Thoughts of A Newly Converted Hindu Lady‏

I came from a purely Hindu family where we were always taught to regard ourselves (i.e. women) as beings who were eventually to be married off, have children and serve the husband - whether he was kind or not. Other than this I found that there were a lot of things which really oppressed women, such as: If a woman was widowed, she would always have to wear a white sari (costume), eat vegetarian meals, cut her hair short, and never re-marry.The bride always had to pay the dowry (bridal money) to the husband's family. And the husband could ask for anything, irrespective of whether the bride would have difficulty paying it.Not only that, if after marriage she was not able to pay the full dowry she would be both emotionally and physically tortured. She could end up being a victim of "kitchen death" where the husband, or both the mother-in-law and the husband, try to set fire to the wife while she is cooking or is in the kitchen, to make it look like an accidental death.More and more of these incidents are taking place. The daughter of a friend of my own father met the same fate last year!In addition to all this, men in Hinduism are treated literally as gods. In one of the religious Hindu celebrations, unmarried girls pray for and worship an idol representing a particular god (Shira) so that they may have husbands like him. Even my own mother had asked me to do this. This made me see that the Hindu religion, based on superstitions and things that have no manifest proof and were merely traditions, which oppressed women, could not be right.Subsequently, when I came to England to study, I thought that at least this was a country, which gave equal rights to men and women, and did not oppress them. We all had the freedom to do as we liked, I thought. Well, as I started to meet people, make new friends, learn about this new society, and go to all the places my friends went to in order to "socialize" (bars, dance halls, etc.), I realized that this "equality" was not so true in practice as it was in theory.Outwardly, women were seen to be given equal rights in education, work, and so forth, but in reality women were still oppressed in a different, subtler way. When I went with my friends to the places they hung out at, I found everybody interested to talk to me and I thought that was normal. But it was only later that I realized how naïve I was, and recognized what these people were really looking for. I soon began to feel uncomfortable, as if I was not myself: I had to dress in a certain way so that people would like me, and had to talk in a certain way to please them. I soon found that I was feeling more and more uncomfortable, less and less myself, yet I could not get out. Everybody was saying they were enjoying themselves, but I don't call this enjoyment.I think women in this way of life are oppressed; they have to dress in a certain way in order to please men and appear more appealing, and also, talk in a certain way so people like them. During this time I had not thought about Islam, even though I had some Muslim acquaintances. But I felt I really had to do something, to find something that I would be happy and secure with, and would feel respectable. Something to believe in that is the right belief, because everybody has a belief that they live according to. If having fun by getting off with other people is someone's belief, they do this. If making money is someone's belief, they do everything to achieve this. If they believe drinking is one way to enjoy life then they do it. But I feel all this leads to nowhere; no one is truly satisfied, and the respect women are looking for is diminished in this way.In these days of so-called "equal rights", you are expected to have a boyfriend (or you're weird!) and to not be a virgin. So this is a form of oppression, even though some women do not realize it. When I came to Islam, it was obvious that I had finally found permanent security. A religion, a belief that was so complete and clear in every aspect of life. Many people have a misconception that Islam is an oppressive religion, where women are covered from head to toe, and are not allowed any freedom or rights. In fact, women in Islam are given more rights, and have been for the past 1400 years, compared to the only-recently rights given to non-Muslim women in some western and other societies. But there are, even now, societies where women are still oppressed, as I mentioned earlier in relation to Hindu women.Muslim women have the right to inheritance. They have the right to run their own trade and business. They have the full right to ownership, property, disposal over their wealth to which the husband has no right. They have the right to education, a right to refuse marriage as long as this refusal is according to reasonable and justifiable grounds. The Qur'an itself, which is the Word of God, contains many verses commanding men to be kind to their wives and stressing the rights of women. Islam has the right set of rules, because they are NOT made by men, but by God; hence it is a perfect religion.Quite often Muslim women are asked why they are covered from head to toe, and are told that this is oppression - it is not. In Islam, marriage is an important part of life, the making of the society. Therefore, a woman should not go around showing herself to everybody, only her husband. Even the man is not allowed to show certain parts of his body to no one but his wife. In addition, God has commanded Muslim women to cover themselves for their modesty: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they could be known as such (i.e. decent and chaste) and not molested."

