TOPIC TWO

THE MESSENGER: NOAH INVITATION BEFORE & AFTER THE FLOOD

Learning Outcomes After studying this topic, you should be able to: Explain why Allah chooses to send men as Messengers and not Angels. Explain why Noah was selected to be a messenger to his people. Understand the arguments of Noahs people. Understand why each of Noah and his people thinks that he is the one with the truth and the other is misguided. Explain the arguments of the rich people. Understand how hard Noah went in calling his people to Allah. Explain why Noahs people were mocking of him when he was constructing the ship. Describe how Allah saved Noah and his followers and destroyed the disbelievers. Understand that a Prophets real family is the believers.

1. Introduction The devil deceived the sons of Adam and drove them away from worshipping Allah alone to worshipping idols - made by their own hands they called them gods and believed that these idols can harm them or bring them good. This state of pure idolatry and shirk went by for many generations till the time of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him). They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwaan, Yagutha, Yaauga, and Nasran which were, originally, the names of good people who had lived among them. Ibn Khathir stated that When idols were worshipped and people sank in disbelief and delusion, Allah, Exalted be He, sent Noah as the first messenger to the people of the earth. His people were called Banu Rasib (the sons of Rasib)1. Noah was described in many books about Stories of the Prophets as a pious man, generous, intelligent and forbearing, compassionate and sincere, truthful and trustworthy; know for giving good counsel, an excellent speaker and a very patient man. He used all the means available to him to invite his people to the Path of Allah and abandon worshiping idols. His invitation was met with a strong opposition, especially from the rich, the elite and the ignorant among his people. Eventually, he lost hope in their guidance and asked ALLAH to punish them and it was the flood Tuufaan. This topic covers the invitation of Noah to his people before and after the flood. The invitation before the flood includes topics such as the messenger, a human being or angel?, Noah the messenger, what his people reply to him, dialogue between Noah and his people, the lowest followed you, the allegation of the rich people, and Noahs invitation. The second part, invitation

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 24.

after the flood, comprises the ship, the flood, Noahs son, he is not from your family, and after the flood.

2. The messenger A messenger is a man of highly noble and spiritual character chosen by Allah the Almighty to deliver to his people the commands of Allah revealed to him through an angel (Gabriel in most of the cases). Angels are creatures of Allah and they could be seen or heard with Allahs permission. Every messenger was sent to his own people except our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who was sent to the entire world and who is the last Prophet and Messenger of Allah to humankind. Allah by His infinite wisdom choses to send human beings as His messengers to the people so that they could speak to people and counsel them. He wanted to send to the descendants of Adam one of them in order to guide them and call them to the Divine Path.

3. Man or angel? Allah choses His messengers from mankind and they were sent to their own people for a number of reasons. Two of these reasons were mentioned and explained by Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi as follows: if the messenger is an angel, the people might say, What has he got to do with us? He is an angel and we are mortal human beings! We eat and drink and we have wives and children. How can we worship as he does? But since the messenger was man, he could answer them, I eat and drink as you do; I have a wife and children. But I worship ALLAH alone. Why dont you worship Allah as I do?2; and if the messengers were angels, the people might say to them, You

Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY. PP. 13-14

do not get hungry or thirsty. You do not get ill or die. So you can worship Allah remember Him always! But because they were men, they could answer, Well, I am just like you. I also get hungry and thirsty. I get ill and will die when my day comes. But I worship Allah and remember Him. So why you people do not do the same? Why dont you remember Allah and obey Him? Consequently, their people would not be able to make up excuses. Another is that the messengers were sent to their own people because they could understand their language, their culture and customs. They have families and tribes in society to which they were sent so that their people may know them very well. If the messengers were sent to other people than theirs, the people might say, Who are you? Where do you come from? We even dont know you. Thus the messengers may have difficulty to explain and introduce themselves to people from societies they totally ignore. But since they were sent to their own people, there are no excuses like this because their people know them very well. In order to leave no excuses to people before Allah if they did not worship Him alone, Allah choses His messengers from people of all call of life. Some of them were kings and rich like Prophets Dawuud and Sulaiman (peace be upon them), some were poor like Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him, some were very handsome like Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him), and some were tested by illness like Prophet Ayyoob (Peace be upon him). Thus, if people say in the Day of Judgment, O Allah! We were rich and the wealth prevents us from worshiping you. They may be answered: My Prophets Dawuud and Sulaiman were king and rich but this does not prevent them worshiping Me and obeying My orders. So you have no valid excuses. And the same goes for the other categories of people. There had been

