Tarikh (al-Tabari) 83
The story of Noah (peace be upon him)
فَلَمَّا اطْمَأَنَّ نُوحٌ فِي الْفُلْكِ، وَأَدْخَلَ فِيهِ كُلَّ مَنْ أُمِرَ بِهِ، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ بَعْدَ سِتِّمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ فِي قَوْلِ بَعْضِهِمْ، وَحَمَلَ مَعَهُ مَنْ حَمَلَ وَقَالَ ارْكَبُوا فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ. أَيْ عَلَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ ابْتِدَاءُ سَيْرِهَا وَانْتِهَاؤُهُ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ. أَيْ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ مَعَ كَوْنِهِ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا لَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُهُ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ، كَمَا أَحَلَّ بِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِهِ. وَعَبَدُوا غَيْرَهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَرْسَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَطَرًا لَمْ تَعْهَدْهُ الْأَرْضُ قَبْلَهُ، وَلَا تُمْطِرْهُ بَعْدَهُ كَانَ كَأَفْوَاهِ الْقِرَبِ، وَأَمَرَ الْأَرْضَ فَنَبَعَتْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ فِجَاجِهَا وَسَائِرِ أَرْجَائِهَا، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَالْتَقَى الْمَاءُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ [ الْقَمَرِ: 10 - 13 ]. وَالدُّسُرُ: الْمَسَامِيرُ تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا أَيْ بِحِفْظِنَا وَكَلَاءَتِنَا وَحِرَاسَتِنَا وَمُشَاهَدَتِنَا لَهَا جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَغَيْرُهُ أَنَّ الطُّوفَانَ كَانَ فِي ثَالِثَ عَشَرَ شَهْرِ آبٍ فِي حَمَارَةِ الْقَيْظِ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ. أَيِ السَّفِينَةِ. لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ. قَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ: ارْتَفَعَ الْمَاءُ عَلَى أَعْلَى جَبَلٍ بِالْأَرْضِ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ ذِرَاعًا. وَهُوَ الَّذِي عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ. وَقِيلَ: ثَمَانِينَ ذِرَاعًا. وَعَمَّ جَمِيعَ الْأَرْضِ ; طُولَهَا وَالْعَرْضَ، سَهْلَهَا وَحَزْنَهَا، وَجِبَالَهَا، وَقِفَارَهَا وَرِمَالَهَا، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ مِمَّنْ كَانَ بِهَا مِنَ الْأَحْيَاءِ عَيْنٌ تَطْرِفُ، وَلَا صَغِيرٌ وَلَا كَبِيرٌ. قَالَ الْإِمَامُ مَالِكٌ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ: كَانَ أَهْلُ ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ قَدْ مَلَئُوا السَّهْلَ وَالْجَبَلَ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ: لَمْ تَكُنْ بُقْعَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا وَلَهَا مَالِكٌ وَحَائِزٌ. رَوَاهُمَا ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ. موقف ابن نوح عليه السلام وَنَادَى نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَبْ مَعَنَا وَلَا تَكُنْ مَعَ الْكَافِرِينَ قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَى جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ قَالَ لَا عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُغْرَقِينَ [ هُودٍ: 42 - 43 ]. وَهَذَا الِابْنُ هُوَ يَامٌ أَخُو سَامٍ وَحَامٍ وَيَافِثَ. وَقِيلَ: اسْمُهُ كَنْعَانُ. وَكَانَ كَافِرًا عَامِلًا غَيْرَ صَالِحٍ، مُخَالِفًا أَبَاهُ فِي دِينِهِ وَمَذْهَبِهِ، فَهَلَكَ مَعَ مَنْ هَلَكَ. هَذَا وَقَدْ نَجَا مَعَ أَبِيهِ الْأَجَانِبُ فِي النَّسَبِ لَمَّا كَانُوا مُوَافِقِينَ فِي الدِّينِ وَالْمَذْهَبِ: وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ. أَيْ ; لَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا أَحَدٌ مِمَّنْ عَبَدَ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَبْلَعَ مَاءَهَا، وَأَمَرَ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تُقْلِعَ. أَيْ تُمْسِكُ عَنِ الْمَطَرِ وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ. أَيْ نَقَصَ عَمَّا كَانَ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ، أَيْ وَقَعَ بِهِمُ الَّذِي كَانَ قَدْ سَبَقَ فِي عِلْمِهِ وَقَدَرِهِ، مِنْ إِحْلَالِهِ بِهِمْ مَا حَلَّ بِهِمْ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ. أَيْ ; نُودِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِلِسَانِ الْقُدْرَةِ بُعْدًا