Surah Hud
Chapter 11 · Verse 40 · Revealed in Makkah
“[So it was], until when Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said, "Load upon the ship of each [creature] two mates and your family, except those about whom the word has preceded, and [include] whoever has believed." But none had believed with him, except a few.”
Translation: Saheeh International
Listen to recitation
Mishary Rashid Alafasy
Reflection — 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
Reflection — Maarif ul Quran
From the fifth verse (40) begins the description of the coming of the flood, related instructions and events as they unfolded. So, first it was said: حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ (At last, when Our command came and the oven overflowed).
The word: (tannur: تَّنُّور oven) is used in more than one sense. The Earth's floor is called an oven. The oven that bakes bread is also a tan-nur. A raised part of the land is also referred to as tannur. Therefore, some of the Tafsir authorities have said that, at this place, ` tannur' means the surface of the land in that water started overflowing from it. Some of them have said that it means the tannur of Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) that was located at ` ainul- wardah' in Syria - and water over-flowed from it. Some others said that Sayyidna Nuh's own tannur was located in Kufah and that was what it means. Most commentators - Sayyidna Hasan, Mujahid, Sha` bi, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ and others - have gone by this view.
What does this verse bring up for you today?