Prophets in the same conditions as theirs or worse and who despite these difficult conditions worship Allah alone without associating anything with Him.

4. Noah the Messenger Generations after generations Noahs people were worshipping idols which they believed would bring them good and protect them from evil. They were in need for Divine Guidance and for a messenger from Allah to bring them back to the right path, the path of pure monotheism (Tawheed). They had many wealthy people and leaders among them but Allah chose to send Noah to them. Noah was truthful and trustworthy and known for his caring about other people. He was an excellent speaker and a very patient man. Allah revealed to him, Warn your people before a painful punishment comes to them. (Ch 71: 1). So Noah obeyed the order of his Lord and called upon his people and told them, I am a faithful messenger to you. (Ch 26: 107). He eloquently drove their attention to the signs of the existence of One Unique God all around them. From the various wonders of the universe, the cycle of day and night, to the sun and the moon, to the earth and the sky, all these, Noah told his people, are clear evidence that there is only one Divine Creator Who should be worshipped alone without any associate. He explained to them that it is the devil who had misled them and that now is the time to come back to the straight path. Since everything around them is created by Allah for their own benefit, directing acts of worship to other things than Him is an act of injustice. Finally, he warned them about Allahs punishment if they continued worshipping these man-made idols.

5. What answer did his people give to him? When Noah began to tell his people, I am a faithful messenger to you, (26: 107), he received various replies from them. The only positive answer was from the weak, poor, and miserable people who believed in his message and followed him without any hesitation. The hardships and wounds found consolation in the mercy carried in Noahs words. Moreover, these weak and poor are the ones who had strong need for a change in the social status quo. They expect and hope for new prospects and opportunities that could transform their conditions for the better if things changed in society according to Divine Wisdom and Justice. At the extreme opposite are the rich, the strong, and the rulers in the society. They met the new message brought by Prophet Noah with warning and distrust. These people have everything to gain in maintaining the status quo. After all, how could Allah send Noah to them? they were asking themselves. How could they follow a poor man from the common people like him? Couldnt Allah find anyone to send to them except Noah? Noahs message was negatively received even from his friends. For them it is not possible that this man - with whom they used to play and sat together everyday - can become a Prophet. When did he become a Prophet? They asked. Meaning we are always together, how could he receive Allahs Revelation without our knowledge? Near the response of Noahs friends is that of the ignorant among his people who were saying to each other, This is only a man like yourselves. If Allah had willed, He would have sent down angels. We have never heard of this among our fathers, the ancients. (23: 24)

Another group of the people argued that Noah only wanted to become a leader, a man of power and position among them, by saying he was the messenger of Allah3. This issue of being the messenger of Allah is a just a kind of short cut for him to reach prominence among us.

6. Noah and his people For many generations, Noahs people were worshipping man-made idols and thinking that this was the right thing to do. After all, their fathers and grandfathers worshipped these idols, so how could this man (Noah) dare tell us to stop worshipping them. For Noah, their fathers and grandfathers were in the wrong path. They had changed the true religion of Adam and his descendants who worshiped Allah alone Who created them and everything in the universe. Noah called among his people, O my people! Worship ALLAH! You have no god but Him. Truly I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day. But the council of his people answered, We see that you are in clear error. He answered back, My people, there is no error in me. But I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and I give you good advice, for I know from ALLAH what you do not know. (7: 59-62)

