The Wives of the Prophets Nuh (Noah) and Lut (Lot)
The role of women in the stories of the prophets is always varied. A good example of righteous women who followed the call of monotheism maybe followed by an example of disobedience and rebellion of others.
The two women who will be discussed below left a negative example in history. They are mentioned in the ayah of the Holy Koran (meaning of the commentary): “Allah ﷻ has set as an example for those who disbelieve the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. Both were married to Our pious slaves. But they betrayed their husbands and they did not save themselves from [the punishment of Allah ﷻ]. [On the Day of Judgment] they will be told. “Enter the [hellish] fire along with those who enter [it].” (Sura At-Tahrim, ayah 10).
Walia, or according to another version, Val’ab, was the name of the wife of the Prophet Nuh. For several hundred years, he guided people who had transgressed all boundaries of what was permitted and were mired in sins. But, having become convinced that no one else would believe, the Prophet of God ﷻ Nuh asked the Almighty not to leave a single unbeliever on earth. After which he was sent a prophecy about the flood and the command to build an ark.
Walia, the daughter of Ajib, bore two sons to the Prophet Nuh, Balus and Kan’an and initially accepted Islam. However, over time, she abandoned the faith. And when her husband began to build a ship in the middle of the desert, like many of her fellow tribesmen, she did not believe her husband. Walia accused him of madness, revealed his secrets to people and if someone from the people accepted the true faith, she reported him to the unbelievers.
When the time of the flood approached and all the predictions came true, the believers began to hastily gather on the ship. Birds and animals were already located on it, as well as food for them for six months. But even then, the wife of Nuh did not listen to her husband. The tribesmen could not believe that the whole world could be flooded. They decided to climb the highest mountain and thus avoid death. However, the predestination of the Almighty came true exactly as it was prescribed. All the unbelievers were drowned. Among them was Walia, as well as one of the sons of Nuh - Kan’an.
The second heroine of our story is the wife of the Prophet Lut, named Waliha. Prophet Lut was sent to a people who became known throughout the world for the vile sin of sodomy. They deprived everyone they came across of honour. The instructions of Lut did not reach them - instead they only reproached and mocked him. And they even forbade him to receive guests at home, and threatening them with things outrageous.
Waliha, being the wife of the Prophet Lut, not only did not accept the instructions but also betrayed and denounced him. And when someone came to visit them, she gave her fellow tribesmen a sign. According to one version, at night she lit a fire, and during the day - released smoke.
Allah Almighty, knowing about the deeds of the sodomites, sent angels in the form of people to the Prophet Lut to testify to the outrages of this people. Having sworn four times in the name of Allah ﷻ, Lut prayed to the Lord for punishment for the sinners.
As soon as the guests crossed the threshold of their house, Waliha immediately reported to her fellow tribesmen about the arrival of men and that she had never seen faces as beautiful as theirs. As if possessed, the villagers rushed to them, not knowing that they were angels. Prophet Lut tried to protect his guests, but the eldest among them, the angel Jibril, ordered him to let the residents in. And as soon as they entered, they were immediately blinded by one flap of his wing.
Prophet Lut and the believers were ordered to leave the settlement in the middle of the night and go without looking back. The remaining residents suffered a terrible punishment the next morning - they were destroyed. Waliha, following her husband, set out on a journey but turned around, thereby violating the command of the Lord. She also did not escape punishment and perished, like her wicked people.
Both of these women, who were wives and the closest people to the best of the human race, did not feel the taste of faith. Although it is reported that they were not among the adulterers, their hearts still did not accept instruction. They both suffered a terrible punishment in this world, not to mention the punishment promised by the Almighty in the next world.