لَهُمْ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا عَمِينَ [ الْأَعْرَافِ: 64 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ خَلَائِفَ وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ [ يُونُسَ: 73 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَنَصَرْنَاهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ [ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: 77 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا بَعْدُ الْبَاقِينَ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ [ الشُّعَرَاءِ: 119 - 122 ] وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَصْحَابَ السَّفِينَةِ وَجَعَلْنَاهَا آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ [ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ: 14 - 15 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الْآخَرِينَ [ الصَّافَّاتِ: 82 ] وَقَالَ: وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْنَاهَا آيَةً فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرٍ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ [ الْقَمَرِ: 15 - 17 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: مِمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْصَارًا وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا [ نُوحٍ: 25 - 27 ]. وَقَدِ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَالْمِنَّةُ دَعْوَتَهُ فَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ عَيْنٌ تَطْرِفُ. وَقَدْ رَوَى الْإِمَامَانِ: أَبُو جَعْفَرِ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، وَأَبُو مُحَمَّدِ بْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ فِي تَفْسِيرَيْهِمَا عن عَائِشَةَ أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: فَلَوْ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ أَحَدًا لِرَحِمِ أُمَّ الصَّبِيِّ. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَكَثَ نُوحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي قَوْمِهِ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ يَعْنِي إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًا ، وَغَرَسَ مِائَةَ سَنَةٍ الشَّجَرَ فَعَظُمَتْ، وَذَهَبَتْ كُلَّ مَذْهَبٍ، ثُمَّ قَطَعَهَا، ثُمَّ جَعَلَهَا سَفِينَةً، وَيَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِ، وَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُ، وَيَقُولُونَ: تَعْمَلُ سَفِينَةً فِي الْبَرِّ كَيْفَ تَجْرِي. قَالَ: سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ. فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ وَنَبَعَ الْمَاءُ وَصَارَ فِي السِّكَكِ. خَشِيَتْ أُمُّ الصَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ وَكَانَتْ تُحِبُّهُ حُبًّا شَدِيدًا خَرَجَتْ بِهِ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ حَتَّى بَلَغَتْ ثُلْثَهُ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهَا الْمَاءُ، خَرَجَتْ بِهِ حَتَّى اسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجَبَلِ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْمَاءُ رَقَبَتَهَا رَفَعَتْهُ بِيَدَيْهَا، فَغَرِقَا، فَلَوْ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا لِرَحِمِ أُمَّ الصَّبِيِّ. وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ، وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ كَعْبِ الْأَحْبَارِ، وَمُجَاهِدٍ، وَغَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ شَبِيهٌ لِهَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ، وَأَحْرَى بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَوْقُوفًا مُتَلَقًّى عَنْ مِثْلِ كَعْبِ الْأَحْبَارِ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. الزعم بأن عوج بن عنق كان موجودا قبل نوح وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يُبْقِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا، فَكَيْفَ يَزْعُمُ بَعْضُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ: أَنَّ عُوَجَ بْنَ عُنُقَ، وَيُقَالُ: ابْنَ عِنَاقَ كَانَ مَوْجُودًا مِنْ قَبْلِ نُوحٍ إِلَى زَمَانِ مُوسَى وَيَقُولُونَ: كَانَ كَافِرًا مُتَمَرِّدًا جَبَّارًا عَنِيدًا، وَيَقُولُونَ: كَانَ لِغَيْرِ رِشْدَةٍ بَلْ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ عُنُقُ بِنْتُ آدَمَ مِنْ زِنًا، وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْ طُولِهِ السَّمَكَ مِنْ قَرَارِ الْبِحَارِ، وَيَشْوِيهِ فِي عَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ، وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ لِنُوحٍ، وَهُوَ فِي السَّفِينَةِ: مَا هَذِهِ الْقُصَيْعَةُ الَّتِي لَكَ، وَيَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِ. وَيَذْكُرُونَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ طُولُهُ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ ذِرَاعٍ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ وَثَلَاثَةٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ ذِرَاعًا وَثُلُثًا، إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْهَذَيَانَاتِ الَّتِي لَوْلَا أَنَّهَا مُسَطَّرَةٌ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ كُتُبِ التَّفَاسِيرِ، وَغَيْرِهَا مِنَ التَّوَارِيخِ، وَأَيَّامِ النَّاسِ لَمَا تَعَرَّضْنَا لِحِكَايَتِهَا لِسَقَاطَتِهَا، وَرَكَاكَتِهَا، ثُمَّ إِنَّهَا مُخَالِفَةٌ لِلْمَعْقُولِ وَالْمَنْقُولِ. أَمَّا الْمَعْقُولُ فَكَيْفَ يَسُوغُ فِيهِ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ اللَّهُ وَلَدَ نُوحٍ لِكُفْرِهِ، وَأَبُوهُ نَبِيُّ الْأُمَّةِ وَزَعِيمُ أَهْلِ الْإِيمَانِ، وَلَا يُهْلِكُ عُوجَ بْنَ عُنُقَ، وَيُقَالُ: عَنَاقُ. وَهُوَ أَظْلَمُ وَأَطْغَى عَلَى مَا ذَكَرُوا، وَكَيْفَ لَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا، وَلَا أُمَّ الصَّبِيِّ، وَلَا الصَّبِيَّ، وَيَتْرُكُ هَذَا الدَّعِيَّ الْجَبَّارَ الْعَنِيدَ الْفَاجِرَ الشَّدِيدَ الْكَافِرَ الشَّيْطَانَ الْمَرِيدَ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرُوا ؟ ! وَأَمَّا الْمَنْقُولُ فَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الْآخَرِينَ. وَقَالَ: رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا ثُمَّ هَذَا الطُّولُ الَّذِي ذَكَرُوهُ مُخَالِفٌ لِمَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ وَطُولُهُ سِتُّونَ ذِرَاعًا، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلِ الْخَلْقُ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى الْآنَ. فَهَذَا نَصُّ الصَّادِقِ الْمَصْدُوقِ الْمَعْصُومِ الَّذِي لَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى. أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَزَلِ الْخَلْقُ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى الْآنَ أَيْ ; لَمْ يَزَلِ النَّاسُ فِي نُقْصَانٍ فِي طُولِهِمْ مِنْ آدَمَ إِلَى يَوْمِ إِخْبَارِهِ بِذَلِكَ، وَهَلُمَّ جَرًّا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَهَذَا يَقْتَضِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُوجَدْ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ مَنْ كَانَ أَطْوَلَ مِنْهُ فَكَيْفَ يُتْرَكُ هَذَا وَيُذْهَلُ عَنْهُ، وَيُصَارُ إِلَى أَقْوَالِ الْكَذَبَةِ الْكَفَرَةِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا كُتَبَ اللَّهِ الْمُنَزَّلَةَ وَحَرَّفُوهَا وَأَوَّلُوهَا وَوَضَعُوهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوَاضِعِهَا، فَمَا ظَنُّكَ بِمَا هُمْ يَسْتَقِلُّونَ بِنَقْلِهِ أَوْ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ عَلَيْهِ، وَهُمُ الْكَذَبَةُ الْخَوَنَةُ، عَلَيْهِمْ لِعَائِنُ اللَّهِ الْمُتَتَابِعَةُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَمَا أَظُنُّ أَنَّ هَذَا الْخَبَرَ عَنْ عُوجَ بْنِ عَنَاقَ إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقًا مِنْ بَعْضِ زَنَادِقَتِهِمْ وَفُجَّارِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا أَعْدَاءَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. مناشدة نوح عليه السلام ربه تعالى في ولده ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مُنَاشَدَةَ نُوحٍ رَبَّهُ فِي وَلَدِهِ ، وَسُؤَالَهُ لَهُ عَنْ غَرَقِهِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الِاسْتِعْلَامِ وَالِاسْتِكْشَافِ، وَوَجْهُ السُّؤَالِ أَنَّكَ وَعَدْتَنِي بِنَجَاةِ أَهْلِي مَعِي وَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ وَقَدْ غَرِقَ فَأُجِيبَ بِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ أَيِ الَّذِينَ وَعَدْتُ بِنَجَاتِهِمْ أَيْ أَمَا قُلْنَا لَكَ: وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ. فَكَانَ هَذَا مِمَّنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ بِأَنْ سَيَغْرَقُ بِكُفْرِهِ، وَلِهَذَا سَاقَتْهُ الْأَقْدَارُ إِلَى أَنِ انْحَازَ عَنْ حَوْزَةِ أَهْلِ الْإِيمَانِ، فَغَرِقَ مَعَ حِزْبِهِ أَهْلِ الْكُفْرِ وَالطُّغْيَانِ.
