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Chapter 3
Prophet Nuh a.s. (Noah, peace be upon him)

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We (once) sent Nuh to his people and he tarried among them a thousand
years less fifty but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in)
sin. (Al-Ankabut 29:14)

According to majority of the early Scholars and archaeological studies, Nuh (a.s.)
and his people lived in the region of Mesopotamia (Iraq). He was Nuh bin Lamik bin
Mattushalikh bin Khanukh (Enoch) bin Yard, bin Mahlabeel bin Qinan bin Anoush
bin Shith (Seth) bin Adam the Father of Mankind. Ibn `Abbas (r.a.) said that the
day when Nuh was born, Lamik was eighty-two years old. (According to Genesis
Chapter 5:28-29, he was one hundred and eighty two years old) Ibn Abbas (r.a.)
also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, The period between Adam
and Nuh was ten (Qarn) centuries. (Al Bukhari). Nuh (a.s.) was born 1056 years
after Adam's creation (or after he left the Garden). He was four hundred and eighty
years old when he began preaching his mission, and continued for one hundred
and twenty years. Nuh (a.s.) had four sons Sam (Shem), Ham, Yafith (Japeth) and
Kin`an (Canaan) who was drowned during the flood. (According to Old Testament
Canaan was the son of Ham and thus a grandson of Noah, but he was not
drowned, Genesis 9:18). Allah appointed Nuh (a.s.) to call upon his people to the
worship of the One and Only God, Allah.

Origin of Idol Worshipping
Since after the time of the Prophet Idris (a.s.) men began to entertain the idea of
creating images which later turned into objects of reverence and worship. In the
era of Nuh (a.s.), the people indulged in Paganism (Idol Worshiping) and it became
widespread as the leaders condoned this practice. They believed in the powers of
these gods that would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their
needs. The names of the gods they worshipped were Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq,
and Nasr (These idols represented, manly power, mutability, beauty, brute
strength, swiftness and sharp vision). When Prophet Nuh (a.s.) called upon them to
worship Allah, the One and Only God, the chief amongst them bitterly opposed
him. They (idolaters) have said: You shall not leave your gods nor shall you
leave Wadd, nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth, nor Ya uq nor Nasr. (Nuh 71:23)

These names were actually names of pious men who had lived before the time of
Nuh (a.s.). After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories
alive. After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues. Later
generations did not even know why they had been erected. They only knew their
parents had prayed to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Ibn Abbas
(r.a.) narrated: Following upon the death of those righteous men, Satan inspired
their people to erect statues in the places where they used to sit. They did this, but
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these statues were not worshiped until the coming generations deviated from the
right way of life. Then they worshipped them as their idols. In his version, At-
Tabari narrated that there were righteous people who lived in the period between
Adam (a.s.) and Nuh (a.s.) and who had followers who held them as models. After
their death, their friends who used to emulate them said, If we make statues of
them, it will be more pleasing to us in our worship and will remind us of them. So
they built statues of them and after they had died and others came after them, Iblis
crept into their minds saying, Your forefathers used to worship them, and through
that worship they got rain. So they worshipped them. Ibn Abi Hatim related this
story, that Waddan was a righteous man who was loved by his people. When he
died, they withdrew to his grave in the land of Babylonia and were overwhelmed by
sadness. When Iblis saw their sorrow caused by his death, he disguised himself in
the form of a man saying, I have seen your sorrow because of this man's death,
can I make a statue like him which could be put in your meeting place to make you
remember him? They said, Yes. So he made the statue like him. They put it in
their meeting place in order to be reminded of him. When Iblis saw their interest in
remembering him, he said, Can I build a statue of him in the home of each one of
you so that he would be in everyone's house and you could remember him? They
agreed and their children learnt about it and saw what they were doing. They also
learnt about their remembrance of him instead of Allah. So the first to be
worshipped was Waddan, as the idol which they named so. The essence of this
point is that every idol from those earlier mentioned was worshipped by a certain
group of people. It was mentioned that people made pictures and as the ages
passed they made these pictures into statues, so that their forms could be fully
recognised, afterwards they were worshipped instead of Allah. It was narrated that
Umm Salmah (r.a.) and Umm Habibah (r.a.) told the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
about the church called Maria, which they had seen in the land of Abyssinia.
They described its beauty and the pictures therein. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
said: Those are the people who build places of worship on the grave of every dead
man who was righteous and then make therein those pictures. Those are the worst
of creation unto Allah (Al-Bukhari).

