Ramadan Lecture Series 1445 A.H.

Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi

Lecture Twenty-One

Friday, 26 Ramadan 1445 A.H. (5 April 2024 A.D.)

Through the Story of Prophet Nuh (PBUH)
(Part Two)
His People's Denial Reaches Its Peak, and He Complains to His Lord!

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

We previously discussed some of the blessed verses that shed light on the story of Prophet Nuh (PBUH) with his people. We spoke about how he called to his people and conveyed Allah's message to his people and how they responded to him. We mentioned that their elite (the prominent figures who were influential and wealthy in that tribal community) took the lead in rejecting him and hindering others from following the message of Allah (Glory be to Him). They kept others from believing in it or accepting it. This is unfortunate, as many of his people were influenced by them! As often was the case faced even by other prophets and messengers throughout history, the position some of the elite took stemmed from their perception that they would lose their influence, impact, importance, and status if the situation changed. Some of them were driven by those means they relied on to reinforce their power and to influence others.

For example, some were connected to material interests and gains through unlawful means, involving extortion, injustice, embezzlement, and so on. Therefore, they saw that the message of Allah (Glory be to Him), with its valuable and just teachings, would close off their opportunities to continue in their current ways, while they wished to persist in those ways.

Because of their arrogance, some also imagined that they would become followers of the prophet and so lose their status as leaders. They were unaware that following the prophets and messengers would bring honour and a greater status: honour before Allah and His creation. In the previous lecture, we said that Allah (Glory be to Him) wants good for all His servants and that His message and call to His servants contain goodness for everyone. {'And He will bestow favour on everyone who merits favour'}. Real loss lies in opposing the guidance of Allah, in obstructing His path, and in waging war against His religion. This represents a real loss for a person, as any influence, prestige, or power he may still have in this world is merely illusory. This will be an unreal status that has no humanitarian or moral value. A status that relies solely on financial or authoritarian power is transient, fleeting, and temporary. It differs from the true value of a person, which is based on his values, morals, divine principles, and the affection that Allah places in the hearts of His servants, as Allah (Glory be to Him) has said, {'As for those who believe and do good, the Compassionate will bless them with love'}.

The situation differs from an illusory status, which can change instantly. If such a person loses his wealth, fortune, or power, his status ends: He is left without any status or respect. This is because his respect and that status he relied upon were based solely on what he possessed: either authority and influence or wealth and riches, and so on.

True value lies in faith and humanity—they are what grant someone genuine status: First, before Allah (Glory be to Him) and second, through the honour that Allah bestows upon a person in real life and in the hearts of people by way of faith, piety, and moral and behavioural integrity.

They took the lead in opposing him. However, a very limited number of persons believed in Prophet Nuh (PBUH), even over long stretches of time. Throughout the thousand years minus fifty and during that long period, sometimes only one person would come to believe after decades of tireless effort, preaching, reminding his people, and striving to guide them by every means. He remained like that for a long time, and it required him decades of continuous daily effort for one person to believe: He sought to guide and remind them every day, yet only one person would eventually believe. This continued for a thousand years minus fifty. Allah says, {'But none had believed with him, except a few'}.

The Arrogant elite facing Nuh's call with false propaganda

The elite directed a series of propaganda against him. Among the first things they said was their claim, {'Indeed, we see you in clear error'}, accusing him of misguidance without any basis. In fact, what he called them to was clear. He called them to three main themes. He called them to worship Allah: {'Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him'}. We described this theme as a comprehensive title that expresses the content of the divine message. It connects us to the instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him) so that we turn to Allah in worship, not to anyone else, and believe that He alone is our true God, with no god besides Him, and that we are His servants. Then we have to act accordingly by adhering to His guidance, accepting His message, believing in His path, and firmly holding onto it. Thus, there is an aspect related to a person's belief: that there is no god but Allah; that all others besides Allah are His creations and servants—everything belongs to Allah (Glory be to Him).

Additionally, we must submit ourselves to the guidance and teachings of Allah, and not accept that anyone other than Him (the Almighty) has the right to command, forbid, or ordain for us. We should not allow anyone to establish laws for us that Allah (Glory be to Him) has not allowed: {'Or have they partners who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?'}.

