And it is, while it is the case that it is ﴿running with them﴾. And when the water was prepared for drowning, the journey upon its surface was one of the extraordinary events. He indicated this by the phrase ﴿in waves﴾ and pointed out its height by saying ﴿like mountains﴾, meaning in its greatness and accumulation [and height]. Thus, the statement is a condition for those who boarded it, as it is evident from the strength of the utterance. This condition, along with the continuity of boarding, indicates the rapid filling of the earth with water and its becoming like mountains after they boarded the ship without significant delay. They said: The first to board with him was the ant, and the last to board with him was the donkey. Iblis clung to its tail and could not enter until Noah, peace be upon him, said to him: 'Enter, even if the devil is with you' - so they say. It is said that he prevented the snake and the scorpion and said: 'You are the cause of harm.' They replied: 'Carry us, and you have the right not to harm anyone who remembers you.' So whoever said: ﴿Peace be upon Noah among the worlds﴾ [As-Saffat: 79] ﴿Indeed, thus do We reward the doers of good﴾ [As-Saffat: 80] ﴿Indeed, he is among Our believing servants﴾ [As-Saffat: 81] did not harm him. And when the beginning of the state was the bursting forth of the earth with springs and the pouring down of the sky as a downpour - indicating that the situation would become as Allah informed of it, with the waves like mountains, from which nothing would save except the cause that He, glorified and exalted is He, established. He recited that with the matter of the son of Noah, saying, in addition to His saying: ﴿And Noah called to his son﴾ [Hud: 41] ﴿O my son﴾, meaning Kanaan, who was of his loins - this was transmitted by Al-Rummani from Ibn Abbas, Sa'id ibn Jubair, and Al-Dahhak. ﴿And he was﴾, meaning the son, ﴿in a state of separation﴾, meaning: away from his father in his place and in his religion, as he was a disbeliever. He clarified that this separation was at some distance by saying: ﴿O my son﴾, he diminished him out of compassion and tenderness. ﴿Board﴾ being with us - meaning in the ship, so that you may be among the saved. ﴿And do not be﴾, meaning: in any way ﴿with the disbelievers﴾, meaning: in religion or place, indicating that the concern of the messengers, peace be upon them, and their compassion - even with the sight of the great signs and the tremendous matters - is not a cause for the softening of hearts and the submission of souls unless Allah permits. Look at Noah's, peace be upon him, entreaty with his words: 'O my son,' reminding him of the prophethood with the diminutive form, out of compassion and tenderness, while the son was harsh and did not allow himself to say: 'O my father.' And he did not soften despite what he saw of the great signs, nor did he refrain from plunging into ignorance instead of knowledge and from the tyranny of doubt instead of evidence.