Biography -, The story of Prophet Nooh -III

Prophet Nooh (Noah) chose a place outside thecity, far from the sea.
He collected wood and tools and began working day and night to build
the ark. The people's mockery continued: "O Nooh! Does carpentry
appeal to you more than prophethood? Why are you building an ark so
far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind
going to carry it for you?" Nooh replied:"You will come to know who
will be put to shameand suffer."
Allaah, the Almighty, Says (what means): "And He [Nooh] constructed
the ship, and whenever an assembly of the people passed by him, they
ridiculed him. He said: 'If you ridicule us, then we will ridicule you
just as you ridicule. And you are going to know who will get
apunishment that will disgrace him [on earth] and upon whom will
descend an enduring punishment [in the Hereafter].'" [Quran: 11:38-39]
The ship was constructed,and Nooh sat, awaiting Allaah's command.
Allaah revealed to him that when water miraculouslygushed forth from
the oven at Nooh's house, that would be the sign ofthe start of the
flood, andthe sign for Nooh to act.
The Flood
The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nooh's house, overflowed.
Nooh hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took
with him a pair, male andfemale, of every type of animal, bird and
insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people
laughed loudly:"Nooh must have gone out of his head! What is he going
to do with the animals?" Almighty Allaahnarrates in the Quran (what
means): "[So it was], until when Our command came and the oven
overflowed, We said: 'Load upon it [i.e., the Ark] of each [creature]
two mates andyour family, except those about whom the word [i.e.,
decree] has preceded, and [include] whoever has believed.' But none
had believed with him, except a few." [Quran: 11:40]
Nooh's wife was not a believer, so she did not join him; neither did
one of Nooh's sons, who was secretly a disbeliever but had feigned
faith in frontof Nooh . Likewise most of the people were disbelievers
and therefore did not go on board.
A Description of the Flood
Water rose from the cracks in the earth; there was not a crack from
which water did not rise. Rain poured from the skyin quantities never
seen before on earth. Water continued pouring from the sky and rising
from the cracks; hour after hour the level rose. The high waves
flooded the land. The interior of the earth moved in a strange way,
and the ocean floors lifted suddenly, flooding the dry land. The
earth, for the first time was submerged.
The Quran records this story in these verses (which mean): "And [Nooh]
said: 'Embark therein; in the Name of Allaah is its course and its
anchorage. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.' And it sailed
with them through waves like mountains, and Nooh called to his son who
was apart [from them]: 'O my son! Come aboard with us and be not with
the disbelievers.' [But] he said: 'I will take refuge on a mountain to
protect me from the water.' [Nooh] said: 'There is no protector today
from the decree of Allaah, except for whom He gives mercy.' And the
waves came between them, and he was among the drowned." [Quran:
11:41-43]
The Flood Ends
Allaah Almighty Says in the Quran (what means): "And it was said: 'O
Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold your rain.' And the
water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it [i.e., the
ship] came to rest on the [mountain of] Joodiyy. And it wassaid: 'Away
with the wrongdoing people'. And Nooh called to his Lord and said: 'My
Lord! Indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true;
and You are the most just of judges!' He [Allaah] said: 'O Nooh!
Indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was
other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no
knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant.'
[Nooh] said: 'My Lord! I seek refuge in You from asking that of which
I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy upon me,
I will be among the losers.' Itwas said: 'O Nooh! Disembark in
security from Us and blessings upon you and upon nations [descending]
from those with you. But other nations [of them] We will grant
enjoyment; then there will touch them from Us a painful punishment.'"
[Quran: 11:44-48]
With the issue of the divine command, calm returned to the earth,
thewater retreated, and the dry land shone once again in the rays of
the sun. The flood had cleansed the earth of the disbelievers and
polytheists.
Nooh released the birds and the beasts which scattered over the earth.
After that, the believers disembarked. Nooh put his forehead to the
ground in prostration. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it.