Indeed, Allah’s message is for liberating people from enslaving themselves to anyone other than Him, to subjugated beings, to creatures—whether stone idols or human idols. It is a salvation for humanity and a message of truth, since all humans and all creatures belong to Allah, the Almighty. Therefore, there is absolutely no right to deify anyone other than Allah, to believe in someone as a god, or to treat him as a deity instead of Allah (Glory be to Him). Nor is there any right to regard or treat anyone as a partner with Allah in His divinity. Such beliefs and practices are utterly false—pure falsehoods.

The second theme is to be mindful of Allah: {'When their brother Nuh said to them, "Will you not fear Allah? I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So fear Allah'}. He called them to be mindful of Allah (Glory be to Him), which means adhering to His path and commands. It is achieved through following the commands and prohibitions of Allah (Glory be to Him), which can protect people from His punishment and the severe consequences of deviating from His path and valuable teachings that improve their lives and secure their future in the Hereafter.

{'And obey me'}. That is because he would lead them based on the guidance of Allah, serving as a role model and guide obedient to Allah (Glory be to Him) and committed to His path. He asked them to obey him in what he conveyed to them from Allah's teachings, commands, prohibitions, and instructions. This is how they responded to his call: They solely relied on their personal views and evaluations, without providing any evidence or proof, regarding those clear themes of the divine message, {'Indeed, we see you in clear error'}.

Questioning Prophet Nuh's message because of his human origin and accusing him of madness!

There was a list of accusations and propaganda used to cast doubt on Nuh’s message—among them, accusing him of misguidance. One of their arguments was about whether it was even possible for a human to be a messenger of Allah, the Almighty. They claimed that the message was of such a high degree that Allah could not send a mere human as a messenger. They said he, after all, was just a human like them. Therefore, they insisted that Allah must send them an angel from among His angels. Allah (Glory be to Him) revealed their claim: {'This is not but a human like yourselves'}. Likewise, in another verse from Surah Hud, He stated their saying, {'We do not see you but as a human like ourselves'}. They relied on their argument that {'If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels'}. The role of a messenger is too significant for humans—a claim that is entirely unfounded. Why is that?

Those who insisted on this argument, claiming that a messenger cannot be a human but must be an angel, were the very ones who had attributed divinity in its entirety—the greatest of all things, as nothing can compare to divinity—to idols that they themselves carved and then adorned with the symbols of divinity and worshipped as deities! So how could they reject the idea of a human messenger when they had already accepted divinity in a carved stone—a rock they shaped in a particular form, set up as an idol, only to regard as a deity?

The role of a messenger is to convey the message of Allah (the Almighty), along with the teachings revealed to him, and to guide people by setting an example in applying that message and adhering to it. This is why it was essential for there to be messengers from among humans themselves; they serve as role models for humanity in implementing the message and following the instructions, commands, and prohibitions of Allah. If, for example, a messenger were an angel, people might argue that he does not understand what it is like to be human and does not know human nature and the desires or pressures a human faces. People might argue that he cannot experience the emotional struggles they endure, and therefore, his ideal instructions seem unrealistic because he does not confront the same pressures and temptations they do, as his nature and creation are different from theirs. However, the prophets and messengers (Peace be upon them) were themselves human, so they set an example for people in following the instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him). They lived among people, experiencing human emotions and the same circumstances that everyone else did. While facing these same circumstances, they committed themselves to Allah’s instructions, providing an example for others to follow. This aspect is of great significance.

Furthermore, at the level of closeness and honour for human beings, it is far more comforting when the messengers come from among themselves. This is a blessing for them when Allah sends messengers from among themselves, providing reassurance and a natural sense of familiarity. For example, if a messenger were to come to humanity from the jinn, people would not feel the same familiarity and comfort as they do when the messenger is human.

In terms of honour, this too is a recognition for mankind—not something that should provoke discomfort, anger, or resentment. Instead, it is a profound honour that their messengers and prophets come from among them, holding a high status and a revered position with Allah (Glory be to Him) while exemplifying outstanding human and moral excellence. This is a great honour for humanity; so why should anyone argue about it?

