We sent Noah to his people and he dwelt among them for a thousand years bar fifty; and then the floods overwhelmed them as they were deep in wrongdoing; but We saved him, together with all those who were in the ark, which We made as a sign for all people.
And Abraham said to his people: “Worship God, and fear Him. This is best for you, if you but knew it! You worship only idols instead of God, and thus you create falsehood. Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you. Seek, then, all sustenance from God, and worship Him alone and be grateful to Him. Indeed, to Him you shall return. If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message”.
(The Spider, Al-Ankaboot: 29: 14-18)
“We sent Noah to his people and he dwelt among them for a thousand years bar fifty.” The weightier view is that the duration of Noah’s message was 950 years, preceded by an undefined period before he received his revelations and followed by an unspecified period after he and the believers were saved from the floods. This is certainly a very long life that seems to us, nowadays, to be unnatural and unknown in humanity. Yet we have this information from the most truthful source, God Almighty. This is more than sufficient for it to be accepted as true. If we want some sort of explanation for it, we could say that the human population of the earth at that time was small. It is possible, therefore, that God gave those early generations longer lives so that life on earth could progress. When human numbers increased, there was no longer any need for such long lives. This reflects a phenomenon applicable to some species. For example, certain types of eagle, vulture and turtle can live for centuries. Contrast this with flies, which breed in their millions, and which have a life span as short as two weeks, or less. All wisdom belongs to God, and everything He does is according to a careful measure. Furthermore, despite the near millennium of Noah’s advocacy of the divine message there were still only a small number of believers. The floods swept away the overwhelming majority because of their continued opposition to the divine message. Only the small numbers of believers were saved in the ark. This story of the floods and the ark was to become “a sign for all people,” telling us about the end of unbelief and injustice.
The surah moves on several centuries bringing into focus the divine message as preached by Abraham: “And Abraham said to his people: ‘Worship God, and fear Him. This is best for you, if you but knew it! You worship only idols instead of God, and thus you create falsehood. Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you. Seek, then, all sustenance from God, and worship Him alone and be grateful to Him. Indeed, to Him you shall return. If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message.’”
Abraham’s call to his people was clear, unambiguous and very well structured. It served as a good model for all advocates of the divine faith. He started by telling them of the true nature of his message: “Worship God, and fear Him.” Furthermore, he made this appealing to them, stating that it contained much goodness for them, if they would only know it: “This is best for you, if you but knew it!” In other words, if they were not ignorant, they would choose what was good for them. This is a simple and real truth that needs no fiery speeches to impart its essence.
Then Abraham explains how flawed their religion is, especially their worship of wooden statues. What an absurd substitute for worshipping the Almighty! Secondly, evidence to support their beliefs was completely lacking; they only invented what was false. Furthermore, such statues and idols are of no benefit, as they cannot provide people with anything: “Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you.”
Then Abraham directs people to seek their provisions from God. On Him alone should they rely for what is most important in their lives: “Seek, then, all sustenance from God.” Provisions and sustenance are people’s first preoccupation, particularly those who have not experienced the meaning of faith. Yet to seek sustenance from God alone is the most obvious thing to do.
Finally, Abraham calls on them to address their worship and thanks to God who grants sustenance and bestows blessings on all creatures: “And worship Him alone and be grateful to Him.” He also tells them that their return to God is inevitable. It is better for them, then, that they should turn to Him now as believers and address their worship and gratitude to Him alone: “Indeed, to Him you shall return.” (Verse 17)
If they continue to disbelieve, however, it is of no consequence. They will not affect God in the least. Nor will His Messenger lose anything. Many were the communities that denied God’s message in the past. God’s messengers’ only task is to deliver His message with the utmost clarity: “If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message.”
Thus, Abraham shows them the way to belief, addressing their hearts with the utmost precision. It is useful for advocates of the divine message to reflect on and emulate Abraham’s method.
