The Deluge - 1.

(71:10)(26:105-106)(25:37)(53:52)

          The Quran starts with a short prayer to God, asking for a balanced way of life, which could save humanity from all the dangers, pitfalls, and hindrances in life.  The prayer further illustrates the balanced way of those people who were receiving His favors and blessings in the past.  The seeker does not want to tread the path of those who provoked His wrath, or were unable to find the right directions.  The story of the prophet Noah illustrates the crucial problem of people when they went astray and destroyed themselves.

 

The Deluge

Between approximately five or six thousand years ago, the human beings learned to live together.  It was the dawn of civilization; humans were settling in villages and towns to live together.  They had learned that their safety and security against the wild beasts of the jungles and many other hazards lay in living together.

          The Quran tells the story of one civilized community who lived in a lush green valley surrounded by lofty peaks of mountains; we can easily call this period the dawn of civilization. The Quran is not a book of geography; therefore, the exact location and place is not mentioned in the Quran.  The only thing which is told is that in a lush green valley lived a strong nation.  There was no means of modern transportation in that period of time; moving from one place to another was very slow and difficult. Every village and tribe was a self contained unit; therefore, the guidance given by God was not universal.  It was local and mostly discussed the problems concerning that community.

            The Prophet Noah was sent to a community which had divided its residents according to the work they performed.  It was a cruel and unjust social and cultural system which had no place for progress and improvement for common people.  Noah was a member of that society, but he revolted against the prevailing norms.  He was not the first person who had revolted against the social order; before him many messengers of God had come and unsuccessfully tried to change the system.  People did not try to see the truth behind the warnings and refused to acknowledge the truth.