Story of Nuh عليه السلام

1. Story of Nuhعليه السلام

2. Virtues of Nuhعليه السلام • Allah praised Him for Being a Thankful Slave • ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا (3) • O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant. • Whenever he would eat, drink, or wear clothes he would thank Allah • He would use his blessings in ways that were pleasing to Allah

3. First Messenger to Mankind • Between Adam عليه السلام and Nuhعليه السلام there were ten generations and all of them were on Tawheed • ' They will come to Nuh and will say to him: 'O Nuh! You are the first of Messenger of Allah to the people on the earth, and Allah has named you a grateful slave. • Strong determination • وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنْكَ وَمِنْ نُوحٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُمْ مِيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا • And [mention, O Muhammad], when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, the son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant.

4. Allah Answered His Dua and Made His Progeny Last • وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ (75) • And Noah had certainly called Us, and [We are] the best of responders. • وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ (76) • And We saved him and his family from the great affliction. • وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبَاقِينَ (77) • And We made his descendants those remaining [on the earth] •  Imam Ahmad recorded from Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said: • «سَامُ أَبُو الْعَرَبِ، وَحَامُ أَبُو الْحَبَشِ، وَيَافِثُ أَبُو الرُّوم» • Sam was the father of the Arabs, Ham was the father of the Ethiopians and Yafith was the father of the Romans.)'' This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi.

5. Prophethood and Revelation are from His Descendants • وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَ • And We have already sent Noah and Abraham and placed in their descendants prophethood and scripture; and among them is he who is guided, but many of them are defiantly disobedient. • IbnKatheerرحمه الله commenting on this verse stated “Allah the Exalted states that since He sent Nuh, peace be upon him, all the Prophets and Messengers He sent after that were from his offspring.”

6. How did shirk creep in? • There were ten generations that were all on Tawheed • Narrated Ibn `Abbas: • All the idols which were worshipped by the people of Noah were worshipped by the Arabs later on. • As for the idol Wadd, it was worshipped by the tribe of Kalb at Daumat-al-Jandal; Suwa' was the idol of (the tribe of) Murad and then by Ban, Ghutaif at Al-Jurf near Saba; Yauq was the idol of Hamdan, and Nasr was the idol of Himyr, the branch of Dhi-al-Kala.' • The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people to (prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not worshipped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshipping them.

7. Definition of bidah • Imaam Ash-Shaafi’i, رحمه الله , said: “A Bid’ah is anything that has no basis in the Qur’aan, Sunnahor sayings of any of the companions.” • Ibn Al-Jawzi, رحمه الله , said: “ABid’ahis any form of worship that did not exist (at thetime of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم andhis companions) then later it was innovated.” • IbnRajab, رحمه الله , said: “ABid’ahis any form of worship which has no basis in theSharee’ahwhich would warrant its legislation

8. Quranic verses about bidah • Allaah says that which translates as: “And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And they will have a great punishment.” (Aal ‘Imraan: 105). Al-Qurtubi, may Allaahhave mercy upon him, said: "This verse refers to the Jews and the Christians according to the majority of the scholars, but others have said that it refers to innovators within the Muslim nation." • Allaah says that which translates as: “On the Day [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black, [to them it will be said]: 'Did you disbelieve [i.e., reject faith] after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject.'” (Aal‘Imraan: 106). • Ibn‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said concerning this verse: "The faces of the people who adhered to the Sunnah will turn white and bright, while the faces of the innovators will turn black and gloomy". Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "He who innovates or changes anything of the religion of Allaah will be amongst the black faced people who will be prevented from reaching the Prophet’s fountain and therefore prohibited from drinking from it".

9. Few More Verses • Allaah says that which translates as: “[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think they are doing well in work.” (Al-Kahf: 104) • ImaamAtTabari, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said concerning this verse: "‘It refers to anyone who did an act thinking it to be correct and something that was in obedience to Allaah and something that pleased him, while in reality, it was a way of disobeying Allaahand straying away from the path of the believers.“ • Allaah says that which translates as: “So let those beware who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's] order lest trials strike them or a painful punishment.” (An-Noor: 63) • ImaamIbnKatheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said concerning this verse: "It refers to those who differ from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallamin any way, whether in his Sunnah, Sharee’ahor methodology All words and deeds must be weighed according to his words and deeds, if they coincide then that is acceptable, otherwise, it will be rejected by Allaahregardless of who these words and deeds came from

10. Hadeeth about Bidah • AnasIbnMaalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, • narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallamsaid: “Allaah does not accept the repentance of an innovator until he abandons his innovation” (At- Tabaraani& Bayhaqi). • SufyaanAth-Thawri, may Allaahhave mercy upon him, said: "An innovation is dearer to Satan than a sin, for one can easily repent from a sin, but an innovation is not easily repented from (as an innovator thinks that he is on the correct path).“ • Al-‘IrbaadhIbnsaariyah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallamsaid: “He who lives long enough will see many things which he will not recognize, therefore, hold on to my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs who succeed me; bite onto it (i.e., my Sunnah) with your molars. Stay away from innovations, because every innovation is misguidance.”

11. Other Hadeeth in regards to bidah • ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallam said: “He who does something which is not according to what we (i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallam and his companions) are upon then it is rejected.” (Bukhaari& Muslim). • IbnRajab, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "Anyone who attempts to draw nearer to Allaah(i.e. please Him) by performing an act which neither Allaahnor His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallamlegislated as an act which pleases Allaah, will have that act rejected by Him.“ • AbdullaahIbnMas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallamsaid: “I will be ahead of you in reaching my fountain, and there will be people who will be prevented from reaching it, therefore, I will say: 'My Lord! These are my followers!' It will be said: 'You do not know what they innovated and altered after you.‘ (i.e., after your death) Therefore, I will say: 'Let those who altered (the religion) be kept away (in a humiliated place).” (Bukhaari & Muslim).

12. Responsibility of the Prophets عليهم السلام • ‘AbdullaahIbn ‘AmrIbn Al-‘Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallam said: “It was mandatory upon each of the Prophets who came before me to guide their nations to all that was good for them, and warn them against all that was evil for them” (Muslim).

13. Harms of bidah • Bid’ahis a pre-cursor to disbelief. • Making unfounded statements on behalf of Allaah. • Correcting the Prophets عليهم السلام claiming that he had deficiencies. • Accusing the Prophet of not completely conveying themessage of Islaam. • Dividing the Muslim nation. • Igniting disputes among the Muslims. • Abandoning the Sunnah.

14. Reasons for Bidah • Ignorance of the religion of Islaam. • Following ones whims. • Clinging to doubts. • The sole use of ration with no reference to the Islamic texts (Qur'aan and Sunnah). • Islamic Scholars not fulfilling their expected role. • Blind imitation of the masses. • Dependence on weak or fabricated Ahaadeeth

15. Ways to get rid of bidah • Warning against the dangers of Bid’ahand its evil • effects. • Calling people to adhere to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, • with the understanding of the early generations of Muslims • Distinguishing between weak and the authentic • Ahaadeeth. • Purifying the schools of jurisprudence from the innovation of extremism towards them. • Spreading knowledge and correcting the peoples understanding of faith, worship and financial transactions.