We have already mentioned the disagreements in the religious outlook of the people to whom Noah was sent. Some say that Noah's people had agreed to do what God disapproved of, committing wickedness, drinking wine, and letting their preoccupation with musical instruments divert them from obedience to God.
Others say that they were people obedient to Bewarasb, who was the first to promulgate the views of the Sabians.[1062] His followers in this respect were those to whom Noah was sent. God willing, I shall mention the story of Bewarasb afterward.
The Book of God reports that they had idols, for God says speaking about Noah: "Noah said: My Lord! They have been disobedient to me and have followed one whose property and children only add to his loss. They have devised a major plot and have said: Don't give up your gods! Don't give up Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr. They have led many astray." God sent Noah to them to make them afraid of His awesome power and to warn them of His assault. Noah was to call upon them to repent, to return to the truth, and to act following the commands given by God to His messengers and revealed by Him in the scrolls of Adam, Seth, and Enoch. When God sent Noah to them as a prophet, he reportedly was fifty years old.
Another (different) statement is what we were told by Nasr b. 'Ali al-Jahdami1 -Nuh b. Qaysl° -' Awn b. Abi Shaddad:
God sent Noah to his people when he was 350 years old. He stayed among them for 950 years. " Thereafter he lived for another 350 years. According to al-Ilarith-Ibn Sa'd-Hisham-his father Salih-Ibn'Abbas: God sent Noah to them when he was 486 years old. He then called them (to God) during his prophethood for 470 years. When he was 600 years old, he boarded the ark. He lived thereafter for another 350 years.
Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari ) says: As God says, Noah stayed among them for 950 years, calling them to God secretly and openly. Generation after generation passed, and they responded to him when three generations had passed with both him and them being in that condition. When God wanted to ruin them, Noah cursed them, saying: "My Lord! They have been disobedient to me and have followed one whose property and children only add to his loss. God commanded him to plant a tree, and he did. The tree grew and spread in all directions. Forty years after Noah had planted it, God commanded him to cut it down and use it for (building) an ark, as God says:
"And make the boat under our eyes and with Our inspiration! Thus, he cut down the tree and began to work on it.
According to Salih b . Mismar al-Marwazi1 and al-Muthanna b. Ibrahim -Ibn Abi Maryam-Musa b. Ya'qub -Fa'id, the Mawla of 'Ubaydallah b. 'Ali b. Abi Rafi ' -Ibrahim b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Rabi'ah: 'A'ishah, the wife of the Prophet, told shown mercy to anyone among Noah's people, it would have been the mother of the small child. The Messenger of God continued:
Noah had stayed among his people for 950 years calling them to God. Then at the end of this time, he planted a tree that grew and spread in all directions. He then cut it down and began to build an ark. People who were passing by asked him (what he was doing).
He replied: I am building an ark from (the tree). They made fun of him and said: You are building an ark on dry land!? How will it float? He replied: You will see. When he finished it "and the oven boiled,""" and there was more and more water in the streets, the mother who loved her small child very much became fearful. She went out to the mountain and climbed one-third of it. When the water reached her there, she climbed two-thirds (on the way up). When the water reached her again, she went up to the summit. When the water was up to her neck, she lifted her child up with her hand{1077} until the water swept it away. If God had shown mercy to any one of them, it would have been the mother of the small child.
According to (Muhammad) b. Abi Mansur-'Ali b. al-Haytham -al-Musayyab b. Sharik-Abu Rawq-al-Dal ak- Salman al-Farisi: Noah worked on the ark for four hundred years. He had let the teak tree grow for forty years until it grew to be 300 cubits tall-the cubit (being the length of the arm) to the shoulder.[1078] [1871 Noah worked on the ark with God's inspiration and under His instruction. Thus, God willing, its dimensions) were [1079] as we were told by Bishr b. Mu'adh-Yazid b. Zuray'-Said-Qatadah:
It has been mentioned to us that the ark was 300 cubits long and fifty cubits wide, and its height in the sky was thirty cubits. Its entrance was on the wide side.[1080] According to al-Harith (b. Muhammad)-' Abd al-'Aziz1081 - [1076].
(Qur. 11:40 and 23:27).
The Events That Took Place in Noah's Time 357 Mubarak (b. Fadalah)-al-Hasan: The length of Noah's ark was 1,200 cubits, and its width was 6oo cubits.
