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Noah
He is Noah,
the son of Lamik son of Mutawshlakh son of Akhnon "Idris". His
lineage goes back to Sheet, the son of Adam (a.s.)
Historians
say that Noah (a.s.) is the first apostle Allah (s.w.t.) sent to the
people of earth. Allah commanded him to forewarn his people and warn
them of Allah's torment: {Surely We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people,
saying: Warn your people before there come upon them a painful
chastisement} (Noah: 1). And in another verse, {We never punish until
we have sent a messenger} (AL-ISRA: 15).
Some
stories mentioned that
Noah (a.s.) was the first herald
and the first apostle as well. But since
the following verse says {And the people of Nuh, when
they rejected the messengers, We drowned them}
(AL-FURQAN: 37) we deduce that there have been apostles before Noah.
Moreover, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said, "Between Adam and Noah there
were ten fathers all of whom were prophets".
Noah's
name has appeared in forty-three locations in the Holy Koran. His
story was narrated in details in many Suras (chapters of the Holy
Koran), from these: Al-Araf, Hud, Al-Mumenoon, Ash-Shura, and
Al-Qamar. There was a special Sura about Noah called "Nuh" that
talks about his mission and his story with his people.
the
worship of idols:
Paganism
prevailed among Noah's people who went too far astray in aberration
and infidelity. So Allah (s.w.t.) sent Noah to his people who remained
with them propagating for Allah {a thousand years save fifty
years}(Al-Ankaboot: 14). However, this long period of time did not
bring forth any success. Only few of his people have believed in his
mission, while most of them kept worshiping idols (the famous of which
were: Wid'da, Siwa'a, Yaghouth, Yaouq, Yusra and others).
Noah tried
hard to restitute his people to the right path, but in vain his
attempts were. On the contrary, his sermons have done nothing but
increased their disbelief and tyranny to the extent that a father used
to advise his son never to follow Noah for as long as he lives.
Why
did Noah's people turn away from his mission:
Noah warned
his people that torment is befalling onto them if they do not believe
in One God. He showed to them the path of reason and guidance fearing
that destruction might fall on them if they are or become polytheists.
Yet his people, instead of listening to his advise and obeying him to
obtain Allah's contentment, turned arrogant and deviated from what
is right.
They even
disapproved of his prophecy, tortured him, and accused him of lying
because he is a man, similar to them, who eats and drinks just as they
do. Moreover, they reproached him that, as they claimed, only the
common, from among the people, have followed him, referring to the
poor, the needy, and the oppressed. In this context the Holy Koran
indicates: {But the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his
people said: We do not consider you but a mortal like ourselves, and
we do not see any have followed you but those who are the meanest of
us at first thought and we do not see in you any excellence over us;
nay, we deem you liars}(Hud: 27).
{The chiefs
of his people said: Most surely we see you in clear error. He said: O
my people! there is no error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord
of the worlds. I deliver to you the messages of my Lord, and I offer
you good advice and I know from Allah what you do not know. What! do
you wonder that a reminder has come to you from your Lord through a
man from among you, that he might warn you and that you might guard
(against evil) and so that mercy may be shown to you?}(Al-Araf:
60-63).
Despite his
people's objection to his mission, Noah persisted on informing his
people trying to convince them with whatever means and through
dialogue. He did not seek a high
rank or money in return for his endeavor, but his only objective was
remuneration from Allah (s.w.t.).
The
chiefs of his people found financial and social differences between
them and the poor and oppressed who followed Noah. So they refrained
from accepting his mission unless he (Noah) rejects and ousts those
poor people. But Noah rejected their demands because those poor people
had sought refuge in his mission, and because they found out that it
realizes their wishes and restores their rights usurped by the
oppressors. Most importantly, he rejected their demands because he was
fully aware that if he inclined to them (the chiefs of his people)
they would not guard him from the torment thereafter.
So,
Noah broke the social differences while promoting integration among
people on the basis of piety and rapprochement to Allah (s.w.t.)
{He
said: O my people! tell me if I have with me clear proof from my Lord,
and He has granted me mercy from Himself and it has been made obscure
to you; shall we constrain you to (accept) it while you are averse
from it? And, O my people! I ask you not for wealth in return for it;
my reward is only with Allah and I am not going to drive away those
who believe; surely they shall meet their Lord, but I consider you a
people who are ignorant: And, O my people! who will help me against
Allah if I drive them away? Will you not then mind?}
(Hud: 28-30).
Noah
presented himself to his people as a plain warner (harbinger) {O
my people! Surely I am a plain warner to you:}(Noah:
2). He motivated them to worship Allah (s.w.t.) {That you
should serve Allah and be careful of (your duty to) Him and obey me:}
(Noah: 3). He also called upon them to fear Allah and pursue the
straight path since he is the leader-apostle who leads to guidance and
rightness.
Allah
(s.w.t.) will also forgive their sins, which they started with
infidelity and manifested through mutiny and crimes in their aberrant
behavior. So, Allah gives them time and delays his torment to an
appointed term {He will forgive you some of your faults and
grant you a delay to an appointed term; surely the term of Allah when
it comes is not postponed; did you but know!}
(Noah: 4).