None whatsoever is worthy of worship except Allah, so therefore if human worship
any other or another, it means that worship is propagated by Satan, whose most
lethal ploy is to misguide human into committing Shirk. Allah created man with a
sound logic to accept the simplest of truth and that is, God is One and Only, Allah
the Lord, the Creator, and all the rest are His creatures. Oneness represents
Absolute Almightiness free from any needs, while duality represents the need for
one another and this is the simple logic. Verily, joining others in worship with
Allah is a great Zulm (i.e. grievously wronging oneself) (Luqman 31:13). Thus
it is unbecoming of human to commit Shirk. However, in his imperfection human
may commit sins which can be forgiven without punishment or atonement. But
Shirk (associating partners with Allah i.e. Polytheism or Paganism), is singled-out
by Allah as a sin that is un-forgivable. Surely Allah does not forgive that a
partner be ascribed to Him, although He forgives any other sins for
whomever He wills. He who associates anyone with Allah in His divinity has
indeed forged a mighty lie and committed a great sin (An-Nisaa` 4:48). This is
to impress upon those who took Shirk as a trivial matter, to be aware that Shirk is
the most grievous sin. But if one who commits Shirk repented before he dies, then
Allah accepts his repentance.
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Allah Sent Nuh (a.s.)
He was the first Nabi (Prophet) and Rasul (Messenger) sent with a specific mission.
Ibn Abbas (r.a.) reported that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, Nuh (a.s.) was
appointed as Prophet at age forty and lived for sixty tears after the flood
(Mustadrak Al-Hakim). Unlike previous Prophets, Nuh (a.s.) was frequently aided
by Jibril with revelation in his task of addressing a nation, not just a community.
Nuh (a.s.) was the most righteous amongst his people, a wise and a very patient
man, who called upon the people to common sense. Nuh (a.s.) pointed out to his
people the wonders of nature made subservient to humans. He pointed out how the
night is regularly followed by the day and that the balance between these opposites
was designed by Allah the Almighty for our good. The night gives coolness and rest
while the day gives warmth and awakens activity. The sun encourages growth,
keeping all plants and animals alive, while the moon and stars assist in the
reckoning of time, direction and seasons. He pointed out that the ownership of the
heavens and the earth belongs only to the Divine Creator. The Qur`an relates:
What is amiss with you that you do not look forward to the majesty of Allah
when He has created you in stages? Do you not see how Allah has created
seven heavens, one upon the other, and has placed the moon in them as a
light, and the sun as a radiant lamp? And Allah has caused you to grow out
of the earth so wondrously, and He will later cause you to return to it and
will then again bring you out of it. Allah has made the earth a wide expanse
for you so that you may tread its spacious paths. (Nuh 71:13-20)

Therefore, Nuh (a.s.) explained to this people, there cannot have been more than
one god. He clarified to them how Satan had deceived them for so long and that the
time had come for this deceit to stop. Nuh (a.s.) spoke to them of Allah's
glorification of man, how Allah had created him and provided him with sustenance
and the blessings of a mind. He told them that idol worshipping was a suffocating
injustice to the mind. He warned them not to worship anyone but Allah and
described the terrible punishment Allah would mete out if they continued in their
evil ways. The people listened to him in silence. His words were a shock to their
stagnating minds as it is a shock to a person who is asleep under a wall which is
about to fall and who is vigorously awakened. This person may be alarmed and
may even become angry although the aim was to save him. Nuh's (a.s.) people were
divided into two groups after his warning. His words touched the hearts of the
weak, the poor, and the miserable and soothed their wounds with its mercy. As for
the wealthy, the powerful and the rulers they were too obsessed with their
achievements and luxurious life, to even listen to the call. They started to rebuke
Nuh (a.s.) bitterly and in arrogance they refused to acknowledge his Prophethood:
The chiefs of the disbelievers among his people said: "We see you but a man
like ourselves (Hud 11:27)

Nuh (a.s.), however, asserted that, indeed he was only a human being. Allah had
sent a human messenger because humans inhabit the earth. If, it had been
inhabited by Angels, Allah would have sent an Angelic messenger. The contest
between the polytheists and Nuh (a.s.) continued. The rulers had thought at first
that Nuh's (a.s.) call would soon fade away. When they found that his call attracted
the poor, the helpless and common people, they started to verbally attack and
taunt him, You are only followed by the poor, the meek and the worthless. Thus
they began intimidating Allahs Messenger.
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The Qur`an relates: Indeed We sent Nuh to his people (he said), I have come
to you as a plain Warner that you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for
you the torment of a painful Day. The chiefs of the disbelievers among his
people said, We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow
you but the meanest among us and they too followed you without thinking.
And we do not see in you any merit above us in fact we think you are liars.
(Hud 11:25-27)

