Before the Waters Rise
A summary of Part II — The Mission of Prophet Nūḥ (Noah), his call, his people's rejection, and the timeless lessons of the Great Flood.
Part II Overview
The Story at a Glance
Who Was Nūḥ?
A descendant of Ādam through Shīth and Idrīs, Nūḥ was the first messenger sent after idolatry arose among humanity. Allah granted him the combined knowledge of all who came before him and supported him with revelation.
He became the second father of humanity after the flood — all people today descend from his three sons: Yafith, Ham, and Sam.
His Mission in Numbers
950
Years of Preaching
Calling his people night and day, in secret and openly
5
Idols Named
Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr — worshipped by his people
3
Sons of Nūḥ
Yafith, Ham, and Sam — progenitors of all humanity after the flood
The Origins of Idolatry
How Shirk Began
Imam al-Sa'dī explains that humanity lived as one guided community for many generations after Ādam. Then Satan intervened. When righteous individuals died, he whispered to the grieving to create statues in their memory — Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr.
When those who made the statues passed away and knowledge faded, Satan told later generations: "Your ancestors worshipped these figures, sought intercession through them, and through them received rain and healing." Gradually, full idol worship took hold — despite the warnings of the sincere.
This marks the beginning of corruption: what started as remembrance became worship, and what began as grief became polytheism.
Divine Selection
Why Allah Chose Nūḥ
Chosen Among the Worlds
Allah specially selected Nūḥ alongside Ādam, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān: "Indeed, Allah chose Ādam, Nūḥ, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds."
Entrusted with Revelation
He was among the Ulū al-ʿAzm — the resolute messengers — and one of five upon whom intercession will revolve on the Day of Judgment, alongside Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, ʿĪsā, and Muḥammad.
Blessed Lineage
Allah made his descendants the sole survivors of the flood: "And We made his descendants those remaining on the earth." Prophethood itself was established within his lineage.
A Summary of the Story
From the rise of idolatry to the renewal of humanity, the story of Nūḥ is the foundational prophetic narrative — a testament that truth is not measured by numbers, but by sincerity and steadfastness.
The Ark
Building the Ark
Allah answered Nūḥ's supplication and commanded him to build the ark under divine care, supervision, and instruction — blessing him with the knowledge of shipbuilding, a craft that benefits humanity spiritually and materially throughout all times.
As Nūḥ worked, his people mocked him. He responded: "Although you mock us today, then indeed, we will mock you when destruction befalls you." Allah revealed that when the earth would erupt with springs from every direction — even from places where water would not typically emerge — the time had come.
A Pair of Every Species
Male and female of every animal, to preserve their offspring
All Who Believed
Men and women — though only a few had believed
His Family
Except those upon whom the word of destruction had already been decreed
The Great Flood
When the Waters Rose
Allah caused the earth to gush forth with springs and commanded the sky to pour torrential rain. The waters of sky and earth met, flooding the lowlands, then rising — little by little — over every height, until even the lofty mountain peaks disappeared beneath the waves.
The ark sailed through waves like towering mountains, tossed right and left. Amid this terror, Nūḥ spotted his disbelieving son fleeing with the rest of his people.
"O my son, board with us and do not be with the disbelievers." — Nūḥ called out with a heart full of compassion.
His son replied: "I will take refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water." Nūḥ answered: "There is no protector today from the command of Allah except for whom He has mercy." The waves came between them — and that son was among the drowned.
The Flood's Significance
The destruction was a manifest sign that what Nūḥ brought — of tawḥīd, divine message, resurrection, and religion — is truth itself. It was clear proof of divine recompense:
- Salvation and honor for the people of faith
- Destruction and humiliation for the people of disbelief
The ark came to rest upon Mount al-Jūdī, a towering height in the region of Mosul — evidence that the floodwaters had covered all mountains.
A Father's Grief
Nūḥ and His Son
The Supplication
Nūḥ called upon his Lord with tenderness: "My Lord, indeed my son is of my family — and indeed Your promise is true."
The Divine Reply
Allah replied: "Indeed, he is not of your family" — not of those promised salvation, for his son had followed the religion of his people.
The Lesson
This was a gentle reproach and teaching: supplication must be driven by knowledge and sincerity in seeking Allah's pleasure — not merely by paternal compassion.
Nūḥ's Response
"My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I do not know. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I will be among the losers."
