Prophet Nuh (Noah) (1/2)

Variation on the Birth of Noah

He was Noah Ibn Lamik, Ibn Mitoshilkh, Ibn Enoch, Ibn yard, Ibn Mahlabeel, Ibn Qinan, Ibn Anoush, Ibn Seth, Ibn Adam the Father of Mankind (Peace be upon him). According to the history of the People of the Book, (refers to the Jews, and Christians, so called by Allah because they received Revealed Books, Taurat, Zabur and Injeel.

These names are translated 'Torah, Psalms, and Gospels' respectively, but the books that are extent are corrupt. Of the Revealed Books, ONLY the Quran remains exactly as it was revealed).

The period between the birth of Noah and the death of Adam was 146 years. (According to Genesis 5 (new Revised Standard Version), Noah was born one hundred and twenty six years after the death of Adam. Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

"The period between Adam and Noah was ten centuries." (Reported by Sahih Bukhari, Noah was born 1056 years after Adam's creation (or after he left the Garden of Eden).

Thus, this hadith does not contradict the previous statement from the People of the Book as it may first appear to do.

The reader should keep in mind, however that any statement or narratives taken from the People of the Book are not necessarily credible. This was taken from Genesis 5).

Noah's People - Idolaters

For many generations Noah's people had been worshipping statues that they called gods.

They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs.

They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwa'an, Yaghutha, Ya'auga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed.

 Allah the Almighty revealed:

 "They (idolaters) have said: "You shall not leave your gods nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth, nor Yauq nor Nasr (names of the idols)." (Surah Nuh: 23).

Originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive.

After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues.

Later generations did not even know why they had been erected; they only knew their parents had prayed to them.

That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no understanding of Allah the Almighty Who would punish them for their evil deeds, they became cruel and immoral.

Various Hadith describing the Origin of Idolatry

Ibn Abbas explained: "Following upon the death of those righteous men, Satan inspired their people to erect statues in the places where they used to sit. They did this, but these statues were not worshiped until the coming generations deviated from the right way of life. Then they worshipped them as their idols."

In his version, Ibn Jarir narrated: "There were righteous people who lived in the period between Adam and Noah and who had followers who held them as models. After their death, their friends who used to emulate them said: 'If we make statues of them, it will be more pleasing to us in our worship and will remind us of them.' So they built statues of them, and , after they had died and others came after them, Iblis crept into their minds saying: 'Your forefathers used to worship them, and through that worship they got rain.' So they worshipped them."

Ibn Abi Hatim related this story: "Waddan was a righteous man who was loved by his people. When he died, they withdrew to his grave in the land of Babylonia and were overwhelmed by sadness. When Iblis saw their sorrow caused by his death, he disguised himself in the form of a man saying: 'I have seen your sorrow because of this man's death; can I make a statue like him which could be put in your meeting place to make you remember him?' They said: 'Yes.'

So he made the statue like him. They put it in their meeting place in order to be reminded of him. When Iblis saw their interest in remembering him, he said: 'Can I build a statue of him in the home of each one of you so that he would be in everyone's house and you could remember him?'

They agreed. Their children learned about and saw what they were doing. They also learned about their remembrance of him instead of Allah. So the first to be worshipped instead of Allah was Waddan, the idol which they named thus."

The essence of this point is that every idol from those earlier mentioned was worshipped by a certain group of people. It was mentioned that people made picture sand as the ages passed they made these pictures into statues, so that their forms could be fully recognized; afterwards they were worshipped instead of Allah.

It was narrated that Umm Salmah and Umm Habibah told Allah's Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) about the church called "Maria" which they had seen in the land of Abyssinia. They described its beauty and the pictures therein. He said: "Those are the people who build places of worship on the grave of every dead man who was righteous and then make therein those pictures. Those are the worst of creation unto Allah." (Reported by Sahih al Bukhari).

Commentary - Idolatry

Worshipping anything other than Allah is a tragedy that results not only in the loss of freedom; its serious effect reaches man's mind and destroys it as well.

Almighty Allah created man and his mind with its purpose set on achieving knowledge the most important of which is that Allah Alone is the Creator and all the rest are worshippers (slaves).

Therefore, disbelief in Allah, or polytheism, results in the loss of freedom, the destruction of the mind, and the absence of a noble target in life. (By worshipping anything other than Allah, man becomes enslaved to Satan, who is himself a creature and becomes harnessed to his own baser qualities).

