Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 24)
The Noah (peace be upon him)s wife and her stance towards his call
Sometimes a caller (preacher) may be persecuted by his people and friends; but when he returns home, he finds peace and spiritual comfort. This is what the last of the Prophets and Messengers, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), experienced with Hazrat Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her). Hazrat Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was a sincere minister to the Messenger of Allah in times of hardship and ease; the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) complained to her and found peace with her, he relied on her and Khadija consoled him. He was the Prophet’s helper against hardships and sufferings, and he is truly the one whom the Holy Quran called “the source of peace”: ”وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجاً لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ” Translation: “And among His signs is that He created for you from among yourselves mates that you may find peace in them, and He put love and affection between you and them. Indeed, in this are signs for people who reflect.”[1]
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) made every effort to alleviate the problems of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), shared in his sorrows and pains, relieved him of these sorrows, and strengthened his spirit of continuity and steadfastness, to the point where she was truly a great example of what a believing wife who believes in the call to goodness can do for the success, stability, and continuity of her inviting husband.[2]
But Prophet Noah (peace be upon him), Allah afflicted him with his people and his family. Almighty Allah says: “ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا اِمْرَأَةَ نُوحٍ وَاِمْرَأَةَ لُوطٍ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً وَقِيلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدَّاخِلِينَ” “Translation: “Allah has exemplified Noah’s wife and Lot’s wife from among the disbelievers. They were married of two of Our righteous servants, and they betrayed them (by plotting with their people and reporting their secrets and news to them), and they could not do the least thing for them in the sight of Allah, and (save them from the torment of this world and the severe torment of the Hereafter. At the time of death, it was said to them by the angels of the Hellfire: “Enter Hell along with all those who enter it.”[3]
The betrayal of Noah’s wife was that she believed in what her people believed in, namely the sanctification of idols and the immersion in the disbelief and stubbornness of her people. She did not care about her husband’s call and took a position of rejection against it. Not only that, she did not stop at this, but she conveyed the news and secrets of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) to his enemies. Whenever someone believed in Noah, she conveyed this news to the oppressors of Noah’s people. Therefore, her betrayal was a betrayal of religion, not of chastity, because the wives of the prophets are free from adultery.
Because of this betrayal, he deserved to drown in the world along with the drowned, as Allah Almighty says: “حَتَّى إِذَا جَاء أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا احْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ آمَنَ” Translation: “(Noah was busy with his work and the disbelievers continued to mock) until Our command (based on the destruction of the disbelievers) came and the water began to boil from the earth (and Our wrath reached its peak. We said to Noah: Embark on the ship a male and a female of every kind, and your family, except those against whom the command to destroy has already been issued (which is your wife and one of your sons), and those who have believed.”[4]
The commentators have said: “And carry in it your family” meaning the his family and his relatives, except those against whom the command to destroy has been issued and who did not believe in Allah, including his son who was left alone, and Noah’s wife who disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger.[5]
For this reason, she and her son were destroyed along with those who perished, and they also deserved to enter the Fire in the Hereafter with those who enter it, as Allah Almighty says: “وَقِيلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدَّاخِلِينَ” Translation: “And it was said, ‘Enter Hell with all those who enter it.”[6]
Her marriage to Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) was of no benefit to her, because kinship is of no benefit to Allah, but what is beneficial is faith in Allah and righteous deeds.
The son of Noah (peace be upon him) and his stance towards his father’s call
Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) was not only subjected to hardship from his wife, who turned away from the call to faith, and his calamity did not end in his house with his wife, but he also took the disbelief of one of his children with him, just as the mother of this unfortunate person took with her.
When Noah (peace be upon him) cursed his people with destruction and said: “رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّاراً * إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِراً كَفَّاراً” Translation: “Noah (continued his prayer and) said: My Lord! Do not leave on the earth any of the disbelievers. If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and they will not give birth to anything but transgressors and disbelievers.”[7]
Continues…
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References:
- Rum: 21.
- Ahmad Abd al-Ghani, Al-Jamal, Hijrah al-Rasul wa Sahabah fi Qur’an and Sunnah, Egypt: Dar al-Wafa, 1409 AH, pp. 123-124.
- Al-Tahrim: 10.
- Hud: 40.
- Ali bin Ahmad, al-Wahidi, Tafsir al-Wasit, vol. 2, p. 573; Imad al-Din Abi al-Fada Ismail, Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azeem, vol. 2, p. 445.
- Al-Tahrim: 10.
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Noah: 26-27.