Ibn al-Qayyim: Allah's reproach to His loved ones is the tenderest of reproaches — yet He remains the One who pardons their missteps, forgives their lapses, and delivers them from every distress.
After the Flood: A New Beginning
The Command to Disembark
Allah commanded the heavens to cease and the earth to swallow its waters. As the flood receded, it was said: "O Nūḥ, disembark in peace from Us and blessings upon you and nations descending from those with you."
Allah blessed Nūḥ's descendants, making them the sole survivors. His three sons became the progenitors of all humanity:
- Yafith — descendants spread across the East
- Ham — descendants populated the West
- Sam — lineage filled the lands in between
Nūḥ was among the Ulū al-ʿAzm and one of the five prophets upon whom intercession will revolve on the Day of Judgment. He was the first messenger to humanity and the second father of mankind.
The Pillars of His Da'wah
Three Foundations of Nūḥ's Call
1
2
3
1
Belief in the Hereafter
2
Worship Allah Alone (Tawḥīd)
3
Reminding of Allah's Majesty & Power
Imam al-Sa'dī affirms: all messengers from Nūḥ to Muḥammad were united in calling to pure monotheism. The first message they delivered was always: "Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him." These three pillars form the bedrock of every prophetic mission.
Pillar One
Reminding of Allah's Majesty
A towering pillar of Nūḥ's mission was the continual exaltation of Allah's majesty and might. In six places in the Qur'ān, Allah emphasizes His sending Nūḥ with the phrase "We sent Nūḥ" — using the majestic plural, reinforced by emphatic structures affirming the gravity of the divine mission.
Nūḥ directly challenged his people: "What is the matter with you that you do not attribute to Allah due grandeur?" Ibn al-Qayyim explains: "The degree of a person's knowledge of Allah determines the level of reverence for Him that resides in the heart. The most knowledgeable people about Allah are those who revere and magnify Him the most."
"The essence of worship is reverence and love. If either is missing, servitude is corrupted. When these two are joined by praise for the beloved and magnified one, that is the true meaning of ḥamd (praise)." — Ibn al-Qayyim
Pillar Two
Calling to Worship Allah Alone
The Core Command
Nūḥ called with unwavering clarity: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Then will you not fear Him?"
Al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī defines worship: "ʿIbādah is the utmost degree of humility — and none is deserving of it except the One who possesses the utmost in beneficence, and that is Allah."
The Summary of His Mission
In one short phrase, Nūḥ summarized everything:
"That you should worship Allah, and fear Him, and obey me."
Al-Biqā'ī explains this encompasses faith (īmān), Islam, and righteous action — the three foundational stones upon which all success is built. Monotheism was the foundation of Nūḥ's message, just as it was for all prophets.
Pillar Three
Belief in the Hereafter
The third pillar of Nūḥ's da'wah is belief in the Day of Judgment — intimately bound to the first two. Without conviction in the final reckoning, there is neither genuine fear to restrain nor hope to drive the soul toward worship.
"A Tremendous Day"
Nūḥ warned: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day." Scholars note this could refer to the Day of Judgment or the flood — both signify consequence.
The Day of Manifestation
Ibn al-Qayyim: "The Day of the Greater Return is the day on which the Divine Names and Attributes are fully manifest... the Day of the Revelation of the Supreme Kingdom, the Most Beautiful Names, and the Loftiest Attributes."
Proof of Reason and Revelation
The reality of the Resurrection is affirmed by both rational evidence and divine revelation — for those who truly know Allah, His names, and His attributes, the Hereafter is an incontrovertible certainty.
Da'wah Methods
His Methods of Inviting
Engaging in Dialogue
Nūḥ actively conversed with his people, directing their attention to the signs of Allah in creation — the seven heavens, the moon, the sun, the earth — to awaken their minds.
Encouraging with Promises
He urged repentance with promises of abundant blessings: rain, wealth, children, gardens, and rivers — demonstrating that faith brings both worldly and spiritual benefit.
Warning of Punishment
He declared: "I am to you a clear warner." He rebuked their arrogance and warned of consequences to shake them from heedlessness before it was too late.
Appealing to Kinship
He repeatedly addressed them as "O my people" — reinforcing sincerity and emotional connection, emphasizing his deep desire to guide them.
Rational Argumentation
He engaged in respectful debate, presenting clear proofs, countering accusations with patience, keeping the path of repentance open, and refusing to abandon his followers for the arrogant elite.
