Nuh (Noah) was the son of Lamech, who was the son of Methuselah, the son of Idris (Enoch), the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth who was the son of Adam. Nuh was born 126 years after the death of Adam, according to Ibn Jarir. In a different narration the Prophet ﷺ was asked 'O Messenger of Allah! Was Adam a prophet? He replied 'Yes, prophet to whom (Allah) spoke.' He then asked 'how many years were there between Adam and Noah?' The prophet said 'ten centuries' [Ibn Hibban 6190, Al-Hakim 2/262]. Similarly, Ibn Abbas said the Prophet ﷺ said "There were ten centuries between Adam and Noah, they all lived according to Islam' [Al-Hakim 2/546]. Ibn Abbas understood this as ten centuries of people living in accordance to Islam, there might have been more time in between. Note that the lifespan of people of the past was longer than now.

The story of prophet Noah is mentioned many times in the Quran including in surah Al-A'raf, Yunus, Hud, Al-Anbiya, Al-Mu'minum, Ashu'ara, Al-Ankabut, As-Saffatt, Al-Qamar and in the whole of surah Nuh.

Between Adam and Noah there were pious generations but, after a while, people began to worship idols. Bukhari mentions a narration from Ibn Abbas who explained that 'Wadd, Suwâ’, Yaghûth, Ya’ûq, and Nasr' were the names of pious people from amongst the community who, after their deaths, Satan inspired them to put up statues of them where they used to sit and name them after those people. They intended that this would encourage them to worship when they remembered them. They did so, and it was only until that generation and their knowledge (of what the statues were erected for) died when they began to be worshipped. Satan whispered to the later generation saying that it was these their forefathers worshipped for rain. This is what started the idol worship which was present amongst the people of Noah.

urging ˹their followers˺, ‘Do not abandon your idols—especially Wadd, Suwâ’, Yaghûth, Ya’ûq, and Nasr.’71:23

Another narration reported from Abul-Mutahhir explains when Abu Ja'far described that Wadd was a pious man, loved by his people but when he died, they converged around his grave in Babylon and were overwhelmed with grief. Satan saw this, came disguised as a man and said that, after seeing their grief, he will make a statue of him in their place of assembly in his remembrance. When Satan observed their keenness to remember him, he offered to make individual statues for every family in every house which they agreed. Their children saw them using the statues for remembrance and the generation after had no understanding of their purpose and began to worship them, instead of Allah. So the first one to be worshipped other than Allah was Wadd - the idol they named Wadd. It was therefore common for pious people to be (directly or indirectly) turned into idols after their deaths. To this point, there is a narration of when Umm Salamah and Umm Habibah mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ of a beautiful church called 'Maria' they had seen in Abyssinia, he said "When a righteous man among them dies, they build a place of worship over his grave. Then they depict those images therein. They are the worst of all creatures before Allah" [Bukhari 427, Muslim 528]

When corruption had spread through the land, Allah sent Noah, the first Messenger [Bukhari 3340, Muslim 194], calling people to the worship for Allah alone, just as every single other Messenger came with that message; all Messengers were of his progeny. ('Messengers' and 'prophets' are often used as different terms to differentiate those whom Allah chose as 'Messengers'. Not all prophets were 'Messengers').

We never sent a messenger before you ˹O Prophet˺ without revealing to him: “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Me, so worship Me ˹alone˺.”21:25

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah—you have no other god except Him. I truly fear for you the torment of a tremendous Day.”7:59

But the chiefs of his people said, “We surely see that you are clearly misguided.”7:60

He replied, “O my people! I am not misguided! But I am a messenger from the Lord of all worlds,7:61

conveying to you my Lord’s messages and giving you ˹sincere˺ advice. And I know from Allah what you do not know.7:62

Do you find it astonishing that a reminder should come to you from your Lord through one of your own, warning you, so you may beware and perhaps be shown mercy?”7:63

But they rejected him, so We saved him and those with him in the Ark, and drowned those who rejected Our signs. They were certainly a blind people.7:64

Noah called his people to the truth day and night, private and public but they persisted in their disbelief. They treated Noah and his followers as enemies, they threatened them with stoning and expulsion from their land.

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people ˹saying to him˺, “Warn your people before a painful punishment comes to them.”71:1

Noah proclaimed, “O my people! I am truly sent to you with a clear warning:71:2

worship Allah ˹alone˺, fear Him, and obey me.71:3

He will forgive your sins, and delay your end until the appointed time. Indeed, when the time set by Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, if only you knew!”71:4

He cried, “My Lord! I have surely called my people day and night,71:5

but my calls only made them run farther away.71:6

And whenever I invite them to be forgiven by You, they press their fingers into their ears, cover themselves with their clothes, persist ˹in denial˺, and act very arrogantly.71:7

Then I certainly called them openly,71:8

then I surely preached to them publicly and privately,71:9

saying, ‘Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, ˹for˺ He is truly Most Forgiving.71:10

