Why Did Allah Instruct Nuh to Build a Ship?
لماذا أمر الله نوحا ببناء سفينة؟
His people were disbelievers and they transgressed, so Allah wanted to drown them all. He instructed Nuh to build a ship and take a pair, male and female, of each kind of animal on the ship with him, as well as the believers from his people. "So, We inspired him, saying, 'Construct the ship under Our Eyes and under Our Revelation. Then, when Our Command comes, and the oven gushes forth water, take on board of each kind two, male and female, and your family, except those thereof against whom the Word has already gone forth. And address Me not in favor of those who have done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned'" (Surah Al-Muminun 23:27). Nuh's people mocked their Prophet again when they saw him build a ship. "And it was inspired to Nuh, 'None of your people will believe except those who have believed already. So be not sad because of what they used to do. 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.' So he began to build the Ark, and whenever some of the chiefs of his people passed by, they mocked him. He said, 'If you laugh at us, we will soon laugh at you similarly'" (Surah Hud 11:36-38). Nuh was not affected by this ridicule, but he remained steadfast in his position and trust in Allah, and he warned them about the punishment that would come to them.
إن قومه كفروا وطغوا وأراد الله أن يغرقهم جميعا، فأمر الله تعالى نوحا عليه السلام أن يصنع سفينة ويأخذ عليها المؤمنين من قومه، ويأخذ من كل حيوان زوجين، أنثى وذكرا. فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ فَاسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۖ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ (سورة المؤمنون: 27). سخر قوم نوح من نبيهم مرة أخرى حين رأوه يبني سفينة. وَأُوحِيَ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُ لَن يُؤْمِنَ مِن قَوْمِكَ إِلَّا مَن قَدْ آمَنَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُ ۚ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ (سورة هود: 36-38). لم يتأثر نوح بتلك السخرية، وإنما ثبت على موقفه من الدعوة والثقة بالله عز وجل، وتوعدهم بما سيأتيهم من عقوبة.
1. A Ship Built Under Divine Supervision | سفينة بُنيت تحت إشراف إلهي
The Quran's phrase "under Our Eyes and Our Revelation" indicates this was no ordinary construction project; Allah Himself guided every stage of the ship's building. This detail explains how a single vessel could reliably carry Nuh, the believers, and a pair of every animal safely through the flood covered in What Punishment Did Allah Send to the People of Noah?
عبارة القرآن "بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا" تدل على أن هذا لم يكن مشروع بناء عاديا؛ فقد أشرف الله بنفسه على كل مرحلة من بناء السفينة. وهذا التفصيل يفسر كيف استطاعت سفينة واحدة أن تحمل نوحا والمؤمنين وزوجين من كل حيوان بأمان عبر الطوفان الذي تناولناه في مقال ما العقاب الذي أرسله الله لقوم نوح؟
2. Mockery Aimed at an Absurd Sight | سخرية استهدفت مشهدا غريبا
To Nuh's people, a man building a massive ship far from any sea would have appeared genuinely absurd, giving them fresh material for ridicule beyond the accusations already covered in How Did Nuh's People React to His Call? Their mockery reflects a complete inability to imagine the scale of what was coming.
بالنسبة لقوم نوح، كان رجل يبني سفينة ضخمة بعيدا عن أي بحر سيبدو أمرا سخيفا حقا، مما منحهم مادة جديدة للسخرية تتجاوز الاتهامات التي تناولناها في مقال كيف كان رد فعل قوم نوح على دعوته إلى الله؟ وتعكس سخريتهم عجزا تاما عن تخيل حجم ما كان قادما.
3. A Warning Answered With a Warning | تحذير قوبل بتحذير
Nuh's response to their mockery, "If you laugh at us, we will soon laugh at you similarly," was not an idle retort but a direct statement of what was coming. Scholars note this as an example of responding to ridicule not with anger but with calm certainty in Allah's promise, letting the outcome itself vindicate the warning.
رد نوح على سخريتهم، "إِن تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ"، لم يكن ردا عابرا بل تصريحا مباشرا بما كان قادما. ويلاحظ العلماء أن هذا مثال على مواجهة السخرية لا بالغضب بل بيقين هادئ بوعد الله، تاركا النتيجة نفسها تُثبت صحة التحذير.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Allah instruct Nuh to build a ship?
To save the believers and a pair of every animal from the coming flood that would destroy the disbelievers.
How did Nuh's people react to him building the ship?
They mocked him, since building a large ship far from the sea seemed absurd to them.
How did Nuh respond to their mockery?
He remained steadfast, telling them that just as they laughed at him, they would soon see the truth of his warning.