According to al-Qasim (b. al-Hasan)-al-Husayn (b. Dawud)- Hajjaj-Mufaddal b. Fada1ah10B2 -' Ali b. Zayd b. Jud'an-Yusuf b. Mihran-Ibn 'Abbas: The Apostles said to Jesus, the son of Mary:
Would that you send us a man who saw the ark and could tell us about it. He went with them and came to an earthen hillock. There, he took a handful of the earth in his palm and asked: Do you know what this is? They replied: God and His prophet know best! Jesus said: This is the grave1083 of Noah's son Ham. He continued.
He struck the hill with his staff and said: Rise with God's permission! And behold there was Ham, with grey hair, shaking the earth from his head. Jesus asked him whether he had perished in that state (with grey hair). Ham replied: No, when I died, I was a young man, but I thought the Hour had come, and my hair turned grey. (Jesus) said: Tell us about Noah's ark! He said: It was 1,200 cubits long and 6oo cubits wide. It had three stories, one for domestic and wild animals, another for human beings, and a third for birds. When the dung of the animals became excessive, God inspired Noah to tickle the elephant's tail. He did, and a male and a female hog fell down and attacked the dung. When the rat fell down into the seams (of the planks) of the ark and gnawed at them,
God inspired Noah to strike the lion between its eyes, and a male and a female cat came out from its nose and attacked the rat. Jesus asked Ham: How did Noah learn that (all) the places had been underwater (but were no longer)?
He replied: He sent the raven to bring him information, but it found a corpse and pounced upon it, IOU whereupon (Noah) cursed the raven that it should be fearful;
therefore, the raven does not like houses. He continued. He then sent the dove. It came with an olive leaf in its beak and clay on its feet. Noah thus knew that (all) places had been underwater (but were no longer). He continued. Therefore, the dove's necklace is the greyish-greenness on its neck. Noah blessed the dove that b. Aban, who died in 207/822.
The "necklace" is the ruff of feathers of the ring-dove which is said here to have originated under the circumstances indicated. It should be tame and safe; therefore, the dove likes houses. He continued. The Apostles said: 0 Messenger of God, why do you not bring him to our people so that he can sit down and talk with us? Jesus replied: How could one who has no sustenance follow you? He continued. Then Jesus said to Ham: Go back with God's permission! And Ham turned to dust again.
According to al-Harith--Ibn Sad-Hisham-his father Salih -Ibn 'Abbas: Noah used carpentry to build the ark on Mount Nudh,where the Flood made its appearance. He continued. The ark was 300 cubits long cubit being that of the grandfather of Noah's father -and it was fifty cubits wide. Its height in the sky was thirty cubits, six of which were above the water. It had several stories. He made three entrances for it, one beneath the other.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaqsomeone who is not suspect-'Ubayd b. 'Umayr al-Laythi who used to tell that he had heard that they-Noah's people-used to grab him-Noah-and choke him until he became unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he said: 0 God! Forgive my peoplefor they do not know! Ibn Ishaq continued. They persisted in their disobedience (to God) and committed grave sins on earth. Noah had much trouble with them and they with him, and they caused him great tribulations. He waited for offspring after offspring, but each generation turned out worse than the one before, and eventually, the latest would say: That (Noah) was as crazy with our fathers and grandfathers who would accept nothing he said.
Finally, Noah complained to God about their behavior and said, as told to us by God in His Book: "My Lord! I have called my people night and day, but my calling has only made them shun (me) morei1092 to the part of the story where he finally says: "My Lord! Let no unbeliever stay on earth! If You do, they will lead Your servants astray and give birth only to wicked unbelievers,"
The Events That Took Place in Noah's Time and on to the end of the story.'° When Noah thus complained about them to God and asked Him for help against them, God revealed to him: "And make the boat under Our eyes and with Our inspiration, and do not talk to Me about those who have done wrong. They will drown." 1094 Noah now proceeded to build the boat, because he feared1095 his people. He began to cut wood and forge iron and prepared the materials for the boat, such as pitch and other material which only he knew to prepare well. While he was engaged in this work, his people who passed by made fun of him and scoffed at him. He would say: "If you make fun of us, we shall make fun of you, just as you do. In the end you will know to whom humiliating punishment will come and upon whom lasting punishment will descend." `096 He continued. As I have heard it, they would say:
"Noah, you were a prophet, and now you have become a carpenter! He continued. God made women's wombs infertile, and no children were born to them."
