Nuh
Encyclopedia
Noah
, (نوح ), is a prophet
and messenger in the Qur'an
. He is a highly important figure in Islamic history, as he is counted amongst the earliest prophet
s sent by God
to mankind. According to Islam, Noah's mission was to a wicked world, plunged in depravity and sin. Although he preached the Message of God with immense zeal, his people refused to mend their ways, leading to his building of the Ark
and the famous event of the Deluge, the Great Flood in which all the evil people of his time perished.
Noah's mission had a double character: he had to warn his people, asking them to call for repentance and, at the same time, he had to preach about God's mercy and forgiveness, promising them the glad tidings God would provide if they led righteous lives. References to Noah are scattered throughout the Qur'an, and there is even an entire chapter
carrying his name, Noah.
, one of the patriarch
s from the Generations of Adam
. Noah was neither the leader of the tribe nor a very rich man but, even before being called to prophesy, he worshiped God
faithfully and was, in the words of the Qur'an
, "a devotee most grateful".
recounts that in the Generations of Adam
, many men and women continued to follow Adam
's original teachings, worshiping God
alone and remaining righteous. Among Adam's descendants there were many brave and pious men, greatly loved and revered by their respective communities. Exegesis goes onto narrate that, upon the death of these elders, people felt enormous grief and some felt prompted to make statues of these people in remembrance of them. Gradually, however, many forgot what such statues were for and began to worship them, along with many other idol
s. It was to guide the people that God
raised up Noah
to be the next prophet to mankind.
consistently and he urged his people to do the same, warning his tribe of the punishment they would face if they did not mend their ignorant ways. The Qur'an
states that Noah repeatedly told his people:
or diviner
. Noah declared that he was by no means a mere fortune-teller, pretending to reveal secrets which are not worth revealing. Noah also denied accusations claiming Noah was an angel
, always maintaining that he was a human messenger. When the people refused to acknowledge their sinfulness Noah told them that it was not Noah, but God that would punish them - however He pleased.
from God
, in which he was told that no one would believe the message now aside from those who have already submitted to God
. Noah's frustration at the defiance of his people led him to ask God to not leave even one sinner upon earth. Thereupon, God decreed that a terrible flood would cover the whole earth and He ordered Noah to build an Ark
which would save him and the believers from this dreadful calamity
. Ever obedient to God's instructions, Noah went out in search of material with which to build the vessel.
Exegesis narrates that, in the land where Noah lived, vegetation was scarce and so Noah had to plant trees and wait for them to grow before beginning work on the Ark. When Noah began building the Ark, the people who saw him at work laughed at him even more than before. Their conclusion was that he was surely a madman - they could not find any other reason why a man would build a huge vessel when no sea or river was nearby. Although Noah was now very old, the aged patriarch continued to work tirelessly until, at last, the Ark was finished.
17 (Al-Isra
), ayah
3, God states: "Verily he was a devotee most grateful." Also, from the Qur'an which states:
And also in sura 3 (Al-i-Imran) ayah 33, it states: "Allah
did choose Adam
and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of 'Imran
above all people,-"
, like other Islam
ic prophets such as Ibrāhīm (Abraham
), Ismā'īl (Ishmael
), Ishaq (Isaac
), Ya'qub (Jacob
), Isa (Jesus
), Ilyas‘ (Elijah), Ayub (Job
), Harun (Aaron
), Yunus (Jonah
), Daud
(David
) and Muhammad
(Mohammed), and that he was a faithful messenger. Noah had firm belief in the oneness of God, and preached Islam (literally "submission," meaning submission to God).
He continuously warned the people of the painful doom that was coming and to accept God, instead of worshipping idols
such as Wadd
, Suwa'
, Yaghuth
, Ya'uq
and Nasr
. He called the people to serve God, and said that nobody but God could save them. He said that the time of the deluge was appointed and could not be delayed, and that the people had to submit to God.