It is clear that arrogance was behind their argument: {'This is not but a human like yourselves.'} This flaw affects many people, especially those in positions of influence, prestige, and authority (save for those whom Allah has blessed and spared from this affliction). That is why they said, {'This is not but a human like yourselves who wishes to take precedence over you; and if Allah had willed , He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers'}. They accused him of seeking special treatment by claiming prophethood. They claimed that he was trying to make himself better and more important and become of a greater rank and status than them, usurping their positions as leaders. They want to remain the perpetual leaders of society, refusing to let anyone else take their place. This is nothing but a case of arrogance.

They even accused him of madness. This was their way of ridiculing him and discouraging others from following him, although they recognised his wisdom. Messengers and prophets (Peace be upon them) are typically known in their communities for their perfection in terms of their sound judgement, noble morals, purity, and wisdom, as well as the righteousness they display in contrast to the prevailing vices and corruption. {'He just a madman, so wait and see what happens to him'}.

After a very few of the oppressed—those poor people in society who had neither wealth, status, influence nor power—believed in him, the arrogant and the elite used this as propaganda against him and introduced it as another reason for their position from his message. They argued that only the poor and oppressed had believed in him: {'They said, “Shall we believe in you while you are followed by the lowest people?"'}. They were looking down at those who had no prominence, influence, money, or authority. Therefore, they described them as {'the lowest people'}.

Prophet Nuh Responding to His People and Refuting Their Claims

Their situation continued in this way, even as he persistently established proof against them, clarifying the truth and refuting their propaganda: {'He said, "O my people! Consider if I have a clear proof from my Lord"'}. Allah sends His messengers with miracles and clear signs that demonstrate they are indeed messengers from Allah, the Almighty. These signs also help clarify the truth to people, presenting sufficient evidence and compelling arguments. All that is required from people is fairness—that they approach the matter with an open mind, without arrogance or stubbornness.

{'And He has given me a mercy from Himself'}. For the message bestowed upon him by Allah was one of mercy—a mercy for himself, his community, and all people. It should, therefore, be understood that what Allah granted His messenger and prophet Nuh (PBUH) in terms of favour and mercy—this great blessing of the message—was for their benefit.

With all the grace, perfection, and qualities given to them by Allah and how He prepared them for a significant role, the messengers and prophets (Peace be upon them) are sent for the benefit of people and for their sake. Indeed, it is for the sake of people that Allah selects for them a great messenger, perfecting him and elevating him to a high level of excellence in his qualities and his status before Allah, the Almighty. He, in turn, directs all the qualities, abilities, and virtues such as patience bestowed upon him by Allah towards guiding people, reforming them, elevating them, and helping them purify their souls. This is so that humanity can rise, improve, and attain significance in the sight of Allah (the Almighty) achieving their full human potential instead of descending to the level of animals: {'They are like livestock; rather, they are more astray'}.

{'And He has given me a mercy from Himself to which you have been blind, should we force it on you against your will?'}: Sometimes the problem lies in the blindness of others, such as the blindness of the obstinate ones. Stubbornness, arrogance, selfishness, and other considerations that serve as barriers between them and faith blind them to the truth and the mercy that is meant for them. He delivered Allah's mercy to them and presented clear proof. He told them, {'But I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and advise you'}. The messengers of Allah and His prophets (Peace be upon them) are unparalleled in their advice to people and their commitment to guiding and saving them.

{'And I know from Allah what you do not know'}: what he knew of Allah's guidance, His instructions, and His light what could elevate them in their awareness, knowledge, understanding, and maturity. At the same time, he knew the serious consequences if they rejected the divine message and did not accept it.

{'Then do you wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from among you, that he may warn you and that you may fear Allah so you might receive mercy?'}: Do you find that weird? Do you consider it impossible or unacceptable that guidance should come to you from Allah according to His way with His servants? Allah does not leave His servants without establishing proof against them and without delivering His guidance to them. {'Through a man from among you'}: This is a blessing upon you as a man from among you whom you know, whose trustworthiness and honesty you are aware of, and who is keen to save and guide you—{'Through a man from among you'}. Moreover, you are the ones who benefit from this message and guidance. But their problem of blindness, which is very serious, made them indifferent to the warner. {'That he may warn you}—because there are dire consequences for rejecting and deviating from the guidance of Allah, the Almighty—{and that you may fear Allah so you might receive mercy.'}

Prophet Nuh Eventually Raising His Complaint to Allah, the Almighty!

