Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:116

His People's Threat, Nuh's Prayer against Them, and Their Destruction

Nuh stayed among his people for a long time, calling them to Allah night and day, in secret and openly. The more he repeated his call to them, the more determined were they to cling to their extreme disbelief and resist his call. In the end, they said:

(If you cease not, O Nuh you will surely be among those stoned.) meaning, `if you do not stop calling us to your religion,'

(you will surely be among those stoned.) meaning, `we will stone you.' At that point, he prayed against them, and Allah responded to his prayer. Nuh said:

(My Lord! Verily, my people have denied me. Therefore judge You between me and them.) This is like the Ayah:

(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!")(54:10) And Allah says here:

(And We saved him and those with him in the laden ship. Then We drowned the rest thereafter.) The "laden ship" is one that is filled with cargo and the couples, one pair from every species, that were carried in it. This Ayah means: `We saved Nuh and all of those who followed him, and We drowned those who disbelieved in him and went against his commands, all of them.'

(Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers. And verily your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.)

Demikianlah Nabi Nuh melaksanakan tugasnya sebagai seorang rasul Allah. Ia berusaha sekuat tenaga menyampaikan seruan Allah, siang dan malam, baik secara sembunyi maupun terang-terangan. Semakin giat Nabi Nuh menyeru mereka, semakin kuat pula halangan dan rintangan yang diberikan kaumnya. Sikap mereka itu dilukiskan dalam firman Allah:

Dan sesungguhnya aku setiap kali menyeru mereka (untuk beriman) agar Engkau mengampuni mereka, mereka memasukkan anak jarinya ke telinganya dan menutupkan bajunya (ke wajahnya) dan mereka tetap (mengingkari) dan sangat menyombongkan diri. (Nuh/71: 7).

Akhirnya mereka mengancam Nabi Nuh untuk segera menghentikan usahanya mengajak mereka mengikuti agama yang didakwahkannya. Jika ia masih melanjutkan usahanya itu dan tidak menghentikannya, mereka akan merajam dan membinasakan Nabi Nuh.