Adam's indecision, Satan's arrogance, and this life as humanity's final chance to obey God, with the messengers' lives showing that hardship, wealth, or family are no excuse for misbehavior. A second article contrasts the Biblical and Quranic accounts of Noah, noting a local flood, a log ark, and the futility of intercession for his son. The issue announces the 41st annual United Submitters conference in Tucson.
From the very beginning, the Quran makes it clear: this life is not about us, our pride, our achievements, or our excuses. It is about God—the All-Praiseworthy. God alone deserves worship, obedience, and gratitude. Our stories, even from the very first human being, are only reflections of the bigger reality: obeying or disobeying God's commands determines everything.
Before Adam was even tested, God narrates what happened at the very beginning: 38:71 Your Lord said to the angels, "I am creating a human being from clay. 38:72 "Once I design him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him." 38:73 The angels fell prostrate, all of them, 38:74 except Satan; he refused, and was too arrogant, unappreciative. 38:75 He said, "O Satan, what prevented you from prostrating before what I created with My hands? Are you too arrogant? Have you rebelled?" He said, "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from clay." He said, "Therefore, you must be exiled, you will be banished.
38:78 "You have incurred My condemnation until the Day of Judgment."
This was the moment Satan exposed himself: arrogance, pride, and justification instead of repentance. Unlike Adam, who failed by indecision but repented, Satan failed by arrogance and sealed his fate forever.
Later, when God created Adam and placed him in Paradise, the first command was simple and clear: Do not eat from this tree. Do not let the devil deceive you. He is your most ardent enemy. Yet Adam and his wife were swayed by Satan's false promises. As a result, they were evicted from Paradise and exiled to earth. But instead of punishing us with permanent banishment from Paradise, God designed a merciful setup of the final test.
If God had cast Adam and his offspring straight into Hell, most creatures would have seen it as just, since disobedience is rebellion against the Creator. But God knew that some were swept in the crowd. And many would claim on the Day of Judgment that we didn't know Satan was so deceptive;
that we didn't realize disobedience leads to such a terrible end; that we didn't fully grasp the consequences of freedom.
To remove every excuse, God, out of His mercy, gave humanity this earthly life as a final chance. Here, each soul can prove—through obedience or disobedience—whether they truly deserve Heaven or Hell.
We humans have failed during our first two chances. And God tells us something alarming about Adam's state: 20:115 We tested Adam in the past, but he forgot, and we found him indecisive.
We humans saw both sides—but we failed to make a firm stand regarding God's absolute authority when Satan challenged it. And this cost us Paradise.
This is a grave warning for us. Knowing the truth but failing to stand firm is not safety—it is failure. How many people today read the Quran, recognize the truth, yet remain hesitant? They know idol worship is condemned, yet they still cling to traditions.
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It’s Always About GOD
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They know Hadith is false, yet they stick to their harmful traditions. They know God alone should be worshiped, yet they hesitate because of family, society, or fear.
The choice between God and Satan was very clear to most of God's creations. They chose God, and to be close to God. They know that indecision between God and Satan, between good and evil, not being "neutral" — it is a decision, and it leads to loss.
When Adam fell, God did not leave him without hope: [ 2:37] Then, Adam received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
God then set the rule for all humanity in one simple command: [ 2:38] We said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve. [ 2:39] "As for those who disbelieve and reject our revelations, they will be dwellers of Hell, wherein they abide forever."
Again, it comes down to obedience. When guidance comes from God, our salvation is guaranteed by following it. But if we reject His revelations, no excuse will help us — eternal loss is the only outcome.
Repentance Opens the Door, Arrogance Closes It
When we make a mistake but sincerely repent, repentance may not save us from the immediate consequences, but it does grant another chance to be righteous. Adam repented, and although he was evicted from Paradise, he was redeemed and got another chance ( 2:37).
This life is that third and final chance for all humanity — Adam and his descendants alike — to repent, reform, and choose God alone.
If we waste this chance, there will be no fourth. After death, there is no more repentance, no more excuses, no more opportunities. If one persists in arrogance — as Satan did — then the exile becomes permanent.