Lighting a fire had been prohibited on board so as not to ignite the
ship's wood and burn it up. None of them had eaten hot food during the
entire period of the flood. Following the disembarkation, there was a
day of fasting in thanks to Allaah.
Nooh's Death
The Quran draws the curtain on the story of Nooh . We do not know how
his affairs with his people continued. All we know or can ascertain is
that on his deathbed he requested his son to worship Allaah alone, and
then passed away.
'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas narrated that the Prophet said: "When
the death of the Messenger of Allaah Nooh approached, he admonished
his sons: 'Indeed I give you far-reaching advice, commanding you to do
two things, and warning you against two others: I beseech you to
believe that there is no deity except Allaah, and that if the seven
heavens and the seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the
words 'There is no deity but Allaah' were put on the other, the latter
would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners
with Allaah in worship and against pride.'" [Al-Bukhaari]

Biography -, The story of Prophet Nooh -II

The disbelievers remain ignorant
Prophet Nooh (Noah) firmly continued his efforts in calling hispeople
to the way of Allaah Almighty. The rulers were tired ofNooh's
arguments. Allaah, the Exalted, related their attitude in the
following verses (which mean): "They said: 'O Nooh! You have disputed
[i.e., opposed] us and been frequent in dispute of us. So bring us
what you threatenus with, if you should be of the truthful.' He said:
'Allaah will onlybring it to you if He wills, and youwill not cause
[Him] failure. And my advice will not benefit you – although I wished
to advise you –if Allaah should intend to put youin error. He is your
Lord, and to Him you will be returned.'" [Quran: 11:32-34]
The battle continued; the arguments between the disbelievers and Nooh
became prolonged. When all the refutations of the disbelievers
collapsed and they had no more to say, they began to be offensiveand
insulted Allaah's prophet as in the verse (which means): "Said the
eminent among his people: 'Indeed, we see you in clear error.'"
[Quran: 7:60]
Nooh responded in the manner of the prophets; he said (what means):
"…'O my people! There is not error in me, but I ama messenger from the
Lord of theworlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and advise
you; and I know from Allaah what you do not know.' " [7: 61-62]
Nooh continued appealing tohis people to believe in Allaah hour after
hour, day after day andyear after year. He admonished his people and
called them to Allaah day and night, in secret and openly. He gave
them examples, explained Allaah's signs and illustrated Allaah's
ability in the formation of His creatures. But whenever he calledthem
to Allaah, they ran away from him. Whenever he urged them to ask
Allaah to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears and
became too proud to listen to the truth.
Allaah, the Almighty, relates whatNooh faced, Saying (what means):
"Indeed, We sent Nooh to his people, [saying]: 'Warn your people
before there comes to them a painful punishment.' He said: 'O my
people! Indeed I am to you a clear warner, [Saying]: 'Worship Allaah,
fear Him and obey me. He [i.e. Allaah] will forgive you of your sins
and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allaah,
when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.'' He said: 'My
Lord! Indeed I invited mypeople [to truth] night and day. But my
invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e. aversion].And
indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put
their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments
[in refusal], persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance.
Then I invited them publicly. Then I announced to them and [also]
confided to them secretly. And said: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord.
Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the
sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth
and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.
What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allaah
[due] grandeur, while He has created you in stages? Do younot consider
how Allaah has created seven heavens in layers, and made the moon
therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp? And
Allaah has caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth.
Then He will return you into it and extract you [another] extraction.
And Allaah has made for you the earth an expanse. That you may follow
therein roads of passage.'' Nooh said: 'MyLord! Indeed they have
disobeyedme and followed him whose wealth and children will not
increase him except in loss. And they conspired an immense conspiracy,
and said: 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwaa' or
Yaghooth and Ya'ooq and Nasr [i.e., the names of their idols]' And
already they have misled many. And, [my Lord], do not increase the
wrongdoers except in error.' Because of their sins they were drowned
and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides
Allaah [any] helpers." [Quran: 71:1-25]
Nooh continued to call his people to believe in Allaah for nine
hundred and fifty years. Allaah, the Almighty, Says (what means): "And
We certainly sent Nooh to his people, and he remained among them a
thousand years minus fifty years…" [Quran: 29:14]
Insistence on disbelief
It happened that every passing generation admonished the succeeding
one not to believe Nooh and to wage war against him. The father would
teach his child about the matter that was between himself and Nooh and
counsel him to reject his call when he reached adulthood. Their
inclination rejected believing and following the truth.