God commanded Noah to build a ship, the Ark, and as he was building it, the chieftains passed him and mocked him. Upon its completion, the ship was loaded with animals and Noah's household, together with 76 who did submit to God. The people who denied the message of Noah, including one of his own sons, drowned. The final resting place of the ship was referred to as Mount Judi
. Noah is called a grateful servant. Both Noah (and Abraham) were taught the prophethood and the scripture.
and that marital relations will not be to your aid when the judgement takes place, the Qur'an says:
In contrast, the believing wife of the evil Pharaoh of the Exodus, is revered as one of the greatest women in Islamic history. This adds to the notion that, on the Last Day, everyone will be judged according to their own deeds.
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, (نوح ), is a prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
and messenger in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. He is a highly important figure in Islamic history, as he is counted amongst the earliest prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s sent by God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
to mankind. According to Islam, Noah's mission was to a wicked world, plunged in depravity and sin. Although he preached the Message of God with immense zeal, his people refused to mend their ways, leading to his building of the Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
and the famous event of the Deluge, the Great Flood in which all the evil people of his time perished.
Noah's mission had a double character: he had to warn his people, asking them to call for repentance and, at the same time, he had to preach about God's mercy and forgiveness, promising them the glad tidings God would provide if they led righteous lives. References to Noah are scattered throughout the Qur'an, and there is even an entire chapter
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
carrying his name, Noah.
Background
Little is known of Noah's personal history before his call to prophesy. However, tradition records him to have been the son of LamechLamech
Lamech is a character in the genealogies of Adam in the Book of Genesis. He is the sixth generation descendant of Cain ; his father was named Methusael, and he was responsible for the "Song of the Sword." He is also noted as the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible, taking two wives, Ada and...
, one of the patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
s from the Generations of Adam
Generations of Adam
"Generations of Adam" is a concept in in the Hebrew Bible. It is typically taken as name of Adam's line of descent going through Seth. Another view equates the generations of Adam with material about a second line of descent starting with Cain in Genesis 4, while Genesis 5 is taken as the...
. Noah was neither the leader of the tribe nor a very rich man but, even before being called to prophesy, he worshiped God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
faithfully and was, in the words of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, "a devotee most grateful".
Historical narrative in Islam
Islamic literatureLiterature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
recounts that in the Generations of Adam
Generations of Adam
"Generations of Adam" is a concept in in the Hebrew Bible. It is typically taken as name of Adam's line of descent going through Seth. Another view equates the generations of Adam with material about a second line of descent starting with Cain in Genesis 4, while Genesis 5 is taken as the...
, many men and women continued to follow Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
's original teachings, worshiping God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
alone and remaining righteous. Among Adam's descendants there were many brave and pious men, greatly loved and revered by their respective communities. Exegesis goes onto narrate that, upon the death of these elders, people felt enormous grief and some felt prompted to make statues of these people in remembrance of them. Gradually, however, many forgot what such statues were for and began to worship them, along with many other idol
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
s. It was to guide the people that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
raised up Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
to be the next prophet to mankind.
Early preaching
Noah began preaching to his people both verbally and by example. He would praise GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
consistently and he urged his people to do the same, warning his tribe of the punishment they would face if they did not mend their ignorant ways. The Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
states that Noah repeatedly told his people:
"O my people! Worship God! You have no other god but Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day!".Early on, a few were moved by Noah's words but the powerful and wealthy members of the tribe refused to hear his call. The unbelievers at the time were impelled to rebel by various evil motives. Firstly, they were extremely envious and jealous of men superior to them in any way. Secondly, the people were ignorant of the weak and lowly, who were frequently superior intellectually, morally and spiritually. As a result of their ignorance, they were arrogant and mocked all who they felt were inferior to them. When Noah preached the faith of God to them, all they did was revile the messenger, abuse the message and call the whole warning a lie. He then went on to explain the Message in greater depth, ensuring them that it was not a message of destruction but it was a message with the mercy from God, and that their acts would lead to destruction if they did not accept the faith. He questioned them, asking why they would not accept what would benefit them in the near future. Noah went onto further, and told his community that he asked of no reward from them, telling them his only reward would be from God.
