DELUGE, The. Arabic Tufan طوفان.
The story of the deluge is given by Muhammad in his Qur’an; to the Arabians as a “secret history, revealed to them (Surah xi 51). The following are the allusions to it in the Qur’an:-
Surah lxix 11: –
“When the Flood rose high, we have you in the Ark,”
“That we might make that event a warning to you, and that the retaining ear might retain it.”
Surah liv 9: –
“Before them the people of Noah treated the truth as a lie, Our servant did they charge with falsehood, and said, ‘Demoniac!’ and he was rejected.
“Then cried he to his Lord, ‘Verily, they prevail against me, come thou therefore to my succor.”
“So we opened the gates of Heaven with water which fell in torrents.”
“And we caused the earth to break forth with springs, and their waters met be settled decree.”
“And we bare him on a vessel made with planks and nails.”
“Under our eyes it floated on; a recompense to him who had been rejected with unbelief.”
“And we left it a sign; but is there any one who receives the warning?”
“And how great was my vengeance and my menace!”
Surah xi 38: –
“And it was revealed unto Noah: ‘Verily, none of they people shall believe, save they who have believed already; therefore be not thou grieved at their doings.”
“But build the Ark under our eye and after our revelation; and plead not with me for the evil-doers, for they are to be drowned.”
“So he built the Ark; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by they laughed him to scorn; said he ‘Though ye laugh at us, we truly shall laugh at you, ever as ye laugh at us; and in the end ye shall know.”
“On whom a punishment shall come that shall shame him; and on whom shall light a lasting punishment.”
Thus was it until our sentence came to pass, and the earth’s surface boiled up. We said ‘Carry into it one pair of every kind, and thy family, except him on whom sentence hath before been passed, and those who have believed.’ But there believed nor with him except a few.”
“And he said, Embark ye therein. In the name of God be its course and it riding at anchor! Truly my Lord is right Gracious, Merciful.’
“And the Ark moved on with them amid wave like mountains; and Noah called to his son – for he was apart – ‘Embark with us, O my child! And be not with the unbelievers.'”
“He said, ‘I will betake me to a mountain that shall secure me from the water.’ He said, ‘None shall be secure this day from the decree of God, save him on whom He shall have mercy.’ And a wave passed between them, and he was among the drowned.”
“And it was said ‘O Earth! Swallow up thy water’; and ‘cease O Heaven!’ And the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the Ark rested upon al-Judi; and it was said ‘Avaunt! Ye tribe of the wicked!’
“And Noah called on his Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Verily my son is of my family; and thy promise is true, and thou art the most just of judges.”
“He said, ‘O Noah! Verily, he is not of thy family; in this thou actest not aright. Ask not of me that whereof thou knowest nought; I warn thee that thou become not of the ignorant.”
“He said ‘To three verily, O my Lord, do I repair lest I ask that of thee wherein I have no knowledge; unless thou forgive me and be merciful to me I shall be one of the lost.”
“It was said to him, ‘O Noah! Debark with peace from Us, and with blessings on thee and on peoples from those who are with thee; but as for part, we will suffer them to enjoy themselves, but afterwards they shall suffer a grievous punishment from us to be inflicted.”
“This is a secret history which we reveal to thee. Thou didst not know them, thou nor thy people before this.”
The story of the deluge is given by Muhammad in his Qur’an; to the Arabians as a “secret history, revealed to them (Surah xi 51). The following are the allusions to it in the Qur’an:-
Surah lxix 11: –
“When the Flood rose high, we have you in the Ark,”
“That we might make that event a warning to you, and that the retaining ear might retain it.”
Surah liv 9: –
“Before them the people of Noah treated the truth as a lie, Our servant did they charge with falsehood, and said, ‘Demoniac!’ and he was rejected.
“Then cried he to his Lord, ‘Verily, they prevail against me, come thou therefore to my succor.”
“So we opened the gates of Heaven with water which fell in torrents.”
“And we caused the earth to break forth with springs, and their waters met be settled decree.”
“And we bare him on a vessel made with planks and nails.”
“Under our eyes it floated on; a recompense to him who had been rejected with unbelief.”
“And we left it a sign; but is there any one who receives the warning?”
“And how great was my vengeance and my menace!”
Surah xi 38: –
“And it was revealed unto Noah: ‘Verily, none of they people shall believe, save they who have believed already; therefore be not thou grieved at their doings.”
“But build the Ark under our eye and after our revelation; and plead not with me for the evil-doers, for they are to be drowned.”
“So he built the Ark; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by they laughed him to scorn; said he ‘Though ye laugh at us, we truly shall laugh at you, ever as ye laugh at us; and in the end ye shall know.”
“On whom a punishment shall come that shall shame him; and on whom shall light a lasting punishment.”
Thus was it until our sentence came to pass, and the earth’s surface boiled up. We said ‘Carry into it one pair of every kind, and thy family, except him on whom sentence hath before been passed, and those who have believed.’ But there believed nor with him except a few.”
“And he said, Embark ye therein. In the name of God be its course and it riding at anchor! Truly my Lord is right Gracious, Merciful.’
“And the Ark moved on with them amid wave like mountains; and Noah called to his son – for he was apart – ‘Embark with us, O my child! And be not with the unbelievers.'”
“He said, ‘I will betake me to a mountain that shall secure me from the water.’ He said, ‘None shall be secure this day from the decree of God, save him on whom He shall have mercy.’ And a wave passed between them, and he was among the drowned.”
“And it was said ‘O Earth! Swallow up thy water’; and ‘cease O Heaven!’ And the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the Ark rested upon al-Judi; and it was said ‘Avaunt! Ye tribe of the wicked!’
“And Noah called on his Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Verily my son is of my family; and thy promise is true, and thou art the most just of judges.”
“He said, ‘O Noah! Verily, he is not of thy family; in this thou actest not aright. Ask not of me that whereof thou knowest nought; I warn thee that thou become not of the ignorant.”
“He said ‘To three verily, O my Lord, do I repair lest I ask that of thee wherein I have no knowledge; unless thou forgive me and be merciful to me I shall be one of the lost.”
“It was said to him, ‘O Noah! Debark with peace from Us, and with blessings on thee and on peoples from those who are with thee; but as for part, we will suffer them to enjoy themselves, but afterwards they shall suffer a grievous punishment from us to be inflicted.”
“This is a secret history which we reveal to thee. Thou didst not know them, thou nor thy people before this.”
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam
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