Nooh saw that the number of believers was not increasing, while that
of the disbelievers was. He was sad for his people, but he never
reached the point ofdespair.
There came a day when Allaah revealed to Nooh that no others would
believe. Allaah inspired him not to grieve for them, at which point
Nooh prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed, saying (which means):
"…'My Lord! Do not leave upon the earthfrom among the disbelievers an
inhabitant. Indeed, if you leave them, they will mislead Your servants
and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.'"
[Quran: 71:26-27]
Allaah accepted the prayer of Nooh . The case was closed, and He
passed His judgment on the disbelievers in the form of a flood. Allaah
the Exalted ordered His worshipper, Nooh to build an ark with His
knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels. Almighty
Allaah commanded (what means): "And construct the ship under Our
Eyesand Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who
have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned." [Quran: 11:37]

Biography -, The story of Prophet Nooh -I

Prophet Nooh (Noah) was one of the prominent Prophets whom Allaah
Almighty sent to guide people to His Path - that of Monotheism. Ibn
'Abbaas narrated that Prophet Muhammad said: " The periodbetween Aadam
and Nooh was ten centuries." [Al-Bukhaari]
Nooh was therefore born some one thousand years after Aadam's
creation, or after he left the Garden of Eden. For many generations,
the people of Nooh had been worshipping statues that they called gods.
They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from
evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as
Wadd, Suwaa', Yaghooth, Ya'ooq, and Nasr.
Allaah Almighty revealed in the Noble Quran (what means): "And [the
idolaters] said: 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd, nor
Suwaa' or Yaghooth and Ya'ooq and Nasr [i.e., the names of their
idols]." [Quran: 71:23] Originally, these were the names of good
people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them
were erected to keep their memories alive. After some time, however,
people began to worship these statues. Later generations did not even
know why they had been erected;they only knew their parents had prayed
to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no
understanding of Allaah Almighty who would punish them for their evil
deeds, they became cruel and immoral.
Ibn 'Abbaas explained:"Following the death of those righteous men,
Satan inspired their people to erect statues in the places where they
used to sit.They did this, but these statues were not worshiped until
the coming generations deviated from the right way of life. Then they
worshipped them as their idols."
In his description of this story, Imaam Ibn Jareer narrated:"There
were righteous people who lived in the period between Aadam and Nooh,
may Allaah exalt their mention, and who hadfollowers who held them as
models. After their death, their friends who used to emulate them
said: 'If we make statues ofthem, it will be more pleasing to us in
our worship and will remind us of them.' So they built statues of them
and, after they had died and others came after them, Iblees (Satan)
crept into their minds saying: 'Your forefathers used to worship them,
and through that worship they got rain.' So they worshipped them."
Imaam Ibn Abu Haatim related the following story:"Wadd was a righteous
man whowas loved by his people. When hedied, they withdrew to his
grave in the land of Babylonia and were overwhelmed by sadness. When
Iblees saw their sorrow caused by his death, he disguised himselfin
the form of a man saying: 'I have seen your sorrow because of this
man's death; can I make a statue like him which could be put in your
meeting place to make you remember him?' They said: 'Yes.' So he made
the statue like him. They put it in their meeting place in order to be
reminded of him. When Iblees saw their interest in remembering him, he
said: 'Can I build a statue of him in the homeof each one of you so
that he would be in everyone's house and you could thereby
rememberhim?' They agreed. Their children learned about and saw what
theywere doing. They also learned about their remembrance of him
instead of Allaah. So the first to be worshipped instead of Allaah was
Wadd, the idol which they named thus."
