Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) preached the message of Islam among his people for nine hundred years. When the kuffar in those days passed away, they would leave behind a wasiyyat (instructions) to their children not to believe in Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam),
but to continue rejecting him. Such was the severity of their kufr. In this manner, every generation exhorted the next to commit kufr against Allah Subhanu WaTha’ala and His Rasool, Nooh (alaihis-salaam).
Allah SubhanhuWaTha’ala then revealed to Nabi Nooh (alaihis-salaam) that now none of his people was going to embrace Islam, except those that already have done so.
He was commanded to build a ship, but at that stage the world had never ever heard of a ship. Therefore, he was shown by Hazrat Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) how to construct a ship
Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) was therefore the first person on earth to build a ship, and through him mankind came to know about this technique for travelling over water.
The Ship
The ship was built according to specifications laid down by Allah SubhanhuWaTha’ala . He built it from teak wood and both the inside and the outside was coated with a layer of tar. The ship was about 138 metres in length, 23 metres wide, and 14 metres high.
It had three decks of equal height. The lower deck was for animals, the middle for human beings, and the top deck for birds. It also had a flat roof, and several windows and a door on the side.
Hazrat Nooh alaihis salams was shown how to build a pointed bow at the front, so that the vessel could plough through water easily.It took him fifty years to build this ship. Some Ulema say the reason for this lengthy period was that trees had to be specially planted and grown,
then chopped down and cut up for the wood that was to be used in manufacturing the ship. The work on this ship was undertaken and completed . This was known as the Musjid of Nooh. aslihis salam
The Kuffar in those days used to mock at him and his small band of followers who were assisting him in building the ship. When they were told that a great flood was to strike them soon, they scoffed and made even bigger mockery.
For at that time there was a severe drought. Where would floods come from, they thought? Secondly, how would this ship sail when there was no river in sight?
But Hazrat Nooh (alaihis-salaam) and the Muslims paid no attention to their jeering and insults. They continued with the command of Allah SubhanhuWaTha’ala to build the ship.