They continued in their argument and insisted on their denial and stubbornness, while he continued to call them to Allah and to strive to save them with all his effort and by every possible means for a very long time: nine hundred and fifty years. In the end, he complained to Allah; {'He said, "My Lord, indeed I have called to my people day and night"'}. He exerted every effort to save them and to guide them, working at all times, day and night, not just at a specific time—{'day and night'}! So how did they respond to his tremendous effort to guide them, as he constantly called them, reminded them, and tried to take advantage of every occasion in their lives to remind them, using all possible methods and choosing different times to engage with them? {'But my call had no effect on them except to make them flee'}: The more he called them, the more stubborn and evasive they became, even avoiding listening to his call.

{'And verily, every time I call them so that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments, and they persist and act very arrogantly'}. After such a long time, as he continued to call, remind, and warn them, they reached such a level of stubbornness that they did not want to hear his voice. Whenever he started calling and reminding them, they would plug their ears with their fingers so that they would not hear his call. They would also cover their eyes with their clothes so that they would not see him as he spoke to them. This is a very dangerous state when a person reaches such an extreme level of aversion that he becomes averse to hearing guidance—he does not want to hear it! This is a dangerous state for a person. In fact, it indicates that such a person has lost divine support and become influenced by Satan when he reaches a point where he no longer wants to listen to or see the one who reminds and strives to guide him. {'And they persist}—they persisted in their stubbornness and denial—{and act very arrogantly.'} This became a matter of pride for them, so they turned to wage war against the divine message.

Prophet Nuh enduring suffering even from his own family!

In addition to the great suffering he endured because of his people, he suffered from his family: from one of his sons and his wife. She was actively involved with her own community and maintained close ties with her family, so secrets about him would leak from within his own home. Because his people tried to subject him to a boycott, it was forbidden for those who believed in him and wanted to go to him to visit his house. If they found out that anyone went to his house, they would oppress him, do him injustice, mistreat him, and oppose him. His wife, being in his house, would know who came to him in his house, and then she would inform her family and people. In turn, they would do as they always did: They would harass, persecute, oppress, abuse, and oppose such a person—all in a bid to isolate him completely. This is why Allah (the Almighty) says in the Holy Quran, {'Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so they did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter"'}. Her betrayal was a betrayal of secrecy, a betrayal by leaking information in order to expose those who came to him to believe in him.

Likewise, one of his sons disassociated himself from him, abandoned him, and went away from him. His son had bad companions and maintained relationships and ties with bad influences; as a result, they had a significant influence on his position towards his father. He even went to the extent of abandoning his father so that his people would not consider him as one of those who followed his father. He felt ashamed of this, considering it a disgraceful and shameful thing! Therefore, he resorted to severing ties with his father and turning away from him. Thus, the suffering of Prophet Nuh (PBUH) reached this extent.

His people warned him and tried to prevent him from continuing to convey the message of Allah: {'They said, "If you do not desist, O Nuh, you will surely be of those who are stoned"'}. They intimidated him with their gods, their idols. In response to this threat, he challenged them, saying, {'O my people, if my residence and my reminding of the signs of Allah has become burdensome upon you, then I have relied upon Allah. So devise a plot along with your associates. Then let not your plot be a cause of concern for you; then carry it out against me and give me no respite'}.

Despite the punishment of drought and infertility, Nuh's persistent efforts were met with defiance and arrogance!

Thus, they persisted in their stubbornness, denial, ingratitude, and hostility. After a long time, divine punishment came as a warning for them to prompt reflection. If they benefited from this warning, it would serve its purpose; in fact, for many nations, this would not serve its purpose. Clarifying His divine practice with His servants, Allah states in the Holy Quran, {'Whenever We sent a prophet to a society, We afflicted its people with hardship and adversity so that they may supplicate'}. So Allah punished them severely to remind them, and if that served as a lesson, it would be beneficial; otherwise, it would serve as proof against them. He punished them with drought and infertility among their women, so they could not give birth, and He removed blessings from their provisions and livelihoods.

