Teachings and Commentary 1-20
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The story starts with the introduction of Nooĥ’s ‘alayhissalaam mission which was
exactly the same as the Prophet’s ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
1 We sent Nooĥ to his People with instructions: “Warn your people before a painful
punishment comes to them.” 2 Nooĥ invited his people for a long time, “O my People!
I am indeed a warner to clearly warn you 3 to serve Allaah with slave-like submission,
save yourselves from His displeasure and obey me. 4 He will forgive you all your
previous sins[1] and let you live for the predetermined term. Verily, when the time
allowed by Allaah ends, it is never extended, if you only realized it.”
The essence of the Islamic message has been concisely presented in three points:
1. Voluntary, willing and complete slave-like submission to Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Ta’aala, obeying Him in every aspect of life, throughout one’s life, and worshipping
Him alone without assigning any partners to Him or equating anything with Him;
2. Adopting the attitude of Taqwa or living by Taqwa paradigm, which means making
one’s decisions and setting one’s priorities such that they will result in avoiding
Allaah’s displeasure, maximizing Allaah’s pleasure and minimizing indulgence in
worldly pursuits; and
3. Obeying the messenger of Allaah, accepting him as the only leader, guide and
role model; abandoning any other leaders, guides or role models.
They were given the good news that if they accepted Nooĥ’s ‘alayhissalaam call to
Islam:
§ Whatever sins and wrongs they have committed in the past will be wiped out by
the blessings of their accepting Islam. As is explained later on in the statement
given by Nooĥ, once people are forgiven, in addition to the success in the Hereafter,
it brings them well-being and prosperity in this world as well.
§ They will be allowed to live for their natural life span in this world.
They were also warned that those who reject his call would be destroyed. It would
happen when Allaah in His ultimate knowledge and wisdom knew that enough preaching
had been done and any further preaching was not going to benefit anyone. Once that
time arrived, there would be no more respite or extension at all.
Nooĥ spent his whole life on this mission. The glimpses of his struggle have been
given at other place in the Qur-aan. As they were not relevant to the message to
be delivered at this time, those details have been omitted from this overview.
So, towards the end of his life, Nooĥ made a plea to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala
which is described in the following paragraphs.
5 He said, “My Lord! Verily, I have invited my people night and day 6 but my call
has only made them flee farther away. 7 Whenever I have invited them, that You may
forgive them, they have stuck their fingers into their ears, wrapped up their clothing,
persisted in their stance, and displayed outright arrogance.
These verses concisely sum up their reaction. Nooĥ AS worked selflessly, with no
other motive than helping his people attain salvation – so that Allaah would forgive
them due to their acceptance of Islam – but the harder he tried, the more alienated
they became. The point to note is their utter arrogance: sticking their fingers
into their ears to refuse to listen to him, wrapping up their outer garments and
walking away; their insolent insistence on their views without attending to his
point of view; these were all condescending demeanours displaying their arrogance.
Their arrogance was both individual and as well as societal. Individually, their
chiefs, leaders, priests, mullahs, and scholars were stymied by their egos as well
as their own personal interest or career goals from accepting Nooĥ’s message and
thus accepting his leadership in this matter. As a society, they already had made
up their minds about the superiority of their enlightened views and supremacy of
their superb lifestyle and culture. Anything other than their “rich heritage” was
going to be unacceptable, odd and inferior; hence, they did not need to listen to
Nooĥ’s point of view. In either case, he was considered a threat both to the leadership
and the lifestyle of the society.
These were the same reasons that were keeping the Makkans from accepting Islam.
And in fact, the attitude of the people of Nooĥ resembled quite a bit the attitude
of many Western bigots toward Islam nowadays. They have formed some notions on the
basis of hearsay and propaganda, while refusing to find the facts. Furthermore,
within the Muslim community itself, unfortunately, it is also the same egoistic
attitude and the same reasons that are keeping currently the so-called Muslims from
cooperating with reformers in their midst who work towards improving the lot of
the Ummah.
It is not that Nooĥ just kept calling them to Islam without explaining the logical
and rational basis for it or without telling them how it would benefit them in this
world and in the Hereafter. He presented the truth from all perspectives using all
the tacts and techniques that he could muster.