7. The lowest followed you Noah tried hard to draw his people away from worshiping idols in order to worship ALLAH alone. But only a few of those weak and poor people believed and followed him. Thus, the conflict between Noah and the heads of his people intensified. For them, there is no single way they could follow Noah and be together with these poor people. If this must happen, then Noah has to dismiss his believers. They said to him, Listen Noah, if you want us to believe in you,

Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY. PP. 15.

then dismiss your believers. They are weak and poor, while we are elite and rich; no faith can include us both.4 Noah listened to them but categorically rejected any possibility of him driving away his followers. After all they are not his guests but Allahs and he himself by dismissing them will encounter the anger of Allah. He, then, called his people: O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but ALLAH. I am not going to going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant. O my people! Who will help me against ALLAH, if I drove them away? Will you not then give it a thought? And I do not say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will not bestow any good on them. Allah knows what is in their inner selves (regards to Belief). In that case, I should, indeed be one of the wrongdoers, (Zdalimeen or oppressors etc.). (Ch 11: 29-31) In the above verses, Noah eloquently refuted all the allegations of his people: to the rich people who were asking to dismiss his poor followers before they believe in him, he answered par a question Who will help me against ALLAH, if I drove them away? Will you not then give it a thought? To those who were reproaching him being poor, he said And I do not say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah; to those claiming he is a human like them, he answered nor do I say I am an angel.

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. P. 24, From: www.islambasics.com

8. The allegation of the rich people Noah continued calling his people to believe in ALLAH openly and in secret. He approached in group and individually, day and night, promising success in this life and the hereafter if they believe in Allah alone and warning them about Allahs severe punishment if they did not. But whenever he called them to ALLAH, they ran away from him and whenever he urged them to ask ALLAH to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears and became too proud to listen to the truth5. The rich people said to the people that what Noah is calling them to is not true and it doesnt contain any good. Otherwise, it should be them, the rich people, who will attend to it before anyone does. They said to the poor people who had believed in Noah that if there had been any good in this religion, it would have come to them before these poor as mentioned in the Holy Quran If it had been any good, they would not be before us in attaining it. (Ch 46: 11). The rich people are considering things from their human corrupted and unjust perspectives. They consider themselves as the privileged ones in the society who are entitled for every single good coming to the society before anyone else, especially before the poor people. They forgot that they are dealing a message from Allah the Lord of all the creatures for Whom all the people and that the only criteria for being privileged unto Him is belief in Him and piety.

9. Noahs invitation Noah went on calling his people and trying hard to counsel them. He continued to call them to believe in ALLAH for nine hundred fifty years. ALLAH the Almighty said: Indeed We sent
5

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. P. 25, From: www.islambasics.com

Noah to his people and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years (inviting them to believe in the Oneness of ALLAH (Monotheism) and discard the false gods and other deities. (Ch 29: 14) Allah tested them by scarcity of rain and harvests. Noah took advantage of the case and tried to convince them to believe in Allah so that He may be pleased and remove the drought and scarcity of food from them. But the people of Noah would not understand and would not believe. It was narrated that every generation admonished the succeeding one not to believe Noah and to wage war against him. The father taught his child about Noah and counseled him to reject his call when he reached adulthood6. Noah saw the number of believers constant, while that of the disbelievers was increasing. He was sad for his people, but he never reached the point of despair.

Noahs invitation After the flood 10. Noahs invitation (Noahs prayer) Despite all the efforts put and all the means used by Noah, his people refused to believe. They would not stop worshiping idols. They would not return to ALLAH. Then came a day when ALLAH revealed to him that no others would believe, None of your people will believe except those who have already believed. (11: 36) Nonetheless, Noah called his people again and they answered, Noah! You have disputed with us and you have disputed often with us, so bring us what you promised us if you are speaking the truth. (Ch 11: 32). He lost hope and realized that his people were beyond reform He, then, became angry for ALLAH and despaired of those people. He said, O ALLAH, do not