The conflict between Nuh (a.s.) and the chiefs of his people intensified. They tried
to bargain, Listen Nuh, if you want us to believe in you then dismiss your
believers. They are meek and poor, while we are elite and rich, no faith can include
us both. Nuh (a.s.) listened to the heathens of his community and realised they
were being obstinate. However, he was gentle in his response and explained to his
people that he could not dismiss the believers as they were not his guests but
Allah's. Nuh (a.s.) appealed to them: And O my People! I ask you for no wealth
in return: my reward is from none but Allah, but I will not drive away (in
contempt) those who believe for verily they are to meet their Lord, and you, I
see, are the ignorant ones! And O my People! Who would help me against
Allah if I drove them away? Will you not then take heed? I tell you not that
with me are the Treasures of Allah, nor do I know what is hidden, nor claim
I to be an angel. Nor yet do I say, of those whom your eyes do despise that
Allah will not grant them (all) that is good, Allah knows best what is in their
souls, I should, if I did, indeed be a wrong-doer. (Hud 11:29-31)

Nuh (a.s.) refuted the arguments of the disbelievers with the noble knowledge of the
prophets. It is the logic of intellect that rids itself of personal pride and interests.
The rulers were tired of Nuh's (a.s.) arguments. They said: O Nuh! You have
disputed with us and much have you prolonged the dispute with us, now
bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful. He
said: Only Allah will bring it (the punishment) on you, if He will, and then
you will escape not. And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give
you counsel, if Allah's Will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord! And to
Him you shall return. (Hud 11:32-34)

The battle continued, the arguments between the disbelievers and Nuh (a.s.)
became prolonged. When all the refutations of the disbelievers collapsed and they
had no more to say, they began to be rude and insulted Allah's prophet: The
leaders of his people said: Verily, we see you in plain error. (Al-A`raf 7:60)
Nuh (a.s.) responded in the manner of a prophet: O my people! There is no error
in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the Worlds I convey unto you
the Messages of my Lord and give sincere advice to you. And I know from
Allah what you know not. (Al-A`raf 7:61-62)

Nuh (a.s.) continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah relentlessly. He
admonished his people and called them to be mindful of Allah. He explained Allah's
Mercy and Clemency for His creatures and gave them examples of Allah's signs,
perchance that they might ponder and arrive at the truth. But whenever he called
them to Allah, they ran away from him. Whenever Nuh (a.s.) urged them to ask
Allah for forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears and became too proud to
listen to Allahs Messenger.
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The Qur`an relates what Nuh (a.s.) faced: Verily, We sent Nuh to his people
saying, Warn your people before there comes to them a painful torment.
He said: O my people! Verily, I am a plain Warner to you, that you should
worship Allah alone, be dutiful to Him and obey me, He (Allah) will forgive
you of your sins and respite you to an appointed term. Verily, the term of
Allah when it comes, cannot be delayed, if you but knew. He said, O my
Lord! Verily, I have called my people night and day (secretly and openly to
accept the one and only God, Allah), but all my calling added nothing but to
their flight from the truth. Verily! Every time I called unto them that You
might forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, covered
themselves up with their garments, and persisted (in their refusal), and
magnified themselves in pride. Then verily, I called to them openly (aloud);
then verily, I proclaimed to them in public, and I have appealed to them in
private, I said to them, Ask forgiveness from your Lord, Verily, He is Oft
Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in
wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.
(Nuh 71:1-12)

Nuh (a.s.) was concerned for his people, as he wondered, what is the matter with
them? Dont they belief in the simple truth that God is One and Only? That Allah
created all in creation and provides them with provisions? Dont they fear death
and eventual return to Allah? Dont they know that there is accountability? Dont
they fear Allahs punishment for their wrong-doings? Above all, Prophet Nuh (a.s.)
stressed the Mercy and Reward from Allah are still within their reach if they wish
to attain them. But, alas, they were persistent in disobedience and plotted against
Nuh (a.s.) by elevating themselves with dignity as chiefs, and belittling Nuh (a.s.). It
happened that every passing generation admonished the succeeding one not to
believe Nuh (a.s.) but to be hostile towards him. A father would teach his child
about the matter that was between himself and Nuh (a.s.) and counsel him to
reject his call when he reached adulthood. Their natural disposition rejected
believing and following the truth. Nuh said: My Lord! They have disobeyed me,
and followed one whose wealth and children give him no increase but only
loss. They have plotted a mighty plot (Nuh 71:21-22).

