teach his child about the matter that was between himself and Nooh    and counsel him to reject his call when he reached adulthood. Their inclination rejected believing and following the truth.

Nooh  saw that the number of believers was not increasing, while that of the disbelievers was. He was sad for his people, but he never reached the point of despair.

There came a day when Allah revealed to Nooh that no others would believe. Allah inspired him not to grieve for them, at which point Nooh  prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed, saying (which means): "…'My Lord! Do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant. Indeed, if you leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.'" [Quran: 71:26-27]

Allah accepted the prayer of Nooh . The case was closed, and He passed His judgment on the disbelievers in the form of a flood. Allah the Exalted ordered His worshipper, Nooh  to build an ark with His knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels. Almighty Allah commanded (what means): "And construct the ship under Our Eyes and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned." [Quran: 11:37]

Building the Ark

Prophet Nooh (Noah), may Allah exalt his mention, chose a place outside the city, far from the sea. He collected wood and tools and began working day and night to build the ark. The people's mockery continued: "O Nooh! Does carpentry appeal to you more than prophethood? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?" Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, replied: "You will come to know who will be put to shame and suffer."

Allah, the Almighty, Says (what means): "And He [Nooh] constructed the ship, and whenever an assembly of the people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said: 'If you ridicule us, then we will ridicule you just as you ridicule. And you are going to know who will get a punishment that will disgrace him [on earth] and upon whom will descend an enduring punishment [in the Hereafter].'" [Quran: 11:38-39]

The ship was constructed, and Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, sat, awaiting Allah's command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Nooh's house, that would be the sign of the start of the flood, and the sign for Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, to act.

The Flood

The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nooh's house, overflowed. Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair, male and female, of every type of animal, bird and insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people laughed loudly: "Nooh must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?" Almighty Allah narrates in the Quran (what means): "[So it was], until when Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said: 'Load upon it [i.e., the Ark] of each [creature] two mates and your family, except those about whom the word [i.e., decree] has preceded, and [include] whoever has believed.' But none had believed with him, except a few." [Quran: 11:40]

Nooh's wife was not a believer, so she did not join him; neither did one of Nooh's sons, who was secretly a disbeliever but had feigned faith in front of Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention. Likewise most of the people were disbelievers and therefore did not go on board.

A Description of the Flood

Water rose from the cracks in the earth; there was not a crack from which water did not rise. Rain poured from the sky in quantities never seen before on earth. Water continued pouring from the sky and rising from the cracks; hour after hour the level rose. The high waves flooded the land. The interior of the earth moved in a strange way, and the ocean floors lifted suddenly, flooding the dry land. The earth, for the first time was submerged.

The Quran records this story in these verses (which mean): "And [Nooh] said: 'Embark therein; in the Name of Allah is its course and its anchorage. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.' And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Nooh called to his son who was apart [from them]: 'O my son! Come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers.' [But] he said: 'I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water.' [Nooh] said: 'There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy.' And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned." [Quran: 11:41-43]

The Flood Ends

Allah Almighty Says in the Quran (what means): "And it was said: 'O Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold your rain.' And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it [i.e., the ship] came to rest on the [mountain of] Joodiyy. And it was said: 'Away with the wrongdoing people'. And Nooh called to his Lord and said: 'My Lord! Indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges!' He [Allah] said: 'O Nooh! Indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant.' [Nooh] said: 'My Lord! I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.' It was said: 'O Nooh! Disembark in security from Us and blessings upon you and upon nations [descending] from those with you. But other nations [of them] We will grant enjoyment; then there will touch them from Us a painful punishment.'" [Quran: 11:44-48]

With the issue of the divine command, calm returned to the earth, the water retreated, and the dry land shone once again in the rays of the sun. The flood had cleansed the earth of the disbelievers and polytheists.

Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, released the birds and the beasts which scattered over the earth. After that, the believers disembarked. Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, put his forehead to the ground in prostration. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it. Lighting a fire had been prohibited on board so as not to ignite the ship's wood and burn it up. None of them had eaten hot food during the entire period of the flood. Following the disembarkation, there was a day of fasting in thanks to Allah.

Nooh's Death

The Quran draws the curtain on the story of Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention. We do not know how his affairs with his people continued. All we know or can ascertain is that on his deathbed he requested his son to worship Allah alone, and then passed away.

'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas  narrated that the Prophet  said: "When the death of the Messenger of Allah Nooh approached, he admonished his sons: 'Indeed I give you far-reaching advice, commanding you to do two things, and warning you against two others: I beseech you to believe that there is no deity except Allah, and that if the seven heavens and the seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the words 'There is no deity but Allah' were put on the other, the latter would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners with Allah in worship and against pride.'" [Al-Bukhari]