The Answer of the Unruly..
These people, who were unruly and denied the truth, made fun of Prophet Noah’s holy call:
We do not consider you but a mortal like ourselves, and we do not see any have followed you but those who are the meanest of us at first thought and we do not see in you any excellence over us; nay, we deem you liars. (Hud 11:27)
They perceived those poor people who followed Noah and his call, who believed in God as a loving servant, as being contemptible; they said they would not be found under the same roof as them and that they were greater. They could not understand that superiority lay not in money, goods, or property, but in the worship of one God, good morals, and behavior that is beneficial to society.
However, those people who they saw as despicable were people who were worth many times their value in the eyes of God. Therefore, Prophet Noah would not desert the side of these poor, worthy people; he could not turn his back on them merely because the unruly people said he should do so. As a matter of fact, he displayed forbearance and patience on this path.
Unfortunately, none of the leaders of the tribe showed any understanding of Noah, even though he did not expect any material benefit. All he wanted was for them to believe in God. But this just was not possible. When he told them what they should believe, they went so far as to label him mad; and in order to keep him under control, they kept him under surveillance.
When Prophet Noah refused to be turned from his way, despite all the problems he had been caused, they decided to threaten him with death. Prophet Noah met this threat with patience and forbearance, declaring the unity of God and belief in His way. But the eyes that saw the way to truth, the ears that heard the truth, the hearts that spoke His name, and those with the courage to defend righteousness, were few. Finally, Prophet Noah begged God:
“O my Lord! Truly my people have rejected me. Judge Thou, then, between me and them openly, and deliver me and those of the Believers who are with me.” (Shuara 26:117-118)
Almighty God accepted Noah’s prayer and taught him first of all how to make the Ark. In this way, the believers started to build the Ark under the supervision of Prophet Noah. As the building progressed, those who had lost their way made fun of Prophet Noah and the believers who were with him. Prophet Noah reminded them that there would come a day when those who were making fun of them would no longer exist. But there was no sign that those who denied the truth had yet awoken. They said: “Alright, then. Let the torment about which you speak so much come and we will see.” And they continued to make fun of the believers.
quoted from Muslimway.org
