PROPHET NUH
In the ancient times, there were five saintly men. They were: wadd, suwa, yaguth, ya,ub and nasr. They mingled with the people who loved them dearly and sought guidance from them. When these righteous men died, the people suffered a great setback. One of them suggested to the masses that they should cast statues of these god- fearing men to retain their memory. The masses welcomed the idea and built the images. As years passed by and people replaced each other in this fleeting would, their successors did not remember that the images were built only as remembrance of pious men. The devil misled them and they began to seek nearness to these holy men and gradually gave up worship of Allah to worship the statues.
Allah, the exalted, sent his prophet, nuh (………,)
To them to bring them out of idol, worship and the resultant darkness to the light of faith. He cautioned
Them:
(………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..-) “O my people worship Allah. You have no other god but him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day.” (Al-a’raf, 59)
He continued to invite them with wisdom and insight. He asked them to abandon disbelief and idol- worship and return to worship Allah alone without partner. He presented sound arguments in support of his call and in evidence of Allah’s power and unity. He said:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“what is wrong with you that you do not place hope in Allah
For kindness seeing that he has created you in different stages? Do you not see how Allah has created the seven heavens one above the other, and ma ade the moon a light in their sun as a lamp? And Allah had produced you from the earth growing (gradually). In the end, he will return you into it (the earth), and raise you forth (again)? And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet that you may go about therein, in spacious road. “(surah nuh, verses 13 to20) only the intelligent responded to him positively while all the other people stuck to their idolatrous ways. They persisted in denying him and said
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………)
“He is no more than a man like you: his wish is to
Assert his superiority over you: if Allah had wished, he
Could have sent down angels: newer did we hear such a
Thing among our ancestors of old.”
In fact, they invited other people too to persist on
The misguided path. They said:
(………………………………………………………………………………….
“never forsake your gods, and newer forsake wadd, yaghuth, ya’uq
And nasr.” (surah nuh, verses 23)
The prophet (………..)Showed patience. At the
Same time, he continued to call the people to Allah the,
Secretly and publicly, by day and night. He tried to
Grow in them a desire to obey Allah and a longing to
Seek his rewards and bounties. He said:
(……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“Prey to your lord for forgiveness. He is the forgiving. He will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance, and will help you with riches and sons, and will cause gardens to grow for you, and will cause rivers to flow for you.”(surah nuh, verses 10 to 12)
His people, however, said:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“WE see you only as a man like ourselves. And we see that only the meanest of us follow you. They are poor in judgement. And we do not find any merit in you (all) above us. Rather, we think that you are liars.”
(surah hud, verse 27)
In fact, they threatened to kill him and those who
Followed him
(………………………………………………………)
“Should you not stop, o nuh, you will surely be stoned.”
(Ash-shu’ara, 116)
Prophet nuh ……………… and the believers with him were not overawed. Rather their faith became stronger. He preached to them for nine hundred and fifty years, but only a small band of men believed in him. The majority, however were fed up and they challenged him:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“o nuh, you have disputed with us and disputed to a great extent. So bring foth what you promise us if you are of the truthful ones.” (surah hud, 32 )
This daring grieved him. In spite of that, he continued to preach to them till Allah’s decree caught up with them.
(……………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“None of your people shall ever have faith but those who have believed already. So do not be grieved by what they do.”(surah hud, 36)
He submitted to Allah’s judgment. When he was sure that his will is being enforced, he raised his hands in prayer:
(……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………-)
“O lord, do not spare even one house of the unbelievers on earth. Surely, if you leave them, they will mislead your bondsmen and only sinners and unbelievers will be born to them.” Surah nuh, 27)
Allah accepted the prayer of his prophet (…………….,) and commanded him to build a large ship in which he must board pairs of birds, animals and everything of the universe. When the ship was built, he was asked to board it with those who had believed in him.
When they were building the ship, the disbelievers made fun of him. They laughed that a ship was being built where there was no trace of river or a sea. He only said:
(……………………………………………………-)
“If you mock us, then we shall also mock you just as you do to us.”
(surah hud, verses 38)
When the time was up, prophet nuh (…………..)Made all the pairs whom he had assembled to board the ship. And, he called his family members and the other believers:
(……………………………………………………………………………………..-)
“Embark on it! With the name of Allah shall it travel and anchor. Surely.My lord is the most forgiving, the most merciful.” (surah hud, verse 41)
Allah commanded the heaven and the earth. So, the heaven poured down rain and the earth threw out all its water. Gradually, it began to rise. A same time, the voice of the complainants rose to a high pitch. The son of prophet nuh (……………) was among those who had not believed. He saw his son trying to avert drowning, so he called him to embark with them and not remain with the disbelievers, but he did not budge. He said that he would climb a mountain that will save him from the water. He said to his son:
(………………………………………………-)
“Today none can rescue from the command of Allah except him on whom Allah has mercy.” (surah hud, verse 43)
The high waves engulfed him. On seeing this, prophet nuh(…………)prayed :
(………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….)
“o my lord, surely my son is from my family and indeed your promise is true. You are the best of judges.” (surah hud, verse 45)
He got a prompt reply from Allah:
(……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………-)
“O nuh, he was not from your family. His actions were certainly incorrect, so do not ask me about that of which you have no knowledge. I advise you not to be of the ignorant.” (surah hud, verse 46)
Prophet nuh (…………..)Submitted to the will of his lord and pleaded:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..-)
“My lord, I seek your Protection from asking you about things of which I have no knowledge. If you do not forgive me and do not have mercy on me, then I will be among the losers.” (surah hud, verse 47)
The earth and the heaven received their
Command:
(………………………………………………..)
“Earth, swallow you water and o sky, stop!” (surah hud, verse 44)
The water subsided and the ship rested on land. Allah said to his prophet (……..):
(…………………………………………………………….-)
“O Nuh, disembark with peace from us and blessings upon you and upon those people with you.”(surah hud, verse 48)
In this way, Allah saved prophet nuh (………..)And
The believers and, he let the unbelievers’ .drown.