8 Then, I have addressed them loudly. 9 I have also made public announcements and
even appealed to them secretly in private. 10 I have told them: ‘Seek forgiveness
of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving; 11 He will cause the sky to shower
abundant rain over you; 12 give you increase in your wealth and children; and provide
for you gardens and provide for you rivers. 13 What is the matter with you that
you do not attribute due dignity to Allaah, 14 while He has created you in stages?
15 Do you not consider, how:
§ Allaah has created the seven heavens one above another, 16 and made the moon therein
a light, and made the sun a lamp;
§ 17 Allaah has caused you to grow progressively from the earth, 18 then he returns
you to it, and then He will bring you forth easily once more; and
§ 19 Allaah has made the earth a wide expanse for you 20 that you go about wide
paths therein?’”
Nooĥ informed them that if they repented from their disbelief and accepted Islam,
thus earning Allaah’s forgiveness, they would experience and witness three benefits
right here in this world:
§ Allaah will send slow and steady rain showers;
§ He will increase their wealth and children;
§ He will endow them with rivers and gardens.
In other words, they would enjoy prosperity and peace on earth. The fact is that
when people live their lives according to the Islamic system of peace, justice and
excellence, and therefore Allaah is pleased with them, the whole society enjoys
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s mercy, peace and prosperity, in addition to the bounties
and pleasures in the Hereafter.[2]
However, the disbelievers did not care. Neither they were concerned about the anger
and punishment of the Lord and Master of the universe, nor did they entertain any
good expectations from His mercy. Instead, they yearned for the approval and pleasure
of the human beings who they felt were important for their well being and of the
idols that they thought brought them rain and prosperity. They were afraid of displeasing
those persons and idols and accorded them dues, respect, dignity and status. Yet,
they had no respect for, love or fear of, confidence in or expectations from the
Creator, Owner and Lord of the whole universe. Amazed with their nonchalant attitude
towards Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, he would wonder aloud about their totally
irrational behaviour. He would give examples of the marvellous facilities that Allaah
had provided to facilitate good human life and invite them to reflect upon them.
The words that the Qur-aan has used to describe the points Nooĥ put forth for their
reflection are also relevant for reflection by non-Muslims of the 21st century.
More than 1400 years ago, when the Qur-aan was revealed, no one had a clue that
the moon just reflects the sun’s light and is not a source of light in itself. However,
the Qur-aan being the word of Allaah, the Creator of the sun and moon, it uses precise
words that take into account the difference in the nature of the two heavenly bodies
– the sun is described as a lamp (a source of light), while the moon is described
as a passive (reflective) light.
It should be noted that human bodies are composed of elements that all are extracted
from the earth. They become a part of our bodies through the consumption of the
food that either comes directly from the earth in the form of produce grown from
it or from the animals at the bottom of whose food chain is some sort of growth
from the earth. Then, when people die, their bodies become part of the earth again.
In verses 17-18, this fact has been used to make people understand the reality of
resurrection after death, saying, “Allaah has caused you to grow progressively from
the earth, then he returns you to it, and then He will bring you forth easily once
more.”
Foot notes
[1] The exact words of the phrase in the verse are “yaghfir lakum min dzunoobikum” which may literally be translated as “He will forgive some of your sins.” But that is not the correct meaning because the words of the verse represent the phrase “yaghfir lakum ma taqddama min dzunoobikum”, meaning “He will forgive the sins that you have committed in the past.” In other words, when you accept Islam, all your previous sins are forgiven, but you still have to watch what you do because you will be held fully accountable for any sins you commit afterwards. Accordingly, because the rule was well publicized and known and was apparent from the context, the shortened construction in the verse is in keeping with the superb brevity of the Qur-aan.
[2] Taking clue from these verses, at the incidence of a drought, ‘Umar radhiallaahu ‘anhu took people out to pray for the rain, but only pleaded for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s forgiveness, without specifically asking for rain itself. When people wondered about this, he recited to them these verses saying that he had sought Allaah’s forgiveness – the key to Allaah’s mercy which brings rain and prosperity.
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