He continued. The people of the Torah assume that God commanded Noah to build the boat from teak wood. He was to make it slanting, to cover it with pitch inside and out, and to make it [Igo] eighty cubits long and fifty cubits wide, and its height in the sky thirty cubits. (God commanded him) to build it with three stories, a low, middle, and upper one, and to make windows in it. Noah did as he was commanded by God. Finally, he finished it. God had charged him as follows: "When Our command comes and the oven boils, then1097 put on board a pair, two of each kind, and your family, except those against whom the decision has already been stated, also those who believed, but only few believed with him."
He made the oven a sign between Himself and Noah and said: "When Our command comes and the oven boils," take in a pair, two of each kind, and board (the ark yourself)! When the oven boiled, Noah put on board those whom God had commanded;
Qur. 11:40.
manded him (to take)-they were few, as God says-and a pair, two of each kind, of any inspirited creature and tree(!), male and female. He brought in his three sons , Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives, as well as six people who believed in him, thus altogether ten individuals, Noah, his sons, and their wives ." Then he brought in the animals, as God had ordered him. His son Yam, who was an unbeliever, remained behind.10°
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq-al-Hasan b. Dinar101 -'Ali b. Zayd-Yusuf b. Mihran--Ibn 'Abbas: I (Yusuf b. Mihran) heard him (Ibn 'Abbas) say: The first animal to be put aboard was the ant, and the last the donkey. When Noah brought the donkey in and its front half was inside, Iblis-may God curse him!-attached himself to its tail, so that it could not lift its legs. Noah started to say: Woe to you! Go in! The donkey rose but was unable (to proceed). Eventually, Noah said: Woe to you! Go in, even if Satan is with you! It was a slip of the tongue, but when Noah said it, Satan let the donkey proceed. It went in , and Satan went in with it. Noah said to him:
How did you get in here with,me, enemy of God? Satan replied: Did you not say: Go in, even if Satan is with you!? Noah said: Get out and leave me, enemy of God! Satan replied: You cannot escape from having me on board. Supposedly, Satan stayed in the rear (zahr) of the boat.
Now, Noah quietly settled down in the boat, having brought in all those who believed in him. That was on the seventeenth of the month102 of the year in which Noah entered (the ark) at the age of six hundred. When he, as well as all those brought aboard by him, had entered, the fountains of the great deep (ghawt) were set in motion and the gates of heaven opened,103`as God says to His prophet: "And We opened the gates of heaven for water to pour out and split the earth for springs (to gush forth). The water (from above and below) met for a matter (pre)determined."104 Noah and io99. At first glance, the arithmetic here seems strange , but, as explained in text below, I, 195, the figure ten was reached by not counting the women.
The Events That Took Place in Noah's Time .
Those with him entered inside the boat, which sheltered him and those with him on one (of the covered) stories. The time between God's sending down the water and the boat floating upon it was forty days and forty nights. As is assumed by the people of the Torah, the boat floated upon the water which kept rising higher and higher. God says to His Prophet Muhammad: "And We carried him aboard (a ship) with planks and dusur"-meaning nails, iron nails-"which floated under Our eyes, as a reward for one who had been treated with ingratitude."' 10' The boat began to float with him and those with him "on mountainous waves.".When Noah thus saw that the threat of his Lord had come true, "he called out to his son, who was standing apart," and who then perished with all the others:
"Son, come aboard with us, and do not be with the unbelievers!" He was an unfortunate person who had secretly been an unbeliever. (But he now) "said: I shall withdraw to a mountain which will protect me from the water." He had often taken refuge in the mountains from the rains that fell, and he thought that this would be so again. Noah "said: There is no one today to give protection against God's command, except for those to whom He shows mercy. Then the waves came between them, and he was among those drowned.""'
The water increased wildly and, as is assumed by the people of the Torah, rose fifteen cubits over the mountain tops. All creatures on the face of the earth, every inspired being or tree, disappeared. No creature remained except Noah and those with him in the boat, as well as Og b. Anak,...o as is assumed by the people of the Book. The time between God's sending the Flood and the receding of the water was six months and ten nights.....