Nuh (a.s.) was very patient and earnest as he continued to call his people to believe
in Allah for nine hundred fifty years (as cited in Surah Al Ankabut 29:14). Nuh
(a.s.) saw that only a small number of believers were with him, while the majority
remained as disbelievers. He was sad for his people, but he never reached the point
of despair. There, came a day when Allah revealed to Nuh (a.s.) that no others
would believe. Allah inspired him not to grieve for them at which point Nuh (a.s.)
prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed. Nuh (a.s.) said: My Lord! Leave not
one of the disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead
Your servants and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers (Nuh 71:27).

The Building of the Ark
Allah granted Nuh's (a.s.) prayer and the matter was settled. Allah commanded him
to build an ark with guidance and with the help of Angels. And construct the
ship under Our Eyes and with Our Inspiration and address Me not on behalf
of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned. (Hud 11:37).
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Nuh (a.s.) chose a place outside the city, far from the sea. He collected wood and
tools and began to build the ark. The people's mockery continued, O Nuh! Does
carpentry appeal to you more than prophethood? Why are you building an ark so
far from the sea, are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it
for you? He replied, You will come to know who will be put to shame and suffer.
The Qur`an relates: As he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of
his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: If you
mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking. And you will
know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with
disgrace and on whom will fall a lasting torment. (Hud 11:38-39)

In Tabaqat Ibn S`ad, Ibn Abbas (r.a.) related that the ark was completed when Nuh
(a.s.) was 650 years old. The Ark was 300 cubits long (approximately 145 meters),
by the cubit of Nuh`s grand-father, and its width was 50 cubits (approximately 25
meters) and it height was 30 cubits (approximately 15 meters). Then Nuh (a.s.)
waited for Allah's command, then Allah revealed to him that when water
miraculously gushed forth from the oven at his house, which would be the sign of
the start of the flood, and the sign for him to act. So it was till then there came
Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the
earth). We said: Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and
your family, except him against whom the word has already gone forth, and
those who believe. And none believed him except a few. (Hud 11:40)

The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nuh's (a.s.) house overflowed. Nuh (a.s.)
hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair,
male and female, of every type of animal in his possession. Nuh's (a.s.) wife,
Waghilah was not amongst those who boarded the ark, she was a disbeliever
together with one of Nuh's (a.s.) sons Kin`an, who had pretended faith in front of
Nuh (a.s.) but was a disbeliever all the while. Thereafter Allah instructed Nuh (a.s.):
And then when you and those accompanying you are firmly seated in the
Ark, say, Thanks be to Allah Who has delivered us from the wrong-doing
people And say, My Lord! Make my landing a blessed landing, for You are
the Best of those Who can cause people to land in safety (Al-Mu`minun
23:28-29).

The Great Flood
Water rose from the cracks in the earth, there was not a crack from which water
did not rise. Rain poured from the sky for forty nights and forty days in quantities
like never seen before. Water continued pouring from the sky rising from the
cracks, hour after hour the level rose. The seas and waves invaded the land. The
interior of the earth moved in a strange way, and the ocean floors lifted suddenly,
flooding the dry land. The Qur`an relates the story: He (Nuh) said, Embark
therein in the Name of Allah will be its moving course and its resting
anchorage. Surely, my Lord is Oft Forgiving, most Merciful. So it (the ship)
sailed with them amidst the waves like mountains, and Nuh called out to
his son, who had separated himself (apart), O my son! Embark with us and
be not with the disbelievers. The son replied, I will betake myself to a
mountain, it will save me from the water. Nuh said, This day there is no
saviour from the Decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy. And a
wave came in between them so he (the son) was among the drowned. It was
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said, O Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold (your rain) The
water was made to subside and the Decree (of Allah) was fulfilled (the
destruction of Nuhs people). And it (the ark) rested on Al-Judi, and it was
said: Away with the people who are wrongdoers! Nuh called upon his Lord
and said, O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! Certainly, Your Promise
is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges. Allah said: O Nuh! Surely,
he is not of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me
that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you be one of the
ignorant. Nuh said: O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You
that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have
Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers. It was said: O Nuh! Come
down (from the ark) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the
people who are with you (and on some of their offspring), but (there will be
other) people to whom We shall grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the
end a painful torment will reach them from Us. (Hud 11:41-48)

