Atheists in Quran (32) the failed Noah’s plea for his Atheist son

Noah cried unto his Lord and said, O My Lord! Lo! My son is one of my family whom you promised to save! Surely, your promise is the Truth. However, Allah’s principle = there is no rescue for unbelievers and the tie is not the tie of blood.

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In the previous article, the ark is sailing amid huge waves, Noah, the worried father makes one plea after another; his Atheist son insolently turns his back.

In an instant, the gigantic waves swallow up everything, so he was among the drowned by the flood.

The verses 11:45-46 of the Noble Quran continues the story.

The Loving Father’s Plea

Now that the storm has subsided and the ark has come to rest.

Noah once again feels the paternal love of a distressed father.

He makes this appeal to Allah:

“Noah called out to his Lord, saying: ‘Lord, my son is of my family. Surely Your promise always

comes true, and You are the most just of judges.’”

Noah makes clear that he has no doubt that Allah is just and wise.

Nothing Allah does is without reason.

Yet Allah has promised Noah that He will be save his family (and his son of course is one of his family)

Now, Noah requests that Allah fulfil the promise He made to spare his family (and his son of course).

Noah cried unto his Lord and said,

O My Lord! Lo! My son is of my family whom you promised to save! Surely Your promise is the Truth for certain.

O my Lord! You promised me that they would be saved, and truly, Your promise is the Truth, which never fails, and You are the Most Just of Judges’, the most knowledgeable and the fairest of them.

Allah’s answer

Allah’s answer states the fact that Noah has overlooked.

By Allah’s standards and according to Allah’s principles, one’s family are not necessarily one’s blood relations.

The true relationship is that of faith.

This son was not a believer, and as such, he was not a member of the family of the great Prophet Noah.

Allah’s answer is firm and undisputable.

Moreover, there is an element of criticism and warning in Allah’s answer:

“‘Noah,’ Allah answered, ‘he was not of your family; his was an unrighteous conduct. Do not question Me about matters of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you lest you become one of the ignorant.”

O Noah, lo! He is not of your family, of those who will be saved, or of the followers of your religion; lo! it, that is, your plea to save him, is not a righteous deed, for he is unbeliever and there is no rescue for unbelievers

A great principle of this religion states that the paramount relationship that exists between individuals is not one based on family affinity: “He was not of your family; his was an unrighteous conduct.”

Your relationship with him is thus severed despite the fact that he was your own son. Since the basic tie between the two of you does not exist, no other tie has any significance.

Since Noah’s prayer requested the fulfilment of a promise which he felt had not happened, the answer includes an implicit reproach and warning:

“Do not question Me about matters of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you lest you become one of the ignorant.”

I admonish you lest you be among the ignorant’, when you ask about what you do not know.

The admonition is needed lest Noah become one of those who are ignorant of the real ties and relationships, or unaware of Allah’s promise and its

interpretation. For Allah’s promise has been done and Noah’s true faithful family has been saved.

There is one thing, which Noah will see it in the Day of Judgment; Noah lost one Atheist son but he gained billions of believer sons, they are the Muslims.

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The verses 11:45-46 in different translations:

QARIB:

45- Noah called out to his lord, saying: ‘o lord, my son was of my family, and your promise is surely the truth. you are the most just of judges. ‘

46- He said: ‘Noah, he is not of your family. it is not a good deed. do not ask me about things of which you have no knowledge. i reproach you lest you become among the ignorant. ‘

SHAKIR:

45- And nuh cried out to his lord and said: my lord! Surely my son is of my family, and thy promise is surely true, and thou art the most just of the judges

46- He said: o nuh! Surely he is not of your family; surely he is (the doer of) other than good deeds, therefore ask not of me that of which you have no knowledge; surely i admonish you lest you may be of the ignorant

PICKTHAL:

45- And Noah cried unto his lord and said: my lord! lo! My son is of my household! Surely thy promise is the truth and thou are the most just of judges.

46- He said: o Noah! lo! he is not of thy household; lo! He is of evil conduct, so ask not of me that whereof thou hast no knowledge. i admonish thee lest thou be among the ignorant.

YUSUFALI:

45- And Noah called upon his lord, and said: “o my lord! Surely my son is of my family! and thy promise is true, and thou art the justest of judges!”