This punishment continued, and Prophet Nuh (PBUH) reminded them and called them to seek forgiveness from Allah, to return to Him, and to believe in Him. Yet, they remained resolute in their ways. He called them through every means possible, but they insisted on denying him. In his complaint to Allah, he said, {'I have called to them aloud. Further, I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private'}. He employed all methods: calling to them publicly and privately, as groups and as individuals. {'I said, “Ask forgiveness of your Lord, for He is ever forgiving. He will send down abundant rain from the sky for you, and He will give you wealth and sons and provide you with gardens and rivers”'}. He reminded them of Allah and told them that turning back to Him would solve their problems and improve their lives, even in terms of livelihood. That is because a person’s life depends on Allah, so he is in constant need of Him, the Most High.

However, nothing worked with them. This is primarily because the majority of them had aligned themselves with the elite among them, waiting for them to embrace faith. Nevertheless, the elite were adamant in their disbelief. This significantly contributed to rejecting faith among people. They were in a state of tyranny, disobedience, and blindness. This is why Allah said about them in the Holy Quran, {'Indeed, they were a blind people'}. He also said about them, {'And before the people of Nuh, who were truly far worse in wrongdoing and transgression'}. They were even worse in wrongdoing and transgression than some of the peoples that came after them and Allah (the Almighty) brought about their destruction.

Thus, Prophet Nuh (PBUH) said while complaining to Allah, {'My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children only increase him in loss'}. Their connections with their wealthy, influential, and prestigious members of society—those who opposed, arrogantly rejected, and fought against the message of Allah, the Almighty—affected them and prevented them from embracing faith.

{'And they devised a great plot'}. Those leaders turned to crafting devilish schemes to maintain their state of misguidance, falsehood, and denial of Allah's messenger and his message. They stubbornly sought to obstruct the people from being influenced by Prophet Nuh (PBUH). They countered every effort he made and every method he employed with their own tactics, continuously trying to deter people from his message, from believing in him, and from following him.

Denial reaches a point of no return to guidance!

In the end, they said to him, {'They said, “O Nuh! You have argued with us far too much, so bring upon us what you threaten us with, if what you say is true”'}. They were demanding the divine punishment to be hastened, even as he warned, cautioned, and reminded them. He replied, {'He said, “It is Allah Who can bring it upon you if He wills, and then you will have no escape! And my advice will not benefit you, even if I desire to advise you, if Allah's will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord and to Him you will be brought back"'}.

Ultimately, he realised that no matter how much effort he exerted, how much advice he offered, or how hard he tried to save, guide, and remind them using every means at his disposal, nothing seemed to work. He believed that they had become forsaken by Allah and, therefore, would ultimately reject his counsel, showing no desire to listen or respond. This is why He came to this conclusion: He believed that they had reached such a level of stubbornness, even persisting for hundreds of years, generation after generation. Even those who would live for four hundred years would take their children to him and say to them to beware of him and never believe in him! They would demand their children persistently, saying, 'Do not follow him, and stay away from him; do not heed him or listen to him!' This was a remarkable state of insistence, stubbornness, and denial that lasted for a very long time. After enduring this for a long time, he received the word of Allah, the Almighty: {'And it was revealed to Nuh that, "No one will believe from your people except those who have already believed, so do not be distressed by what they have been doing'}. In the end, Allah (Glory be to Him) told him that there was no hope left for anyone apart from those who had already believed—who were very few. The rest had been forsaken, having reached a point in their insistence, stubbornness, and denial from which they would not return to guidance, completely rejecting the truth. This was a dangerous state indeed!

A person can reach a point where he becomes entirely unwilling to accept the truth and guidance. His soul becomes deeply corrupt. The human soul can grow in righteousness, guidance, and purity, but it can also grow in evil and allow evil to take root until it becomes completely corrupted. At that point, it can no longer accept the truth or guidance at all. This was the situation his people had reached, except for the very few who believed with him. It was then that he received the direction to prepare himself, as the punishment was inevitably coming for his people.

We will continue the story, Allah willing, in the next lecture, and we will leave it at that for today.

We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah! Have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are the Hearer of Prayer!

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.