Was Nuh's Wife a Believer in Her Husband's Call?
هل كانت زوجة نوح مؤمنة بدعوة زوجها؟
She did not believe in her husband Nuh's call, and so she deserved to be an example for those who disbelieve. "Allah sets forth an example for the disbelievers: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. Each was married to one of Our righteous servants yet betrayed them. So, their husbands were of no benefit to them against Allah whatsoever. Both were told, 'Enter the Fire, along with the others!'" (Surah At-Tahrim 66:10).
لم تؤمن امرأة نوح بدعوة زوجها، ولذا استحقت أن تكون مثالا للكافرين. ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا امْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَامْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَقِيلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدَّاخِلِينَ (سورة التحريم: 10).
1. Named Alongside Lut's Wife as a Single Example | ذُكرت مع امرأة لوط كمثال واحد
Surah At-Tahrim pairs Nuh's wife with Lut's wife as one shared example for disbelievers, a passage covered in full detail in Two of the Prophets' Wives Will Be Admitted to Hell-Fire: Who Are They? Both women lived under the same roof as a Messenger of Allah and both chose disbelief regardless.
تقرن سورة التحريم امرأة نوح بامرأة لوط في مثال واحد مشترك للكافرين، وهو مقطع تناولناه بالتفصيل الكامل في مقال اثنتان من زوجات الأنبياء ستدخلان النار: من هما؟ فقد عاشت كلتا المرأتين تحت سقف رسول من رسل الله، ومع ذلك اختارتا الكفر.
2. A Betrayal of Faith, Not Marriage | خيانة في الدين لا في الزواج
The ayah states plainly that both women "betrayed" their husbands, a betrayal that Ibn Kathir explains was one of belief, not of marital faithfulness: they did not join their husbands in faith; he cites Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "they did not commit adultery," since the wives of Prophets are protected from that. The betrayal of Lut's wife is explained separately. Her rejection of Nuh's message placed her among his own people who mocked and opposed him, covered in How Did Nuh's People React to His Call?, despite sharing his home.
تنص الآية صراحة على أن كلتا المرأتين "خانتاهما"، وهي خيانة بيّن ابن كثير أنها كانت في الإيمان لا في الفاحشة، إذ لم توافقاهما على الإيمان، ونقل عن ابن عباس قوله: ما زنتا، لأن نساء الأنبياء معصومات من ذلك. فرفضها لرسالة نوح وضعها في صف قومه الذين سخروا منه وعارضوه، كما تناولنا في مقال كيف كان رد فعل قوم نوح على دعوته إلى الله؟، رغم أنها كانت تشاركه بيته.
3. Proximity to a Prophet Offered No Protection | القرب من النبي لم يوفر حماية
Being married to Nuh (peace be upon him) gave his wife no special standing before Allah once she rejected his message; the ayah states of both wives, "So their husbands were of no benefit to them against Allah whatsoever" (66:10). This is the exact principle explored further in Prophet Noah's Wife Deserved the Punishment: What Do We Learn From This?
لم يمنحها زواجها من نوح أي مكانة خاصة عند الله بعد أن رفضت رسالته؛ فتنص الآية في شأن المرأتين: "فلم يغنيا عنهما من الله شيئا" (التحريم: 10). وهذا هو المبدأ ذاته الذي تناولناه أكثر في مقال امرأة نوح استحقت العقاب: ماذا نتعلم من ذلك؟
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Did Nuh's wife believe in his message?
No, she disbelieved and is named in Surah At-Tahrim 66:10 as an example of the disbelievers.
Who is Nuh's wife paired with in this ayah?
Lut's wife, who also disbelieved her husband's message.
Did her marriage to a Prophet protect her from punishment?
No, the ayah states his standing was of no benefit to her against Allah.