People excuse their arrogance, harshness, or dishonesty with flimsy justifications: "I had a tough childhood, that's why I behave this way." "I was poor, so I had to cheat." "I'm wealthy, I don't need to be humble." "My family was toxic, so I became bitter." "No one listens to me, so I gave up."
Are these excuses anywhere in God's book? No.
God promises in the Quran: With pain there is gain. Indeed, with pain there is gain. ( 94:5 –6)
Hardship is not permanent. Every difficulty is followed by relief. So, if someone clings to their past pain or their current situation as a shield for misbehavior, they are rejecting God's mercy and denying His promise.
If you slip in anger and say something wrong, repentance is accepted. But God never says: "You may oppress because you were oppressed." "You may be arrogant because you were once humiliated." "You may mistreat others because of your childhood." No. These are man-made excuses, not divine ones.
We can learn from the lessons of God's messengers. Joseph was betrayed, enslaved, imprisoned, yet he chose patience and forgiveness ( 12:92). So, a tough childhood is no excuse. Job lost health, wealth, and family, yet he remained steadfast. So, extreme suffering is no excuse. Muhammad was reminded: And your Lord will give you enough; you will be pleased. Did He not find you orphaned and He gave you a home? He found you astray, and guided you. He found you poor, and made you rich. ( 93:5 -8).
So, poverty is no excuse. Solomon was given unmatched power and riches yet humbled himself ( 27:40). So, wealth is no excuse. Pharaoh's wife lived under history's worst tyrant, yet she turned to God Alone ( 66:11), so a toxic family is no excuse.
Noah preached for 950 years with almost no followers, so "no one listened to me" is no excuse.
The Quran is not a storybook. It is a manual for salvation. Every messenger's life is there to strip us of excuses and to guide us toward righteousness. [ 12:111] In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
We are being tested between those two paths. Hardship is a test, not an excuse. Every legitimate excuse is written clearly in the Quran. If it's not there, it won't stand on Judgment Day. The lessons of the messengers show us: they lived as humans, so we too can choose righteousness.
On the Day of Judgment, no wealth, no poverty, no childhood, no circumstances will matter. The truth will be clear. [ 3:25] How will it be for them, when we summon them on that inevitable day? Each soul will be paid for whatever it earned, without the least injustice.
It was never about Satan or Adam, Joseph or Pharaoh, Job or Noah, Moses or Solomon, Muhammad or any nation—it has always been about God, His command, His mercy, His justice. Life is not about us or our excuses. It was never about us. It is, and will always be, about God—the All-Praiseworthy.
God be glorified, far above having any partners.
Ubaid
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The Story of Noah
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[ 53:28] They had no knowledge about this; they only conjectured. Conjecture is no substitute for the truth.
Conjecture means an opinion or conclusion formed based on incomplete or wrong information.
If we compare the story of Noah in the Bible and the Quran, it is very different. I really appreciate the Quranic version because it brings out the true meaning which gets lost in the Bible.
The Biblical account begins in Genesis 6:5 -7: The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, "I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them."
It is blasphemous to think that that God was unaware of what was happening on earth, that He had made a mistake, or that He was "deeply troubled" by a "mistake". But the story continues. The building of the ark is described in detail, and God commanded Noah to collect a pair of every creature living on earth and put them in the ark. There are an estimated 2 million species on earth. In a time of primitive tools and technology, how could you build a boat big enough and strong enough to accomplish this task? One can't help but think about how crowded and noisy and confusing this ark would have been. In this story, we're talking about elephants and hippos and mice and chickens.
And what kept the lion from eating the lamb?
The Biblical account says that rain came for forty days and every living creature on the whole earth perished in the flood waters, except those safe in the ark. The water stayed high for one hundred and fifty days, and "then God remembered Noah and all the animals." So, He made the waters subside and after a few more months, Noah and the animals were able to emerge from the ark. They had lived on this boat for over a year. Even sincere people would wonder where all the food to feed all these animals for a year came from. Then, in the story, God said He would put a: … bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When…the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living things…. (Genesis 9:13 -15)
This is the Biblical story in Genesis 6:5 - 9:17. This is what we're taught in Sunday School. How many inaccuracies or contradictions will most people see in this story? What effect will it have? Yet it's what is passed on from generation to generation.