(Qur'an 33:59) If we look around at any other society, we find that in the majority of cases women are attacked and molested because of how they are dressed.Another point I'd like to comment on is that the rules and regulation laid down in Islam by God, do not apply just to women but to men also. There is no intermingling and free mixing between men and women for the benefit of both. Whatever God commands is right, wholesome, pure and beneficial to mankind. There is no doubt about that. A verse in the Qur'an explains this concept clearly: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts (i.e. from indecency, illegal sexual acts, etc.); that will make for greater purity for them. And God is well aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts (from indecency, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.); and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments . . . " (Qur'an, Surah Al-Nur 24:31)When I put on my hijab (veil), I was really happy to do it. In fact, I really wanted to do it. When I put on the hijab, I felt a great sense of satisfaction and happiness because I had obeyed God's command. And I was so happy with the good and blessings that came with it. I have felt secure and protected. In fact people respect me more for it. I could really see the difference in their behavior towards me. Finally, I'd like to say that I had accepted Islam not blindly, or under any compulsion. In the Qur'an itself there is a verse

"Let there be no compulsion in religion". I accepted Islam with conviction. I have seen, been there, done that, and seen both sides of the story. I know and have experienced what the other side is like, and I know that I have done the right thing. Islam does not oppress women, but rather Islam liberates them and gives them the respect they deserve. Islam is the religion God has chosen for the whole of mankind. Those who accept it are truly liberated from the chains and shackles of mankind, whose rulings and legislating necessitates nothing but the oppression of one group by another and the exploitation and oppression of one sex by the other. This is not the case in Islam, which truly liberates women and gives them an individuality not given by any other authority.

Sister Noor has been a Muslim for over a year and a half and is currently in her second year of undergraduate study in the Department of Biology at University of Essex, U. K.Author : Sister

Noor

Masjid ka Ashiq !!