Translation
✧ When Nūḥ had settled in the ark, and had brought into it everyone he had been commanded to bring—this being after six hundred years of his life according to some—and had carried with him those he carried, he said: “Embark in it; in the name of God be its course and its mooring. Truly my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.” That is, in the name of God is the beginning of its sailing and the end of it. “Truly my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful,” that is, and Possessor of painful punishment even as He is Forgiving, Merciful; His might is not turned away from the wrongdoing people, just as He brought down upon the people of the earth who disbelieved in Him and worshipped other than Him. God, Exalted be He, said: “And it sailed with them amid waves like mountains.” That was because God, Exalted be He, sent down from the sky rain such as the earth had never known before it, nor would it rain such after it; it was like the mouths of waterskins. And He commanded the earth, and it gushed forth from all its fissures and all its regions, as He, Exalted be He, said: “Then he called upon his Lord, 'I am overcome, so help me.' So We opened the gates of the sky with water pouring down, and We caused the earth to burst forth with springs, and the waters met for a matter already decreed. And We carried him on a thing of planks and nails” [al-Qamar: 10–13]. Al-dusur are nails. “Sailing under Our eyes,” that is, under Our protection, Our keeping, Our guarding, and Our watching over it, “as a reward for him who had been rejected.” Ibn Jarīr and others have mentioned that the flood was on the thirteenth of the month of Āb in the intense heat of summer. He, Exalted be He, said: “Truly when the water overflowed, We carried you in the running vessel,” that is, the ship. “That We might make it a reminder for you, and that a retentive ear might retain it.” A group of exegetes said: The water rose above the highest mountain on earth by fifteen cubits—this is what is held by the People of the Book. It was also said: eighty cubits. And it covered the entire earth, its length and breadth, its plains and its rugged terrain, its mountains, its deserts, and its sands. No living eye that blinked remained on the face of the earth of those who had been on it, neither small nor great. Imām Mālik said, from Zayd b. Aslam: The people of that time had filled the plain and the mountain. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Zayd b. Aslam said: There was no spot on earth but that it had an owner and a possessor. Ibn Abī Ḥātim related both of these. The stance of Nūḥ's son, upon him be peace: “And Nūḥ called out to his son, who had withdrawn apart, 'O my son, embark with us and do not be with the disbelievers.' He said, 'I will take refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water.' He said, 'There is no protector today from the command of God except for him upon whom He has mercy.' And the wave came between them, and he was among the drowned” [Hūd: 42–43]. This son is Yām, the brother of Sām, Ḥām, and Yāfith. It was also said: his name was Kanʿān. He was a disbeliever, an evildoer, not righteous, contradicting his father in his religion and way, so he perished with those who perished. This, even though strangers in lineage were saved with his father because they agreed with him in religion and way. It was said: “O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, cease.” And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it came to rest on al-Jūdī. And it was said: “Away with the wrongdoing people.” That is, when He had finished with the people of the earth, and none remained on it of those who worshipped other than God, Mighty and Majestic, God commanded the earth to swallow its water, and commanded the sky to cease, that is, to withhold the rain. “And the water subsided,” that is, it decreased from what it had been. “And the matter was accomplished,” that is, what had already preceded in His knowledge and His decree came upon them, of what He brought down upon them. “And it was said: Away with the wrongdoing people,” that is, it was proclaimed against them in the tongue of power: away with them from mercy and forgiveness, just as He, Exalted be He, said: “But they denied him, so We saved him and those with him in the ark, and We drowned those who denied Our signs. Truly they were a blind people” [al-Aʿrāf: 64]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “But they denied him, so We saved him and those with him in the ark, and We made them successors, and We drowned those who denied Our signs. So see how was the end of those who were warned” [Yūnus: 73]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “And We helped him against the people who denied Our signs. Truly they were an evil people, so We drowned them all” [al-Anbiyāʾ: 77]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “So We saved him and those with him in the laden ark. Then after that We drowned the rest. Truly in that is a sign, but most of them were not believers. And truly your Lord, He is the Mighty, the Merciful” [al-Shuʿarāʾ: 119–122]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “So We saved him and the companions of the ship, and We made it a sign for the worlds” [al-ʿAnkabūt: 14–15]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “Then We drowned the others” [al-Ṣāffāt: 82]. And He said: “And We left it as a sign. Is there any who will remember? How then was My punishment and My warning? And We have made the Qurʾān easy for remembrance. Is there any who will remember?” [al-Qamar: 15–17]. And He, Exalted be He, said: “Because of their sins they were drowned, then made to enter a Fire, and they found for themselves no helpers besides God. And Nūḥ said, 'My Lord, leave not upon the earth any dweller from among the disbelievers. If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and will beget none but wicked disbelievers'” [Nūḥ: 25–27]. And God, Exalted be He—and to Him belongs praise and grace—answered his supplication, and no eye that blinked remained of them. The two imāms Abū Jaʿfar b. Jarīr and Abū Muḥammad b. Abī Ḥātim related in their two tafsīrs from ʿĀʾishah, Mother of the Believers, that the Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Had God had mercy on anyone of the people of Nūḥ, He would have had mercy on the mother of the child.