Prophets Ādam, Nūḥ and Hūd: The Patience of the Prophets
Section 17 of 30 · Lives of the Prophets
A Ship Where There Is No Sea
Allah (swt) instructed Nūḥ to build the ark, the ship.
وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَـٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ
“And make an ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation; and do not speak to Me about those who have crossed the limits, as they are destined to be drowned.”” (11:37)
Wa-ṣnaʿi al-fulka bi-aʿyuninā wa waḥyinā: and construct the ship under Our eyes and with Our inspiration. So Nūḥ started constructing the ark. Wa lā tukhāṭibnī fī alladhīna ẓalamū innahum mughraqūn: and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned. So he started building the ark.
وَيَصْنَعُ ٱلْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُوا۟ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ
“He started making the Ark. Whenever the leaders of his people passed by him, they mocked at him. He said, “If you mock at us, we mock at you like you mock at us: So, you shall soon know who will be visited by a scourge that will humiliate him, and upon whom a lasting punishment will settle forever.”” (11:38–39)
Wa yaṣnaʿu al-fulk. And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people would pass by, they would make fun of him. They mocked him — yaskharūn — they would make fun of him. Nūḥ, are you crazy? Did you lose your mind? You're building a ship, and there's no sea? Nūḥ is building an ark on top of this hill, and there's no sea, no ocean, and there's no river — there's nothing — and Nūḥ is building a ship.
So they would come next to him — because, subḥān Allāh, the people of dunyā can only see what is in front of their eyes. They cannot understand that Allah (swt) is able to do it: inna Allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. They are limited by this narrow vision of the material world. There's no sea, there's no river, there's no ocean — what are you doing? And they would make fun of Nūḥ.
Nūḥ told them: qāla in taskharū minnā fa-innā naskharu minkum kamā taskharūn — if you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise, for your mocking. Fa-sawfa taʿlamūna man yaʾtīhi ʿadhābun yukhzīhi wa yaḥillu ʿalayhi ʿadhābun muqīm: and you will know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace, and on whom will fall a lasting torment.