6. PROPHETS’ DU’Ᾱ (INVOCATIONS) IN THE QUR’ᾹN (1) 1 and 2. Adam and Noah

 

6. PROPHETS’  DU’Ᾱ  (INVOCATIONS)  IN THE QUR’ᾹN (1)

Adam and Noah

          Accordding to some ḥadīths, but not very strong, there are 124 000 prophets, among them about 313 were messengers.[1] There are four prophets among the Arabs: Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Shu‘ayb, and Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The first prophet was Adam a.s. and the last one was Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Allah said in the Qur’an:

 إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَإِنْ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ (فاطر:24)

Verily, We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad

 tidings and a warner. And there never was a nation but

 a warner had passed among them (Q. 35:24)

          In 1986 or 87 in Edmonton, Canada, a friend told me that there was an American Indian tribe who used smoke instead of dust in making ablution, like doing tayammum  in Islam before they prayed. Another tribe said that they had in distant past a wise man called Napi. This word is close to the Arabic word ”nabi” meaning “a prophet.” I have mentioned earlier that an unidentified Aborigine tribe in Australia called their god “Atnatu”, meaning the one who does not have orifice, namely, the one who does not eat and drink.        

1.    Adam a.s.w. Adam is mentioned in the Qur’an 25 times. Adam and his wife Ḥawā’ (Eve) were allowed to dwell in Paradise and to eat from all of is fruits, except one tree, the “Tree of Eternity”. But Satan tempted them to eat it to make them become angels or become eternal (Q. 7:20). Satan even told them, “I was created before you, and I have better knowledge than you. Therefore, follow me and I will direct you!” (Qatadah’s commentary). As they followed the temptation of Satan, they were expelled from Paradise and brought to the earth together with Satan. Allah told Adam and Eve that they and their descendants would be perpetual enemy of Satan. Adam a. s. and Eve asked Allah’s forgiveness.

قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا

لنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (الأعراف:23)

They [Adam and Eve] said: “Our Lord! We have wronged

ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us

Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.”

(Q. 7:23)

          We Muslims also cite this du‘ā’ (invocation, supplication, prayer) of our fore-father Adam a.s. We shall have double merit in  citing this du‘ā’, asking Allah’s forgiveness, and at the same time citing the Qur’anic verses by which we shall have tenfold rewards. 
         

          The prayer of Adam and his wife Hawwa (Eve) was accepted, and their sin for eating the forbidden fruit was forgiven.  Allah said:

 فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ (البقرة:37)

 Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his

 Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily,

He is the One Who accepts repentance,

the Most Merciful.(Q. 2:37)     

Therefore, they came to this earth forgiven sin which means without sin.  Allah said in the Qur’an:

...وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى ... (الإسراء:15)

… No one laden with burdens can bear

 another’s burden… (Q. 17:15) 

           Similarly, in the New Testament, it says: “Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (Matthew 19:14, NIV). In the Old Testament it said: “…The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.” (Ezekiel 18:15, NIV). “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor did children put to death for his own son.” (Deuteronomy 24:16, NIV)

     The doctrine of the Original Sin was attributed to Paul who was said to have invented it, as Jesus did not talk about it. Paul in his letters to the Romans he said:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through

one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to

 all men  because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted

 where there is no law. (Romans 5:12-13, ESV).[2]

 It is mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah warned both Adam and Eve not to approach the forbidden tree, and both Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, not Eve only. Allah said: 

وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا

 وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ. فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا

فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ

فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ (البقرة: 35-36)

 And We said: “O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in

 Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and

 delight, of things therein as wherever you will, but come

 not near this tree or you both will be of the wrong-

doers.” But Satan made them slip therefrom (Paradise),

 and got them out from that in which they were in. We

 said: “Get you down, all with enmity between yourselves.

 On earth will be the dwelling place for you and

 enjoyment for a time.”  (Q. 2:35-36)

              But in the Old as well as New Testament it was said that it was Eve only who was deceived by Satan (Serpent), and for this reason, God blamed Adam for his listening to his wife (Genesis 3:17). She gave some of the forbidden fruit to her husband.[3]

        Adam and Hawwa (Eve) started a new life, an earthly life where they have to work to survive. This earth and its contents are all for them and their descendants for their benefit. Allah said:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا.... (البقرة:29)

 It is He Who created for you all that is on earth …(Q. 2:29)

        This earth, then, as our home is amānah (a trust) that we as human beings are entrusted by Allah to keep it in good condition, to keep it clean, like cleaning our own house.[4] 

2.    Noah (Nūḥ) a.s.  He is mentioned 43 times in the Qur’an. He and his people lived in Southern Iraq round the present site of Kufah.  He called his people to worship Allah Alone instead of idols. But they did not want to listen to him. When Allah told him that no more people would follow him, He told him to build an ark (Q. 11:36).[5]

Prophet Noah a.s. complained to Allah, and prayed:

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي كَذَّبُونِ. فَافْتَحْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ فَتْحًا وَنَجِّنِي وَمَنْ مَعِيَ

 مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ.

ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا بَعْدُ الْبَاقِينَ (الشعراء:117-120)

  (Noah) said: “My Lord! Verily, my people have

denied me. Therefore, judge you between me and them,

 and save me and those of the believers who are with me.”

 And We save him and those with him in the laden ship.

 Then We drowned the rest (disbelievers)

 thereafter. (Q. 26:117-120)

 In another verse Prophet Noah a.s. asked Allah’s help, as his people denied him.  Allah told him to build an ark.

 قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ. فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا

فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ فَاسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ

عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِنَّهُمْ مُغْرَقُونَ. إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنْتَ

 وَمَنْ مَعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ. وَقُلْ

رَبِّ أَنْزِلْنِي مُنْزَلًا مُبَارَكًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنْزِلِينَ (المؤمنون:26-29)

  Nūḥ (Noah) said: “O my Lord! Help me because they deny

me.” So We revealed to him (saying): “Construct the ship under

 Our Eyes and under Our Revelation (guidance). Then, when Our Command comes, and water gushes forth from the oven, take

 on board of each kind two (male and female), and your family,

 except those thereof against whom the Word has already

 gone forth. And address Me not in favour of those who have

 done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned.” And when

 you have embarked on she ship, you and whoever is with

you, then say: “All praise and thanks are Allah’s, Who

 has saved us from the people who are wrong-doers.”

 And say: “My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed

 landing-place, for you are the Best of those

who bring to land.”  (Q. 23:26-29)

          When Prophet Noah saw his son swimming and called him to embark with him and not to be with disbelievers. But his son answered that he would prefer to take safety from the mountain. Then big waves separated them, and his son was drowned like other disbelievers. So, Prophet Noah prayed to Allah.

 وَنَادَى نُوحٌ رَبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنْتَ

أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ. قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ

فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ. قَالَ

رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي

وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ. (هود:45-47)



 And Nūḥ (Noah) called upon his Lord and said, "O my 

Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! And certainly, Your

 Promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges.”

 He (Allah) said: “O Nūḥ (Noah)! Surely, he is not of your

  family; verily, he work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me

 that  of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you

 lest you should be one of the ignorant.” Nūḥ (Noah)

 said: “O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from that of

 which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive

me and have Mercy on me, I will indeed

be one of the losers.” (Q. 11:45-47)

          Since Prophet Noah’s prayer for his son was not accepted, he concluded with praying for forgiveness himself, his parents and people who enter his house and believers male and females, as follows:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا (نوح:28)

 “My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who

enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men

and women. And to the wrong-doers grant You no

 increase but destruction.” (Q. 71:28)

According to the Qur’an commentator al-Ḍaḥḥāk, the verse “and him who enters my home as a believer” here means “my place of worship (mosque)”. This is the last verse in this chapter of Noah, where he is asking Allah’s forgiveness for any shortcoming in delivering His message.  Most of the verses in this chapter deal with the story of Noah, where he complained to Allah against his people.

 The story of Adam a.s., Noah a.s. and other prophets is mentioned briefly in the Qur’an, as it is not a book of history, but a book of guidance.  Each story contains guidance and moral lessons.

                                                                   (CIVIC, 6 June, 2014)

 المراجع:  

المكتبة الشاملة        

تفسير الطبري (ت. 310 هـ (

تفسير القرطبى (ت. 671 هـ(

تفسير ابن كثير (ت. 774 هـ(

Holy Bible, New International Version
Yaacob, M.A. Christianity. Kuala Lumpur: Perniagaan Jayabersa, 2004
Abu Khalil, Dr. Shauqi . Atlas of the Qur’an. Riyadh, Darussalam, 2003 http://fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/index.php?page=showfatwa&Opti         on=FatwaId&Id=9475

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[1] Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 5, 169 ; in another ḥadīth it is said that the number of prophets is 120 000, and the number of messenger is 315. These ḥadīths are considered weak by many scholars.

[2] However, it was found in the Old Testament that David prayed to God and said: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalms 51:5, NIV).

[3] "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and taste it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:6 NIV); "And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner." (1Timothy 2:14, NIV)   

[4] Full accounts of Adam a.s. in the Qur’an can be read in Q. 2:30-38; 7:11-27; 20:115-123

[5]According to the Old Testament Prophet Noah drank and got drunk. “When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.” (Genesis 9:21, New International Version). It is also said: “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1,  New International Version).  As a prophet, we cannot accept that he committed such sin.