Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The beginning of the Flood and Nuh loads Every Creature in Pairs upon the Ship This was the promise of Allah to Nuh , when the command of Allah came, the rain was continuous and there was a severe storm which did not slacken or subside, as Allah said, فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَبَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَاءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ - وَفَجَّرْنَا الاٌّرْضَ عُيُوناً فَالْتَقَى المَآءُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ - وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَحٍ وَدُسُرٍ - تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ (So We opened the gates of the heaven with water pouring forth. And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails. Floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected!)54:11-14 In reference to Allah's statement, وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ (and the oven gushed forth.) It is related from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "At-Tannur is the face of the earth." This verse means that the face of the earth became gushing water springs. This continued until the water gushed forth from the Tananir, which are places of fire. Therefore, water even gushed from the places where fire normally would be. This is the opinion of the majority of the Salaf (predecessors) and the scholars of the Khalaf (later generations). At this point, Allah commanded Nuh to select one pair from every kind of creature possessing a soul, and load them on the ship. Some said that this included other creatures as well, such as pairs of plants, male and female. It has also been said that the first of the birds to enter the ship was the parrot, and the last of the animals to enter was the donkey. Concerning Allah's statement, وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ (and your family -- except him against whom the Word has already gone forth) This means, "Load your family upon the ship." This is referring to the members of his household and his relatives, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, for they did not believe in Allah. Among them was the son of Nuh, Yam, who went in hermitage. Among them was the wife of Nuh who was a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger. Concerning Allah's statement, وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ (and those who believe.) from your people. وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ (And none believed with him, except a few.) This means that only a very small number believed, even after the long period of time that he (Nuh) was among them -- nine hundred and fifty years. It is reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "They were eighty people including their women."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The beginning of the Flood and Nuh loads Every Creature in Pairs upon the Ship This was the promise of Allah to Nuh , when the command of Allah came, the rain was continuous and there was a severe storm which did not slacken or subside, as Allah said, فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَبَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَاءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ - وَفَجَّرْنَا الاٌّرْضَ عُيُوناً فَالْتَقَى المَآءُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ - وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَحٍ وَدُسُرٍ - تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ (So We opened the gates of the heaven with water pouring forth. And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails. Floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected!)54:11-14 In reference to Allah's statement, وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ (and the oven gushed forth.) It is related from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "At-Tannur is the face of the earth." This verse means that the face of the earth became gushing water springs. This continued until the water gushed forth from the Tananir, which are places of fire. Therefore, water even gushed from the places where fire normally would be. This is the opinion of the majority of the Salaf (predecessors) and the scholars of the Khalaf (later generations). At this point, Allah commanded Nuh to select one pair from every kind of creature possessing a soul, and load them on the ship. Some said that this included other creatures as well, such as pairs of plants, male and female. It has also been said that the first of the birds to enter the ship was the parrot, and the last of the animals to enter was the donkey. Concerning Allah's statement, وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ (and your family -- except him against whom the Word has already gone forth) This means, "Load your family upon the ship." This is referring to the members of his household and his relatives, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, for they did not believe in Allah. Among them was the son of Nuh, Yam, who went in hermitage. Among them was the wife of Nuh who was a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger. Concerning Allah's statement, وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ (and those who believe.) from your people. وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ (And none believed with him, except a few.) This means that only a very small number believed, even after the long period of time that he (Nuh) was among them -- nine hundred and fifty years. It is reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "They were eighty people including their women."