Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 40

(Ayah 40) ➊ {حَتّٰۤى اِذَا جَآءَ اَمْرُنَا وَ فَارَ التَّنُّوْرُ: ’’ فَارَ يَفُوْرُ فَوْرًا ‘‘} To gush forth. Fountain is also from this. The well-known meaning of {’’التَّنُّوْرُ‘‘} (on the pattern of {فَعُّوْلٌ}) is a tannur (oven) in which bread is baked. Allah Almighty had given Noah (peace be upon him) a sign of the flood in his house that when water gushes out from this tannur, then board the ark. (Muwaddih) Most commentators have taken tannur to mean the common oven, but according to the interpretation of Ibn Abbas (Ibn Jarir), {’’ التَّنُّوْرُ ‘‘} means the surface of the earth. It is also written in Qamus: {’’ وَجْهُ الْأَرْضِ وَ كُلُّ مَفْجَرِ مَاءٍ وَ مَحْفَلُ مَاءِ الْوَادِيْ ‘‘} "The surface of the earth, the place where water gushes forth, and the place where the water of the valley gathers." According to this interpretation, it means that the whole earth became a spring of water and water began to gush forth, as mentioned in another place: «{ وَ فَجَّرْنَا الْاَرْضَ عُيُوْنًا }» [القمر : ۱۲ ] "And We burst the earth with springs." Even the tannur, which is a place of fire, became fountains of water. However, the first meaning is more likely, because with the appearance of the sign, there is more opportunity to board the ark and to take a pair of every animal, but when springs gush forth from the whole earth, this task is difficult, and tannur is also commonly known for baking bread. Imam Tabari and Razi have also preferred this meaning, because there is no reason to leave the well-known meaning. Umm Hisham bint Harithah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: [ كَانَ تَنُّوْرُنَا وَ تَنُّوْرُ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاحِدًا ] [ مسلم، الجمعۃ، باب تخفیف الصلاۃ والخطبۃ : ۸۷۳ ] "Our tannur and the tannur of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) were the same." {’’ اَمْرُنَا ‘‘} means the command of punishment, that torrential rain began to fall from the sky and water began to gush forth from the earth like springs, both levels met and the earth was submerged in water. See Surah Qamar (11, 12).

➋ In { قُلْنَا احْمِلْ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ …: ’’ مِنْ كُلٍّ ‘‘ }, the tanween of {’’ كُلٍّ ‘‘} is in place of a deleted genitive: {’’ اَيْ مِنْ كُلِّ نَوْعٍ تَحْتَاجُ اِلَيْهِ ‘‘} When the signs of punishment began, Allah Almighty commanded that from every kind of animal, take a pair into the ark, whose progeny was destined to remain. {’’ وَ اَهْلَكَ اِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَ مَنْ اٰمَنَ ‘‘} That is, except for your wife, whose mention is in Surah Tahrim, and that son whose mention is coming in the verses under commentary (whose drowning had already been decreed due to their disbelief), take all your household and those who have believed in you into the ark.

➌ {وَ مَاۤ اٰمَنَ مَعَهٗۤ اِلَّا قَلِيْلٌ:} These were the ones whom the people called their lowly ones. Allah Almighty said that very few people believed in him. Many commentators state their number as (79) or (80), such as Alusi and others, who mention the names of Noah's (peace be upon him) three sons: Sam, Ham, and Yafith. The name of the disbelieving son was Canaan. The wives of all four were Muslims, and 72 men and women were other Muslims. Some have stated this number as forty (40). Our Sheikh Muhammad Abduh Al-Fallah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "There is no mention of their number in the Qur'an and Hadith." And it is clear that besides these two sources, we have no reliable means of knowing. [ وَاللّٰہُ اَعْلَمُ بِعَدَدِھِمْ ]