The Quran gives us the true account of many historical events: [ 12:3] We narrate to you the most accurate history through the revelation of this Quran. Before this, you were totally unaware.
The story of Noah in the Quran is told in several places, but let's look at 11:25 -49 to get a clear and accurate picture of the event.
[ 11:25] We sent Noah to his people, saying, "I come to you as a clear warner. [ 11:26] "You shall not worship except GOD. I fear for you the retribution of a painful day."
God knew exactly what was happening in the world, and He sent Noah as a warner out of mercy, giving the evil humans a chance to repent and reform.
But the leaders protested and most people followed those leaders. There were a few who believed, but the leaders labeled them as "the worst among us." Noah continued to deliver the message, telling them to worship only God. And the people continued to turn a deaf ear, finally challenging him "to bring the doom you threaten us with, if you are truthful."
Noah knows that everything comes from God and that he, Noah, was simply a warner, offering sound advice, but knowing that if they refuse to listen, no advice will help them. Finally, Noah is inspired by God that no one else is going to believe, so he's told to build the ark.
[ 11:37] "Build the ark under our watchful eyes, and with our inspiration, and do not implore Me on behalf of those who have transgressed; they are destined to drown."
[ 11:38] While he was building the ark, whenever some of his people passed by him they laughed at him. He said, "You may be laughing at us, but we are laughing at you, just as you are laughing.
[ 11:40] When our judgment came, and the atmosphere boiled over, we said, "Carry on it a pair of each kind,* together with your family, except those who are condemned. Carry with you those who have believed," and only a few have believed with him.
Then we have the footnote for these verses which helps us better understand what really happened.
*1 1:40 & 44 This is God's proven truth: Noah's ark was made of logs, tied together with primitive ropes ( 54:13). Contrary to common belief, the flood was limited to the area around today's Dead Sea, and the animals were only Noah's livestock; not every animal that lived on earth.
Much more realistically in this time and place, they climbed onto a raft—just a few people and a few animals.
An important narrative in the Quran that has been left out of the Biblical story is about Noah's son. Noah begs him to come on board, but his son insists that he will be safer on high ground.
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The Story of Noah
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Noah tells him no one is safe from God, but his son refuses and is drowned. Later, Noah implored God on behalf of his son and was told by God: [ 11:46] He said, "O Noah, he is not of your family. It is unrighteous to ask Me for something you do not know. I enlighten you, lest you be like the ignorant."
This clearly shows that intercession is useless even for family members, if they are not righteous.
And Noah immediately repents for his mistake: [ 11:47] He said, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You, lest I implore You again for something I do not know. Unless You forgive me, and have mercy on me, I will be with the losers."
In the end, this small group of people were saved from the flood because of their belief in God.
[ 11:49] This is news from the past that we reveal to you. You had no knowledge about them—neither you, nor your people—before this. Therefore, be patient. The ultimate victory belongs to the righteous.
God alone is not enough for the majority of people.
The miracles in themselves are amazing but human nature leads to exaggeration and distortion of the message of God.
[ 6:116] If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
[ 34:53] They have rejected it in the past; they have decided instead to uphold conjecture and guesswork.
Only by God's grace and mercy do we have the Quran. The Quran has many of the same stories of the previous scriptures. The versions that we have in the Quran are the purified stories that have not been lost due to human interference. The details God gives us regarding these stories lead us to the message and deflect the distractions that are developed by story tellers.
[ 11:120] We narrate to you enough history of the messengers to strengthen your heart. The truth has come to you herein, as well as enlightenments and reminders for the believers.
[ 12:111] In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
Ayyub
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God Willing
41st Annual Conference
United Submitters
July 10 - 12
Tucson, Arizona
God willing, the annual conference of United Submitters International will be in Tucson AZ, on July 10-12. It is an opportunity to remember God, increase our knowledge and meet our brethren in faith ( 3:191 -194, 18:28, 58:11, 49:10).
Registration and hotel details are available online at:
www.masjidtucson.org/conference/
As usual, attendance will be by invitation only. To help us organize a successful conference—and God has always been generous and gracious towards us—please let us know of your plans as soon as you know.