Surah Hud (11): Verse 40

Issues in the Verse

The author of Al-Kashshaf states that the particle حتى (hatta) is used here to initiate a clause, attached to a conditional sentence and its response. It marks the limit or end point of the preceding action: {And he was building the Ark} until the promised time arrived.

The command in {until there came Our command} (حتى إذا جاء أمرنا) has two possible interpretations:

1. Divine Decree: It signifies that nothing happens except by God's command, as stated in the verse: {Indeed, Our word to a thing, when We intend it, is only that We say to it, "Be," and it is} (An-Nahl: 40).
2. The Promised Punishment: The command refers specifically to the promised torment/punishment.

There are two main opinions regarding the meaning of at-Tannur:

Opinion 1: It refers to the conventional baking oven. This is the view of a large group of exegetes, including Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, and Mujahid. They further differed:

• Some say it was Noah's oven.
• Others say it belonged to Adam, and Al-Hasan reported it was a stone oven belonging to Eve until it came into Noah's possession.
• They differed on its location: Al-Sha'bi said it was near Kufa. Ali (may God be pleased with him) said it was in the Mosque of Kufa, where seventy prophets prayed. Others said it was in Syria, in a place called 'Ayn Wardan (the view of Muqatil). Some said it was in India.
• The narrative suggests that when Noah's wife saw water gushing from this oven, she informed him, prompting him to immediately load the necessary items onto the Ark.

Opinion 2: It does not refer to the baking oven. Under this interpretation, there are several possibilities:

1. The Earth's Surface: It means water burst forth from the face of the earth, aligning with the verse: {So We opened the gates of the heaven with pouring rain, And We caused the earth to gush forth with springs, and the waters met for a matter already decreed} (Al-Qamar: 11-12). Arabs sometimes call the surface of the earth a tannur.
2. The Highest Place: At-Tannur refers to the most honored and highest place on earth, from which the water erupted as a miracle. Alternatively, since water erupted from high places, they were likened to tannurs due to their elevation.
3. Dawn: Fāra at-tannūr means the dawn broke. This is narrated from Ali (may God be pleased with him).
4. Intensity of the Matter: It means the situation became severe, similar to the idiom "the heat of the battle intensified" (ḥamiyya al-waṭīs). The meaning of the verse would then be: When you see the matter intensifying and the water increasing, save yourself and those with you into the Ark.

Which opinion is soundest? The principle is to interpret the text literally (ḥaqīqah). The word tannur literally means the place where bread is baked, and there is no rational impossibility in water first emerging from a specific spot that happened to be an oven.

Counter-argument: The definite article al- (in at-tannūr) implies a specific, known oven to the audience, which was not the case for any oven on earth. Therefore, it must be interpreted metaphorically, meaning: when you see the water surging intensely and the matter strengthening, save yourself.

Rebuttal: It is not impossible that this specific oven belonged to Noah, or was Adam's or Eve's, or that God designated a specific oven for Noah and informed him that its boiling would be the sign that the decreed event had occurred. Under this interpretation, there is no need to deviate from the literal meaning.

The word fāra means "to spring forth with force and intensity," likened to the boiling of a pot over strong fire. Since the oven itself cannot boil, the meaning is that the water gushed forth from the oven.

The narration that the boiling of the oven was the sign for the people's destruction is plausible. Since God promised the believers salvation, He must have provided them with a specific sign to know the appointed time. It is not unlikely that this event served as that sign.

Al-Layth said that tannur is a word common in every language, and its owner is tannār. Al-Azhari suggests this indicates that a word can be foreign (aʿjamī) and then Arabized, becoming part of Arabic. The original form is likely tannār, as tannūr was not known in early Arabic speech. This is similar to other foreign words adopted by Arabs, such as dībāj (silk brocade), dīnār (gold coin), sundus, and istabraq.

The Command to Load the Ark

After the oven boiled, God commanded Noah to load three types of things onto the Ark:

{And [We commanded], "Take aboard of each [species] two mates [a male and a female]"} (من كل زوجين اثنين).

Al-Akhfash explained that ithnān (two) is synonymous with zawjān (pairs). God says: {And of everything We have created pairs} (Adh-Dhariyat: 49). The heaven is a pair, the earth is a pair, winter is a pair, summer is a pair, day is a pair, and night is a pair. A woman is also called a zawj (mate) to her husband, as in {and created from it its mate} (An-Nisa: 1). Furthermore, {And that He created the two mates, male and female} (An-Najm: 45). Thus, a single entity can be called a zawj. This is supported by the verse: {Eight pairs: two of sheep and two of goats...} (Al-An'am: 143).

Therefore, zawjān means two things where one is male and the other female. The command implies: take two individuals of every kind—one male and one female.

Regarding the reading where Hafs recited {min kull} (from every) with tanwīn (indefinite), it implies carrying two mates from everything. The male is one mate, and the female is the other. The question of redundancy ("pairs of two") is answered by comparing it to verses like {Do not take two gods} (An-Nahl: 51) or {a single blast} (Al-Haqqah: 13)—it is for emphasis. This question does not arise with the more common recitation.

Did this include non-animals? Animals are certainly included. However, the wording does not explicitly indicate plants. Given human necessity, including all types of plants is not unlikely. Narrations from Ibn Mas'ud state that Noah could not carry the lion until fever afflicted it. Noah asked, "How will I feed the lion if I carry it?" God replied, "I will occupy it with food," sending fever upon it. Such narratives are generally left aside, especially since the elephant requires even more food and was not afflicted by fever.

{And [save] your family, except those about whom the word has preceded} (وأهلك إلا من سبق عليه القول).

It is said they were seven: Noah, his three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and a wife for each son. Others say they were eight, including Noah's wife.

The phrase {except those about whom the word has preceded} refers to his son and his wife, who were disbelievers, and against whom God had decreed destruction.

Inquiry: Since humans are the noblest of creatures, why did the command begin with animals? Answer: Humans possess intellect, which compels them to seek means of salvation for themselves; thus, there is no need for excessive encouragement. In contrast, saving the rest of the animals requires explicit instruction. This is why the command began with them.

Our scholars used the phrase {except those about whom the word has preceded} to establish necessary Divine Decree and predestination. They argue that "the word having preceded" implies that whoever this decree is passed upon cannot change their state, similar to the Prophet's saying: "The fortunate one is fortunate in his mother's womb, and the wretched one is wretched in his mother's womb."

{And whoever believed} (ومن ءامن).

It is said they were eighty people. Muqatil mentioned a village near Mosul called "The Village of the Eighty" because these survivors founded it after leaving the Ark. Whether the number was slightly more or less is unknown, but God described them as few: {And none believed with him except a few} (وما ءامن معه إلا قليل).

Inquiry: Since the believers who entered the Ark were a group, why was the term qalīl (a few) used, as in {Indeed, these are but a small band} (Ash-Shu'ara: 54)? Answer: Both terms are permissible. The meaning here is: "And none believed with him except a small number of people (nufar qalīl)." The narration that Iblis entered the Ark is weak, as he is a Jinn (a fiery or airy being) and would not be affected by drowning. Furthermore, the Book of God does not support this, nor is there an authentic tradition confirming it; thus, it is best to refrain from discussing it.

Verse 41

{And he said, "Board it! In the name of Allah is its course and its mooring. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."} (وقال اركبوا فيها بسم الله مجراها ومرساها إن ربى لغفور رحيم)