Accusation
As time passed, Noah became firmer in his preaching. When the unbelievers began insulting those who accepted God's message, believing that Noah would send those faithful away to attract the wealthy unbelievers, Noah revealed that they - the arrogant and ignorant rich - were the wicked and sinful ones. His people accused him of being soothsayerSoothsayer
Soothsayer may refer to:* One practicing divination, including:** Fortune-teller** Oracle* The Soothsayer, an album by Wayne Shorter* "Soothsayer", a song by Buckethead from Crime Slunk Scene...
or diviner
Diviner
Diviner is an infrared sensing instrument aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, part of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program which is studying the moon...
. Noah declared that he was by no means a mere fortune-teller, pretending to reveal secrets which are not worth revealing. Noah also denied accusations claiming Noah was an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
, always maintaining that he was a human messenger. When the people refused to acknowledge their sinfulness Noah told them that it was not Noah, but God that would punish them - however He pleased.
Noah's prayer
Noah prayed to God, telling Him that his preaching only made his people disbelieve further. Noah told God how they had closed their minds to accepting the message, so that the light of the truth should not affect their thinking. Noah told God how he had used all the resources of the classical preacher, conveying the message both in public places and with individuals in private. Noah spoke of how he had told the people the rewards they would receive if they became righteous, namely that God would supply plentiful rain as a blessing, and that God would also guarantee them an increase in sons and wealth.Building of the Ark
One day, Noah received a revelationRevelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
from God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, in which he was told that no one would believe the message now aside from those who have already submitted to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Noah's frustration at the defiance of his people led him to ask God to not leave even one sinner upon earth. Thereupon, God decreed that a terrible flood would cover the whole earth and He ordered Noah to build an Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
which would save him and the believers from this dreadful calamity
Calamity
Calamity may refer to:* A disaster, a terrible event* Al-Qaria , the 101st sura of the Qur'an* Calamity Jane, a nineteenth century American frontierwoman** Calamity Jane , a 1953 film based on the person...
. Ever obedient to God's instructions, Noah went out in search of material with which to build the vessel.
Exegesis narrates that, in the land where Noah lived, vegetation was scarce and so Noah had to plant trees and wait for them to grow before beginning work on the Ark. When Noah began building the Ark, the people who saw him at work laughed at him even more than before. Their conclusion was that he was surely a madman - they could not find any other reason why a man would build a huge vessel when no sea or river was nearby. Although Noah was now very old, the aged patriarch continued to work tirelessly until, at last, the Ark was finished.
Differences from Judeo-Christian teachings
The Quran does not say that the entire world was submerged in water unlike the Bible. According to Islam, only certain parts of the world were submerged under water, one of them being the region of Noah and his people. Islam differentiates from Christianity on the account of the animals loaded in the ark. According to Islam, only the animals in the care of Noah were taken in the ark.Praise of Noah in the Qur'an
Noah is praised by God in the Qur'an, which shows his great status amongst the prophets. In suraSura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
17 (Al-Isra
Al-Isra
Sura Al-Isra , also called Sura Bani Isra'il , is the 17th chapter of the Qur'an, with 111 verses.-Content:...
), ayah
Ayah
Ayah or Aayah is the Arabic word for sign or proof:"These are the Ayat of Allah, which We recite to you with truth...
