People of Noah
The people of Noah are among the communities mentioned in the Qur'an who were subjected to divine punishment for their persistent opposition to Noah (a). The story of Noah's people is mentioned more than 70 times in various chapters of the Qur'an.
Despite Noah's (a) long years of preaching the message of monotheism, only a small number of his people came to believe in him. They were idol-worshippers who accused their prophet of lying, madness, being possessed, and being argumentative. They considered Noah’s followers to be simple-minded and encouraged others to oppose and harass him.
By God’s command, Noah (a) was instructed to build an ark. His people mocked him, but when the flood began, the believers who were with him were saved, while the deniers — including his wife and one of his sons — perished in the deluge.
Introduction and Significance
The account of the people of Noah (a) is mentioned more than seventy times in the Qur'an, appearing in Qur'an 7, Qur'an 10, Qur'an 11, Qur'an 21, Qur'an 23, Qur'an 26, as well as in a chapter dedicated entirely to him (chapter 71). Their story is also narrated in the Torah, the Gospels, and in the mythologies of various ancient cultures. The people of Noah lived before the tribes of 'Ad, Thamud, and Lut.
The Qur'an describes the people of Noah as idol-worshippers. They worshipped multiple deities, among which five idols—Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr—held particular prominence.
Ibn Athir, a Sunni historian, reports two perspectives regarding the beliefs and conduct of Noah's people: One view holds that they were guilty of sins such as immorality and wine-drinking. Another view maintains that some among them had embraced the Sabian faith and were devout in their practices.
Reaction of the People to Noah’s Preaching
Qur'anic exegetes describe the people of Noah (a) as ignorant and unaware, persisting in their sinful behavior. They accused their prophet of lying and disregarded his warnings. They regarded Noah (a) as an ordinary human being and argued that, were there truly a divine message to be delivered, it should have been entrusted to angels. They accused him of being argumentative and, at times, threatened to stone him. They also charged him with madness and possession.
According to Tafsir nimuna, the people of Noah (a) would sometimes go so far in persecuting him that they would seize him by the throat, leaving him unconscious on the ground.
The people of Noah regarded his followers as simple-minded and lacking judgment, while the leaders and wealthy members of the community sought to obstruct his preaching. They urged the people to remain loyal to their deities, and incited others to oppose and harass their prophet.
Allama Tabataba'i, citing verse 7 of Qur'an 71, writes that when Noah (a) called his people, they would put their fingers in their ears so they would not hear him, and they would cover themselves with their garments so they would not see him. They rejected his message with obstinacy and arrogance. Despite his long period of preaching, stated in the Qur'an as 950 years, only a small number believed in him, with reports in various sources ranging from seven to eighty individuals. The people of Noah not only denied him but also rejected all prophets.
Fate of the People of Noah
After hearing their prophet warn them of the impending punishment, the people of Noah asked him to bring the chastisement he had promised. When Noah (a) lost hope in their guidance, he invoked God against them and asked for divine retribution. By God’s command, he was instructed to build an ark, and while he was constructing it, the leaders of his community mocked him.
With the onset of God's decree for punishment, water began to gush forth from the oven, and Noah (a) boarded the ark along with the believers. However, the people of Noah — including his wife and his son — refused to board the ark and perished in the flood.
According to Allama Tabataba'i, torrential and continuous rain poured down from the sky while springs simultaneously burst forth from the earth, such that the waters of the heavens and the earth merged. As a result, all mountains, trees, and dwellings were submerged.
Al-Tabrisi, the Shia exegete, reports from Imam al-Sadiq (a) that forty years before the Flood, the women of Noah's people became infertile and no children were born to them; this, he states, was a preliminary sign of their impending punishment.