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The beginning of the Flood and Nuh loads Every Creature in Pairs upon the Ship This was the promise of Allah to Nuh , when the command of Allah came, the rain was continuous and there was a severe storm which did not slacken or subside, as Allah said, فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَبَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَاءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ - وَفَجَّرْنَا الاٌّرْضَ عُيُوناً فَالْتَقَى المَآءُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ - وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَحٍ وَدُسُرٍ - تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ (So We opened the gates of the heaven with water pouring forth. And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails. Floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected!)54:11-14 In reference to Allah's statement, وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ (and the oven gushed forth.) It is related from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "At-Tannur is the face of the earth." This verse means that the face of the earth became gushing water springs. This continued until the water gushed forth from the Tananir, which are places of fire. Therefore, water even gushed from the places where fire normally would be. This is the opinion of the majority of the Salaf (predecessors) and the scholars of the Khalaf (later generations). At this point, Allah commanded Nuh to select one pair from every kind of creature possessing a soul, and load them on the ship. Some said that this included other creatures as well, such as pairs of plants, male and female. It has also been said that the first of the birds to enter the ship was the parrot, and the last of the animals to enter was the donkey. Concerning Allah's statement, وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ (and your family -- except him against whom the Word has already gone forth) This means, "Load your family upon the ship." This is referring to the members of his household and his relatives, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, for they did not believe in Allah. Among them was the son of Nuh, Yam, who went in hermitage. Among them was the wife of Nuh who was a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger. Concerning Allah's statement, وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ (and those who believe.) from your people. وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ (And none believed with him, except a few.) This means that only a very small number believed, even after the long period of time that he (Nuh) was among them -- nine hundred and fifty years. It is reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "They were eighty people including their women."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The End of the Flood Allah, the Exalted, informs that when the people of the earth were all drowned, except for the people on the ship, He commanded the earth to swallow its water, which had sprang from it and gathered upon it. Then He commanded the sky to cease raining. وَغِيضَ الْمَآءُ (And the water was made to subside) This means that it (the water) began to decrease. وَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ (and the decree was fulfilled.) This means that all of those who disbelieved in Allah were removed from the people of the earth. Not a single one of them remained upon the earth. وَاسْتَوَتْ (And it (the ship) rested) This is referring to the ship and those who were in it. عَلَى الْجُودِىِّ (on (Mount) Judi.) Mujahid said, "Judi is a mountain in Al-Jazirah (Northwest Mesopotamia) where the mountains sought to tower above each other on the day of the drowning. On that day of destruction, all the mountains sought to be higher (to avoid being overcome by the water). However, this mountain (Judi) humbled itself for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and therefore it was not drowned. This is why Nuh's ship anchored upon it." Qatadah said, "The ship rested upon it (Mount Judi) for a month before they (the people) came down from it. " Qatadah also said, "Allah made Nuh's ship remain on Mount Judi in the land of Al-Jazirah, as a lesson and a sign." Even the early generations of this Ummah saw it. How many ships are there that have come after it and have been destroyed and became dust وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ (and it was said: "Away with the people who are wrongdoing!") means destruction and loss for them. The term "away with" here implies being far away from the mercy of Allah. For verily, they were destroyed to the last of them, and none of them survived.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

A Return to the Story of the Son of Nuh and mentioning what transpired between Nuh and Allah concerning Him This was a request for information and an inquiry from Nuh concerning the cirumstances of his son's drowning. فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابُنِى مِنْ أَهْلِى (and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family!") This means, "Verily, You promised to save my family and Your promise is the truth that does not fail. Therefore, how can he (my son) be drowned and You are the Most Just of the judges" قَالَ ينُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ (He (Allah) said: "O Nuh! Surely, he is not of your family...") This means, "He (your son) is not of those whom I promised to save. I only promised you that I would save those of your family who believe." For this reason Allah said, وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ l(and your family except him against whom the Word has already gone forth.) 11:40 Thus, for his son, it had already been decreed that he would be drowned due to his disbelief and his opposition to his father, the Prophet of Allah, Nuh peace be upon him. Concerning Allah's statement, إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ (Surely, he is not of your family;) meaning that he (Nuh's son) was not among those whom Allah promised to save. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "He was the son of Nuh, but he opposed him in deeds and intention." `Ikrimah said in some of the modes of recitation it said here, (إِنَّهُ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا غَيْرَ صَالِحٍ) "Verily, he (Nuh's son) worked deeds that were not righteous."