Mankind was one community; then Allah sent the prophets, bringing good news and warning.
Ibn 'Abbâs explained: ten generations between Adam and Nûh, all on the truth. Then they differed.
And they said: “Never abandon your gods,”
“never abandon Wadd, nor Suwâ', nor Yaghûth, nor Ya'ûq, nor Nasr.”
Five names. Ibn 'Abbâs, the Companion, tells where they came from.
They were the names of righteous men of Nûh's people. When those men died, Satan whispered to their people:
“Set up statues where they used to sit, and give them their names.” And they did.
People worshipped the statues only after that generation died and the knowledge was forgotten.
First, remember good people. Then, a statue. Then, forget why. Then, worship.
Satan did not ask the first generation to worship. He waited for the knowledge to be lost.
And these same idols, Ibn 'Abbâs adds, were later worshipped by Arab tribes.
We sent Nûh to his people. He said: “O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him.”
“I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day.”
The first words of Nûh (peace be upon him): “O my people.” He called them his own before calling them to anything.
The Prophet ﷺ said that on the Last Day, people will tell him: “You are the first messenger to the people of the earth,”
“and Allah named you a grateful servant”, as the Qur'an says: “He was a grateful servant” (17:3).
We sent Nûh to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years less fifty.
Nine hundred and fifty years among them, calling. That number shows the scale of this whole story.
People had once worshipped Allah alone. Then statues appeared.
No one decides one morning to worship stone. So how did it happen?
The idols began with love for good people, and a reason that was forgotten.
Tonight, take one act you do out of habit, a prayer, a dhikr, and remember why you do it.