The five resolute messengers · 1 of 5Called his people for nine hundred and fifty years (29:14).
About
A messenger who called his people to Allah for centuries as they persisted in rejection. Commanded to build the Ark, he was saved with the believers while the flood overtook the rest; one of the five 'resolute' messengers (ulū al-ʿazm).
The name
The first of the resolute messengers (ulū al-ʿazm), by scholarly consensus drawn from 46:35
Source: Tafsīr
The story, as the Qurʼan tells it
- The beginningHis own people, whom he called to Allah night and day, openly and in private, for nine hundred and fifty years.
7:59
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَقَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
71:1-9
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦٓ أَنْ أَنذِرْ قَوْمَكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
29:14
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَٰلِمُونَ
- The callWorship Allah alone; seek His forgiveness and He will send rain, wealth and children.
71:2-4
قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنِّى لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ
71:10-12
فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًۭا
- The signCommanded to build the Ark under Allah's eyes while his people passed by and mocked him.
11:37-38
وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا وَلَا تُخَٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ
23:27
فَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ ٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ ۙ فَٱسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّۢ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُخَٰطِبْنِى فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّهُم مُّغْرَقُونَ
- The testThe flood came; his own son refused to board and was among the drowned, and Nūḥ was told not to ask about him.
11:40-47
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا ٱحْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّۢ زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ ءَامَنَ ۚ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌۭ
- The outcomeThe Ark settled on al-Jūdī; Nūḥ and the believers were saved and blessed, and the deniers were swept away.
11:44
وَقِيلَ يَٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًۭا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
11:48
قِيلَ يَٰنُوحُ ٱهْبِطْ بِسَلَٰمٍۢ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَٰتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍۢ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ ۚ وَأُمَمٌۭ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
26:119-120
فَأَنجَيْنَٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ
The lessonSteadfast calling is its own success, and closeness to a prophet does not save anyone who does not believe. 11:45-46
وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌۭ رَّبَّهُۥ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ٱبْنِى مِنْ أَهْلِى وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ
29:14-15
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَٰلِمُونَ
Duʿāʾ — in their own words
Nūḥ at the end of his call · 71:28رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِىَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ
Rabbi ghfir lī wa-li-wālidayya wa-li-man dakhala baytiya muʾminan wa-lil-muʾminīna wal-muʾmināt
My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house as a believer, and the believing men and the believing women.
Relationships
AncestorOf the progeny of Ādam
Key appearances
Tap a reference to read the āyah — Arabic with English beneath.