Nooh NabiAS is the second of the Anbiya after AdamAS. His name was Abdul-Gaffar. It is said that the name Nooh is derived from the Arabic “an-Noh” meaning to wail and mourn. Aqa MaulaTUS stated in one of his bayan that Nooh was so called because he wept excessively on Imam HusainSA.
Nooh’s followers were weak and outnumbered as compared to those of his enemy, Raasib, whose cohorts were strong and powerful. When the oppression of Raasib became insufferable for mumineen, they came to Nooh and asked him to pray to Allah for emancipation and solace.
Allah asked NoohAS to instruct his followers to sow seeds and wait for the harvest. They did so three times but in vain. Each time they returned disappointed in Allah and ceased believing in NoohAS Finally, only 80 faithful followers remained with NoohAS.
Allah instructed NoohAS to remain patient and to build an ark. Nooh started to do so turning a deaf ear to those who jeered at him.
When the storm came, Allah instructed NoohAS and his followers to board the ark and assured them that the ark would sail and anchor by Allah’s name.
The ark sailed away and all but Nooh’s followers were drowned in the flood. Allah has stated in the Quran that the ark sailed safely in spite of waves greater than mountains. Amongst those who drowned was Nooh’s son. Nooh had tried to persuade him to get onboard, but his son defied him, assuming that he would be safe from the water if he climbed a mountain. Allah revealed to NoohAS that his son, due to his disobedience was not part of his family.
Finally the ship anchored on a mountain named Joodi.
Nooh was known as the “Sheik ul Anbiya il Mursaleen” (Sheikh of the Prophets) because he lived a very long life. Aqa MaulaTUS stated that since Syedna Taher Saifuddin’sRA life in the khidmet of Imam uz ZamanSA was the longest, 53 years, he would be known as “Sheikh ud Duat il Mutlaqeen” (Sheikh of the Duat).
This year in Ashara Mubarak the central theme of tazyeen (decoration) was based on Rasulullah’sSAW hadith shareef: My Ahle Bayt are like the safina of Nooh: those who board the ship will be saved and those who do not will drown.
Dawat is that ship of salvation (safina tun najaat), and our Maula, Syedna Mohammed BurhanuddinTUS is the captain of that ship who will lead us safely to the shores of jannat