Calm returned to earth, the water retreated and the dry land shone once again in
the rays of the sun. The flood had cleansed the earth of the disbelievers and
polytheists. The believers disembarked and Nuh (a.s.) put his forehead to the
ground in prostration. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it. Lighting a fire
had been prohibited on board so as not to ignite the ark's wood. None of them had
eaten hot food during the entire period of the flood. Following the disembarkation
there was a day of fasting in showing gratitude to Allah. As mentioned, the Ark
rested on Al-Judi, and according to Qatadah (r.a.), Allah left the ship of Nuh intact
until the first generation of this Ummah were able to see it. When the Muslims
conquered Iraq and Al-Jazirah they saw the Ark near the settlement of Baqirda (Al-
Bukhari). And We left the Ark as a Sign. Is there, then, any who will take
heed? (Al-Qamar 54:15). [Read Appendix II for more details on the Flood & the Ark]

Events after the Flood
They had boarded the Ark on the tenth days of the month of Rajab and emerged
from it on the tenth of Muharram. It is why he fasts on the tenth of Muharram.
Ibn Abbas (r.a.) stated that there were 80 believers while Kaab Al-Ahbar held that
there were 72 believers. Nuh (a.s.) disembarked from the Ark in a village and every
one of them (his companions) built a house for themselves and so it was called Suq
Ath-Thamanin (Market of eighty persons). We do not know exactly how Prophet Nuh
(a.s.) and his people lived, but according to Ibn Abbas (r.a.), Nuh married a woman
from the lineage of Qabil, who bore him a son named Yunatan. This boy was born
in a village towards the east Ma`al Nur Shams (near Syria). When the town Suq
Ath-Thamanin could not suffice for them they all shifted to Babil (Babylon). They
multiplied and their numbers reached one hundred thousand, and all of them were
believers. All of Nuh`s (a.s.) forefathers up to Adam were believers (Tabaqaat Ibn
S`ad). Abdullah bin Amr (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said:
When the death of the Messenger of Allah Nuh approached, he admonished his sons,
Indeed I would give you far reaching advice, commanding you to do two things, and
warning you against doing two things as well. I charge you to believe that there is no
god but Allah and that if the seven heavens and the seven earths were put on one
side of a scale and the words - there is no god except Allah was put on the other, the
latter would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners with Allah
and against pride. (Al-Bukhari)
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When Nuh (a.s.) disembarked from the Ark, he interred Adam (a.s.) at Baitul-
Muqaddas (Jerusalem) where he died and was buried. Some traditions said that
his grave is in the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, while others said that he was buried
in Baalabak, a city in Iraq.

Shirk - Lesson on Setting Precedence
Idol worshipping or paganism that is, worshipping others as God or elevating
images or statues to a position of honour and respect is not inherent in human
nature, as it do not stand to reason and further it is not in accordance to what his
intellect dictates. However, humans desire can be habitual and so Satans ploy is
to cause human to fall into a habit by setting precedence. Iblis started off by
playing with humans emotion of grief for the loss of love ones and did not touch on
matters of Iman or worship at all. The statues or images of their love ones were not
worshipped until after those people who carved them, had died. The next
generation due to ignorance elevated them to deities. As a result of which ancestral
worship took shape in the form of showing respect and reverence. In time human
began to develop the habit of revering these statues or images associating them
with God, without realizing the clear difference between Tauhid (Monotheism -
strictly believing and worshipping One God) and Shirk (Polytheism - loosely
associating objects as representing God). All these habits done repeatedly and
continuously from generation to generation became custom and thereafter became
religion. The effect of this is evident as Ibn Abbas (r.a.) narrated: The idols that
were among the people of Nuh wound up among the Arabs afterwards. In reference
to Wadd, it became the idol of the Tribe of Kalb in the area of Doumat Al-Jandal.
Suwa` became the idol of the Tribe of Hudhail. Yaghuth became the idol of the
Tribe of Murad, then the Tribe of Ghutaif at Al-Juruf in the area of Saba'
worshipped it after them. Ya`uq became the idol of the Tribe of Hamdan. Nasr
became the idol of the Tribe of Himyar for the family of Dhul Kala` (Al-Bukhari).

