Prophets Ādam, Nūḥ and Hūd: The Patience of the Prophets
Section 22 of 30 · Lives of the Prophets
Verily My Son Is of My Family
وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
“It was said (by Allah), “O earth, suck in your water, and O heaven, stop.” And water subsided, and the matter was over. It (the Ark) came to rest on the Jūdī, and it was said, “Away with the wrongdoers.”” (11:44)
Wa qīla yā arḍu-blaʿī māʾaki wa yā samāʾu aqliʿī. Rain stopped from the sky, and Allah (swt) instructed — commanded — the earth to swallow all of the water. Wa-stawat ʿalā al-Jūdiyy: so this ark landed on the mountain called al-Jūdī, Jūdī Mountain. It is said that it's in present-day Kurdistan; that's where they say the mountain is, and that's where it landed.
وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُۥ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ٱبْنِى مِنْ أَهْلِى وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ
“NūH called unto his Lord and said, “My Lord, my son is a part of my family, and surely Your promise is true, and You are the greatest of all judges.”” (11:45)
And when everything settled, Nūḥ wanted to ask Allah (swt) about something. Nūḥ said: wa nādā Nūḥun rabbahu fa-qāla rabbi inna-bnī min ahlī wa inna waʿdaka al-ḥaqqu wa anta aḥkamu al-ḥākimīn. And Nūḥ called upon his Lord and said: O my Lord, verily my son is of my family, and certainly Your promise is true, and You are the most just of the judges.
Allah had promised Nūḥ that you will be saved with your family. So Nūḥ is asking Allah (swt), and saying: O Allah, didn't You tell me that all of my family will be saved — and my son is from my family? And Your promise is true: Nūḥ is saying that I don't have any doubts in Your promise. This is not doubt. He just wants to know, to understand. Inna waʿdaka al-ḥaqqu wa anta aḥkamu al-ḥākimīn: Your promise is true, and You are the most wise, and the most just of the judges. Allah (swt) taught Nūḥ a lesson.