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. P. 26, From: www.islambasics.com

leave even one of the disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead your slaves and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers. (Ch 71: 27). Noahs prayer was accepted. Allah decided to destroy all the disbelievers by a flood known as Tuufaan in Islamic literature. He ordered His Prophet Noah to build an ark when He said to him as mentioned in the Holy Quran And construct the ship under Our Eyes and with Our Inspiration and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned. (Ch 11: 37). Glory be to Allah! Despite all what Noah had suffered from his people, Allah the Almighty knew by His Infinite Knowledge that Noah will try to intercede for them. How caring is this noble Prophet about his people? In addition to the disbelief of Noahs people in this life, they even denied that a messenger was sent to them. Al-Bukhari reports, on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, that the Messenger of ALLAH, peace and blessings be upon him, said, Noah will come along with his people (on the Day of Resurrection). ALLAH will say to them, Has not he (Noah) delivered the message to you? They will reply, No. No Prophet came to us. ALLAH will then say to Noah, Who is your witness (that you have conveyed the message to them)? Noah will say Muhmmad and his people. We (the Prophet talks himself and his people) will bear witness to that. This is in accordance to ALLAHs saying, Thus have we made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witness over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves. (Ch 2: 143). Thus the people of Prophet Muhammad will bear witness with him, that Noah was to convey the truth, and that he delivered ALLAHs message to his people as perfectly as it should be. Everything beneficial to them regarding their creed he ordered them to do, and everything harmful to them he warned them against. This is the case with all the

Prophets. He (Noah) warned his people against Antichrist, though he expected that they would not be contemporaneous with him (Antichrist), because he cared about them.7

11. The ship Noah began implementing Allahs command straightaway. He started constructing the ship. He gathered wood and the necessary tools and began working day and night. However, people mockery continued in various ways. Some were asking him if he has given up prophethood and opted for carpentry. They were wondering why building an ark so far from the sea and how Noah is going to carry to the water. Others were asking him since when he became a carpenter. They reminded him that they had warned about sitting with the poor people like carpenters. And this is the end result: he has become a carpenter himself! Furthermore, another group of his people said, Where is this ship going, Noah? Everything about you is unbelievable! Is it going to sail in the sand or climb up the mountains? The sea is a long way from here. Will the jinn carry it or will oxen pull it?8 Noah heard all that and was patient. He had heard worse things and had been patient. But sometimes he would say to them, If you mock us, we will mock as you mock. (Ch 11: 38). ALLAH the Almighty narrated to us their mockery: As he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise fro your mocking. And you will know who it is on whom will come

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 31.

Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY. PP. 19.

a torment that will cover him with disgrace and on whom will fall a lasting torment. (Ch 11: 3839). Ibn Kathir reported that the Exegetes of the Quran differ as to the length and width of the ark. It is mentioned in the Torah (The Old Testament) that it was 300 cubit long and 50 cubit wide. There are many other opinions as well. As for its height, it is claimed that the ark was 30 cubit high. It consisted of three floors, of 10 cubit high each. The lower floor was assigned to animals and beasts, the middle floor to people and the upper floor to birds. The door, which was on the side of the ark, was covered from top to bottom. The ark was built from Saj wood. It is also claimed that it was made from pine wood, according to the Torah. Yet, ALLAH knows best.9

12. The flood Noah finished building the ship and waited for Allahs authorization. The came of Allah arrived. It rained heavily until the sky seems a sieve that could not hold water. Water flowed and surrounded people and everything: it reached every area on the earth so that none of the existing creatures survived. ALLAH revealed to Noah to take with him a pair of every animal and bird, a male and a female, as well as the people who believed in him, because the flood could cover the earth and neither man nor beast would survive.

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu

A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 46.

Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, his people again laughed loudly: Noah must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?10 Almighty ALLAH narrated to us: So it was till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has gone forth, and those who believe, And none believed him except a few. (Ch 11: 40). The ark carried Noah, the believers, and animals safe from the flood. However, the disbelievers outside the ark were trying, everyone on his manner, to escape from Allahs punishment ignorant of the fact that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Ibn Kathir reported that Islamic scholars differ concerning the number of survivors on board. According to Ibn Abbas, there were eighty men and women. Kab Al-Ahabar, however, claims that they were seventy-two. They also differ concerning the destiny of Noahs wife. Some of them maintain that she died before the deluge. Others postulate that she was among those who drowned due to her disbelief. She bore all of Noahs sons: Ham, Sam, Yafith, Yam (Biblical Canan), and Abir.11

13. Noahs son Noah had a son who was with the disbelievers and when he saw him in the flood, he called upon him, My son, embark with us and do not be with the disbelievers.
10

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. P. 27, From: www.islambasics.com.
11

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 35

The son replied: I will seek refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water. Noah told him, Today there is no protection from ALLAHs command except for the one to whom He shows mercy. The waves came between them and Noahs son was among the drowned. (Ch 11: 42-3). Noah was saddened by the destiny of his son. Did not ALLAH promise that He would save his family? Yes! And ALLAHs promise is true. So Noah decided to intercede unto Allah for his son.

14. He is not from your family Noah implored Allah concerning his drowned son. He said, as it is narrated to us in the Holy Quran, And Noah called upon his Lord, and said; O my Lord! Surely my son is of my family! And Thy promise is true, and Thou are the Justest of the Judges! (Ch 11: 45). This reply came from Allah notifying Noah that his drowned son is not among the believers and then he is not among his family because the real family members of a Prophet are the believers. Allah says, O Noah! He is not of Thy family: for his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant! (Ch 11: 46). Noah apologized straightaway to Allah and asked His forgiveness for interceding in a case he is not knowledgeable about when he says, O my Lord! I do seek refuge with Thee, lest I ask Thee for that of which I have no knowledge. And unless Thou forgive me, and have mercy on me, I should indeed be lost! (Ch 11: 47). Thus, Noahs son was killed in the flood for his disbelief in Allah. For Allah does not consider peoples family lineage but looks at their actions. He does not accept any intercession for an idol-worshiper even if he is a son of a Prophet. This is the essence of Divine Justice and

Wisdom to make every single individual responsible for his own actions and deeds, good or bad, regardless of the family, the society, or the country to which he belongs. In this regard, all human beings are equal before Allah and it is their actions that will raise them or put them down.

15. After the flood When all the people on earth were ruined except those who worshipped ALLAH alone, explains Ibn Kathir, ALLAH ordered the earth to swallow up its water and the sky to stop raining, and the water abated, meaning rainfall almost ceased, and the matter was ended, meaning the destiny of the disbelievers was precisely what ALLAH has predestined, and the word went forth: Away with those who do wrong! They were called upon and informed that they will be deprived of ALLAHs mercy and forgiveness.12 After the flood was over and that all the disbelievers were destroyed, Allah ordered Noah to land the ark on the Mount Judi. Noah and the believers got out of the ark and walked in peace on an earth purified of any idol-worshipper. His descendants spread and established themselves in different parts of the earth. Noah lived with his people for 950 years after the mission. As for his exact age, only Allah knows how many years he lived before and after the mission. The Holy Quran ended Noahs story with the end of the flood and the punishment of the disbelievers of his people. Not much is known about his life and that of his people thereafter. However, it was narrated that at his death he requested his sons to worship ALLAH alone. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al as narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When the death of the Messenger of ALLAH Noah approached, he admonished his
12

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 38

sons: Indeed I would give you far reaching advice, commanding you to do two things, and warning you against two things as well. I charge you to believe that there is no god but ALLAH and that if the seven heavens and the seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the words there is no god but ALLAH were put on the other, the later would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners with ALLAH and against pride. (Sahih al Bukhari).13 Ibn Kathir reported that Ibn Jareer and other followers stated that the grave of Noah is the Mosque in Mecca. He (Ibn Kathir) further maintained that this report is stronger and more authentic than reports narrated by late scholars who are of the opinion that Noahs grave is located Beqa, presently known as Karak Noah in Iraq. Allah knows best.

13

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. P. 28, From: www.islambasics.com

REFERENCES Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. From: www.islambasics.com bn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY.

.1002 , , . , , .1000 , : , 1002