ایک شخص نے یوں قصہ سنایا کہ میں اور میرے ماموں نے حسب معمول مکہ حرم شریف میں نماز جمعہ ادا کی اورگھر کو واپسی کیلئے روانہ ہوئے۔ شہر سے باہر نکل کر سڑک کے کنارے کچھ فاصلے پر ایک بے آباد سنسان مسجد آتی ہے، مکہ شریف کو آتے جاتے سپر ہائی وے سے بارہا گزرتے ہوئے اس جگہ اور اس مسجد پر ہماری نظر پڑتی رہتی ہے اور ہم ہمیشہ ادھر سے ہی گزر کر جاتے ہیں مگر آج جس چیز نے میری توجہ اپنی طرف کھینچ لی تھی وہ تھی ایک نیلے رنگ کی فورڈ کار جو مسجد کی خستہ حال دیوار کے ساتھ کھڑی تھی، چند لمحے تو میں سوچتا رہا کہ اس کار کا اس سنسان مسجد کے پاس کیا کام! مگر اگلے لمحے میں نے کچھ جاننے کا فیصلہ کرتے ہوئے اپنی کار کو رفتار کم کرتے ہوئے مسجد کی طرف جاتی کچی سائڈ روڈ پر ڈال دیا، میرا ماموں جو عام طور پر واپسی کا سفر غنودگی میں گزارتا ہے اس نے بھی اپنی اپنی آنکھوں کو وا کرتے ہوئے میری طرف حیرت سے دیکھتے ہوئے پوچھتا، کیا بات ہے، ادھر کیوں جا رہے ہو؟ہم نے اپنی کار کو مسجد سے دور کچھ فاصلے پر روکا اور پیدل مسجد کی طرف چلے، مسجد کے نزدیک جانے پر اندر سے کسی کی پرسوز آواز میں سورۃ الرحمٰن تلاوت کرنے کی آواز آ رہی تھی، پہلے تو یہی اردہ کیا کہ باہر رہ کر ہی اس خوبصورت تلاوت کو سنیں ، مگر پھر یہ سوچ کر کہ اس بوسیدہ مسجد میں جہاں اب پرندے بھی شاید نہ آتے ہوں، اند جا کر دیکھنا تو چاہیئے کہ "ہم نے اند جا کر دیکھا ایک نوجوان مسجد میں جاء نماز بچھائے ہاتھ میں چھوٹا سا قرآن شریف لئے بیٹھا تلاوت میں مصروف ہے اور مسجد میں اس کے سوا اور کوئی نہیں ہے۔ بلکہ ہم نے تو احتیاطا ادھر ادھر دیکھ کر اچھی طرح تسلی کر لی کہ واقعی کوئی اور موجود تو نہیں ہے۔میں نے اُسے السلام و علیکم و رحمۃ اللہ و برکاتہ کہا، اس نے نطر اُٹھا کر ہمیں دیکھا، صاف لگ رہا تھا کہ کسی کی غیر متوقع آمد اس کے وہم و گمان میں بھی نہ تھی، حیرت اس کے چہرے سے عیاں تھی۔>اُس نے ہمیں جوابا وعلیکم السلام و علیکم و رحمۃ اللہ و برکاتہ کہا۔میں نے اس سے پوچھا، عصر کی نماز پڑھ لی ہے کیا تم نے، نماز کا وقت ہو گیا ہے اور ہم نماز پڑھنا چاہتے ہیں۔اُس کے جواب کا انتظار کئے بغیر میں نے اذان دینا شروع کی تو وہ نوجوان قبلہ کی طرف رخ کئے مسکرا رہا تھا، کس بات پر یا کس لئے یہ مسکراہٹ، مجھے پتہ نہیں تھا۔ عجیب معمہ سا تھا۔پھر اچانک ہی اس نوجوان نے ایک ایسا جملہ بولا کہ مجھے اپنے اعصاب جواب دیتے نظر آئے،نوجوان کسی کو کہہ رہا تھا؛ مبارک ہو، آج تو باجماعت نماز ہوگی۔میرے ماموں نے بھی مجھے تعجب بھری نظروں سے دیکھا جسے میں نظر انداز کر تے ہوئے اقامت کہنا شروع کردی۔جبکہ میرا دماغ اس نوجوان کے اس فقرے پر اٹکا ہوا تھا کہ مبارک ہو، آج تو باجماعت نماز ہوگی۔