The Story of Noah

Allah has advised mankind that he will retain some of the signs, Noah's ark, Pharaoh's unspoiled dead body are some of His signs (from history)

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Mount of Ararat (Turkey)
A couple of years ago a Fighter Jet Pilot while flying over Mount Ararat of Turkey spotted a huge vessel like thing. Curiously he took many snaps and later on from the
historical evidence he came to know that the huge vessel is Noah's Ark. These are the pictures of the remains of the boat of Prophet Noah and was found at the Mount of Ararat (Turkey). The Holy Quran tells us that the boat was stopped at the Mount of Judi after the storm was over.

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Allah's Prophets are His messengers to humanity. Their essence is human and they are the purest of human beings. The Almighty sent each Prophet as a warner to his community until the advent of the final Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), who came as a messenger to mankind. Indeed, if it had not been for Muhammad (Pbuh) we would not have known the true stories of the Prophets as they took place. According to the history of the People of the Book, the period between the birth of Noah and the death of Adam was 146 years. Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said: "The period between Adam and Noah was ten centuries".

For many generations, Prophet Nuh's (Noah) people had been worshipping statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwa'an, Yagutha, Ya'auga and Nasran, according to the power they thought these gods possessed, originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their death, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive. After sometime, people began to worship these statues.

Into this environment, Allah sent Noah with His message to his people. Noah was the only intellectual not caught in the whirlpool of man's destruction which was caused by polytheism. Allah in His mercy sent His messenger Noah to guide his people. Noah was an excellent speaker and a very patient man. He pointed out to his people the mysteries of life and the wonders of the universe. He clarified to them how the devil had deceived them for so long and that the time had come for this deceit to stop Noah warned them not to worship anyone but Allah, and described the terrible punishment Allah would mete out if they continued in their evil ways. Noah's people were divided into two groups after his warning. His words touched the hearts of the weak, the poor and soothed their wounds with its mercy. As for the rich, the strong, the mighty and the rulers, they looked upon the warning with cold distrust. They believed they would be better off if things stayed as they were. So they started their war of words against Noah.

Noah saw that the number of believers was not increasing, while that of the disbelievers was. He was sad for his people, but he never reached the point of despair. Then came a day when Allah inspired Noah not to grieve for his people at which point Noah prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed. Allah accepted Noah's prayer and passed His judgement on the disbelievers in the form of a flood. Allah, the exalted ordered His worshipper Noah to build an ark with His knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels. Almighty Allah commanded: "And construct the ship under Our eyes and with our inspiration and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong, they are surely to be drowned."

Noah chose a place outside the city far from the sea. He collected wood and tools and began to work day and night to build the ark. The people's mockery continued. "O, Noah! Does carpentry appeal to you more then Prophethood? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?" Noah replied: "You will come to know who will be put to shame and suffer". The ship was constructed and Noah sat waiting for Allah's command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Noah's house, that would be the sign of the start of the flood, the sign for Noah to act. The terrible day arrived when the oven at Noah's house overflowed. Noah hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair, male and female of every type of animal, bird and insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people laughed loudly: "Noah must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?" Noah's wife was not a believer with him, so she did not join him, neither did one of Noah's sons. Scholars hold different opinions on the number of those who were with Noah on the ship. Ibn Abbas stated that there were 80 believers, while Ka'ab Al Albar held that there were 72. Water rose from the cracks in the earth, there was not a crack from which water did not rise. Rain poured from the sky in quantities never seen before on the earth. The seas and waves invaded the land. The earth for the first time was submerged.

Allah told the story thus: And he (Noah) said: "Embark therein, in the Name of Allah will be its moving course and its resting anchorage. Surely my Lord is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful." So it (the ship) sailed with them amidst the waves like mountains and Noah called out to his son who had separated himself (apart), "O my son! Embark with us and be not with the disbelievers." His son replied: "I will betake myself to a mountain, it will save me from the water." And it was said: "O earth! Swallow up your water, and O, Sky withhold your rain" And the water was diminished (made to subside) and the decree of Allah was fulfilled (i.e., the destruction of the people of Noah). And it (the ship) rested on Mount Judi and it was said: "Away with the people who are zalimeen (polytheists and wrong doers). It was said: "O Noah, come down from the ship with peace from us and blessings on you and on the people who are with you (and on some of their offspring), but there will be other people to whom we shall grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the end a painful torment will reach them from us."

With the issue of the divine command, calm returned to earth, the water retreated and the dry land shone once again in the rays of the sun. The flood had cleansed the earth of the disbelievers and polytheists. Noah released the birds and the beasts which scattered over the earth. After that, the believers disembarked. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it. None of them had eaten hot food during the entire period of the flood. Following the disembarkation there was a day of fasting in thanks to Allah.

The Quran draws the curtains on Noah's story. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al'aas narrated that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said: "When the death of the messenger of Allah Noah approached, he admonished his sons: "Indeed I would give you far reaching advice, commanding to do two things and warning you against doing two as well-I charge you to believe that there is no god, but Allah and that if the seven heavens and seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the words. "There is no god, but Allah", were put on the other, the latter would outweigh the former. And I warn you against associating partners with Allah and against pride."