Noah
and the pursuance of the mission:
a)
The assimilation method:
Noah
pursued his mission to his people despite all the hardships he had
faced; he showed the nature of this mission. Yet his people insisted
on rejecting it while not taking into account the consequences. They
asked him if he were truthful to bring torment down on them. Then Noah
turned, with his absolute faith, the issue over to Allah (s.w.t.), for
He is the only One who lets torment to befallen on them. If Allah is
willing to chastise them no one whatsoever can stop Him, and because
Noah's admonition will be useless if Allah wants to misguide them {They
said: O Nuh! indeed you have disputed with us and lengthened dispute
with us, therefore bring to us what you threaten us with, if you are
of the truthful ones. He said: Allah only will bring it to you if He
pleases, and you will not escape: And if I intend to give you good
advice, my advice will not profit you if Allah intended that He should
leave you to go astray; He is your Lord, and to Him shall you be
returned.} (Noah: 32-34).
Noah
did not spare any effort nor did he miss any opportunity day and night
{He said: O my Lord! surely I have called my people by night
and by day!} (Noah: 5).
Nonetheless, his supplications have done nothing but made them run
away. They even {put their fingers in their ears, covered
themselves with their garments}(Noah:
7) while persisting on their aberration and {were puffed up
with pride:} (Noah: 7).
Noah
did not employ one method in his mission, but he even resorted
the complex methods he thought would be fruitful. So he called them
secretly and publicly {Then surely I called to them aloud: Then
surely I spoke to them in public and I spoke to them in secret:}
(Noah: 8-9). So he tried to awaken their desire for faith by promising
to afford to them sustenance and money if they ask Allah for
forgiveness {Then I said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely
He is the most Forgiving: He will send down upon you the cloud,
pouring down abundance of rain: And help you with wealth and sons, and
make for you gardens, and make for you rivers.}
(Noah: 10-12).
Noah
found out that all his endeavors were in vain, especially after he
showed to them the importance of forgiveness and what follows it such
as their worldly happiness.
Hence,
he turned their attention to Allah's omnipotence perhaps they
believe while emphasizing Allah's might and domination that He
created them through stages: {the seed a clot, then We made the
clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then
We clothed the bones with flesh} (Al-Mumenoon:
14) and by saying {What is the matter with you that you fear
not the greatness of Allah? And indeed He has created you through
various grades:} (Noah: 13-14).
He
even used perceptible means in his mission by: referring to the
creation of stars, planets, and the seven heavens in which Allah {made
the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp?}
(Noah: 16), and by clarifying man's evolution and nourishment from
earth which he (the man) shall inevitably return to and then
resurrects for the judgment day {And Allah has made you grow
out of the earth as a growth: Then He returns you to it, then will He
bring you forth a (new) bringing forth:}
(Noah: 17-18).
b)
The encounter:
Noah's
mission did not succeed despite adopting the logical method as a mean
to clarify it and demonstrate its significance. Yet his people
renounced him and accused him of lying and that he is insane while
trying to stand between him and his mission by threatening to offend
him had he not desisted from that {They said: If you desist
not, O Nuh, you shall most certainly be of those stoned to death.}(Al-Shuara:
116).
But
Noah did not heed to these threats but, on the contrary, faced them
with his deep-rooted faith and his reliance on Allah {yet on
Allah do I rely} that they can
not harm him {then resolve upon your affair and (gather) your
associates, then let not your affair remain dubious to you, then have
it executed against me and give me no respite: But if you turn back, I
did not ask for any reward from you; my reward is only with Allah, and
I am commanded that I should be of those who submit}(Yunus:
71-72). By this, he adheres wholly under the divine ensign, which has
commanded him to believe in monotheism.
Despite
all what happened, Noah's people did not believe in Allah. And after
he found out that he has exhausted all the possible means and that
there was no way to guide them, he turned to Allah complaining {He
said: My Lord! Surely my people give me the lie! Therefore judge Thou
between me and them with a (just) judgment, and deliver me and those
who are with me of the believers.}
(Al-Shuara: 117-118).
This
development wide opened
the struggle in which there were two parties: the party of faith, and
the party of infidelity, and
took it to a final showdown. Noah called down destruction upon his people
and, even more, he asked Allah that their children be perished after
them {My Lord! leave not upon the land any dweller from among
the unbelievers:}(Noah: 26). If
you leave them they will mislead Your servants because they will {not
beget any but immoral, ungrateful (children)}(Noah:
27).
Means
of salvation. The response:
Allah
(s.w.t.) responded to Noah's supplication and facilitated the means
of salvation to him, his people. Allah also braced him and called on
him not to grief for their disavowal and the hardships they had done
to him because they are going to face their inevitable fate, which is
drowning.
Allah
(s.w.t.) commanded Noah to build the Ark, which He surrounded with His
care and protection { We revealed to him, saying: Make the
ark before Our eyes and (according to) Our revelation}
(Al-Mumenoon: 27). So, Noah started building the ark and his people,
being unaware of the consequences, started mocking at him. They did
not know that they would be mocked at soon.
The
flood. The drowning of Noah's people:
As
soon as Noah finished building the ark, the signs of torment became
evident. Water gushed out of earth and rain fell down. So, Allah
commanded Noah to load the ark with every pair (a male and a female)
from all kinds of animals so that these animals can multiply later on.
He also commanded him to take all his family, relatives, and the
believers (who were few) along with him