The essence of this point is that every idol from those earlier
mentioned was worshipped by a certain group of people. It was
mentioned that people made pictures and, as the ages passed, they made
these pictures into statues, so that their forms couldbe fully
recognised; afterwards they were worshipped instead of Allaah.
It was narrated that Umm Salamah and Umm Habeebah who were two of the
wives of the Prophet informed him about the church named 'Maria' that
they had seen in the land of Abyssinia . They described its beauty and
the pictures therein. He said: "Those are the peoplewho build places
of worship on the grave of every dead man whowas righteous and then
make therein those pictures. Those are the worst of creation in the
sight of Allaah." [Al-Bukhaari]
Worshipping anything other thanAllaah is a tragedy that results not
only in the loss of freedom; its serious effect reaches man's mind and
destroys it as well. Almighty Allaah created man and his mind with its
purpose set on achieving knowledge, the most important of which is
that Allaah alone is the Creator and all the rest are worshippers
(slaves). Therefore, disbelief in Allaah, or polytheism, results in
the loss of freedom, the destruction of the mind, and the absence of a
noble target in life. By worshipping anything other than Allaah, man
becomes enslaved to Satan, who is himself a creature, and becomes
harnessed to his own baser qualities.
Into that environment, Allaah sent Nooh with His message to his
people. Nooh was the only intellectual not caught in thewhirlpool of
man's destruction which was caused by polytheism.
Allaah, out of His Mercy, sent His messenger Nooh to guide his people.
Nooh was an excellent speaker and a very patient man. He pointed out
to his people the mysteries of life and the wonders of the universe.
He pointed out how the night is regularly followed by the day andthat
the balance between these opposites was designed by AllaahAlmighty for
our good. The night gives coolness and rest while the day gives warmth
and awakens activity. The sun encourages growth, keeping all plants
and animals alive, while the moon and stars assist in the reckoning of
time, direction and seasons. Hepointed out that the ownership of the
heavens and the earth belongs only to the Divine Creator.
Therefore, he explained to this people, there cannot have been more
than one deity. He clarified to them how the devil had deceived them
for so long and that the time had come for this deceit to stop. Nooh
spoke to them of Allaah's glorification of man, how He had created him
and provided him with sustenance and the blessings of the mind. He
told them that idol-worshipping was a suffocating injustice to the
mind. He warned them not to worship anyone but Allaah and described
the terrible punishment Allaah would mete out if they continuedin
their evil ways.
The people listened to him in silence. His words were a shock to their
stagnating minds as it is a shock to a person who is asleepunder a
wall which is about to fall and who is vigorously awakened. This
person may be alarmed and may even become angry, although the aim was
onlyto save him.
The people of Nooh were divided into two groups after his warning. His
words touched the hearts of the weak, the poor, andthe miserable, and
soothed their wounds with its mercy. As for therich, the strong, the
mighty and the rulers, they looked upon the warning with cold
distrust. They believed they would be better off if things stayed as
they were. Therefore, they started their war of words against Nooh .
First they accused Nooh of being a mere human, just like themselves,
as the verse states (what means): "So the eminent among those who
disbelieved from his people said: 'We do not see you but as a man like
ourselves'…." [Quran: 11:27]
He, however, had never said anything other than that. He asserted
that, indeed, he was only a human being; Allaah had sent a human
messenger because the earth was inhabited by humans. If it had been
inhabited by angels, Allaah wouldhave sent an angelic messenger.
The contest between the polytheists and Nooh continued. The rulers had
thought at first that Nooh's call would soon fade on its own. When
they found that his call attracted the poor, the helpless and common
labourers, they started to verbally attack and taunt him: 'You are
only followedby the poor, the meek and the worthless.'