46- He said: “o Noah! he is not of thy family: for his conduct is unrighteous. so ask not of me that of which thou hast no knowledge! i give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant!”

Atheists in Quran (31) Noah pleads with his Atheist son

Aware of the terrible reality, Noah pleads with him for the last time: O my son! Do not be with the unbelievers lest you drown. His son said: I shall seek refuge in a mountain, which will afford me protection from the waves. In an instant, the gigantic waves swallow everything up, so he was among the drowned by the flood

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The verses 11:40-42 say,

“Embark with us, my child, and do not stay with the unbelievers.”

As a proud arrogant, the Atheist son does not respond to his loving father.

He does not realize the extent of the terrible event that is taking place.

Noah said: O my son! Come ride with us

His son said: I shall take refuge in a mountain that will protect me, from the water’.

Noah said: O my son! Be saved with us

His son said: the mountain that will preserve me, from the flood’.

Noah said: O my son! Do not be with the unbelievers lest you drown

His son said: the mountain will prevent me from drowning, the mountain will afford me protection from the flood.

Aware of the terrible reality, Noah pleads with him for the last time:

“Today there is no protection for anyone from Allah’s judgment, except those who shall enjoy His mercy.”

In an instant, the scene changes and the gigantic waves swallow everything up:

The Huge waves came between them, so he was among the drowned by the flood

Today as we read this story, it is as if we see these events happening now before our very own eyes.

The ark is sailing amid huge waves, Noah, the worried father makes one plea after another; his conceited young son insolently turns his back, and then suddenly a towering wave settles the issue.

Everything is over as if the dialogue did not take place.

The element of fear and worry in this scene is measured by its:

  1. Depth in the human soul, in the conversation between Noah and his son.
  2. Extent in nature, as the waves rise high to submerge the tops of the mountains.

Both elements are equal.

This is a distinctive feature of how the Quran tells us about the ancient people.

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Then, the storm subsides, an air of calmness spreads, the matter is settled according to Allah’s will.

The verse here gives the impression of something coming to a complete standstill.

“And the word was spoken: ‘Earth, swallow up your waters. Heaven, cease (your rain).’ Thus, the waters sank into the earth, and Allah’s will was done, and the ark came to rest on Mount Judi. The word was spoken: Away with these evil-doing folk.’”

It was said,

‘O earth, swallow your waters, that have sprung forth from you, and the Earth reabsorbed it and

O heaven, abate!’ withhold the rain, and it did.

The waters subsided, the affair was accomplished, the matter of the destruction of Noah’s people was complete and it settled,

The earth swallows up its water and the heaven stops raining.

Furthermore, the earth’s surface was soon dry, as excess waters penetrated deep underground.

Allah addressed the earth and the heavens as if they were human beings.

Both comply with the commandment.

No wonder they did when they are Allah’s obedient creatures.

“Allah’s will was done and the ark came to rest on Mount Judi.”

That was its final stop. “The word was spoken: ‘Away with these evil-doing folk.’”

  • Those who were supposed to be destroyed were destroyed and
  • Those who were supposed to be saved were saved.

It was said:

‘Away with perish the evildoing, disbelieving, folk!’

The Quran does not say who said this statement, but it generates the impression that the whole affair does not in need to be considered again.

Let the evildoers disappear beyond Allah’s mercy for they deserve to be expelled;

Let them be banished from memory, for they do not deserve to be remembered.

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The verses 11:43-44 in different translations:

QARIB:

43- But he replied: ‘i shall seek refuge on a mountain, which will protect me from the water. ‘He (Noah) said: ‘today, there is no defender from the command of Allah, except those to whom he has mercy. ‘And the waves came between them, and he was drowned.

44- And it was said: ‘earth, swallow up your waters. Heaven, cease! ‘The water subsided and the matter was accomplished. And the ark came to rest upon (the mountain of) aljudi, and it was said: ‘be gone, evildoing nation! ‘

SHAKIR:

43- He said: i will betake myself for refuge to a mountain that shall protect me from the water. Nuh said: there is no protector today from Allah’s punishment but he who has mercy; and a wave intervened between them, so he was of the drowned

44- And it was said: o earth, swallow down your water, and o cloud, clear away; and the water was made to abate and the affair was decided, and the ark rested on the judi, and it was said: away with the unjust people

PICKTHAL:

43- He said: i shall betake me to some mountain that will save me from the water. (Noah) said: this day there is none that saveth from the commandment of Allah save him on whom he hath had mercy. And the wave came in between them, so he was among the drowned.