According to al-Harith-Ibn Sa'd-Hisham-his father-Abu Salih -Ibn 'Abbas: God sent rain for forty days and forty nights. When the rain hit them, the wild animals, the (domestic ) animals, and the birds all went to Noah and were subjected ( to labor) for him. As commanded by God, he carried along "pair(s), two of each kind. 112 He also carried along Adam's corpse, making it a barrier between the women and men.113 They boarded the ark on the tenth of Rajab, and they left it on the 'Ashura Day, (the tenth day) of al-Muharram; therefore, all those people fast on 'Ashura Day.' 114 The water was brought forth in two equal parts. This is (meant by) God's word: "And We opened the gates of heaven for water munhamirin"-that is, munsabbin pouring-" and We fajjarna"- that is, shaggagna split-"the earth for springs (to gush forth ). The water (from above and below) met for a matter (pre)determined.i115 Thus, (because of the word "meeting" that is used in the verse, it appears that) the water came in two equal parts, one from heaven, and the other from the earth. It rose fifteen cubits above the highest mountain on earth.
The ark carried them around the entire earth in six months. It did not come to rest anywhere until it came to the Sacred Territory (of Mecca and Medina). However, it did not enter the Sacred Territory but circled around for a week. The House built by Adam was lifted up-liftedup, so as not to be submerged-"the inhabited House"' 116 with the Black Stone-on Abu Qubays. After the ark had circled around the Sacred Territory, it traveled with (those aboard) over the earth and eventually reached al-Judi-a mountain whose foot is in the land of Mosul-where it came to rest after six months at the completion of seven (nights ), or, according to another statement, after the Events That Took Place in Noah's Time the six months"" -"a curse upon the wrongdoers! i 118 When it had come to rest upon al-Judi, "it was said: Earth, swallow yourwater! "-meaning, absorb your water that came forth from you-"and Heaven, hold back!"-meaning, restrain your water-"and the water disappeared in the ground"-that is, the earth absorbed it. The water that had come down from heaven became the oceans that are seen on earth today. The last remnant of the Flood on earth was some water at Hisma.119 It remained on earth for forty years after the Deluge and then disappeared.
The "oven" with the water boiling that God made a sign between Himself and Noah was an oven of stone that belonged to Eve and came into Noah's possession.' 12° According to Ya'qub b. Ibrahim-Hushaym-Abu Muhammad al-Hasan: It was an oven of stone that belonged to Eve and eventually came into Noah's possession. He continued. Noah was told:
"When you see the water boil forth from the oven, go aboard, you and your companions!
There are differences of opinion concerning the location of the oven and the boiling water which was made by God a sign of what was between Himself and Noah.
Some said: It was in India. 1117. The difference seems to be that on the one hand, there was a period of sixth months and seven (nights, li-tamam a1-sab) and, on the other, a period of exactly six months. In the latter case, the Cairo edition reads "seven" (months! without indicating any manuscript evidence. Li-tamam al-sab' could hardly refer to the seven circumnavigations of the Kabah, see text below, 1,197. The correction to al-sab'ah suggested in Tabari,
Those who said this, According to Abu Kurayb-'Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani Abu 'Amr al-Nadr al-Khazzaz' -`Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on: "And the oven boiled," as follows: It boiled in India. Others said: It was in the region of al-Kufah.
Those who said this According to al-Harith (b. Muhammad)-al-Hasan -Khalaf b. Khalifah' -Layth (b. Abi Sulaym)-Mujahid: The water gushed forth in the oven . Noah's wife noticed it and told him about it. He continued. This was in the region of al-Kufah. According to al-Harith-al-Qasim"26 -'Ali b. Thabit"_al_ Sari b. Ismail" : Al-Shabi used to swear by God that the oven did not boil anywhere but around al-Kufah. There were differences of opinion about the number of the children of Adam who boarded the boat. Some said: They were eighty souls.
Those who said this, According to Musa b . 'Abd al-Rahman al-Masrugi -Zayd b. al-Hubab130 -Husayn b. Wagid al-Khurasani-Abu Nahik"3' : I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: In Noah's ark there were eighty men. One of them was Jurhum."32
According to al-Qasim (b. al-Hasan)-al-Husayn (b. Dawud)- .'Abd al-Hamid b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Himmini died in 202/817181.
