The Era of Nuh (AS)
The Quran places Nuh (AS) after a period when humanity had forgotten the monotheism established by Adam (AS). Idol worship had spread: five specific idols are named in the Quran (71:23): Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, and Nasr — originally these were names of righteous people, and their statues were made to honor them, then gradually worshipped.
“Indeed, We sent Nuh to his people, [saying], ‘Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment.’” (71:1)
950 Years of Da’wa
“And We had certainly sent Nuh to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years.” (29:14) — 950 years of preaching, the most sustained individual prophetic effort described in the Quran.
Nuh (AS) described his strategy to Allah:
“He said, ‘My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day, but my invitation increased them not except in flight. And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance. Then I invited them publicly. Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly.’” (71:5-9)
Every da’wa method — public, private, gentle invitation, reminder of blessings, warning of punishment — failed. The Quran records the depth of their resistance: fingers in ears, robes pulled over heads, deliberate refusal to listen.
The result: only a small number believed. The Quran does not specify exactly how many, but implies they were few.
The Refusal of Family — The Son
One of the most poignant passages in the Quran is Nuh’s son: when the flood came and Nuh (AS) was calling all believers onto the Ark, he called to his son:
“And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Nuh called to his son who was apart [from them]: ‘O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers.’” (11:42)
His son refused, trusting in a mountain to save him. He drowned. Nuh (AS) called to Allah: “‘My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges.’” (11:45)
Allah responded: “He said, ‘O Nuh, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he [whose work] was other than righteous — so do not ask Me about that of which you have no knowledge.’” (11:46)
This is among the Quran’s sharpest teachings: the bond with Allah transcends blood. True family is defined by iman and din, not by genealogy.
The Ark and the Flood
“And construct the ship under Our Eyes and Our inspiration.” (11:37) — The aristocracy of Nuh’s people mocked him as he built the Ark in the middle of dry land. He responded: “‘If you ridicule us, then we will ridicule you just as you ridicule. And you are going to know who will get a punishment that will disgrace him [on earth] and upon whom will descend an enduring punishment.’” (11:38-39)
The sign: “Until when Our command came and the oven overflowed.” (11:40) — Water gushed from the earth’s depths (the tannur/clay oven gushing water is identified as the sign to board the Ark).
“He said, ‘Embark therein; in the name of Allah is its course and its anchorage.’” (11:41)
The flood covered the earth; all disbelievers perished. When it subsided: “‘O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].’” (11:44) — The Ark settled on Mount Judi (a mountain in the region of Turkey/Iraq).
The Covenant After the Flood
From Nuh’s (AS) descendants came all subsequent human generations. The Quran confirms:
“And We made his descendants those who remained.” (37:77)
His three sons — Sam, Ham, and Yafith (Shem, Ham, Japheth) — became the ancestors of the world’s peoples according to Islamic tradition (as in the Biblical tradition). This makes Nuh (AS) the second father of humanity — the first being Adam (AS).
The du’a of Nuh (AS): He is among those prophets whose du’a is explicitly answered in the Quran: “‘My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant.’” (71:26) — His prayer was for comprehensive cleansing after 950 years of rejection. The gravity of this prayer reflects both his exhausted patience and his concern for future generations.
His final testament: “O my son, I enjoin on you to say there is no god but Allah — if the seven heavens and seven earths and all they contain were placed in one pan and ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ in another, ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ would outweigh them.” (Ibn Hibban) — Though this report is disputed, it captures the tradition of Nuh’s (AS) final emphasis on tawhid.
See also: Prophets In Islam, Adam Alayhis Salam, Ibrahim Alayhis Salam, Tawhid Divine Unity, Usul Al Din, Nabi Vs Rasul, Seerah Pre Islam