44- And it was said: o earth! swallow thy water and, o sky! be cleared of clouds! and the water was made to subside. And the commandment was fulfilled. And it (the ship) came to rest upon (the mount) al-judi and it was said: a far removal for wrongdoing folk!

YUSUFALI:

43- The son replied: “i will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water.” Noah said: “this day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom he hath mercy! “And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the flood.

44- Then the word went forth: “o earth! Swallow up thy water, and o sky! Withhold (thy rain)!” and the water abated, and the matter was ended. The ark rested on mount Judi, and the word went forth: “away with those who do wrong!”

The Spider in Bible vs. Quran vs. Science

The Bible says that the spider is found in kings’ palaces, Locusts have no king and whoever eats the eggs of vipers will die.

The Quran says that the female spider is the one mainly undertaking the building of the house and the spider’s house, from the physical and moral point of view, is the weakest house of all houses

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One of the expanded dogmas of mankind is that the Quran is quoted or borrowed from the Bible.

This creed is established upon studies of many prejudiced intellectual scholars

In this series of articles (1-16), it is obvious that the Quran is quite different from the Bible.

It is also very clear that the Quran preceded the sciences in many aspects. In the present topic of the Spider, the smart reader will answer easily this false dogmatic inquiry: Is the Quran quoted from the Bible. The Bible which says :

1) Four things on earth are small, Ants, Coneys, locusts and a spider,

2) Locusts have no king,

3) The spider is found in kings’ palaces and

4) Whoever eats the eggs of vipers will die. Or the Quran which says

1) The female spider is the one mainly undertaking the building of the house,

2) The spider’s house, from the physical and moral point of view, is the weakest house of all houses and

3) The weakness is in the spider’s house and not in its threads Before dealing with the topic of the Spider in Quran vs. Bible vs. sciences, it is essential to remember that the total words of the Bible are 788,280 while total words of the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times the Quran to talk about the spider word-wise. The spider is mentioned in three verses in the Bible (all are in the Old Testament and never mentioned in the New Testament).

On the other hand, the spider is mentioned in one verse in the Quran. ———————————————————

The Spider in the Bible Proverbs 30 24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: 25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; 26 Coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; 27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; 28 a spider can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

In the “Arabic” Bible, the verse 24 says:” the smallest”; this adjective is modified in the modern English version to “small”. However, there are thousands of creatures that are smaller than the Ants, Coneys, locusts and a spider and are wise also as for examples the microbes, protozoa and fungi. Also, why the spider is found in the kings’ places specifically? Again, why the locusts have no king although they have? Job 8 13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. 14 What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web. In this verse, the trust of the hypocrite is compared to the spider’s web or house.

This meaning is a beautiful one. Isaiah 59:5-6 Talking about those who are unjust and lie etc. 5 They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. 6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. Herein, Isaiah describes the wicked as those which “weave the spider’s web” i.e., their works and designs are, like the spider’s web, vain and useless. However, scientifically speaking, the one who eat the eggs of vipers will not die. Guaranteed. Even the one who eats the viper itself will not die. I wonder why the Bible put itself in such critical scientific conflicts. ———————————————————

The Spider in the Quran: Surah 29: [39] (Remember also) Qaroun, Pharaoh, and Haman: there came to them Moses with Clear Signs, but they behaved with insolence on the earth; yet they could not overreach (Us). [40] Each one of them We seized for his crime: of them, against some We sent a violent tornado (with showers of stones); some were caught by a (mighty) Blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up; and some We drowned (in the waters): it was not Allah who injured (or oppressed) them: they injured (and oppressed) their own souls. [41] The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the Spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the Spider’s house; if they but knew. [42] Verily Allah doth know of (every thing) whatever that they call upon besides Him: and He is Exalted (in power), Wise. [43] And such are the Parables We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have knowledge. [44] Allah created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): verily in that is a Sign for those who believe. N.B.: Qaroun and Haman were the best friends of the Pharaoh of Moses. Qaroun was a very wealthy and powerful Israelite but was pro-Pharaoh. Haman was a top Egyptian official, he was chief of the army and police. Both Qaroun and Haman are not mentioned in the Bible. Back to the Spider, the Surah number 29 is named “Al-Ankaboot” which means the spider.