دماغ میں بار بار یہی سوال آ رہا تھا کہ یہ نوجوان آخر کس سے باتیں کرتا ہے، مسجد میں ہمارے سوا کوئی بندہ و بشر نہیں ہے، مسجد فارغ اور ویران پڑی ہے۔ کیا یہ پاگل تو نہیں ہے؟میں نے نماز پڑھا کر نوجوان کو دیکھا جو ابھی تک تسبیح میں مشغول تھا۔میں نے اس سے پوچھا، بھائی کیا حال ہے تمہارا؟ جسکا جواب اس نے ــ’بخیر و للہ الحمد‘ کہہ کر دیا۔میں نے اس سے پھر کہا، اللہ تیری مغفرت کرے، تو نے میری نماز سے توجہ کھینچ لی ہے۔ ’وہ کیسے‘ نوجوان نے حیرت سے پوچھا۔میں نے جواب دیا کہ جب میں اقامت کہہ رہا تھا تو نے ایک بات کہیمبارک ہو، آج تو باجماعت نماز ہوگی۔نوجوان نے ہنستے ہوئے جواب دیا کہ اس میں ایسی حیرت والی کونسی بات ہے؟میں نے کہا، ٹھیک ہے کہ اس میں حیرت والی کوئی بات نہیں ہے مگر تم بات کس سے کر رہے تھے آخر؟نوجوان میری بات سن کر مسکرا تو ضرور دیا مگر جواب دینے کی بجائے اس نے اپنی نظریں جھکا کر زمین میں گاڑ لیں، گویا سوچ رہا ہو کہ میری بات کا جواب دے یا نہ دے۔میں نے اپنی بات کو جاری رکھتے ہوئے کہا کہ مجھے نہیں لگتا کہ تم پاگل ہو، تمہاری شکل بہت مطمئن اور پر سکون ہے، اور ماشاءاللہ تم نے ہمارے ساتھ نماز بھی ادا کی ہے۔اس بار اُس نے نظریں اُٹھا کر مجھے دیکھا اور کہا؛ میں مسجد سے بات کر رہا تھا۔اس کی بات میرے ذہن پر بم کی کی طرح لگی، اب تو میں سنجیدگی سے سوچنے لگا کہ یہ شخص ضرور پاگل ہے۔میں نے ایک بار پھر اس سے پوچھا، کیا کہا ہے تم نے؟ تم اس مسجد سے گفتگو کر رہے تھے؟ تو پھر کیا اس مسجد نے تمہیں کوئی جواب دیا ہے؟اُس نے پھرمسکراتے ہوئے ہی جواب دیا کہ مجھے ڈر ہے تم کہیں مجھے پاگل نہ سمجھنا شروع کر دو۔میں نے کہا، مجھے تو ایسا ہی لگ رہا ہے، یہ فقط پتھر ہیں، اور پتھر نہیں بولا کرتے۔اُس نے مسکراتے ہوئے کہا کہ آپکی بات ٹھیک ہے یہ صرف پتھر ہیں۔اگر تم یہ جانتے ہو کہ یہ صرف پتھر ہیں جو نہ سنتے ہیں اور نہ بولتے ہیں تو باتیں کس سے کیں؟نوجوان نے نظریں پھر زمیں کی طرف کر لیں، جیسے سوچ رہا ہو کہ جواب دے یا نہ دے۔اور اب کی بار اُس نے نظریں اُٹھائے بغیر ہی کہا کہ ؛میں مسجدوں سے عشق کرنے والا انسان ہوں، جب بھی کوئی پرانی، ٹوٹی پھوٹی یا ویران مسجد دیکھتا ہوں تو اس کے بارے میں سوچتا ہوںمجھے اُنایام خیال آجاتا ہے جب لوگ اس مسجد میں نمازیں پڑھا کرتے ہونگے۔پھر میں اپنے آپ سے ہی سوال کرتا ہوں کہ اب یہ مسجد کتنا شوق رکھتی ہوگی کہ کوئی تو ہو جو اس میں آکر نماز پڑھے، کوئی تو ہو جو اس میں بیٹھ کر اللہ کا ذکر کرے۔ میں مسجد کی اس تنہائی کے درد کو محسوس کرتا ہوں کہ کوئی تو ہو جو ادھر آ کر تسبیح و تحلیل کرے، کوئی تو ہو جو آ کر چند آیات پڑھ کر ہی اس کی دیواروں کو ہلا دے۔میں تصور کر سکتا ہوں کہ یہ مسجد کس قدر اپنے آپ کو باقی مساجد میں تنہا پاتی ہوگی۔