The 25 Prophets: (3) Nuuh (AS) (Noah)

NUUH (AS) (NOAH)

He is Nuuh bin Laamik bin Matushlikh bin Idris bin Luud (or Yaarib as mentioned in Taurat) bin Mahalail bin Qinyan bin Anoush bin Shiyth bin Adam (AS). Therefore Idris (AS) is Nuuh's great grandfather, as is related in the Taurat and in history books. The Lord is more Knowledgeable. Nuuh (AS) was born during the year when Adam (AS) died, and he lived for nine hundred and fifty years. He was made Prophet at the age of four hundred years, and was sent after Idris (AS). He was sent to preach to his people the Truth of God, the one and only God (The Almighty). He was a carpenter.

After the death of Idris (AS) there was no Prophet, and the people were left by themselves to follow the good teachings of Idris, Shiyth and Adam (AS). There was lack of reverence among the people for a while. They, however, remained in unification of the one God (The Almighty) and they remained like this for one thousand years after the death of Adam (AS). God relates this fact in verse 213 of Surat L-Baqara (ii) where He says:

Mankind was one single nation...

After the death of Adam (AS) there were many pious people who were known to have worshipped the one God. They were from the ancestors of Nuuh (AS), and among them were these five men known as Wudd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr. After their death, their people made statues of them for remembrance. Years passed, and the generations that came later did not know the reason for these statues that were erected by their ancestors.

Here Satan found a good opportunity to make people go astray. He therefore started telling them that these statues were gods which deserved to be worshiped. From there on people took to worshipping idols and leaving the good teachings of their forefathers. People got into worshipping many gods or what is known as polytheism, and went astray. For this reason it was necessary to send a Prophet so as lead them again in the right direction of worshipping the one God, and so Nuuh (AS) was sent. God relates the following in Surat Nuuh (lxxi) verse 1:

We sent Noah to his people (with the command): "Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penality."

Nuuh (AS) was a person who was very fluent in his speech, bright and very persevering. He was not a rich person, and used to thank his Lord for everything he ate or drank and for anything he did. He called upon his people to leave the worship of idols and listen to him in his teachings and worship the one God. They rejected all what he told them, put a deaf ear to it and became obstinate. He used all the resources of an earnest preacher; he dinned the Message of God into their ears; he spoke in public places; and he took individuals into his confidence, and appealed privately to them; but all this was in vain. He, however, never gave up but persisted in calling his people day and night. After a great effort he managed to get a small group of people, numbering no more than eighty, who agreed to follow him. He was the first Prophet to meet with such obstacles.

Nuuh (AS) after trying his best without success said to his Lord:

0 my Lord! I have called my people night and day. But my call only increases (their) flight (From the Right). And every time I have called to them, that Thou mightest forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. [Nuuh 5-7]

The literal meaning of thrusting their fingers into their ears would be to prevent the voice of the admonisher reaching them, so they covered their bodies with their garments that the light of truth should not penetrate to them, and that they should not even be seen by the Preacher.

Those who refused to listen to him and follow his teachings were mostly the rich people of high ranking in the society. The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves, his wish is to assert his superiority over you. If God wished to send messengers, He could have sent down Angels. Never did we hear such a thing (as he says), among our ancestors of old." And some said: "He is only a man possessed, wait and have patience for a time."

They therefore said to him. "You seem to have gathered but a few of these poor people who know nothing, if you really wanted us to follow you then throw them out of your society, because we can not tolerate to be seen with them."

Nuuh (AS) replied: "This is a call for everyone, poor and rich, weak and strong, illiterate and educated. Anyone who wished to follow me then he should join in."

When the argument got heated up, they said to him: "0 Nuuh! You have disputed with us, and you have much prolonged the dispute with us. Now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are speaking the truth."

Nuuh (AS) then told them. "And who am I that can bring upon you affliction? I am no more a human than what you are. God has sent me revelations of His teachings, I have told you no more than what I have been instructed to do by my Lord."

God has given these Prophets much endurance and perseverance so that they could withstand all the problems they faced. They persisted in their preaching and left no chance to their people to come and say "But we were not told" when the affliction comes to these people.

Here God told Noah (AS) "None of your People will believe except those who have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds."

Nuuh (AS) then begged his Lord and said: "Oh my Lord! Do not leave a single one of the unbelievers on earth. For if You leave any of them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will breed none but the wicked ones."

Here God accepted Nuuh's plea, and commanded him to build an Ark. He said in verse 37 Surat Hud (xi):

But construct an Ark under Our eyes and Our Inspiration, and address me not (further) on behalf of those who are in sin, for they are about to be overwhelmed (in the Flood).