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Nūḥ ﷺ remained among his people a thousand years, that is, less fifty years, and for a hundred years he planted trees, and they grew great and spread in every direction. Then he cut them down and made them into an ark. They would pass by him and mock him, saying: 'You are making a ship on dry land; how will it sail?' He said: 'You will soon know.' When he had finished and the water gushed forth and reached the streets, the mother of the child feared for him, and she loved him greatly. She went out with him to the mountain until she reached a third of the way up it. When the water reached her, she went out with him until she stood on the top of the mountain. When the water reached her neck, she lifted him with her hands, and they both drowned. Had God had mercy on any of them, He would have had mercy on the mother of the child.” This is a strange ḥadīth. It has been related from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, Mujāhid, and others a story similar to this, and it is more likely that this ḥadīth is mawqūf, received from the like of Kaʿb al-Aḥbār. And God knows best. The claim that ʿŪj b. ʿUnaq existed before Nūḥ. The point is that God did not leave any dweller among the disbelievers, so how can some exegetes claim that ʿŪj b. ʿUnaq—also said: Ibn ʿInāq—existed from before Nūḥ until the time of Moses? They say: He was a disbeliever, rebellious, tyrannical, obstinate. They say: He was not born of lawful union; rather, his mother ʿUnaq, daughter of Ādam, bore him through adultery. And that, because of his height, he used to take fish from the depths of the seas and roast it in the heat of the sun. And that he used to say to Nūḥ while he was in the ark: “What is this little bowl of yours?” mocking him. And they mention that his height was three thousand three hundred thirty-three cubits and a third, along with other such ravings that, had they not been written down in many books of tafsīr and other chronicles and histories of people, we would not have undertaken to relate them because of their worthlessness and feebleness. Moreover, they contradict both reason and transmitted report. As for reason: how can it be admissible that God would destroy the son of Nūḥ for his disbelief—while his father was the prophet of the nation and the leader of the people of faith—and yet not destroy ʿŪj b. ʿUnaq (also said ʿAnāq), who was, according to what they mention, more wicked and more rebellious? And how could God have no mercy on any of them, neither on the mother of the child nor on the child, and yet leave this bastard, this tyrant, this obstinate, wicked, exceedingly disbelieving, rebellious devil, as they mention? As for transmitted report: God, Exalted be He, said: “Then We drowned the others,” and He said: “My Lord, leave not upon the earth any dweller among the disbelievers.” Then this height that they mention contradicts what is in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: “God created Ādam, and his height was sixty cubits. Then creation has not ceased to decrease until now.” This is the explicit text of the truthful, the one whose truthfulness is confirmed, the infallible, who does not speak from desire; it is nothing but revelation revealed. That is, people have not ceased to decrease in their height from Ādam until the day he informed of that, and so on until the Day of Resurrection. This entails that no one from the progeny of Ādam existed who was taller than him. So how can this be abandoned and overlooked, and recourse be made to the statements of the lying disbelievers among the People of the Book, who altered the revealed books of God, distorted them, interpreted them wrongly, and placed them in their improper places? What do you think of what they alone transmit or what they are entrusted with, when they are liars and traitors, upon whom are the successive curses of God until the Day of Resurrection? I do not think that this report about ʿŪj b. ʿAnāq is anything but a fabrication by some of their heretics and wicked ones who were enemies of the prophets. And God knows best. Nūḥ's appeal to his Lord, Exalted be He, concerning his son. Then God, Exalted be He, mentioned Nūḥ's appeal to his Lord concerning his son, and his questioning Him about his drowning in the manner of seeking information and clarification. The point of the question is: You promised me the salvation of my family with me, and he is one of them, yet he has drowned. The answer came that he was not of your family, that is, of those whose salvation I promised. That is, did We not say to you: “and your family, except for him against whom the decree has already gone forth among them.” So this one was among those against whom the decree had already gone forth among them, that he would drown because of his disbelief. For this reason the decrees drove him to withdraw from the company of the people of faith, and he drowned with his party, the people of disbelief and tyranny.
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