The Opposition
The Destructive Traits of His People
Despite clear guidance and repeated warnings, the people of Nūḥ stubbornly rejected his call. Their refusal was not based on reasoned argument but on deep-seated attachment to power, blind adherence to tradition, and fear of losing societal status.
Blindness to Truth
They willingly shut their hearts and minds — not for lack of evidence, but by choice.
Cowardice
When challenged to unite against Nūḥ, they hesitated — exposing weakness, not conviction.
Disrespect
They accused him of madness and threatened to stone him.
Mockery
They ridiculed him as he built the ark — arrogance and shortsightedness combined.
Wickedness
They not only rejected truth but actively rebelled and led others astray.
Oppression
They were among the most unjust and tyrannical of nations, persecuting Nūḥ and his followers.
Arrogance & Deception
They schemed an immense scheme, spreading lies and encouraging the masses to oppose Nūḥ.
Love of Power
The ruling elites rejected his message fearing loss of status and influence.
Their Rejection
Their False Accusations Against Nūḥ
Three Core Objections
1
"You are only a man like us"
They denied a human could be a messenger — yet all knowledge is transmitted from person to person, and the highest knowledge comes through prophets bearing divine revelation.
2
"Only the lowly follow you"
They judged truth by social class — a corrupt analogy. Imam al-Sa'dī: faith is clearer than the sun; no one delays in accepting it except the arrogant tyrant.
3
"We think you are liars"
Mere conjecture masquerading as proof — their arguments collapsed upon themselves, as al-Sa'dī demonstrates.
Additional False Claims
- If Allah willed, He would have sent angels instead
- This message was unfamiliar to their ancestors
- He was possessed with madness
- He sought to take precedence over them
Imam Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb notes these objections were mere illusions — yet most people regarded them as sound proofs. Their hollow confidence was nothing but arrogance, bias, and blind presumption.
The Supplication
Nūḥ's Supplication Against His People
After 950 years of calling — day and night, in public and private — his people only grew more defiant. They covered their ears, turned away, and urged one another to remain devoted to their idols. When all hope was lost, Nūḥ turned to Allah in deep sorrow:
"My Lord, indeed I invited my people night and day. But my invitation increased them not except in flight... they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with great arrogance." — Sūrat Nūḥ 5–7
First Supplication
"Judge between me and them with decisive judgment and save those with me of the believers."
Second Supplication
"Indeed, I am overpowered, so help me."
Third Supplication
"My Lord, do not leave upon the earth any inhabitant from among the disbelievers. Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants."
Prophets do not invoke destruction upon their people except with divine permission — and only after Allah confirmed that no future believers would emerge from among them.
Divine Justice
The Fate of His People: Three Reasons for Punishment
1
Corrupt Deeds & Disobedience
"Indeed, they were an evil people, so We drowned them all." They openly disobeyed Allah's commands and rebelled against His guidance.
2
Oppression & Transgression
"The flood seized them while they were wrongdoers." After nearly a thousand years of prophetic preaching, they persisted in injustice and arrogance.
3
Polytheism — The Gravest Sin
"Because of their sins, they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found no helpers besides Allah." Their idols could not save them.
The flood was a punishment witnessed firsthand — yet a more severe punishment awaited them in the Hereafter. Allah made their destruction a lasting sign: "And We made them a sign for the people."
Lessons for All Nations
Reminding Nations of Nūḥ's People
Allah made the fate of Nūḥ's people a warning for all humanity until the Day of Judgment. Subsequent prophets invoked this memory to warn their own peoples:
1
Hūd reminded his people
"Remember when He made you successors after the people of Nūḥ and increased you greatly in stature."
2
Shu'ayb warned his people
"Let not your dissension from me lead you to suffer what befell the people of Nūḥ."
3
Mūsā reminded Banū Isrā'īl
"Has the news not reached you of those who came before you?" — warning of destruction through disobedience.
4
Prophet Muḥammad warned Quraysh
"And if they deny you, then the people of Nūḥ denied before them." — disbelievers have always rejected prophets, yet Allah grants victory to His messengers.
Warning Against the Dajjāl
Nūḥ Warned of the Antichrist
A Universal Warning
The Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) said: "There is no Prophet except that his people were warned about the Dajjāl. Noah warned his people."
Ibn Taymiyyah explains: the warning of the prophets concerning the Dajjāl entails a dread of the universal scope of his tribulation — not merely his physical emergence.
