Noah and Canaan
Noah and Canaan used as an example of a father-son division (through Ham?) which the Cause of God can bring[edit]
"Verily I say, such is the greatness of this Cause that the father flieth from his son, and the son flieth from his father. Call ye to mind the story of Noah and Canaan. God grant that, in these days of heavenly delight, ye may not deprive yourselves of the sweet savors of the All-Glorious God, and may partake, in this spiritual Springtime, of the outpourings of His grace."
- (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, section 35)
Noah rebuked by God for (vainly) attempting to save His (disbelieving) son[edit]
"And it was revealed unto Noah. Verily, none of thy people shall believe, save they who have believed already; therefore be not thou grieved at their doings.
But build the Ark under our eye and after our revelation: and plead not with me for the evil doers, for they are to be drowned.
So he built the Ark; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by they laughed him to scorn: said he, "Though ye laugh at us, we truly shall laugh at you, even as ye laugh at us; and in the end ye shall know
On whom a punishment shall come that shall shame him, and on whom shall light a lasting punishment."
Thus was it until our sentence came to pass, and the earth's surface boiled up. We said, "Carry into it one pair of every kind, and thy family, except him on whom sentence hath before been passed, and those who have believed." But there believed not with him except a few.
And he said, "Embark ye therein. In the name of God be its course and its riding at anchor! Truly my Lord is right Gracious, Merciful."
And the Ark moved on with them amid waves like mountains: and Noah called to his son–for he was apart–"Embark with us, O my child! and be not with the unbelievers."
He said, "I will betake me to a mountain that shall secure me from the water." He said, "None shall be secure this day from the decree of God, save him on whom He shall have mercy." And a wave passed between them, and he was among the drowned.
And it was said, "O Earth! swallow up thy water;" and "cease, O Heaven!" And the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the Ark rested upon Al-Djoudi; and it was said, "Avaunt! ye tribe of the wicked!"
And Noah called on his Lord and said, "O Lord! verily my son is of my family: and thy promise is true, and thou art the most just of judges."
He said, "O Noah! verily, he is not of thy family: in this thou actest not aright. Ask not of me that whereof thou knowest nought: I warn thee that thou become not of the ignorant.
He said, "To thee verily, O my Lord, do I repair lest I ask that of thee wherein I have no knowledge: unless thou forgive me and be merciful to me I shall be one of the lost.
It was said to him, "O Noah! debark with peace from Us, and with blessings on thee and on peoples to be born from those who are with thee; but as for other and unbelieving peoples, we will give them their good things in this world, but hereafter shall a grievous punishment light on them from us.
This is one of the secret Histories: we reveal it unto thee: neither thou nor thy people knew it ere this: be patient thou: verily, there is a prosperous issue to the God-fearing."
Canaan was Noah's grandson who was cursed for exposing his father's nakedness[edit]
"And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."
Speculation[edit]
Perhaps this is an allegory of how Noah's son was a Covenant-breaker who exposed Noah's faults? (and possibly that the sins of the father were thus visited on the next generation--that Canaan could still be seen by extension from the quotation of Bahá'u'lláh as the grandson of Noah in accord with the Biblical account)
This may perhaps be trying to show the need in general not to expose the faults of others--even while, as a Manifestation of God, Noah was really free from sin. The drinking of wine might be symbolic of being intoxicated with the love of God.
