How to reconcile Allah’s saying: {The people of Noah denied the messengers} with His saying: {And We certainly sent Noah to his people}?
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Now, in the story of Noah, Allah the Exalted says: [Surat al-Shu'ara: 105]. And Allah says: [Hud 11:25] Is there any difference? Noah is one. What is the color of it?
The student: They denied a messenger, so they denied the messengers.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly. That is, the one who denies a messenger from among the messengers is denying them all. Because what is the difference between Noah, Hud, and Salih? They are all from the children of Adam. If you deny one, and the proof has been established that he is a messenger, it is as if you have denied all the messengers. Just as the one who believes in some of the message and disbelieves in some has disbelieved in the whole. Someone says: "By Allah, I believe that prayer is obligatory, but I do not believe that zakah is obligatory." We say now: You have denied this and that. Is your belief that prayer is obligatory, while zakah is not, based on desire or guidance? It is based on desire. If it were based on guidance, you would have believed in this just as you believed in that. So, you are not a believer in this or that. Now, let us take the benefits of this verse, because we are... concluding the lesson for this week.
The people of Noah denied the messengers
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَAnd We had certainly sent Noah to his people
ولقد أرسلنا نوحًا إلى قومهThe student: They denied a messenger, so they denied the messengers.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly. That is, the one who denies a messenger from among the messengers is denying them all. Because what is the difference between Noah, Hud, and Salih? They are all from the children of Adam. If you deny one, and the proof has been established that he is a messenger, it is as if you have denied all the messengers. Just as the one who believes in some of the message and disbelieves in some has disbelieved in the whole. Someone says: "By Allah, I believe that prayer is obligatory, but I do not believe that zakah is obligatory." We say now: You have denied this and that. Is your belief that prayer is obligatory, while zakah is not, based on desire or guidance? It is based on desire. If it were based on guidance, you would have believed in this just as you believed in that. So, you are not a believer in this or that. Now, let us take the benefits of this verse, because we are... concluding the lesson for this week.