Jurhum was the supposed ancestor of an ancient Arabian tribe . s. v. Djurhum . In the Biblical genealogies of Arabic tribes, the Jurhum figure among the descendants of Arpachshad. The Events That Took Place in Noah's Time Hajjaj-Ibn jurayj-Ibn 'Abbas: Noah carried eighty persons aboard the ark.
According to al-Harith-'Abd al-'Aziz (b. Aban)-Sufyan: Some( one) used to say: They were eighty, referring to "the few" in God's word: "But only a few believed with him."'
According to al-Harith-Ibn Sa'd-Hisham-his father-Abu Salih-Ibn 'Abbas: Noah carried in the ark his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his daughters-in-law, the wives of those sons ofhis, as well as seventy-three of the children of Seth who believed in him. Thus, there were eighty in the ark.
Some said: Rather, they were eight souls. Those who said, according to Bishr b. Mu'adh Yazid b. Zuray'-Sa'id- Qatadah: It was mentioned to us that only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives, a total of eight, were all together in the ark.
According to Ibn Waki' and al-Hasan b. 'Arafah-Yahya b. 'Abd al-Malik b. Abi Ghaniyyah-his father-al-Hakam, commenting on: "But only a few believed with him," as follows: Noah, his three sons, and his four daughters-in-law. According to al-Qasim-al-Husayn-Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj: I was told that Noah carried along his three sons and three wives of his sons and his own wife; the men with their spouses thus numbered eight. The names of his sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham attacked s wife (sexually) in the ark, so Noah prayed that his seed be altered, and he produced the blacks! Others said: Rather, they were seven souls.
Those who said this according to al-Harith-'Abd al-'Aziz (b. Aban)-Sufyan-al- A'mash, commenting on: "And only a few believed with him," as follows: They were seven: Noah, three daughters-in-law, and three sons of his.
Others said: They were ten, not counting their wives.
1133. Qur. 11:40.
1134. Presumably, his three daughters -in-law and his wife, kann'in here being understood as female relations through marriage. 1135 . Ham's disregard of the prohibition of intercourse in the ark is mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud. See Sanhedrin io8b, Speyer, Biblische Erzahlungen, io6; Lewis, A study of the interpretation of Noah, 144. See also above, n.1113, and text below, I, 198.Those who said this According to In Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq: He carried along his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives, as well as six men of those who believed in him. Thus , they were ten individuals, counting Noah, his sons, and (but not counting) their spouses. 136
As mentioned by the scholars among the people of the Book and others, God sent the Flood, after 6oo years of Noah's life had passed and 2,256 years had elapsed since Adam was cast down to earth. God reportedly sent the Flood on the 13th of Ab (August). Noah remained in the boat until the water had disappeared into the ground. The boat settled on Mount al-Judi in Qarda137 on the seventeenth day of the sixth month. Upon leaving the ark, Noah chose a place in the region of Qarda in the Jazirah and built himself a village there which he called Thamanin ("Eighty") because he had built a house there for each of the men who were with him; they were eighty. To this day, the village is called Suq Thamanin.1139
According to al-Harith-Ibn Sad-Hisham b. Muhammad-his father -Abu Sa1ih-Ibn 'Abbas: Noah came down at a village, and each one of them built a house. Therefore, the village was called Suq Thamanin. All the children of Cain drowned. All the forefa-
See also Ya'qubi, Ta'rikh, I, 12; Mas'udi, Muru j, I, 75. (Thaminon is hardly intended
to be an Arabic form.]
The Events That Took Place in Noah's Time 367 Others between Noah and Adam were in the state of islam.
Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) says: (Noah) and his family became (Muslims), whereupon God revealed to him that he would never bring another Flood to the earth. According to 'Abbad b. Ya'qub al-Asadi139 -al-Muharibi- 'Uthman b. Matar140 -'Abd al-'Aziz b. 'Abd al-Ghafur"4' -his father-the Messenger of God: Noah boarded the ark on the first day of Rajab. He and all those with him fasted. The ark floated with them for six months-thus, until al-Muharram. The ark anchored upon al-Judi on the 'Ashura Day, and Noah fasted and ordered all the wild and (domestic] animals with him to fast in gratitude to God.
According to al-Qasim-al-Husayn-Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj: The upper story of the ark was occupied by the birds, the one in the middle by the human beings, and the lowest by the wild beasts. Its height in the sky was thirty cubits. The ark took off from 'Ayn Wardah' 142 on Friday, Rajab 1 oth. It anchored upon al-Judi on the 'Ashura Day. It passed by the House, which had been lifted up by God so it would not be submerged and circumnavigated it seven times. It then went to the Yemen and then returned.
