How Did Nuh Admonish and Warn His People?
كيف وعظ نوح عليه السلام قومه وأنذرهم؟
Allah tells us about it in Surah Nuh, and this can be detailed as follows: First, he enticed them with what Allah has prepared for them in the Hereafter, telling them that if they responded to his call, their sins would be forgiven and their lives prolonged, so that He would not hasten their punishment, because Allah's term, meaning the descent of punishment, is not delayed for those who deserve it; had they known that, they would have turned back to their Lord in repentance and sought His forgiveness. "Worship Allah alone, fear Him, and obey me. He will forgive your sins and delay your end until the appointed time. Indeed, when the time set by Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, if only you knew!" (Surah Nuh 71:3-4). Second, Nuh's methods varied; at times he preached secretly, and other times openly in front of all people. "Then I certainly called them openly, then I surely preached to them publicly and privately" (Surah Nuh 71:8-9). Third, he urged them to seek the good that Allah has, telling them that repentance is a source of livelihood, bringing rain and blessings, and that through it the earth shines with its plants and Allah blesses its gardens. "So I said, 'Seek your Lord's forgiveness, for He is truly Most Forgiving. He will shower you with abundant rain, supply you with wealth and children, and give you gardens as well as rivers'" (Surah Nuh 71:10-12). Fourth, he asked them, disapproving of their deeds, their recklessness and their lack of fear of their Lord, "What is the matter with you that you are not in awe of the Majesty of Allah," meaning what has befallen you, what has made you not honour Allah as He deserves, that is, not fear His might and His punishment, "when He truly created you in stages of development," meaning He created you from a drop of fluid, then a clinging clot, then a lump of flesh, then the human being was brought out as a child, then grew until he became a man who hears and sees. Fifth, Nuh turned to the high heavens and the great signs in them, the creation of the heavens, the sun and the moon, and the earth they walk on, and that it belongs to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and that the One Who brought it into being is able to bring it to an end; so he reminded them of the destiny they are heading to. "What is the matter with you that you are not in awe of the Majesty of Allah, when He truly created you in stages of development? Do you not see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other, placing the moon within them as a reflected light, and the sun as a radiant lamp? Allah alone caused you to grow from the earth like a plant. Then He will return you to it, and then simply bring you forth again. And Allah ˹alone˺ spread out the earth for you to walk along its spacious pathways" (Surah Nuh 71:13-20). (Note: The surah number in this reference has been corrected to Nuh 71; the original published text gave it as 74 by mistake.)
أخبر الله عن ذلك في سورة نوح، ويمكن تفصيل ذلك على النحو التالي: أولا، رغّبهم فيما عند الله في الدار الآخرة، فقال لهم إن استجبتم لما دعوتكم إليه غُفرت ذنوبكم، ومُدّ في أعماركم فلا يعاجلكم بالعقوبة، لأن أجل الله، أي نزول العذاب، لا يؤخر عن مستحقيه، فلو علمتم ذلك لأنبتم إلى ربكم فتبتم إليه واستغفرتموه، قال الله تعالى: أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿٣﴾ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ (سورة نوح: 3-4). ثانيا، تنوعت الأساليب التي اتخذها نوح في دعوته، فتارةً كانت دعوته بالإسرار، وتارةً بالجهر والإعلان أمام الناس، قال الله تعالى: ثُمَّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُهُمْ جِهَارًا ﴿٨﴾ ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْلَنتُ لَهُمْ وَأَسْرَرْتُ لَهُمْ إِسْرَارًا ﴿٩﴾ (سورة نوح: 8-9). ثالثا، رغّبهم فيما عند الله من الخير إن هم رجعوا إلى ربهم واستغفروه، فأخبرهم أن الاستغفار مصدر من مصادر الرزق، فهو يأتي بالأمطار والخيرات، وبه تشرق الأرض بنباتها ويبارك الله في جناتها، قال الله تعالى: فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا ﴿١٠﴾ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا ﴿١١﴾ وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا ﴿١٢﴾ (سورة نوح: 10-12). رابعا، سألهم سؤال المُنكِر لأفعالهم ولاستهتارهم وعدم خوفهم من ربهم: مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا، أي: ما دهاكم، وأيُّ شيء جعلكم لا تعظّمون الله حق عظمته، أي لا تخافون بأسه ونقمته، وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا، أي خلقكم من نطفة، ثم من علقة، ثم من مضغة، ثم أُخرج الإنسان طفلا، ثم كَبِر ذلك الإنسان حتى غدا رجلا سميعا بصيرا. خامسا، التفت نوح إلى السماوات العلا وما فيها من الآيات العظيمة، من خلق السماوات والشمس والقمر، والأرض التي يسيرون عليها، وبيّن لهم أنها مِلْكٌ لله عز وجل، وأن الذي أوجدها قادر على إفنائها، ولذا ذكّرهم بالمصير الذي يصيرون إليه، قال الله تعالى: مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا ﴿١٣﴾ وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا ﴿١٤﴾ أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ﴿١٥﴾ وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا ﴿١٦﴾ وَاللَّهُ أَنبَتَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا ﴿١٧﴾ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا ﴿١٨﴾ وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا ﴿١٩﴾ لِّتَسْلُكُوا مِنْهَا سُبُلًا فِجَاجًا ﴿٢٠﴾ (سورة نوح: 13-20). (ملاحظة: صُحّح رقم السورة في الإحالات أعلاه إلى 71، وهو رقم سورة نوح، وكان قد ورد في النص الأصلي المنشور خطأً برقم 74.)
1. Every Method Available to Him | كل وسيلة أُتيحت له
Nuh's approach was not limited to a single method repeated for 950 years, covered in How Long Did Nuh Stay Among His People? He varied his tone between hope and warning, and his setting between private and public, exhausting every avenue of communication available to reach a stubborn audience.
لم يقتصر نوح عليه السلام على أسلوب واحد يكرره طوال 950 عامًا، كما بيّنا في جواب: كم لبث نوح عليه السلام في قومه؟ بل نوّع خطابه بين الترغيب والترهيب، ونوّع مجالس دعوته بين السر والعلن، وسلك كل سبيل أُتيح له ليبلغ قومًا معاندين.
2. Repentance Tied to Worldly Provision | التوبة سببٌ للرزق في الدنيا
Nuh's third argument links seeking Allah's forgiveness directly to tangible worldly outcomes, rain, wealth, children, and gardens. This connection between repentance and provision is a principle scholars find echoed throughout the Quran, not unique to Nuh's message but voiced here in one of its earliest and clearest forms.
ربطت حجة نوح الثالثة طلبَ المغفرة من الله بثمرات دنيوية محسوسة: المطر، والأموال، والبنين، والجنات (نوح 71: 10-12). وهذا الربط بين التوبة والرزق أصلٌ يجد العلماء له نظائر في القرآن كله، فليس خاصًّا بدعوة نوح عليه السلام، لكنه جاء هنا في واحدة من أقدم صوره وأوضحها.
3. Creation Itself as the Final Argument | الخلق نفسه حجةٌ أخيرة
One of Nuh's most expansive arguments pointed to Allah's power in creation and resurrection, pointing instead to the seven heavens, the sun, the moon, and human beings' own stages of development from a single cell to a hearing, seeing adult. Among his arguments, Nuh asked his people to reflect on Allah's creation of the heavens, the earth and human beings. His words, seven heavens one above the other (71:15), are among the verses gathered in how many heavens there are in the Quran.
ومن أوسع حجج نوح عليه السلام أنه دلّ قومه على قدرة الله في الخلق والبعث، فذكّرهم بالسماوات السبع، والشمس، والقمر، وبأطوار خلق الإنسان نفسه من نطفة إلى رجل سميع بصير. فقد دعاهم إلى التفكر في خلق الله للسماوات والأرض والإنسان، وقوله: (سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا) (نوح 71: 15) من الآيات التي جمعناها في الجواب عن عدد السماوات في القرآن.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What methods did Nuh use to call his people?
Five approaches: promising forgiveness, preaching both secretly and openly, linking repentance to provision, questioning their lack of reverence, and pointing to the signs of creation.
What did Nuh promise those who repented?
Forgiveness of sins, prolonged life, abundant rain, wealth, children, and gardens.
Where is this full account recorded in the Quran?
In Surah Nuh, verses 3 through 19.