Was Nuh's Wife a Believer in Her Husband's Call?
هل آمنت امرأة نوح عليه السلام 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 مثالًا للكافرين، قال الله تعالى: 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 مثلًا واحدًا
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 مثل واحد ضربه الله للذين كفروا، كما بيّنا مفصّلًا في جواب: اثنتان من زوجات الأنبياء تدخلان النار، فمن هما؟ فقد عاشت كلتاهما في بيت رسول من رسل الله، ثم اختارتا الكفر مع ذلك.
2. A Betrayal of Faith, Not Marriage | خيانةٌ في الدين لا في العِرض
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.
قال الله تعالى في المرأتين: (فَخَانَتَاهُمَا) (التحريم 66: 10)، وقد بيّن ابن كثير أنها خيانة في الإيمان لا في العِرض، إذ لم توافقاهما على الإيمان، ونقل عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قوله: ما زنتا، إذ نساء الأنبياء معصومات من ذلك. وأما خيانة امرأة لوط فقد بيّناها في جواب مستقل. وأما امرأة نوح فقد وضعها ردّها رسالة زوجها في صف قومه الذين سخروا منه وعادَوه، كما بيّنا في جواب: كيف قابل قوم نوح عليه السلام دعوته إلى الله؟، مع أنها كانت تشاركه بيته.
3. Proximity to a Prophet Offered No Protection | القرب من النبي لم يُغنِ عنها شيئًا
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 عليه السلام منزلةً خاصة عند الله بعد أن ردّت رسالته، فقد قال الله تعالى في المرأتين: (فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا) (التحريم 66: 10). وهذا هو الأصل نفسه الذي فصّلناه في الجواب عن استحقاق امرأة نوح العقوبة وما نتعلمه 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.