These Rāfidis accuse the wives of the prophets—Aisha and Noah’s wife—of sexual immorality. They thereby harm our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and other prophets in a manner akin to the harm inflicted by the hypocrites who deny the messengers. Yet they condemn Talhah and al-Zubayr for taking Aisha with them when they traveled with her from Mecca to Basra, even though there was not the slightest ground for suspecting sexual impropriety in this. Are they not, then, among the most ignorant and self-contradictory of all people?

Ahl al-Sunnah, however, hold that no prophet’s wife ever committed adultery and that Noah’s son was indeed his son. Allah Most High—the most truthful of speakers—said:

“Noah called out to his son.”

[Surah Hūd: 42]

Noah likewise said:

“O my son, come aboard with us.”

[Surah Hūd: 42]

And he said:

“My son is indeed of my family.”

[Surah Hūd: 45]

Thus Allah and His Messenger both state that he was Noah’s son, whereas these lying fabricators who harm the prophets claim that he was not his son. Allah Most High did not say, “He (1) is not your son,” but rather said:

“He is not of your family.”

He—glorified and exalted—is the One who said:

“We said, ‘Take aboard it a pair of every kind, and your family—except those against whom the decree has already been passed.’”

[Surah Hūd: 40]

He then said:

“And whoever believed.”

[Surah Hūd: 40]

That is: and take (2) aboard whoever believed. Thus He did not command Noah to take his entire family aboard; rather, He excluded those against whom the decree had already been passed [from among them] (3). His son was one against whom the decree had already been passed, though Noah did not know this. He therefore said:

“My Lord, my son is indeed of my family,”

thinking