Nuh’s Ark: a Quran story for kids

Allah sent Nuh to his people, and he called them to worship Allah for a very, very long time.

﴿فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا﴾

Al-'Ankabut 29:14

It means: Nuh stayed with his people for nine hundred and fifty years.

But most of them did not believe, so Allah told him to build a big ark.

﴿وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا﴾

Hud 11:37

It means: Build the ark, and We are watching over you.

Whenever a group of his people passed by, they laughed at him and made fun of him.

﴿وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلَأٌۭ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُ﴾

Hud 11:38

It means: Every time some of his people passed by, they laughed at him.

Think: What would you do if someone made fun of you when you were doing right?

When Allah’s command came, He told Nuh: take into the ark a pair of every kind of animal.

﴿ٱحْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّۢ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ﴾

Hud 11:40

It means: Take into the ark two of every kind: a male and a female.

And the rain poured down from the sky.

﴿فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ﴾

Al-Qamar 54:11

It means: A great deal of water came pouring down from the sky.

Nuh and those who believed went on board, and he said:

﴿ٱرْكَبُوا۟ فِيهَا بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ مَجْر۪ىٰهَا وَمُرْسَىٰهَآ﴾

Hud 11:41

It means: Get on board: in the name of Allah it sails, and in the name of Allah it stops.

The ark sailed with them through waves as high as mountains, and Allah kept them safe.

﴿وَهِىَ تَجْرِى بِهِمْ فِى مَوْجٍۢ كَٱلْجِبَالِ﴾

Hud 11:42

It means: The ark carries them through waves as big as mountains.

Then Allah told the earth to swallow its water, and the sky to stop its rain.

﴿يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى﴾

Hud 11:44

It means: O earth, drink up your water. O sky, stop raining.

The ark came to rest on a mountain called al-Judi, and Nuh, the believers and the animals came down in peace.

﴿وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ﴾

Hud 11:44

It means: And the ark came to rest on Mount Judi.