وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 44
Translations
And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it [i.e., the ship] came to rest on the [mountain of] Jūdiyy. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people."
Transliteration
Wa qīla yā arḍu ablʿī māʾaka wa yā samāʾu aqlʿī wa ghīḍa al-māʾu wa quḍiya al-amru wa astawat ʿalā al-jūdiyy wa qīla buʿdan li-al-qawm al-ẓālimīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the conclusion of the Great Flood during Prophet Nuh's time, when Allah commanded the earth to swallow its waters and the sky to cease raining, causing the waters to recede and the ark to rest upon Mount al-Judi. Classical exegetes like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this marked the end of Allah's judgment upon the disbelieving people, with the final phrase pronouncing destruction upon those who rejected Nuh's message. The sequence demonstrates Allah's complete control over creation and His decisive judgment against those who persist in disbelief.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Nuh (Noah) in Surah Hud, a Meccan chapter that emphasizes the stories of the prophets and divine punishment of disbelievers. The context involves the flood narrative that serves as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers of the Prophet Muhammad's time about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
Sunan Ibn Majah and other sources contain reports about the location of Mount al-Judi, which some scholars identify with mountains in the region of Cizre in modern-day Turkey. While not a direct hadith commentary, Al-Nawawi's work on Islamic geography discusses this mountain's significance in Islamic tradition.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah's judgment is absolute and inevitable—those who reject divine guidance will face consequences, while the believers (represented by those on the ark) are saved. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of heeding prophetic warnings and maintaining faith, knowing that Allah's justice encompasses all of creation.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَأَخْبَتُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds and humbled themselves to their Lord - those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide eternally therein.
قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ ءَاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ
He said, "If only I had against you some power or could take refuge in a strong support."
۞ وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَـٰلِحًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيبٌ مُّجِيبٌ
And to Thamūd [We sent] their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it, so ask forgiveness of Him and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive."
فَلَمَّا رَءَآ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّآ أُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ
But when he saw their hands not reaching for it, he distrusted them and felt from them apprehension. They said, "Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lot."