کس قدر تمنا رکھتی ہوگی کہ کوئی آکر چند رکعتیں اور چند سجدے ہی اداکر جائے اس میں۔کوئی بھولا بھٹکا مسافر، یا راہ چلتا انسان آ کر ایک اذان ہی بلند کرد ے۔پھر میں خود ہی ایسی مسجد کو جواب دیا کرتا ہوں کہ اللہ کی قسم، میں ہوں جو تیرا شوق پورا کرونگا۔اللہ کی قسم میں ہوں جو تیرے آباد دنوں جیسے ماحول کو زندہ کرونگا۔پھر میں ایسی مسجدمیں داخل ہو کر دو رکعت پڑھتا ہوں اور قرآن شریف کے ایک سیپارہ کی تلاوت کرتا ہوں۔ میرے بھائی، تجھے میری باتیں عجیب لگیں گی، مگر اللہ کی قسم میں مسجدوں سے پیار کرتا ہوں، میں مسجدوں کا عاشق ہوں۔ میری آنکھوں آنسوؤں سے بھر گئیں، اس بار میں نے اپنی نظریں زمیں میں ٹکا دیں کہ کہیں نوجوان مجھے روتا ہوا نہ دیکھ لے،اُس کی باتیں۔۔۔۔۔ اُس کا احساس۔۔۔۔۔اُسکا عجیب کام۔۔۔۔۔اور اسکا عجیب اسلوب۔۔۔۔۔کیا عجیب شخص ہے جسکا دل مسجدوں میں اٹکا رہتا ہے۔۔۔۔۔میرے پاس کہنے کیلئے اب کچھ بھی تو نہیں تھا۔صرف اتنا کہتے ہوئے کہ، اللہ تجھے جزائے خیر دے، میں نے اسے سلام کیا، مجھے اپنی دعاؤں میں یاد رکھنا کہتے ہوئے اُٹھ کھڑا ہوا۔ مگر ایک حیرت ابھی بھی باقی تھی۔نوجوان نے پیچھے سے مجھے آواز دیتے ہوئے کہا تو میں دروازے سے باہر جاتے جاتے رُک گیانوجوان کی نگاہیں ابھی بھی جُھکی تھیں اور وہ مجھے کہہ رہا تھا کہ جانتے ہو جب میں ایسی ویران مساجد میں نماز پڑھ لیتا ہوں تو کیا دعا مانگا کرتا ہوں؟میں نے صرف اسے دیکھا تاکہ بات مکمل کرے۔اس نے اپنی بات کا سلسلہ جاری رکھتے ہوئے کہا میں دعا مانگا کرتا ہوں کہ اے میرے پروردگار، اے میرے رب! اگر تو سمجھتا ہے کہ میں نے تیرے ذکر ، تیرے قرآن کی تلاوت اور تیری بندگی سے اس مسجد کی وحشت و ویرانگی کو دور کیا ہے تو اس کے بدلے میں تو میرے باپ کی قبر کی وحشت و ویرانگی کو دور فرما دے، کیونکہ تو ہی رحم و کرم کرنے والا ہے‘مجھے اپنے جسم میں ایک سنسناہٹ سی محسوس ہوئی، اپنے آپ پر قابو نہ رکھ سکا اور پھوٹ پھوٹ کر رو دیا۔پیارے دوست، پیاری بہن کیا عجیب تھا یہ نوجوان، اور کیسی عجیب محبت تھی اسے والدین سے!>کسطرح کی تربیت پائی تھی اس نے؟اور ہم کس طرح کی تربیت دے رہے ہیں اپنی اولاد کو؟ہم کتنے نا فرض شناس ہیں اپنے والدین کے چاہے وہ زندہ ہوں یا فوت شدہ؟بس اللہ سے دعا ہے کہ وہ ہمیں نیک اعمال کی توفیق دے اور ہمارا نیکی پر خاتمہ کرے، اللھم آمینازراہ کرم! اگر آپ کو اس ایمیل کا موضوع اچھا لگا ہے تو اپنے ان احباب کو بھیج دیجیئے جن کا آپ چاہتے ہیں بھلا اور فائدہ ہو جائے۔مت بھولئے کہ نیکی کی ترغیب دلانے والے کو نیکی کرنے والے جتنا ثواب ملتا ہے۔کیا کبھی آپ میں سے کسی نے یہ سوچا ہے کہ موت کے بعد کیا ہوگا؟ جی ہاں موت کے بعد کیا ہوگا؟تنگ و تاریک گڑھا، گھٹا ٹوپ اندھیرا، وحشت و ویرانگی، سوال و جواب، سزا و جزا، اور پھر جنت یا دوزخ۔

