February 2011: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

Page 4

Lessons From the Past:

Noah, Hud, Saleh, Lot, Shu’aib

“This is news from the past communities that we narrate to you. Some are still standing, and some have vanished. We never wronged them; they wronged their own souls… Such was the retribution enforced by your Lord when the communities transgressed. Indeed, His retribution is painful, devastating. This should be a lesson for those who fear retribution of the Hereafter…”
(11:100-3)

 “We narrate to you the history of those communities: their messengers went to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in what they had rejected before. God thus seals the hearts of the disbelievers.” (7:101)

 “This should be a lesson, but most people are not believers.” 
(26:139,158,174,190)

In Suras (Chapters) 7, 11, and 26, there are verses about a progression of messengers sent to evil communities. They are only a minority of the total messengers sent by God, but these five have very specific tales to tell. This is a chronology and abbreviated history for us to learn from. “We have set it up as a lesson. Does any of you wish to learn?” (54:15)

Although they are sometimes given in different order in other places in the Quran, the chronology in suras 7, 11 and 26 is correct. Verse 11:89 tells us that Noah, Hud, Saleh, and Lot all preceded Shu’aib, with Lot just before him. Verse 7:69 says that the people of Hud were inheritors after the people of Noah, and 7:74 says that Saleh followed Hud.

Noah’s community was full of idol worship (7:59 and 71:23) and corruption (71:21-2). He preached to them day and night, publicly and privately. They rejected him because “the first people to follow you are the worst among us” (7:27 and 26:111). His people suspected him of seeking personal gain and said God could have sent angels instead (23:24)

Noah then built the ark, which, as a sign of messengership, his people ridiculed and rejected (11:37, 23:27, 29:15, 54:13-5). The flood then came, and Noah and a few believers were saved (11:40, 23:27, 54:12, 71:25). Not even all of Noah’s family was saved with him. His son clearly disbelieved and was among those who were drowned (11:43). And Noah’s wife is given as an example of a disbeliever married to a righteous servant. (66:10).

‘Ad then inherited from Noah, and God multiplied their numbers and blessed them (7:69, 26:133). They were allowed to build beautiful buildings (26:128-9, 89:6-8). But this became a problem for them, making them vain and aggressive (26:128-30), and they were also idolatrous (7:70, 11:50-4, 46:22). Hud was the messenger God sent,

but he was accused of behaving foolishly (7:66-7), and again the people said God could have sent angels (41:14).

The retribution for ‘Ad was a storm with disastrous winds (41:16, 46:24-5, 51:41-2). It lasted seven nights and eight days and “tossed the people around as if they were decayed palm tree trunks” (54:20, 69:6-7). Yet it left the homes standing (46:25). Thamoud was the community which followed ‘Ad. They too had beautiful mansions, carving homes from the mountains (7:74, 26:149, 89:9). Like ‘Ad, they were an aggressive people (85:7-8,  89:9-11), and they practiced idolatry (11:61-2). Their messenger was Saleh, who was a popular member of the society until he began telling them to worship God alone. His people asked for a miracle (26:154), and God sent the special camel (7:73, 11:64, 17:59, 26:155, 54:27, 91:13).

When the people rejected Saleh and slaughtered the camel, God gave Saleh knowledge of the future – that Thamoud had only three more days to live (11:65). A devastating earthquake, “one blow,” (54:31) left them “dead in their homes” (7:78), and utterly ruined their homes (27:52).

Lot was the next messenger to a transgressing community. The people of his community practiced homosexuality, which Lot described as “such as abomination” (7:80). In addition, they committed highway robbery and allowed all kinds of vice (29:29). Lot stood up to his people repeatedly, and they rejected him because of his purity and steadfastness (7:82, 11:78, 27:56).

Cont'd on page 4

Messenger

Community/Place

Vice/Crime

Retribution

Noah

People of Noah

Idol Worship, Corruption

Flood

Hud

‘Ad

Idol Worship, Vanity, Aggression

Storm with Disastrous Winds

Saleh

Thamud

Idol Worship, Aggression

Earthquake

Lot

People of Lot
(Sodom/Gomorrah- Based on the Bible)

Homosexuality, Highway Robbery, Corruption

Shower of Rocks Turned Upside Down

Shu’aib

Midyan

Cheating in Trade, Corruption

‘Day of Canopy’