Therefore Nuuh (AS) found a place outside the village, away from everybody, where he gathered the material he needed for the construction of the Ark, and started the work with help of those who were with him Every time those unbelievers passed by, said to tell him: "0 Nuuh! Were you not the one who used to say to us that you were a Messenger of God, how come now you have become a carpenter? And this ship you are constructing here in the middle of the desert where will you get the water to float it? Or you will get the wind to carry it for you?"

Nuuh (AS), however, just continued working as instructed by his Lord and did not utter a word to reply them. He said to them at one time "If you ridicule us now, we (in our turn) can look down on you with ridicule likewise. But soon will you know who is it whom will descend a Penalty that will cover them with shame, on whom will be unloosed a Penalty lasting."

The ship was said to be more than one thousand meters long, two hundred meters wide and about one hundred meters high. It was made into three decks, and covered on the top so that no rain would affect it. The Ark has recently been discovered somewhere on a mountain in Turkey, the specifications mentioned here are more or less exact. It is there as a symbol and a lesson for the people. God Almighty says in verse 15 of Surat L-Qamar (The Moon) (liv):

And We have left this as a Sign (for all time), then is there any that will receive admonition?

As the Ark was completed, Nuuh (AS) awaited for the instructions from his Lord. He was then commanded: "Embark therein, and carry with you mated pairs of every species of animals. And carry your family, except those who have gone against your preaching, and the believers." His wife and one of his sons were among those unbelievers. He therefore did this and waited for the zero hour.

Here came God's command and it was said: "And the fountains of the earth gushed forth." There came gushing forth of waters from the earth and downpour from the skies above, and in no time the whole place was like a large ocean and the Ark floated with them on waves towering like mountains. Literally the peaks of the highest mountains were submerged. The entire earth or a large part of it was inundated and everybody was drowned and perished. Everything submerged under the waters, and the only survivors were those who were on the Ark, and there was nothing to be seen except the Ark floating.

Nuuh (AS) saw his son who had separated himself from the rest. He called out to him: "0 my son! Embark with us, and do not be with the unbelievers."

The son replied: "I will betake myself to some mountain, it will save me from the water"

Nuuh (AS) said: "This day nothing can save, from the Command of God, any but those on whom He has mercy!"

Here a big tidal wave came between them, and the son was submerged under it and was drowned. Nuuh (AS) called upon his Lord, and said: "0 my Lord! Surely my son is of my family! And Your promise is true, and You are the Justest of Judges."

God said to him: "0 Nuuh! He is not of your family, for his conduct is unrighteous. So do not ask me that which you have no knowledge! I give you counsel, lest you act like ignorant!"

Like all men of God, Nuuh (AS) was kind-hearted, but he is told that there can be no compromise with evil, and he acknowledges the reproof.

Nuuh (AS) said: "0 my lord I do seek refuge with You, lest I ask You for that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I should indeed be lost!"

Nuuh (AS), in his natural affection and respect for the ties of relationship, was overcome with human weakness in wishing to reverse the law of spiritual justice. It was not sin but ignorance. His ignorance was corrected by divine inspiration, and he immediately saw the full Truth, acknowledged his error, and asked for God's forgiveness and mercy.

The Ark floated on the waters and they remained on it for a period of six months. Then the word went forth: "0 earth! Swallow up the water, and 0 Sky! Withhold (the rain)!" And the water abated, and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi.

Here Nuuh (AS) was commanded by his Lord to disembark on dry land with his followers so as to start a new life. They therefore disembarked with all their animals, and there was no one there except those who came off the Ark. It is related that there were no people on earth at that time except in the region of the Arabian continent. God, however, chose to make those who were with Nuuh (AS) to be sterile and would bear no children. Eventually they all died and left no children of their own except those of Nuuh (AS). Therefore Nuuh (AS) is known as the second Adam or the second father of all the people.

God says: "And made his descendants to endure on this earth."

Nuuh (AS) had three children. Saam, and from him were born children who were white with a little tan. Haam, from him were born children who were dark skin with a little whiteness. Yaafidh, from him were children who were white with redness. The Arabs and Jews are from Saam, the Africans are from Haam and the Turks and those from eastern Asia and Europeans are from Yaafidh.

Nuuh (AS) lived after the flood for one hundred and fifty years. He lived in a place between north of Shaam (i.e. the area of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon) and south of Turkey. From there people spread out and moved into Palestine and into Arabia.

Nuuh (AS) died and it is said that he was buried in Makka, but there are also some who say that he was buried in a place called Karki Lbiqaa in Lebanon, and The Lord is more Knowledgeable.

Reference: The Twenty five Prophets (The Parable of the Apostles Mentioned in the Holy Quraan)", by Nassir ibn Issa ibn Said Al-Kindy. (p 21-28)