According to al-Qasim-al-Husayn-Hajjaj-Abu ja'far (`Isa b. Mahan) al-Razi-Qatadah: When Noah went down from the ark on the tenth day of al-Muharram, he said to those with him: Those of you who have been fasting should complete their fast, and those of you who had been breaking the fast should fast. (198]
According to Bishr B. Muadh--Yazid (b. Zuray'J-Sa'id (b. Abi 'Arubahj-Qatadah: It has been mentioned to us that it-meaning the boat departed with them on the tenth of Rajab. It was in the water for 15o days and came to rest upon al-Judi for a month. They were brought down on the tenth of al-Muharram, the Ashura Day.
According to al-Qasim-al-Husayn-Hajjaj-Abu Ma'shar- Muhammad b. Qays: In the time of Noah, every span of land on earth was claimed by some human being.
Tafsir, on Qur. 23:27.
As I was told by Nasr B. 'Ali al-Jahdami-Nuh b. Qays-'Awn b. Abi Shaddad: After the Flood, Noah lived another 350 years is, after the 950 years he had spent among his people.1143 Ibn Ishaq, in turn, as we were told by Ibn Humayd-Salamah (-Ibn Ishaq), said: It is assumed by the people of the Torah that Noah lived for 348 years"" after coming down from the boat. He continued. The total length of Noah's life was 950 years . God then took him unto Himself.
Shem was reportedly born to Noah ninety-eight years before the Flood. 1141 Some of the people of the Torah say: There was no begetting (in the ark). (Additional) children were born to Noah only after the Flood and after he had left the boat.
They said: Those who were with him in the boat were people who believed in him and followed him. However, they disappeared and perished, and no descendants of theirs survived. In this world today, the children of Adam are the direct offspring of Noah and of no other descendants of Adam, as God says: "And We made his offspring the survivors.i1146
Before the Flood, two sons were reportedly born to Noah who both perished. One of them was called Canaan. He continued. He was the one who drowned in the Flood. The other was called Eber. He died before the Flood.' 147
According to al-Harith-Ibn Sad-Hisham-his father-Abu Salih -Ibn 'Abbas: Born to Noah were Shem, whose descendants were reddish-white; Ham, whose descendants were black with hardly any whiteness; and Japheth, whose descendants were reddish-brown. Canaan-the one who drowned-was called Yam by the Arabs. He occurs in the saying: Our paternal uncle Yam -he was balmy."4s They all had the same mother. The Magians have no knowledge of the Flood .L49 They say:
Our rule continued uninterrupted since the age of Jayumart-who they say is identical to Adam. It was inherited by consecutive rulers to the time of Feroz b. Yazdjard b. Shahriyar. 150 They (also) say: If (the story of the Flood ) were sound, the pedigrees of the people would have been disrupted and their rule dissolved. Some of them acknowledge the Flood and assume that it took place in the clime of Babil and nearby regions, whereas the descendants of Jayumart had their dwellings in the East , and the Flood did not reach them.
Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) says: The information given by God concerning the Flood contradicts their statement, and what He says is the truth: "Noah called upon us and surely, good are those who respond! 15' We delivered him and his family from the great distress and made his offspring the survivors."' 1S2 God thus indicates that Noah's offspring are the survivors, and nobody else. I have already mentioned the disagreement among people concerning Jayumart. Some contradicted the Persians for his identity and traced his pedigree to Noah."
According to Ibn Bashshar-Ibn 'Athmab 154 -Sa'id b. Bashir"55 Qatadah-al-Hasan-Samurah b . jundub-the Prophet, in con- [200J connection with commenting on God's word: "And We made his offspring the survivors": Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
According to Bishr (b. Mu'adh)--Yazid (b. Zuray')-Said (b. Abi'ArubahY-Qatadah, commenting on God's word: "And We made his offspring the survivors," as follows: All human beings are the offspring of Noah.
