Was Noah’s wife a Muslim?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The Prophet Noah (Nuh) was a prophet sent after the Prophet Enoch (Idris) and was a descendant of him. After the Prophet Idris, some scholars continued their service of guiding people and passed away afterwards. Those scholars, who had a great impact on the people, were loved very much. The devil approached the leading believers by deception and advised them to make signs and symbols that would keep them in mind in order to ensure that the scholars in question would not be forgotten and their advice would always be remembered. The words of the devil, who approached them as if he were one of them and suggested this idea, were accepted.

While statues of scholars were erected, their pictures were hung in houses. People would gather around them at certain times and try not to deviate by listening to the advice of scholars. Over time, these stones began to be worshipped; the purpose of their erection was forgotten; thus, the foundation of idolatry was laid. People stopped worshipping Allah and started worshipping idols. While evil and immorality were increasing, they began to oppress the poor and weak people.

Some people living in Kufa region did not worship anyone other than Allah. Noah’s family was among them.  The Prophet Noah had superior qualities that were not seen in other people. He was around forty years old when he was assigned the duty of prophethood. He began to invite people who had strayed from the path to the true religion.

First, he secretly preached to the people he considered close to him. Over time, he tried to spread his preaching service everywhere. However, those who did not want to believe him covered their ears, and when they saw him, they tried to demoralize him by pulling their clothes over their heads. Noah continued to fulfill the duty given to him for years without being demoralized.

The notables among the idolators began to torture the believers in all kinds of ways. They mocked the poor and low-class people who believed in the Prophet Noah. They claimed that a human being could not be a prophet. The idolaters considered everything in terms of rank, power and matter.

The idolaters told the Prophet of Allah that the poor prevented them from believing, that he should dismiss them, that they did not want to be in the same place with them, and that they would believe if he dismissed them.

“Shall we believe in thee when it is the meanest that follow thee?” (ash-Shuara, 26/111)

In fact, their aim was not to believe but to cause a rift between the believers and the Prophet. When their offer was rejected and they received the answer that the poor people would not be dismissed, they became angry and started making threats.

“O Noah! If thou desist not, O Noah! thou shalt be stoned (to death).!” (ash-Shuara, 26/116)

The Prophet Noah did not give up his duty to convey the message, and the oppressors did not give up their oppression. Thereupon, God Almighty stopped the showers of mercy for forty years. Vineyards and gardens dried up. Animals began to perish. Women stopped giving birth. They risked extinction. The polytheists who were struggling to make a living had no choice but to appeal to Noah. They said that they could get rid of troubles that exceeded the limits of tolerance by applying to him.

The Prophet of Allah advised them to ask for forgiveness from Allah, saying that all those things happened to them because of the sins they committed, that their worshipping idols instead of Allah caused Divine wrath, that the rains stopped and that even innocent animals started to get harmed because of them.

“Eventually, one day you will die and enter the grave... O my people! Come to mercy, believe in God and stop worshipping idols. Seek refuge in Allah from a terrible misfortune that awaits you!” said. (Bünyamin Ateş, Peygamberler Tarihi, p. 161)

Despite all his efforts, the idolaters did not believe in him and blamed him for what had happened to them. They began to say that they were constantly threatened with punishment, that they had run out of patience, and that if what he said was true, he should bring the punishment. They also said, “Let whatever will happen occur.” Noah said that the punishment he mentioned was not under his control, but could only happen by the will of God Almighty. He added that if Allah wished, He could send the punishment and they would never be able to prevent it.

While Noah, who used every means to guide people to the right path, tried to fulfill his duty with patience and fortitude, the idolaters did not believe in him and also tried to prevent his duty of conveying the message. They made fun of him. They accused the prophet of Allah of lying. They even went further and denied him:

“Before them the People of Noah rejected (their apostle): they rejected Our servant, and said, “Here is one possessed!”, and he was driven out. Then he called on his Lord: “I am one overcome: do Thou then help (me)!” (al-Qamar, 54/9-10)

With the command and permission of Allah, Noah built the first ship in human history. Shipbuilding took place miraculously. In fact, this event was one of the miracles of the Prophet. A few believers, who obeyed the divine order and who never gave up solidarity, also worked in shipbuilding. When the duty of conveying the message was not fulfilled, the polytheists reduced their persecution to some extent, but they did not refrain from mocking the believers whenever they visited the construction site. After a very long work, the ship was completed. The Prophet Noah is regarded as the master of sailors because he built the first ship in history.

Risale-i Nur attracts attention to the following message given by the Quran regarding the miracles given to the prophets, including the miracle of the ship:

“O men! In order to honor his prophethood and the complete justice of his rule, I subjugated to one of your fellow men who was totally submissive to me, the huge creatures in my dominions, causing them to speak, and I made most of my troops and animals his servants. In which case, since I have committed to each of you the Supreme Trust, from which the sky, earth, and mountains shrank, and I have given you the ability to be My vicegerent on earth, you should yield to Me, the One in Whose hand are the reins of these creatures, so that the creatures in My dominions may yield also to you, and you may obtain in the name of the One Who holds them, their reins, and rise to a position worthy of your abilities.” (Sözler, p. 236)

Thus, people have been shown a great goal on the path of knowledge and wisdom as the ultimate limits of every miraculous knowledge have been drawn.

Noah’s wife and son

Although the Prophet Noah preached for a very long time, 950 years, his wife did not believe in him. She did not board his ship either. She went so far as to reveal her husband’s secrets to his enemies. (Tabari - Tafsir 28/169, Abulfida - Tafsir, 2/445; Ibn Habib - Kitabulmuhabbar p.383.)

Waila, the wife of Noah, did not believe her esteemed husband; in addition, she told people that Noah was mad. (Tabari -Tafsir, 2/169.) She persisted in unbelief like her people and drowned along with them. (at-Tahrim, 66/10; Abulfida - Tafsir, 2/445.)

One of those who did not believe in the Prophet Noah was his son Kanan. Although Noah told his son to get on the ship and not be among the unbelievers, out of both his prophetic and fatherly compassion, he could not get him to obey him. “I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water,” he replied. Noah said,

“This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy...” (Hud, 11/43)

Although the waters rose and the ship sailed, the hand extended with fatherly compassion was rejected. Thus, Kanan headed for a fall.

Noah’s Flood

The universe was enraged by the evil of the people of misguidance. A great flood broke out as a result of the flood that befell Noah’s nation and “the assaults of the heavens and earth” (Lem’alar, p. 86). The rain falling from the sky and the water gushing from the ground combined to prepare the destruction of the unbelieving people of Noah. Those who believed in the Prophet continued their journey on the ship under the supervision and protection of God Almighty. (al-Qamar, 54/12-14)

After the unbelievers were destroyed and the believers were saved, the following happened by the command of God Almighty:

Then the word went forth: “O earth! swallow up thy water, and O sky! Withhold (thy rain)!” and the water abated, and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi, and the word went forth: “Away with those who do wrong!” (Hud, 11/44)

After fulfilling his duty as a prophet for 950 years, the Prophet Noah passed away at the age of 1050 according to narrations.

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