3, God states: "Verily he was a devotee most grateful." Also, from the Qur'an which states:
And also in sura 3 (Al-i-Imran) ayah 33, it states: "Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
did choose Adam
Islamic view of Adam
Adam is one of the most important figures in the history of the Islamic faith, as he is believed by most Muslims to have been the first human being and the first prophet. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence, who also venerate his wife, Eve, as the...
and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of 'Imran
Amram
In the Book of Exodus, Amram Arabic عمران Imran, is the father of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam and the husband of Jochebed.-In the Bible:In addition to being married to Jochebed, Amram is also described in the Bible as having been related to Jochebed prior to the marriage, although the exact...
above all people,-"
The Story of Noah, as told by Qur'anic verses
The Qu'ran states that Noah was inspired by GodGod in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
, like other Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic prophets such as Ibrāhīm (Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
), Ismā'īl (Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
), Ishaq (Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
), Ya'qub (Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
), Isa (Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
), Ilyas‘ (Elijah), Ayub (Job
Job (Biblical figure)
Job is the central character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Job is listed as a prophet of God in the Qur'an.- Book of Job :The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously...
), Harun (Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
), Yunus (Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
), Daud
Islamic view of David
Islamic views on David are unified in his status as appointed prophet, messenger , and lawgiver of God, and as a righteous King of the united Kingdom of Israel, which itself is a holy country in Islam...
(David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
) and Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Mohammed), and that he was a faithful messenger. Noah had firm belief in the oneness of God, and preached Islam (literally "submission," meaning submission to God).
He continuously warned the people of the painful doom that was coming and to accept God, instead of worshipping idols
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
such as Wadd
Wadd
Wadd "Love, Friendship", known variously as Ilumquh, ʻAmm and Sīn, was the Minaean moon god. Snakes were believed to be sacred to Wadd. He is mentioned in the Qur'ān as a deity of the time of the Prophet Noah....
, Suwa'
Suwa'
Suwa is mentioned in the Qur'ān as a deity of the time of the Prophet Noah.And they say: By no means leave your gods, nor leave Wadd, nor Suwa'; nor Yaghuth, and Ya'uq and Nasr....
, Yaghuth
Yaghuth
Yaghūth is an idol referred to in the Qur'an as a god of the era of the Prophet Noah:And they say: By no means leave your gods, nor leave Wadd, nor Suwa'; nor Yaghuth, and Ya'uq and Nasr....
, Ya'uq
Ya'uq
According to the Qur'an, Ya'uq was a deity worshipped in the days of Noah. Cults worshipping this idol existed in Muhammad's day as well....
and Nasr
Nasr (idol)
Nasr is mentioned in the Qur'ān as a deity of the time of the Prophet Noah.And they say: By no means leave your gods, nor leave Wadd, nor Suwa'; nor Yaghuth, and Ya'uq and Nasr....
. He called the people to serve God, and said that nobody but God could save them. He said that the time of the deluge was appointed and could not be delayed, and that the people had to submit to God.
God commanded Noah to build a ship, the Ark, and as he was building it, the chieftains passed him and mocked him. Upon its completion, the ship was loaded with animals and Noah's household, together with 76 who did submit to God. The people who denied the message of Noah, including one of his own sons, drowned. The final resting place of the ship was referred to as Mount Judi
Mount Judi
Mount Judi , according to very Early Christian and Islamic tradition , is the Noah's apobaterion or "Place of Descent", the location where the Ark came to rest after the Great Flood....
. Noah is called a grateful servant. Both Noah (and Abraham) were taught the prophethood and the scripture.
Noah's wife
Noah's wife (Naamah) is referred to in the Qur'an as an evil woman. When God emphasizes upon the notion that everyone is for themselves on the Day of JudgementLast Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
and that marital relations will not be to your aid when the judgement takes place, the Qur'an says:
In contrast, the believing wife of the evil Pharaoh of the Exodus, is revered as one of the greatest women in Islamic history. This adds to the notion that, on the Last Day, everyone will be judged according to their own deeds.
Noah's mausoleum photo gallery
See also
- Seven Laws of Noah
- Biblical narratives and the Qur'an
- Legends and the Qur'an
- Prophets of IslamProphets of IslamMuslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
- Stories of The ProphetsStories of The ProphetsStories of The Prophets or Qasas al-anbiya is a famous work of Islamic literature, written by the Muslim scholar Ibn Kathir. In the book, Kathir has compiled all accounts of information regarding various prophets and messengers through Islamic history...