According to All b. Dawud"56 -Abu Silih ('Abdallah b. Salih`--Mu'awiyah (b. Salih)-' Ali (b. Abi Talhahj-Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on God's word: "And We made his offspring the survivors," as follows: Only the offspring of Noah remained.' 117
The Use of Eras
The following report of al-Zuhri and al-Shabi has been transmitted from 'Ali b. Mujahidl158 -Ibn Ishaq-al-Zuhri. Also (Ibn Ishaq-) Muhammad b. Salih"59 -al-Shabi: When Adam fell down from Paradise and his descendants spread out, Adam's children established an era starting with his fall. This era continued, until God sent Noah. Then an era starting with Noah's mission (as prophet ) was used until the Drowning occurred and all those on the face of the earth perished. When Noah, his offspring, and all those in the ark came down to earth, he divided the earth among his sons into three parts. 160 To Shem, he gave the middle of the earth where Jerusalem, the Nile, the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Sayhan,161 the Jayhan (Gihon), and the Fayshan (Pishon) are located.
It extends from the Pishon to the east of the Nile and from the region from where the south wind blows to the region from where the north wind blows. To Ham, he gave the part (of the earth) west of the Nile and regions beyond to the region from where the Westwind blows. The part he gave to Japheth was located in the Pishon and region beyond to the region from where the Eastwind blows.
The eras (thereafter) were: from the Flood to the Fire of Abraham;` (from the fire of Abraham) to the mission of Joseph; from the mission of Joseph to the mission of Moses; from the mission of Moses to the reign of Solomon; from the reign of Solomon to the mission of Jesus, the son of Mary; and from the mission of Jesus, the son of Mary, to when the Messenger of God was sent. [2011
These eras mentioned by al-Shabi must be those used by the Jews, for the Muslims, started the (use of an) era only with the hijrah. Before it, they had no era, except that the Quraysh reportedly used the Year the Elephant for dating, while all the other Arabs used their well-known (battle) days, such as the Day of Jabalah, the First Kulab, and the Second Kulab."'
The Christians used the period of Alexander Dhu al-Qarnayn (as the beginning of their era. I think they still use that era today. 1164 The Persians used (the reigns of) their rulers for dating. As far as I know, they now (use) the period of Yazdjard b. Shahriyar, because he was the last of their King to ruled Babil and the East.
1139. 'Abbad b. Ya'qub died in 25o/end of 864. See Tahdhib, V, tog f.
1140. For Uthman b. Matar, see TB, XI, 277-79; Tahdhib, VII, 154 f.
1141. In Abi Hitim, III, 1, 55, lists an Abu al-Sabah 'Abd al-Ghafur b. 'Abd al-
'Aziz al-Wisiti, who may have been a son of the individual mentioned here.
1142. See El'2 , I, 789a, s. v. 'Ayn al-Warda; Yaqut, Mu'jam, III, 764; Bakri, Mu'jam,
IV, 1376, where it is described as the location of the "oven," as it is in Mugatil,
136. See above, n. 1o99.
1137. Qardu (Qardo) is the targumic and Syriac rendering of Ararat in Genesis 8:4.
See also Schatzhdhle, text, 98, trans., 23. The date there is given as the seventeenth
day of the seventh month equated with Teshrin 1 (October).
For the relationship of Qardo with Gordyaia, Gordyene, Kardouchoi, and Kurds,
see E12 , V, 447-49, s. v. Kurds, Kurdistan. For the Greek forms, see Pauly-Wissowa,
especially, the entry Kardouchoi. For further Jewish and Christian references, see
Kronholm, Motifs, Zoo f.
For the Arabic form Qardi , see Yiqut, Mu'jam, N, 56, and the brief entry Kardi
and Bizabda in E12, N, 639a. The form Bagarda (as well as al(!)-Thamanin and
'Ayn Wardah (below, n. 114211 appears already in Mugatil b. Sulayman 's Tafsir in
the commentary on Qur. 11:40.
The form al-Judi could very well have originated from a conflation of "Gurdi
(Gordy-), slightly misread in its Syriac form, with some mountain in Arabia.
For al-Jazirah, see E12 , II, 523 f., s. v. al-Djazira.
1138. For the Market of Thaminin, see Yiqut, Mu'jam, 1, 934, and N, 56;
Sam'ani, Ansab, III, 149; Canard, Hamdanides, 1, 112. Schatzhohle, text, toe,
trans., 24, states that eight persons left the ark and built the city called Thamanon.
1o86. The story appears in Tafsir, see above, n. 1083.