Ship of HAZRAT NOOH (alaihis-salaam) Found

y Allah states in The Holy Quran: “Peace be upon Nooh among all nations. This is how we reward the good-doers. Verily, he was among our true believing servants.” There is an entire Surah in The Holy Quran which is named ‘Nooh’. In total he is mentioned 43 times in the Quran Shareef, and his story appears in numerous places in the Holy Quran. Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) was the great grandson of Nabi Idrees (alaihis-salaam). Between the two there were 10 generations, as it is mentioned in authentic hadith narrated by Imam Bukh~ri and others.

Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) was sent as a Prophet to his people after they had started worshipping idols. He was therefore the first Prophet sent for this purpose., i.e. to invite people to the oneness of Allah and towards Islam. It is said that Hazrat Nooh was fifty years old when he became a Nabi. He lived in Iraq, and that was where he spent most of his time.

THE ORIGIN OF IDOLATRY

A famous and authentic Muslim historian and Alim, Imam Ibni Katheer (rahmatullahi alaihi), gives a detailed account of how idol-worship started in the world. We shall summarize this account for you.

Among the generations that came between Nabi }dam and Hazrat Nooh (alaihimas-salaam) there lived some very pious people. Some of their names are mentioned in Surah Nooh, such as, Wadd, Suwaa’, Yaghooth, Ya ‘ooq, and Nasr. These people were saints who were devoted to the worship of Allah, and they had a large following. When they died, people were very sad and missed them a great deal. Some of their followers cried for days out of mourning. One day, upon seeing the extreme grief and sorrow of these followers, Shaytaan came to them in the form of a human being and offered to draw pictures of these holy men which they could keep in their homes as reminders. This was accepted and soon all of them had pictures of their pious leaders in their homes. They drew inspiration for their ibadat from these pictures and the sight of these holy man lessened their grief. It was a great means of solace for them.

When these followers died, their sons grew up and continued keeping these pictures. However, Shaytaan again came in human form and offered to transform these pictures into images, which he did upon their consent. Later he managed to convince the younger generation, who had no idea why these pictures and images were made, that their forefathers actually worshipped them.

The newer generation started to worship these images, and thus began the evil of idol-worship on earth. The exact names of these pious people, as mentioned above, were given to the idols. Shaytaan kept on appearing to them with new ideas and suggestions, such as asking things from these idols, making dua to them for rain, etc.

As time passed, these images were modified and beautified, and eventually people forgot entirely about Allah and focussed all their attention on these images. Every generation that came after them, indulged in this form of worship, until Allah decide to appoint Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) as a Messenger to save these people from this evil sin.

He therefore invited them to the worship of one Allah, and to submit to His Law. Needless to say, this message was rejected, because people were so deep-rooted in idolatry that they were not prepared to forsake their beliefs in these idols. Hazrat Nooh used different ways and methods to explain the truth to them, but to no avail. He spoke to them in public and in private, at night and during the day, and kept on reminding them of the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah, but only a handful of people listened to him and accepted his message. These sincere ones who came from poor communities, were called mu’mineen or believers. For the rest, their hatred against Hazrat Nooh only increased.

BUILDING THE FIRST SHIP

Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) preached the message of Islam among his people for nine hundred years. When the kuffar in those days passed away, they would leave behind a wasiyyat (instructions) to their children not to believe in Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam), but to continue rejecting him. Such was the severity of their kufr. In this manner, every generation exhorted the next to commit kufr against Allah and His Rasool, Nooh (alaihis-salaam).

Allah then revealed to Nabi Nooh (alaihis-salaam) that now none of his people was going to embrace Islam, except those that already have done so. He was commanded to build a ship, but at that stage the world had never ever heard of a ship. Therefore, he was shown by Hazrat Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) how to construct a ship. Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) was therefore the first person on earth to build a ship, and through him mankind came to know about this technique for travelling over water.

The Ship

The ship was built according to specifications laid down by Allah. He built it from teak wood and both the inside and the outside was coated with a layer of tar. The ship was about 138 metres in length, 23 metres wide, and 14 metres high. It had three decks of equal height. The lower deck was for animals, the middle for human beings, and the top deck for birds. It also had a flat roof, and several windows and a door on the side. Hazrat Nooh was shown how to build a pointed bow at the front, so that the vessel could plough through water easily.

