The Deluge Allah instructed Nuh to build a large boat and...

The Deluge Allah instructed Nuh to build a large boat and bring on board all believers and a pair of each species of animals before He unleashed His floods. Nuh carried out the instructions of Allah, and started building an enormous ark. Since there were no sea or gulf but only a meager river, people laughed at him for constructing a boat of such large dimensions. Upon completion of his task, Nuh invited people to come on board, but they ridiculed him.

The family of the prophet, three of his four sons and a handfull of true believers along with a pair of each species of animals boarded the ark. No sooner Nuh entered the ark, thunderous rain started to pour from the heavens and springs burst from the bottom of the Earth. As the waters rose higher and higher, people climbed up the tallest trees and headed towards high grounds. The waters began to engulf these refuges too. Some people repented and wanted to board the ark, but alas it was too late.

The ark had been sealed to protect against the down-pour and the turbulence of the roaring waters. The floods spread far and wide, covering the entire terrain, destroyed all except those who had believed in the prophet, and heeding his warning, had boarded with him. It is said that the flooding lasted one hundred and fifty days. When the waters receded, the ark came to rest over Mount Ararat. The occupants of the ark came out and thanked the Lord for their miraculous survival.

They then spread out to inhabit the Earth again with the blessings of their Lord. Nuh is known as Noah in Torah. He lived for nine hundred and fifty years and left a large progeny after him. His eldest surviving son Yaffath (Japheth) went north west towards Europe and settled there. His descendents are known as the Japhetic race. His middle son Sam (Shem) remained with his father in the Middle East. His descendents are known as the Semetic race.

The youngest son Ham went south west and settled in northern Africa. His descendents are called the Hemetic race. References: al Qur'an: Ale Imran, Anam, Aaraf, Yunus, @ud, Ibrahim, Bani Israel, Anmbiya@,Momenoon, Furqan, Shu'ra', Ankaboot, Zatiyat, Najam, Qamar, Hadeed, Tahreem, Haqah and Nuh. Prophet Hud Prophet Hud was bom to Shaleh in the fifth generation from Nuh. He was appointed as the messenger from Allah to the people known as Aa'd. These people were a tall and sturdy race.

They had abandoned the worship of Allah in favor of idols hewed from stone.