And he said: "Embark therein: in the Name of Allah will be its (moving) course and its (resting) anchorage. Surely, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (41)So it (the ship) sailed with them amidst waves like mountains, and Nuh called out to his son, who had separated himself (apart): "O my son! Embark with us and be not with the disbelievers. (42)The son replied: "I will betake myself to some mountain, it will save me from the water." Nuh said: "This day there is no savior from the decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy." And waves came in between them, so he (the son) was among the drowned (43)
The riding upon the Ship and Its sailing through the huge Waves
Allah, the Exalted, says concerning Nuh, that he said to those whom he was commanded to carry them with him in the ship,
ارْكَبُوا فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا
(Embark therein: in the Name of Allah will be its (moving) course and its (resting) anchorage.) This means that its sailing upon the surface of the water, the end of its journeying and its anchoring, would all be with the Name of Allah. Abu Raja' Al-'Utaridi recited it,
(بِسْمِ اللهِ مُجرِيهَا ومُرْسِيهَا)
In the Name of Allah, Who will be the One Who moves its course, and rests its anchor." Allah, the Exalted, said,
فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنتَ وَمَن مَّعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ - وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلْنِي مُنزَلًا مُّبَارَكًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ
(And when you have embarked on the ship, you and whoever is with you, then say: "All the praises and thanks are to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who are wrongdoers. And say: "My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land.")[23:28-29] For this reason, it is preferred to mention the Name of Allah (Bismillah) at the beginning of all affairs. The Name of Allah should be mentioned when boarding a ship, or when mounting an animal. This is as Allah, the Exalted, says,
وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ - لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ
(And Who has created all the pairs and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride, in order that you may mount on their backs.)[43:12-13] This practice (mentioning Allah's Name) has been encouraged in the Sunnah and is considered a preferred act. A discussion concerning this is forthcoming in the explanation of Surat Az-Zukhruf (43), if Allah wills. In reference to Allah's statement,
إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(Surely, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Such statement is suitable while mentioning (His) vengeance upon the disbelievers by drowning all of them. Therefore, he (Nuh) mentions that His Lord is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. This is similar to Allah's statement,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(Surely, your Lord is swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)[7:167] He also says,
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ ظُلْمِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
(But verily, your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind inspite of their wrongdoing. And verily, your Lord is (also) severe in punishment.)[13:6] Likewise, there are many other verses that combine Allah's mercy and His vengeance. Concerning Allah's statement,
وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ
(So it sailed with them amidst waves like mountains,) This means that the ship sailed with them upon the surface of the water, which had completely covered the earth until it encompassed the tops of the mountains and even rose over them by a height of fifteen cubits. It was also said that the waves rose over the mountains by a height of eighty miles. Yet, this ship continued to move upon the water, sailing by the permission of Allah. It moved under His shade, His help, His protection and His blessing. This is as Allah, the Exalted, said,
إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ - لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ
(Verily, when the water rose beyond its limits, We carried you in the ship. That We might make it an admonition for you and it might be retained by the retaining ears.)[69:11-12] Allah also said,
وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ - تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَاءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ - وَلَقَد تَّرَكْنَاهَا آيَةً فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ
(And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails, floating under Our Eyes: a reward for him who had been rejected! And indeed, We have left this as a sign. Then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?)[54:13-15]
The Story of the drowning of Nuh's Disbelieving Son
Allah continues the story, saying,
وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ
(and Nuh called out to his son,) This was the fourth son of Nuh. His name was Yam and he was a disbeliever. His father, Nuh, called him at the time of boarding the ship, that he might believe and embark with them. If he did so, he would be saved from drowning like the other disbelievers.
قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَىٰ جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ
(The son replied: "I will betake myself to some mountain, it will save me from the water.") He believed, in his ignorance, that the flood would not reach the tops of the mountains and that if he clung to the top of a mountain, he would be saved from drowning. His father, Nuh, said to him,
لَا عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ
(This day there is no savior from the decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy.) This means that nothing will be saved today from the command of Allah.
وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُغْرَقِينَ
(And waves came in between them, so he (the son) was among the drowned.)
