The Prophet Nuh

An early messenger of Allah

Nuh, known in English as Noah, is important in Islam as one of Allah’s first messengers. A messenger communicates Allah’s guidance to people. Nuh’s task was to call his people away from worshipping other gods and towards Tawhid, belief in the oneness of Allah.

His story connects several important Muslim beliefs: Allah provides guidance, people are responsible for their response to it, and faith requires obedience even when this is difficult. Surah 71, named after Nuh, focuses on his preaching and his people’s rejection of it. Surah 11:25–49 gives a fuller account of the Ark and the flood.

What Nuh taught his people

Nuh introduced himself as a “clear warner” and told his people to “Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me” (Surah 71:2–3). Here, fearing Allah means recognising his authority and taking seriously the consequences of disobedience. Obeying Nuh meant accepting the guidance he delivered as Allah’s messenger, not worshipping Nuh himself.

His message offered hope as well as warning. He urged people to ask Allah for forgiveness, describing Allah as a continual forgiver. Surah 71:10–12 links repentance with blessings such as rain, wealth, children, gardens and rivers. His preaching therefore presented Allah as both merciful and able to judge wrongdoing.

Nuh also directed attention to creation: human development, the heavens, the moon, the sun and the earth. These were reasons to recognise Allah’s greatness and provision. He reminded his people that Allah would return them to the earth and raise them again (Surah 71:17–18), connecting their present choices with accountability beyond death.

Preaching despite rejection

Nuh did not give up after one unsuccessful attempt. He told Allah, “I invited my people [to truth] night and day” (Surah 71:5). He preached publicly and spoke to people privately, showing persistence and a willingness to use different approaches.

Nevertheless, many deliberately refused to listen. Surah 71:7 describes them putting their fingers in their ears and covering themselves with their garments. Their rejection was not simply a lack of information: they resisted the message and remained arrogant.

Influential opponents encouraged people to keep worshipping their gods, naming Wadd, Suwa‘, Yaghuth, Ya‘uq and Nasr (Surah 71:23). In Surah 11:27, leading disbelievers dismissed Nuh as merely a man like themselves and looked down on his followers because of their low social status.

Nuh refused to drive believers away to satisfy these opponents. He also said that he asked for no payment: his reward was from Allah (Surah 11:29). These responses show that his mission was not about gaining wealth or pleasing powerful people. They also suggest that social standing does not determine a person’s worth before Allah.

The Ark and the destruction of his people

Allah revealed that no more of Nuh’s people would believe beyond those who already did. He commanded Nuh to build a ship under divine observation and guidance, warning that the wrongdoers would be drowned (Surah 11:36–37). Nuh obeyed even though the leading opponents mocked him as he built it.

When Allah’s command came, Nuh was told to take aboard pairs of creatures, his family except those already excluded by Allah’s judgement, and the believers. Only a few people had believed. Nuh instructed them to embark in Allah’s name, trusting Allah with the ship’s journey and anchorage (Surah 11:40–41).

The Ark sailed through waves described as being like mountains. Nuh called to a son who had remained apart, urging him to board and not stay with the disbelievers. His son refused, believing that a mountain would protect him. Nuh answered that only Allah’s mercy could offer protection from Allah’s decree. A wave separated them, and his son drowned (Surah 11:42–43).

When the water subsided, the ship came to rest on Judiyy. Nuh then appealed to Allah concerning his son, referring to Allah’s promise and his justice. Allah explained that the son’s unrighteous conduct excluded him from the promised family protection. Nuh sought forgiveness and mercy (Surah 11:44–47). The episode teaches that being related to a prophet does not replace personal faith and righteous conduct.

Surah 71:25 explicitly connects the people’s drowning and punishment in the Fire with their sins. It also records Nuh’s prayer that persistent disbelievers should not remain to mislead others, alongside his request for forgiveness for himself, his parents and believers (Surah 71:26–28). The account combines judgement of wrongdoing with mercy towards those who believe.

Thankfulness and faith through difficulty

Surah 17:3 identifies Nuh’s thankfulness to Allah. This matters because gratitude was not dependent on an easy or popular mission. Nuh faced rejection, ridicule, few converts and painful opposition within his family, yet continued to trust Allah.

For Muslims today, his example can encourage gratitude during hardship rather than only when life goes well. His obedience in building the Ark also shows faith expressed through action: he followed Allah’s command despite other people’s mockery. His request for forgiveness demonstrates humility rather than a claim to know everything.

How strong an example is Nuh for Muslims today?

A strong argument in Nuh’s favour is his perseverance. He continued preaching despite little visible success, so Muslims can see him as a model for remaining faithful when their beliefs are challenged. His thankfulness encourages trust in Allah, while his refusal to reject poorer believers challenges judgements based on status. Protecting creatures in the Ark can also support the responsibility of Muslims as vicegerents to care for animals and the natural world.

A criticism is that Nuh persuaded relatively few people. His people continued in idolatry, and even his wife and a son did not accept his message. Someone judging a role model by the number of people persuaded might therefore question how successful his mission was. The devastating flood could also be used to challenge the idea that his story offers the best example of successful leadership.

However, this criticism needs to distinguish Nuh’s conduct from other people’s choices. He repeatedly delivered the message, but could not make others believe. Surah 71 attributes their destruction to their sins, not to wrongdoing by Nuh. A justified conclusion is that Nuh is a powerful example of faithful conduct rather than guaranteed popularity or success: Muslims can imitate his patience, gratitude and obedience without expecting that everyone will accept their beliefs.