Allaah the Almighty tells us in theQuran (what means): "And We had
certainly sent Nooh to his people, [saying]: 'Indeed, I am to you a
clear warner. That you not worship except Allaah. Indeed, I fear for
you the punishment of a painful day.' So the eminent among those who
disbelieved from his people said: 'We do not see you but as a man like
ourselves, and we do not see you followed except by those who are the
lowest of us [and] at first suggestion. And we do not see inyou over
us any merit; rather, we think you are a liar.'" [Quran: 11:25-27]
Thus, the conflict between Nooh and the heads of his people
intensified. The disbelievers tried to bargain: "Listen Nooh! If you
want us to believe in you, then dismiss your believers. They are meek
and poor, while we are elite and rich; no faith can includeus both."
Nooh listened to the heathens of his community and realised they were
obstinate.However, he was gentle in his response. He explained to his
people that he could not dismiss the believers as they were not
hisguests but Allaah's.
Nooh appealed to them saying (what means): "O my people! I ask not of
you for it any wealth. My reward is not but from Allaah. And I am not
one to drive away those who have believed. Indeed, they will meet
their Lord, but I see that you are a people behaving ignorantly. And O
my people! Who would protect me from Allaah if I drove them away? Then
will you not be reminded? And I do not tell you that I have the
depositories [containing the provision] of Allaah or that I know the
unseen,nor do I tell you that I am an angel, nor do I say of those
upon whom your eyes look down that Allaah will never grant them any
good. Allaah is most knowing of what is within their souls. Indeed, I
would then be among the wrongdoers [i.e., the unjust].'" [Quran:
11:29-31]
Nooh refuted the argumentsof the disbelievers with the nobleknowledge
of the prophets. It is the logic of intellect that rids itself of
personal pride and interests.

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Waking Up Seven-Year Old Child for Fajr.Dought clear -,

I have a daughter who is7 years old and she praysAlhamdulillah. Do I
have to wake her up for the Fajr (early morning) prayer, knowing that
this made her dislike praying?
Praise be to Allaah.
The father is like the shepherd of his household and is responsible
for his flock, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said. Based on that, he shouldeducate his children andteach them
to fulfil obligations and avoid haram (unlawful) things.That includes
telling them to pray when they reach the age of seven years, because
of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (495) from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from
his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Tell your children
to pray when they are seven years old and smack them (lightly) if they
do not pray when they are ten, and separate them in their beds."
Classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Albaaniin Saheeh Abi Dawood.
But the father should be kind in teaching his small children how to
pray, and he should encourage them by praising them, and giving them
gifts and rewards so that they willget used to it and love it.
You can delay waking your daughter up until near sunrise, and
encourage her to sleep early so that it will be easier for her to get
up.
There is nothing wrong with you not waking herup on days when you
think it will be too hard for her to wake up, because – for example –
she went to sleep late or because it is very cold, and so on.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: I have
a son who is about nine years old; should I wake him up for Fajr
prayer?
He replied: Yes, if a man has children, male or female, who have
reached the age of ten, he should wake them up. With regard to
children who are younger than that, if he wakes them up so that they
may pray on time, that is better, but there is no sin on him if he
does not do that. But it isbetter to wake them up, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Tell your children
to pray when they are seven years old and smack them (lightly) if they
do not pray when they are ten, and separate them in their beds." End
quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala'l-Darb.
He was also asked: My son is eight years old; should I wake him up to
pray Fajr? If he does not pray, am I sinning?
He replied: It seems that it depends. If it is winter,for example, and
it is very cold, then there is nothing wrong with leaving him and
telling him to pray when he wakes up. But if the weather is normal and
there is no harm done by waking him up, then you should wake him upso
that he will get used to praying with the people. Nowadays, praise be
to Allaah, thereare young boys betweenthe ages of seven and ten whom
we see coming with their fathers to pray Fajr. If a child gets used to
that from an early age there is a great deal of goodness in that. But
if it causes hardship, then you do not have to wakethem up. But when
they wake up you should tell them to pray. End quote from al-Liqa'
al-Shahri (40/18).
And Allaah knows best.