Hūd: (44) And it was said, "O Earth..."

The purpose of this passage is to describe another aspect of the Flood event. The implied sequence is that once the matter of the Flood was concluded, it was said:

The verb bala'a (to swallow) means to drink it down. Ibtala'a (to swallow food) means to ingest it without chewing. The linguists state that the more eloquent form is bala'a (with a kasra on the lām) and yabla'u (with a fatḥa on the lām).

The phrase aqla'a ar-rajul 'an 'amalihi means the man stopped his action. Aqlā'at as-samā' (the sky ceased) means it stopped raining.

The verb ghāḍa al-mā'u (the water subsided) means it decreased. Ghaḍtuhu anā (I made it subside) is an example of the pattern where the verb form indicates the action was done by the speaker, similar to jabar al-'aẓm (he set the bone) and jabartuhu anā (I set it), or faghara al-fam (he opened the mouth) and faghartuhu anā (I opened it), or dala'a al-lisān (he stuck out the tongue) and dala'tuhu anā (I stuck it out), or naqaṣa ash-shay' (the thing decreased) and naqaṣtuhu anā (I decreased it). Thus, {And the water subsided} means it decreased until nothing remained of it.

This verse contains several expressions, each indicating the greatness, loftiness, and majesty of God, the Exalted:

1. The first is the phrase {And it was said}: This indicates that the Almighty is so majestic, lofty, and great that whenever a command is issued ("it was said"), the intellect is directed only to Him, and thought can only conclude that the Speaker is He. This serves as a reminder that it is established in the intellects that there is no sovereign in the worlds, nor any controller of the upper or lower realms, except Him.

2. The second is the phrase {the drowning ones, and it was said, "O Earth, swallow up your water," and "O sky, cease!"}: Sensory perception testifies to the magnitude, intensity, and power of these physical entities (Earth and Sky). When the intellect perceives the existence of an Overpowering Being who controls these entities, dominates them, and acts upon them as He wills, this leads the rational faculty to recognize the perfection of God's majesty, the loftiness of His dominance, and the completeness of His power and will.

3. The third is that the sky and the earth are inanimate objects: The phrase {and He revealed in every sky} seemingly suggests that His command and decree are effective even upon inanimate things. At this point, the imagination concludes that if His command is effective upon these mighty, intense inanimate objects, then it is certainly more fitting for His command to be effective upon rational beings. This is not to imply that God commands inanimate objects—which is false—but rather that directing the form of command, seemingly, to these powerful, intense objects establishes a complete sense of His greatness and majesty in the imagination.

As for the phrase {and the matter was decreed}: This means that what He decreed and determined eternally by a firm, inevitable decree has come to pass. This serves as a reminder that everything God decrees will occur at its appointed time, and there is no repelling His decree nor preventing the execution of His judgment in His earth and His heavens.

If it is asked: How is it consistent with God's wisdom to drown children because of the sins of the disbelievers?

We reply: The answer comes from two perspectives:

1. Many commentators say that God rendered the wombs of their women barren forty years before the Flood, so only those who had reached the age of forty were drowned.
   • One might argue: If the matter were as you state, it would have been a marvelous, overwhelming sign. Their continued disbelief, despite such a clear sign, would be unlikely. Furthermore, even if we accept this, what do you say about the destruction of birds and beasts, which are not subject to any accountability whatsoever?

2. The second answer, which is the truth: There is no questioning of God concerning His actions: {He is not questioned about what He does, while they are questioned} (Al-Anbiyā’: 23). As for the Mu'tazila, they say that God drowned the children and animals, and this is analogous to His permission for slaughtering these animals and using them for hard, strenuous labor.

As for the Almighty's statement {And it settled upon the Judi}: This means the Ark rested upon a mountain in the region known as Al-Judi. This mountain was a low mountain, and the Ark's resting upon it was evidence that the source of the water had been cut off. This settling occurred on the Day of Ashura.

As for the Almighty's statement {And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people!"}: There are two interpretations:

1. It is the word of God, may He be exalted, directed toward them as a curse and expulsion.
2. It is the word of Noah, peace be upon him, and his companions. This is because it is common for those who are saved from a tremendous calamity, due to the gathering of a group of oppressors, to utter such words after the oppressors are destroyed and they are saved. Since it resembles a curse upon them, attributing it to human speech is more fitting.