وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍ وَدُسُرٍ 13
Translations
And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,
Transliteration
Wa hamalnahu alaa dhati alwah wa dusur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Prophet Nuh (Noah) and the Ark he built by Allah's command, describing how Allah carried him upon a vessel made of planks (alwah) and nails/pegs (dusur). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes Allah's miraculous preservation of Noah and the believers during the Great Flood, with the Ark serving as a physical manifestation of divine mercy and protection for those who believed in the message of tawhid.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Qamar, which repeatedly emphasizes the certainty of the Qur'an's truth and Allah's power through recounting stories of past nations. This specific verse is part of the narrative of Noah's people (ayat 9-16), illustrating how Allah saved the believers and destroyed the disbelievers—a theme of divine justice that runs throughout the surah.
Related Hadiths
The story of the Ark is mentioned in various hadiths regarding the flood narrative. See Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:27 and related tafsir traditions in Sahih Bukhari's tafsir sections, where scholars discuss the construction and dimensions of the Ark as understood from Islamic sources.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah provides protection and a way out for those who trust in Him and follow His guidance, even in the most dire circumstances. The Ark symbolizes how obedience to Allah's command—no matter how challenging or seemingly impossible—leads to salvation and victory.