(105–122) “The people of Noah denied the messengers,” to the end of the account.
Allah Almighty relates how Noah’s people denied their messenger, Noah, what he said in response to them and what they said in response to him, and the ultimate fate of them all. He said: “The people of Noah denied the messengers”—all of them. He made their denial of Noah equivalent to denying all the messengers because they all shared the same call and conveyed the same truths. Thus, denying any one of them amounts to denying all the truth they brought.
They denied him “when their brother”—their brother by lineage—“Noah said to them…” Allah sent messengers from the same lineage as those to whom they were sent so that the people would not recoil from submitting to them. Moreover, they already knew their true character and therefore had no need to investigate them. Addressing them in the gentlest manner—as is the way of the messengers, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them—he said: “Will you not fear Allah?” Will you not abandon the worship of idols to which you persistently adhere and devote your worship sincerely to Allah alone?
“I am indeed a trustworthy messenger to you.” His being sent specifically to them meant that they were duty-bound to accept what he had been sent with, believe in it, and thank Allah Almighty for favoring them with this noble messenger. His being trustworthy meant that he would neither falsely attribute anything to Allah nor add to or subtract from His revelation. This required them to believe what he told them and obey what he commanded.
“So fear Allah and obey me” in what I command you and forbid you. This is what necessarily follows from his being a trustworthy messenger to them. He therefore linked it with the word “so,” which indicates causation: he first mentioned the compelling reason and then stated the absence of any hindrance, saying: “I ask no payment of you for it,” such that you would have to bear a heavy financial burden. “My reward is only with the Lord of all worlds.” Through this, I hope to draw near to Him and receive an abundant reward. As for you, my sole wish and ultimate desire is to counsel you sincerely and see you follow the straight path.
“So fear Allah and obey me.” He repeated this—peace be upon him—because he repeatedly called his people and remained among them doing so for a very long time. Allah Almighty said: “He remained among them for a thousand years, less fifty years.” He also said: “My Lord, I have called my people night and day, but my call has only driven them further away,” and so on through the following verses.
In rejection of his call, they raised an objection that was no valid objection at all: “Are we to believe you when only the lowliest follow you?” That is: How could we follow you when we see none but society’s lowest, most contemptible dregs among your followers? This reveals their arrogance toward the truth and their ignorance of reality. Had they truly been seeking the truth, they would have said—if they had any difficulty or doubt concerning his call—“Show us, by sound means, the truth of what you have brought.” Had they reflected properly, they would have realized that his followers were the highest and best of creation: people of sound judgment and noble character. The truly lowly person is the one deprived of reason’s defining quality, who considers the worship of stones desirable, is content to prostrate before and invoke them, and refuses to submit to the call of the most perfect messengers.
As soon as one of two disputants advances a false argument, the falsity of his position becomes evident, irrespective of whether his opponent’s claim is sound. When we therefore hear that Noah’s people rejected his call by saying, “Are we to believe you when only the lowliest follow you?”—thus basing their rejection on a premise whose falsity is evident to everyone—we know that they were misguided and mistaken, even if we had not witnessed among Noah’s signs and his momentous call that which establishes with absolute certainty his truthfulness and the soundness of what he brought.