(71:28)(77:76)(37:75-76)
The valley was changed into a lake, with mighty waves. However, the ark of Noah was floating like a duck in the tremulous water. Suddenly, Noah saw his son, who was standing aloof.
“Come on the boat or you will drown,” he shouted.
“No, I won’t. I will take cover on the mountain and it will save me from the water,” was the son’s reply.
“Come, today there is no protection anywhere except what He has magnanimously provided,” Noah said.
While they were arguing, a mighty wave rose in between them and the son drowned. The helpless father shrieked, “Oh God, you promised me that my ahel would be saved! My son was my ahel, but he has drowned in front of my eyes?”
In the beginning, the word ahel was used for all those who lived in a tent. All those who lived in a tent were usually the members of a family, and ahel belonged to each other. After some time, this word was used for those who had the same ancestors, family, religion, work, house, and city. In the end, according to Imam Abuhanifa, this word was used for a wife because she was the house maker.
“How can your son be your ahel when his actions were contrary to your teachings?” was the reply.
In an epiphany, Noah understood that his son was only a biological product of his actions, but he did not belong to him because he had not accepted his teachings. The Quran gives a new criterion for measuring the closeness of relations. All those who believe in the divine revelation are one group; and those who do not believe belong to the other group. The Quran says that the strongest relation between individuals is the oneness of ideology. Those who believed in Noah formed a group known as believers, and all the others, irrespective of their number, family, nation, and the country fell into the group of non-believers. Noah’s wife was a non-believer. Although she was his wife, and it was the closest relation between a man and a woman, she stayed back and did not take shelter in the ark. As the result of her decision, she drowned. No help was given to her because she was Noah’s wife. Similar is the case of Noah’s son. He refused Noah’s offer to join him in the boat and drowned.
After the appointed time, the earth swallowed the water, and the sky turned blue. The ark of Noah stopped on a mountain known as al-judi. When the members of the ark came out of the boat, a new vista of possibilities was in front of them. A vast land, without a master, was waiting for them. They were the humblest members of society and had never had any chance for development and growth. But this new change gave them unlimited chances for forming the society according to their ideas. God blessed them with new life and provided numerous opportunities for growth.