Into this environment Allah sent Noah with His message to his people.

Noah was the only intellectual not caught in the whirlpool of man's destruction which was caused by polytheism.

Noah's Reasoning with his People

Allah in His Mercy sent His messenger Noah to guide his people. Noah was an excellent speaker and a very patient man.

He pointed out to his people the mysteries of life and the wonders of the universe.

He pointed out how the night is regularly followed by the day and that the balance between these opposites was designed by Allah the Almighty for our good.

The night gives coolness and rest while the day gives warmth and awakens activity. The sun encourages growth, keeping all plants and animals alive, while the moon and stars assist in the reckoning of time, direction and seasons.

He pointed out that the ownership of the heavens and the earth belongs only to the Divine Creator.

Therefore, he explained to this people, there cannot have been more than one deity. He clarified to them how the devil had deceived them for so long and that the time had come for this deceit to stop.

Noah spoke to them of Allah's glorification of man, how HE had created him and provided him with sustenance and the blessings of a mind.

He told them that idol worshipping was a suffocating injustice to the mind. He warned them not to worship anyone but Allah and described the terrible punishment Allah would mete out if they continued in their evil ways.

Division Among Noah's People

The people listened to him in silence. His words were a shock to their stagnating minds as it is a shock to a person who is asleep under a wall which is about to fall and who is vigorously awakened.

This person may be alarmed and may even become angry although the aim was to save him.

Noah's people were divided into two groups after his warning. His words touched the hearts of the weak, the poor, and the miserable and soothed their wounds with its mercy.

As for the rich, the strong, the mighty and the rulers they looked upon the warning with cold distrust. They believed they would be better off if things stayed as they were. Therefore they started their war of words against Noah.

The Disbelievers' Arguments

First they accused Noah of being only human like themselves.

‘The chiefs of the disbelievers among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves."’ (Surah Hud: 27)

He, however, had never said anything other than that. He asserted that, indeed, he was only a human being; Allah had sent a human messenger because the earth was inhabited by humans.

If it had been inhabited by angels Allah would have sent an angelic messenger.

The contest between the polytheists and Noah continued.

The rulers had thought at first that Noah's call would soon fade on its own. When they found that his call attracted the poor, the helpless and common laborers, they started to verbally attack and taunt him: 'You are only followed by the poor, the meek and the worthless.'

Allah the Almighty told us:

"Indeed We sent Noah to his people (he said): "I have come to you as a plain Warner that you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for you the torment of a painful Day." the chiefs of the disbelievers among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they too followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us in fact we think you are liars." (Surah Hud: 25-27).

The Disbelievers Attempt to Bargain

Thus the conflict between Noah and the heads of his people intensified. The disbelievers tried to bargain: "Listen Noah, if you want us to believe in you, then dismiss your believers. They are meek and poor, while are elite and rich; no faith c an include us both." Noah listened to the heathens of his community and realized they were being obstinate.

However, he was gentle in his response. He explained to his people that he could not dismiss the believers as they were not his guests but Allah's. Noah appealed to them:

"O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allah. I am not 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 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 Zalimeen (wrongdoers, oppressors etc)." (Surah Hud: 29-31)

Noah refuted the arguments of the disbelievers with the noble knowledge of the prophets. It is the logic of intellect that rids itself of personal pride and interests.

The Disbelievers Remain Ignorant

The rulers were tired of Noah's arguments. Allah the Exalted related their attitude:

They said: "O Noah! You have disputed with us and much have you prolonged the dispute with us, now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful." He said: "Only Allah will bring it (the punishment)on you, if He will, and then you will escape not. And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you counsel, if Allah's Will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord! And to Him you shall return." (Surah Hud: 32-34)

The battle continued; the arguments between the disbelievers and Noah became prolonged. When all the refutations of the disbelievers collapsed and they had no more to say, they began to be rude and insulted Allah's prophet:

 “The leaders of his people said: "Verily, we see you in plain error." (Surah Al-A’raf: 60)

Noah responded in the manner of the prophets:

"O my people! There is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)! I convey unto you the Messages of my Lord and give sincere advice to you. And I know from Allah what you know not." (Surah Al-A’raf: 61-62)

Noah continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour after hour, day after day year after year.

He admonished his people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and openly. He gave them examples, explained Allah's signs and illustrated Allah's ability in the formation of His creatures.

But whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him. 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 truth.