Two Types of the Dajjāl's Tribulation
Al-Sa'dī distinguishes:
- Tribulation of kind: Every trial accompanied by deceptions and doubts — present in every era and locale
- Tribulation of person: The actual emergence of the Dajjāl himself, confirmed by authentic hadith
Ibn Taymiyyah: "Whoever accepts that which contradicts the Sharīʿah because of a supernatural occurrence has fallen into a portion of this trial." Al-Sa'dī adds that modern atheists are among the most active in advancing the Dajjāl's tribulation.
Farewell Counsel
Nūḥ's Farewell Advice to His Son
The Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) narrated that when Nūḥ was on his deathbed, he said to his son: "I am about to share my bequest with you. I command you to observe two things and forbid you from two things."
Command: Lā ilāha illā Allāh
If the seven heavens and seven earths were placed on one side of a scale, and lā ilāha illā Allāh on the other — it would outweigh them. If they were a sealed ring, it would shatter them.
Command: Subḥān Allāh wa biḥamdih
It is the prayer of all things, and through it, creation is provided sustenance.
Forbid: Shirk (Polytheism)
The greatest of all major sins — the most direct contradiction to the very purpose for which Allah created creation.
Forbid: Kibr (Arrogance)
The Prophet defined kibr: "Making light of the truth and belittling of people." Fine clothing, mounts, or companions are not arrogance — rejecting truth is.
The Twin Destroyers
The Grave Danger of Arrogance & Polytheism
Why These Two?
Ibn Taymiyyah explains that Islam — submission to Allah alone — has two opposites: shirk and kibr. Nūḥ's final counsel commands the two greatest affirmations and forbids the two greatest destroyers.
"The arrogant one is worse than the polytheist; for the arrogant refuses to worship Allah at all, whereas the polytheist worships Allah along with others." — Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn al-Qayyim: "Allah has forbidden Paradise to those guilty of shirk and arrogance. None shall enter it who harbors in his heart even an atom's weight of pride."
The Inseparable Connection
Ibn Taymiyyah explains that the arrogant must inevitably be a polytheist — for if he refuses to make Allah his sole objective, he must have another object of devotion. "And even if the arrogant person does not worship anything besides Allah, he certainly worships himself."
Iblīs was the first to exhibit such arrogance: "Except Iblīs — he refused and was arrogant, and was of the disbelievers."
The righteous believer is one free of both — submitting to Allah alone, with no partner and no pride.
Key Insights
Insights from Imam Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb
1
The Enormity of Shirk
Even when committed by one who intends to draw near to Allah — as seen in what Allah did to those who worshipped Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr.
2
The Severity of Allah's Punishment
The flood wiped out birds, animals, and all else — a demonstration of Allah's might that no rational person can deny.
3
Signs of Prophethood
The Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) relayed this account precisely despite not knowing it beforehand — yet his enemies could not refute him despite their intense hostility.
4
No Control for the Created
Even a divinely sent prophet has no control over affairs — as illustrated in the episode of Nūḥ's son. Guidance rests solely with Allah.
5
Warning Against Following the Elite
The chiefs' objections — "We see you as nothing but a man like us" — were corrupt analogies and false standards, not genuine arguments.
6
The Danger of the Majority
"None believed with him except a few" — the appeal to majority is among the greatest doubts that has led most people to the Fire.
Timeless Lessons from the Story of Nūḥ
Perseverance in Da'wah
Success lies in fulfilling one's duty, not in immediate results. Nūḥ's story comforted Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) — guidance rests solely in Allah's hands.
Truth Is Not Measured by Numbers
Only a few believed with Nūḥ over 950 years — yet they were saved. Sincerity and steadfastness, not popularity, define success.
The Consequence of Arrogance
The people of Nūḥ exemplify how unchecked hubris and blind adherence to falsehood lead to societal destruction — a warning for all generations.
Conclusion: The Enduring Mission
The final counsel of Nūḥ — delivered after witnessing the flood that reshaped the world — distills the essence of his nearly thousand-year mission: affirm Allah's absolute perfection and His sole right to be worshipped, and beware the twin destroyers of arrogance and polytheism.
"Peace upon Nūḥ among the worlds. Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, he was one of Our believing servants." — Qur'ān 37:79–81
Allah's Majesty
An unshakable awareness of Allah's might — the foundation of all faith
Pure Tawḥīd
Worshipping Allah alone — the call of every prophet from Nūḥ to Muḥammad
The Hereafter
Firm belief in the Day when Allah's grandeur will be manifest to all