Nuh (alayhis salam) is one of the most honored and respected prophets. Nuh (alayhis salam) was mentioned 43 times in the Quran. Nuh (alayhis salam) preached the message of the oneness of Allah for 950 years. Even then, his people still refused. In this article, we will be going over the story of Nuh (AS) and what we can learn from his story.
Background:
Before Prophet Nuh (AS), there was prophet İdris (AS), who was his great-grandfather. After the death of İdris (AS), no new prophet came to guide them. The people, in search of guidance, would go to the companions of İdris (AS). The righteous companions of İdris (AS) would give them advice and guide them. However, soon these companions would die. Now, there were no knowledgeable and righteous people there to guide and correct them.
During this time, Shaytan came to the people and gave them an idea. He said that if you love and respect these people, you should make pictures of them. The people saw no harm in doing this and so made pictures of the pious and hung them on their walls. Soon, this generation would die. The next generation saw their forefathers respecting and honoring these pictures and took it one step further and made them into statues. Soon, these statues eventually became idols that people would worship and it was at this point Allah (SWT) sent Nuh (AS) to guide the people
History:
Nuh (AS) was chosen from amongst all his people to carry the message of Allah. Nuh (AS) was well respected amongst his people before he became a Nabi. In the Quran it states,
“إِنّا أَرْسَلْنَا نُوْحًا اِلٰى قَوْمِهِ اَنْ اَنْذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ اَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ”
“Indeed We sent Nuh (AS) to his nation that he warns his nation before a painful punishment afflicts them.”
The people, who heard Nuh (AS)’s message, laughed and ridiculed him. Just before, they knew him as a person from amongst them and now he has become a Prophet? They used to say,
“مَا هَذَا اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ”
“What is he except a man like you.”
The rich used to claim that Allah couldn’t find anyone else to make a Prophet. The people used to make claims that Nuh (AS) wanted power and money and he was trying to gain these through claiming prophethood. Nuh (AS) preached about worshipping one god and to not ascribe partners with him. However, the people saw the ways of their forefathers and so they followed them instead of the messenger. Some of the people believed in Nuh (AS), they were from the lower classes and poor of the society. The people used to mock Nuh (AS) for this, in the Qur’an it states,
“قَالُوْا أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الأَرْذَلُوْنَ”
“They said, “Will we believe in you while the poor follow you?”
(Shuara:111).
Despite this, Nuh (AS) persevered and preached the message for 950 years as evidenced from this verse,
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ “
“And verily we sent Nuh (AS) to his nation, and he stayed amongst them for a thousand years except 50 (950), then the flood seized them while they were oppressing.” (Ankabut:14)
After all this, Nuh (AS) finally asked Allah (SWT) to judge his nation accordingly. Allah (SWT) then instructed him to plant trees and, using the wood from the trees, to make an ark. While Nuh (AS) was building the ark, his people mocked him saying that was he going to climb the mountains using the ark and sail in the desert? They did not know what was to come.
One day, the oven of Nuh (AS)’s house gushed and overflowed with water. This signaled the great flood. The great flood then came. Nuh (AS) opened the Ark and a number of 80 believers came in the Ark. Nuh (AS) also brought every pair of animal and plant in order to human life to survive after the flood. The disbelievers were completely destroyed. One of the sons and the wife of Nuh (AS) were from amongst the disbelievers, and Nuh (AS) tried to call them to the ark. However, his son refused and he climbed a mountain to protect himself, and was destroyed. After the end of the flood, Nuh (AS) began to rebuild the Earth and his progeny would eventually start the nation of Aad.
Conclusion:
We can learn many things from the story of Nuh (AS), we learn about the perseverance and patience of Nuh (AS) in face of such hardship and struggle. Furthermore, we also learn that the job of prophets was to convey, not to make someone believe. Though, only a small amount of people believed in Nuh (AS), he did his responsibility and conveyed the message. We also learn how prophethood is chosen by Allah, and no one becomes a prophet because of his status, or his good deeds, or any other quality of his. Rather, he is chosen by Allah. May Allah give us Tawfiq to take lessons of Nuh (AS) and exercise patience as he did. Ameen