Naming the Surah with the singular form “Al-Ankaboot” indicates the solitary life of this animal, except at times of mating and egg hatching. This can be compared to the Surah “Al-Nahel” (The Bees) and the Surah “Al-Namel” (The Ants), where the names are plural since these insects live in social groups. The word “Al-Ankaboot” is used for the feminine singular. The verse indicates that the female spider is the one mainly undertaking the building of the house. Accordingly, building the spider’s house is an assignment carried on by the female spiders. It is the female which has in its body the glands for secretion of the silk substance from which the spider’s house is made. The spider’s house, from the physical point of view, is the weakest house of all, because it is made out of a number of very delicate silk threads. These threads are interwoven, leaving large separating spaces at most times. Therefore, they do not protect from the heat of the sun, or the extreme cold. These threads do not form adequate shade, nor protect from the rain, storming winds, or the dangers of attackers.

The Quran is very strict and clear when saying that the weakness is in the spider’s house and not the threads; (the flimsiest of houses). The spider’s house is the flimsiest house, whether physically or morally.

This has been proven by the late studies in zoology. In other words, the Quran preceded the modern scientific findings by more than 1300 years. The threads of the spider’s house are made of very delicate silk. The thickness of one thread is usually one million of the squared inch, or one part of four thousand parts of the thickness of the ordinary human hair. Despite its delicacy, it is the strongest biological substance known to mankind so far. The silk threads which make up the spider’s web are considered stronger than steel, and their strength is surpassed only by the melted quartz. The thin thread stretches to five times its length before it is cut. Therefore, the scientists call it “biological steel” or “bio-steel”. It is twenty times stronger than the ordinary metal steel. Its tolerance measures 300,000 pound for the square inch. Hypothetically speaking, should there be a thick rope of the spider’s threads, in the size of the thumb, it can easily carry a “jumbo” jet. In addition, the spider’s house, morally speaking, is the flimsiest of all houses, because it is deprived of all love and kindness, which are the pillars of any happy home. The female kills the male as soon as the fertilization takes place. Being larger in size and more violent, the female kills the male and eats its body. Also, the female eats its youngsters mercilessly. In some types, the female dies after fertilizing its eggs, which are usually fostered in a silk bag. When the eggs hatch, spider lings come out to find themselves in a very crowded place inside the eggs bag. The siblings then start to fight for food, space or both. The brother kills its brother and sister, and the sister kills its sister and brother, until the fight ends with a few spider lings remaining. These spider lings shed their skin and tear the eggs bag to come out one after the other with unhappy memories. They all then spread in the surrounding environment. Each female starts to build its house. On the road to achieve this goal, some of the spider lings die, whereas those who survive repeat the same tragedy. This makes the spider’s house the most violent and ruthless house, lacking all forms of kinship. Hence, Allah the Almighty sets it as a parable in its weakness and frailty because it lacks the simplest form of kindness between the husband and wife, the mother and her children, the brother and his siblings, and the sister and her siblings. These facts were unknown to any human at the time of revelation, and for long centuries thereafter. They have been discovered after extensive studies of the behavior of the spider by hundreds of scientists, for tens of years, until they were realized in the last decades of the twentieth century. That is why Allah ended the noble verse with His saying “if they but knew”. Some deep meaning of the verse: A- The house of the spider is not merely its dwelling place. Being the sticky net it is, it constitutes a trap for flying insects such as flies and others. These insects are a prey on which the spider feeds. Similarly, those idolaters who revere gods besides Allah, and call people to those revered gods, are in fact calling them to an artful trap which leads them to their death and destruction in this life and the afterlife. B- Warning against those with corrupt invocations who revere others besides Allah, whether money or whim. This warning is issued through indicating their hidden strings with which they hunt their victims. These strings can be money, sex, power, or any other hidden string which destroys the victim once it is trapped. Now, I think it is easy to answer this forged dogmatic question:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?

 

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil wrote this article

http://www.articlesbase.com/science-articles/the-spider-in-bible-and-quran-115604.html