The people of Noah, too, denied God’s messengers.
Their brother Noah said to them: “Will you have no fear of God? I am a Messenger (sent by Him) to you, worthy of all trust. So, fear God and pay heed to me. No reward whatever do I ask of you for it: My reward is only from the Lord of all the worlds. So, fear God and pay heed to me.
They said: “Are we to believe in you, even though only the lowest of the low follow you?”
Said he: “What knowledge do I have as to what they used to do in the past? Their reckoning rests with none other than my Lord, if you could but understand. I am not one to drive away the believers. I am only a plain warner.”
Said they: “Noah! If you will not desist, you will surely be stoned to death.”
He prayed: “My Lord! My people have denied me. So, judge decisively between me and them, and save me and those of the believers who are with me.”
So We saved him, and those with him, in the laden ark, and We caused the others who stayed behind to drown.
Indeed, there is in this a sure sign; yet most of them will not believe. And indeed it is your Lord who is the Mighty One, the Merciful. (The Poets: Al-Shu’ara: 26: 105-127)
As we discussed Noah’s story as given in this surah we stopped at his people’s objections to his message because he was only followed by poor people, whom they described as the “lowest of the low.” This has always bee an objection by the nobility in all communities. They see that poor people respond to the divine message ahead of them, since they are not deterred by any hollow pride, while the nobility fear for their interests and positions. Moreover, they are unwilling to accept complete equality with the masses as a result of believing in God’s oneness. Under such a belief only faith and good action are given an appropriately high value, with the result that some people rise and others fall by the single standard of faith that is complemented by good action.
Noah, therefore, gives them the reply that establishes true values, defining the mission of God’s messenger and leaves judgment on people to God who knows best their intentions, thoughts and actions: “Said he: What knowledge do I have as to what they used to do in the past? Their reckoning rests with none other than my Lord, if you could but understand. I am not one to drive away the believers. I am only a plain warner.”
The nobility always speak in a derogative manner about the poor. They say that their habits and values are not acceptable to those who are in the high echelons of society. They have nothing of their refinements. Noah tells them that he does not ask people anything other than to believe in God, and those have responded positively and believed in Him. Their actions are left to God to evaluate and determine their appropriate reward. His is the right evaluation, had these objectors been mindful of true values which are given due weight in God’s balance. He defines his own mission: “I am only a plain warner.”
With this clear argument and plain logic, Noah’s people were silenced. They had no meaningful reply to offer. Hence, they resorted to the same method to which tyranny resorts every time it finds itself cornered with no argument or defense to offer. They threatened the use of brute force: “Said they: Noah! If you will not desist, you will surely be stoned to death.” Thus tyranny reveals its ghastly face.
Noah realized that their hardened hearts would not soften. Therefore, he turned to the source of support that is always available to believers and never fails them: “He prayed: My Lord! My people have denied me. So, judge decisively between me and them, and save me and those of the believers who are with me.” His Lord certainly knows that his people have denied him and accused him of lying, but Noah needs to address his complaint to Him and appeal to Him for justice. Thus, he puts the matter in His hands: “Judge decisively between me and them.” Such decisive judgment will put an end to tyranny and injustice. “And save me and those of the believers who are with me.”
God certainly responds to His messenger who is facing the tyrants’ threat of stoning for no offense other than calling on people to believe in God, obey His messenger: “So We saved him, and those with him, in the laden ark, and We caused the others who stayed behind to drown.” Thus, the end of this very early battle in human history between faith and unfaith is described in very quick words, which also tells of the outcome of every subsequent battle between the two sides in human history.
We then have the comment that follows every sign of God Almighty mentioned in this surah: “Indeed, there is in this a sure sign; yet most of them will not believe. And indeed it is your Lord who is the Mighty One, the Merciful.”
The story of the Prophet Hood and his people then follows. They lived at Al-Ahqaf, an area of sound dunes that is not far from Hadramout in the direction of Yemen. They lived sometime after Noah and his people, and they were one of the communities that deviated from the right path sometime after the floods that punished Noah’s people.
Hood’s story was told in more details in Surah 7, The Heights, and Surah 11, Hood. It is also mentioned in Surah 23, The Believers, without mentioning the names of Hood or his community. It is summed up here between Hood’s address to his community that encouraged them to believe in God’s oneness and the end they faced as God’s punishment befell them.
We will look at this story next week, God willing.