Kashti-e-Nuh

Noah’s Ark

The Background

On February 6, 1898, the Promised Messiah(as) had a vision. Relating this vision he says:

I saw angels are planting, at various places in the Punjab, plants of black colour and in no time they are turning into trees, ugly in shape, black and of terribly small in stature. I asked some of them what they were planting, they replied, these were the trees of plague, which was to break out shortly in the country.1

He further wrote that it was not clear to me whether they said that it would spread in the next winter, or that it would spread this winter, but it was terrible thing that I saw. I had a revelation about the plague even earlier.

In accordance with this prophecy, the plague did break out and it was at its peak in the month of October 1898 when the Government had launched a drive for vaccinations against this disease. At that time the Promised Messiah(as) issued this book on October 5, 1898.

The Book

In this book, the Promised Messiah(as) described the house wherein he lived was a like Nuh’s (Noah’s) ark for which God had promised protection against this calamity. The Promised Messiah(as)’s house was expanded from the Western side in order to afford protection to more and more people. This prophecy of the Promised Messiah(as) was literally fulfilled. The house of the Promised Messiah(as) remained completely immune, and the houses of non-Muslims adjoining the house of the Promised Messiah(as) were not safe. The movement expanded so fast that by the end of 1902, the followers had crossed into hundreds of thousands, and by 1904, it was around half a million.

One of the remarkable features of the book is that the Promised Messiah(as) spelt out very beautifully the true teachings of Islam and this Nuh’s Ark would continue to serve as an insurance against calamities and troubles ahead. And, when this teaching reached the Arabs in Arabic, some of them learned it by heart. It assumed the same importance as “Sermon of the Mount” by Jesus Christ, and actually it spelt out more effectively and forcefully his teachings than that his name sake had. The teachings contained in this book remain up to this day a landmark in the Movement, there could be no better way of expressing what had been stated in it.

Impact

Some of the papers of the time criticised the handbill issued about the book by the Promised Messiah(as) but the house of the Promised Messiah(as) was securely safe against this calamity. There were two instances worth recalling here, one happened in May 1904, the Promised Messiah(as) says:

Once when the plague was at its peak and had touched the houses of non-Muslims in Qadian, Maulavi Muhammad ‘Ali had developed fever and he thought he had become the victim of plague and he, like others, dictated his last Will. He was living in a part of my house, so I went to see him and enquired about his health and found him panicky and worried. Then I told him that if he had developed plague then I am an imposter and my claim to divine revelation is wrong. Saying this I felt his pulse and the moment I touched him, his body became cold and there was no sign of any fever.2

The other event took place in 1906, the Promised Messiah(as) says:

I saw a number of dreams signifying some impending trial or tribulation for Mir Nasir Nawab, who was my father-in-law, and then I prayed for him and his family. He wanted to go to Lahore, I advised him against this …

Next morning his son Ishaq had high fever and there were two gland type swelling on both the thighs and it was believed to be a sure sign of plague. Then I advised Mir Sahib to get busy in true repentance and I prayed, for I thought that if somebody from my own house died of plague, there would be an unprecedented uproar and outcry …

What was the state of my mind I could not narrate, I got myself busy in prayer and what a spectacle it was, in a matter of two or three hours, the fever had disappeared altogether and there was no sign of those swellings that were turning into tumours. The boy got up and started playing as if nothing had happened.3

Specimen of Writing

And He has also addressed me and has said: In general, Qadian will be safeguarded against such destruction by plague in which people should die like dogs and should become mad with grief and anxiety. Also, I have been told that the members of my Jama‘at, however large in number they might be, will be safeguarded against the plague as compared with those who are opposed to me.4