It took him fifty years to build this ship. Some Ulema say the reason for this lengthy period was that trees had to be specially planted and grown, then chopped down and cut up for the wood that was to be used in manufacturing the ship. The work on this ship was undertaken and completed in a small but very important and central musjid in the city of Kãfa, Iraq. This was known as the Musjid of Nooh.

The Kuffar in those days used to mock at him and his small band of followers who were assisting him in building the ship. When they were told that a great flood was to strike them soon, they scoffed and made even bigger mockery. For at that time there was a severe drought. Where would floods come from, they thought? Secondly, how would this ship sail when there was no river in sight? But Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) and the Muslims paid no attention to their jeering and insults. They continued with the command of Allah to build the ship.

THE GREAT FLOOD

Next to the musjid where the ship was being built, was the clay oven of Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam). This oven was actually a huge hole dug into the ground, in which they used to bake their bread. Allah informed Nabi Nooh (alaihis-salaam) that when water starts gushing out from this hole, that was a sign of the beginning of the flood. Nabi Nooh (alaihis-salaam) was then to order the believers, who numbered about 80 men and women, as well as animals, to board the ship. When the level of the water rose, the ship would begin to float automatically.

When the ship was completed, the command of Allah came. It started to rain, and then Hazrat Nooh noticed water flowing out of this clay-oven. He immediately ordered all the believers to embark, and took a male and female species of each animal and bird onto the ship was well. The drizzle of rain soon changed to a downpour. Then the rain started falling in torrents. Water flowed from every hole, spring, and fountain on earth. Soon the ship was afloat on high, raging currents of water. It is said that the level of the water rose about 10 metres higher than the tallest mountain on earth at that time! No place on earth was spared. Every area of the world was swamped in this flood and all people drowned, except for the occupants of the ship. The world had never ever witnessed a flood of this nature, nor was such a calamity ever to occur again till before Qiyamat.

When embarking on the ship, they were commanded to take the name of Allah, and when disembarking, to recite the praises of Allah for saving them from disaster. Three sons of Nabi Nooh (alaihis-salaam) were with him on this ship. They were, Saam, Haam, and Yaafith. The fourth son, Yaam, was an unbeliever, so he drowned with the rest of the knffar. In spite of Nabi Nooh pleading with him to board the ship, he refused, saying that he will take to the high mountains and be saved. But this was not to be, and he too perished. Three wives of Nabi Nooh were also saved, while the fourth one drowned because she too was among the kuffaar.

The flood started on 10th Rajab, which was the day they all embarked on the ship of Nooh (alaihis-salaam), and it subsided on 10th Muharram. So for six months this ship and its passengers sailed the flood waters. Eventually it came to rest on Mount Joodiy, which is part of a Mountain range in Eastern Turkey, close to the border of Iran. (Today this mountain is named ‘Mt. Ararat’) On this day (10 Muharram) they all got off the ship and Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) ordered them to observe a fast as thanksgiving unto Allah. Recently excavators have discovered parts of this ship, and some Muslim countries have preserved these parts as holy relics.

AFTER THE FLOODS AND HAZRAT NOOH’S DEATH

After the floods Hazrat Nooh and his followers started civilization all over again. They built towns and settlements and had to do farming to grow fruit and vegetables. From these 80 believers different languages developed. They married among themselves and produced children. In this manner the world began to be populated once more with only Muslims. Remember that all mankind were destroyed in the floods. Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) and his people had to populate and develop the world all over again. For this reason Hazrat Nooh is known as the second }dam. Soon thereafter Nabi Nooh passed away. According to the most authentic reports he is buried somewhere in the Musjidul-Haraam of Makka. His age was1,000 years according to the Holy Quran.

THE SONS OF NABI NOOH

The three sons of Nabi Nooh mentioned above were saved from the floods, and they later on became the ancestors of all mankind, the Ambiyaa and their nations.