1087. See above, n. 788.
1o88. Apparently, Enoch.
to89. Genesis 6:16.
1090. This statement, with another chain of transmitters, is also found in Tafsir,
XXIX, 64 (ad Our. 71:26-28). See Luke 23:34.
1091 . Cf. Our. 54:9.
1092. Qur. 71:5 f.
See Tahdhib, VI, 120; Sam'ani, Ansdb, IV2236 (with much information on his son Yahya, who is listed in TB, XIV,167-77).
1123. For al-Nadr b. 'Abd al-Rahman, see Tahdhib, X, 441 f.
1124. Presumably, al-Hasan b. 'Arafah (above, n. 52), listed as a transmitter from
Khalaf b. Khalifah. The reading "al-Qasim" may have resulted from a mixup with
al-Qasim in the following tradition (n. 1126).
1125 . Khalaf b. Khalifah died at an advanced age ca . 180/796171. See TB, VIII, 318-
20; Tahdhib. III, 150-52.
1126. He is the well-known author Abu 'Ubayd al-Qasim b. Sallim who died
about 224/838191 at the age of sixty -seven. See TB, XII, 403-16; Tahdhib, VIII, 315-
18; Brockelmann, GAL, Suppl., I, 166 f., E12, , 1, 157, s. v. Abu 'Ubayd.
1127. For 'Ali b. Thabit al- Jazari, see TB, XI, 356-58; Tahdhib, VII, 288 f.
1128 . For this nephew of al-Shabi, see Tahdhib, III, 459 f.
1129. For al-Masrugi, who died in 258/871 (2), see Tahdhib, X, 355 f.
1130. Zayd b. al-Hubib died in 203 /818(91 . See TB, VIII, 442-44; Tahdhib, III,
402-4.
1131. For Abu Nahik Uthmin b. Nahik, see Tahdib, XII, 259.
See above, n. 807. 1077. The story in Tafsir, XII, 21 f. (ad Qur. 11:37-39) has "in front of her" (bayn yadayhd). Another version appears in In Hisham, Tijan, 24. 1078 . Apparently, another cubit than the ordinary one of 0.50 m is intended here.
See below, n. [1088. 1079]. Hardly, "it came into being."
[1080]. See Genesis 6:15 f. This, as well as the following tradition, appears in Tafsir,
XII, 22 ad
(Qur. 11:37-39).
[1081] . On the basis of text below, 1, 1721 , he has been identified with and al-'Aziz
[1083/1721/1081/1080. 1088//1079/1078/1721/See TB, X, 442-471 Tahdhib, VI, 329-31.
For this brother of Mubarak mentioned in the preceding isnad, see
Tahdhib, X, 273.
Tafair, XII, 22 (ad Qur. 11:37-39), has ka 'b "ankle-bone."
£084. See Ya'qubi, Ta'rikh, 1, 12.
1o86. The story appears in Tafsir, see above, n. 1083.
1087. See above, n. 788.
1o88. Apparently, Enoch.
to89. Genesis 6:16.
1090. This statement, with another chain of transmitters, is also found in Tafsir,
XXIX, 64 (ad Our. 71:26-28). See Luke 23:34.
1091 . Cf. Our. 54:9.
1092. Qur. 71:5 f.
1065. Nasr al-jahdami died in 250 /864. See TB, XIII, 287-89; Tahdhib, X, 430 f.
1066. Died in 183 or 184/800-1 . See Tahdhib, X, 485 f.
1067. See Tahdhib, VIII, 171.
1068. See Qur. 29:14 . Tafsir, XX, 87, in the commentary on this verse, contains
this tradition.
1o6q. See again text below, I, 198.
1070. Qur. 71:21.
1071 . Qur. 11 :37. In order to distinguish between Arabic safinah used for "ark"
and fulk, the translation "boat" has been used here for the latter.
1072. Salih b. Mismir died between 246 and 250/860-64 . See Tahdhib, IV, 403.
1073. See Tahdhib, X, 378 f.
1074. For Fa'id, see Tahdhfb, VIII, 256 f. For Ubaydallah , see Tahdhib, VII,
37 f. His grandfather Abu Rafl' was a mawla of the Prophet, see Ibn 'Abd al-Barr,
Istrab, IV, 1656 f.
1075 . See Tahdhib, I,138; Bukhiri, Ta rikh, 1, 1, 296 f.
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