Clarifying Misconceptions
The flood according to the Qur`an refutes the notion that the flood was global in
nature. The following verses from the Qur`an clarifies: They rejected him, but We
delivered him, and those with him, in the Ark and We made them inherit
(the earth), while We overwhelmed in the Flood those who rejected Our Signs,
Then see what was the end of those who were warned (but heeded not)!
(Yunus 10:73). Archaeologists, Sir Leonard Woolley was one of the first to propose
that the flood described in the Book of Genesis was local after identifying a flood-
strata at Ur: ...400 miles long and 100 miles wide; but for the occupants of the
valley that was the whole world. Another matter to bear in mind is that of the
criteria for accountability: Nor was your Lord the One to destroy a population
until He had sent to its centre a messenger, rehearsing to them Our Signs;
nor are We going to destroy a population except when its members practice
iniquity (Al-Qasas 28:59). Another misconception is that human ancestry derived
from the three sons of Nuh (a.s.) or only from those on board the Ark. First of all
the Qur`an mentions, that human have lived across the region (See Surah Ar-Rum
30:20 on page 34). Further, the Qur`an mentions in referring to the Arabs and
Jewish people: You are the descendants of those whom We carried (in the
Ark) with Nuh. He was truly a thankful servant (Al-Isra` 17:3). The Qur`an
also mentioned those descending from Adam (a.s.) and Nuh (a.s.) separately:
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These are the Prophets upon whom Allah bestowed His favour from the seed
of Adam, and from the seed of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Nuh
and from the seed of Ibrahim and Isra`il. They were those whom We guided
and chose (in honour). They were such that when the words of the Most
Compassionate Lord were recited to them, they fell down in prostration,
weeping. (Maryam 19:58)

Deen & Tamaddun (Civilization)
Human have the natural tendencies of improving life, ideally with the state of
spiritual wellbeing by following the Deen. As we have known since the beginning of
civilization, mankind lived in communities and spread to various part of the world.
Among His Signs is this - that He created you from dust; and then, behold,
you are men scattered (far and wide)! And among His Signs is this that He
created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in
tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your
(hearts), verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. And among His Signs
is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your
languages and your colours; verily in that are Signs for those who know.
And among His Signs is the sleep that you take by night and by day, and the
quest that you (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty, verily in that are
Signs for those who hearken. (Ar-Rum 30:20-23)

Bear in mind that Allah created human with a good nature with love and affection
imbued in him that is vital in establishing a good and wholesome family unit. Then
the community enjoin tolerance by acknowledging the variety of human races and
languages as among the Signs of Allah to be cherished and to be in awe of Allahs
Greatness. Variations exist not for the purpose of discrimination or as justification
to create enmity. As humans strive in this world, the Qur`an reminds of virtues
that needed to be uphold. Thus as human make advancement, the virtues of Iman,
Akhlaq and Adab improve as well. For a civilization devoid of virtues is a failure.

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female. And
made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that
you may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of
Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge
and is well acquainted (with all things). (Al-Hujurat 49:13)


[The brief chart of Nuh (a.s.) descendant on Page 35 is based on Tabaqaat of Ibn
Sa`d and Sirah of Ibn Jarir At-Tabari, in order to have some idea on the genealogy
of those after the Great Flood, for the sake of knowing one another, as required and
that humans share a common ancestor in Adam and Hawa. However, it is
important to note that lengthy and detailed charts on genealogy recorded by
historians are not entirely accurate]






35
The Arab and Hebrew
(Two Prominent Semitic Races)


Nuh
Ham
Sam
Yafith
Iram Khaleem Laudh
Arfakhshad
Athir
Thamud
Salih
`Us
`Ad
Hud
Imlaq
Qahtan
Jurhum
Saba`
Shalih
Heber
Paligh
Raghu
Sarough
Azar
Haran Ibrahim
Lut
Ishaq Isma`il
Daughter of Mudad Al
Jurhum
Descendant of the children of Isma`il known as Musta`riba Naturalised
Arabs forms the third group of Arabic race. Example - Adnan, Mudar, Qais,
Hawazin, Quraish etc.

1. Ba`idah Perished Arabs

2. `Aribah Pure Arabs

Ibrahim crossed the Euphrates into Haran that
led to him being called Ibrani one who
crossed, hence perhaps the term Hebrew.
Ya`rub
Yashjub
Jadis
3. Hebrew or descendant of Heber/Eber son of Shalih (According
to Jewish sources)
Nahur