He will shower you with abundant rain,71:11

supply you with wealth and children, and give you gardens as well as rivers.71:12

What is the matter with you that you are not in awe of the Majesty of Allah,71:13

when He truly created you in stages ˹of development˺?71:14

Do you not see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other,71:15

Allah ˹alone˺ caused you to grow from the earth like a plant.71:17

Then He will return you to it, and then simply bring you forth ˹again˺.71:18

And Allah ˹alone˺ spread out the earth for you71:19

to walk along its spacious pathways.’”71:20

˹Eventually,˺ Noah cried, “My Lord! They have certainly persisted in disobeying me, and followed ˹instead˺ those ˹elite˺ whose ˹abundant˺ wealth and children only increase them in loss,71:21

and who have devised a tremendous plot,71:22

urging ˹their followers˺, ‘Do not abandon your idols—especially Wadd, Suwâ’, Yaghûth, Ya’ûq, and Nasr.’71:23

Those ˹elite˺ have already led many astray. So ˹O Lord˺, only allow the wrongdoers to stray farther away.”71:24

So because of their sins, they were drowned, then admitted into the Fire. And they found none to help them against Allah.71:25

Noah had prayed, “My Lord! Do not leave a single disbeliever on earth.71:26

For if You spare ˹any of˺ them, they will certainly mislead Your servants, and give birth only to ˹wicked˺ sinners, staunch disbelievers.71:27

Noah's people said he had gone mad and was in error. He explained to them he was a messenger, sent as a mercy. His people could not believe that a messenger would come as a human and thought Noah's followers were too 'lowly' for them to believe with them. The word used to describe them (badi ar-ra'e) means that they accept without any contemplation. This quality they picked on was one that Allah praised. The truth is apparent, and it does not need much reflection; truth as soon as it is clear, should be followed.

Surely We sent Noah to his people. ˹He said,˺ “Indeed, I am sent to you with a clear warning11:25

that you should worship none but Allah. I truly fear for you the torment of a painful Day.”11:26

The disbelieving chiefs of his people said, “We see you only as a human being like ourselves, and we see that no one follows you except the lowliest among us, who do so ˹hastily˺ without thinking. We do not see anything that makes ˹all of˺ you any better than us. In fact, we think you are liars.”11:27

Noah would address his people politely and gently. He said he was never going to force them to accept it, nor impose it upon them, they had a choice. He also clarified that he did not ask them of any reward.

He said, “O my people! Consider if I stand on a clear proof from my Lord and He has blessed me with a mercy from Himself, which you fail to see. Should we ˹then˺ force it on you against your will?11:28

O  my people! I do not ask you for a payment for this ˹message˺. My reward is only from Allah. And I will never dismiss the believers, for they will surely meet their Lord. But I can see that you are a people acting ignorantly.11:29

O  my people! Who would protect me from Allah if I were to dismiss them? Will you not then be mindful?11:30

I do not say to you that I possess Allah’s treasuries or know the unseen, nor do I claim to be an angel, nor do I say that Allah will never grant goodness to those you look down upon. Allah knows best what is ˹hidden˺ within them. ˹If I did,˺ then I would truly be one of the wrongdoers.”11:31

The verse above suggests that Noah's people tried to expel his followers whom they called abject people ie. kick out the lower class followers of his. Noah's followers said they would go he said so but Noah refused saying he would fear driving them out because they would have a point against him when they meet their Lord. Noah proclaimed that he was merely a slave and Messenger of Allah. He did not have any of the knowledge or power of Allah, accept that which He granted to him. He explained that he didn't even have control over what would harm or benefit himself, he therefore cannot say whether those who they perceive to be 'lowly' (less in status) will not get any good on the Day of Judgement for Allah knows best.

They argued, “How can we believe in you, when you are followed ˹only˺ by the lowest of the low?”26:111

He responded, “And what knowledge do I have of what they do?26:112

Their judgment is with my Lord, if you had any sense!26:113

I am not going to expel the believers.26:114

I am only sent with a clear warning.”26:115

A lot of time passed by with only a few believing in Noah.

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them for a thousand years, less fifty. Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing.29:14

But We delivered him and those in the Ark, making it a sign for all people.29:15

Each generation that passed warned the next about the efforts of Noah. Contempt grew, children were taught to not believe in Noah but fight and oppose him. They became stubbornly disobedient and persistently disbelieved in Allah and the truth.

They protested, “O Noah! You have argued with us far too much, so bring upon us what you threaten us with, if what you say is true.”11:32

He responded, “It is Allah Who can bring it upon you if He wills, and then you will have no escape!11:33

My advice will not benefit you—no matter how hard I try—if Allah wills ˹for˺ you to stray. He is your Lord, and to Him you will ˹all˺ be returned.”11:34

Or do they say, “He has fabricated this ˹Quran˺!”? Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If I have done so, then I bear the burden of that sin! But I am free from your sinful accusation.”11:35