The Prophet Noah (PBUH) continues his complaining to His Lord that whenever he called his people to worship Allah (swt) and fear Him alone, they responded in a way indicating their denial and insistence on disbelief.

(… جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ… ) (…they put their fingers in their ears…): It is obvious that the whole finger cannot enter one’s ear, rather it is only the fingertip which can block the auditory opening. The Holy Quran described their attitude towards Noah’s calling in a way that expresses their hatred to faith; everyone wanted to enter his finger in their ears in order not to listen to him (PBUH). This act is a testimony against them because they were certain that if they listened, their hearts would decline to what they would listen to. This is always the case with the people of falsehood, they do not like to listen to the truth and the first thing they do is that they block their ears from hearing it, or to prevent the people of truth from conveying it or by killing them. It happened that the people of Quraysh once urged each other not to listen to the Holy Quran, as stated in this verse:

 وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ

(And those who disbelieve say, “Do not listen to this Qur’an and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome.”) (Fussilat: 26)

That is because they knew that if the Holy Quran reached one’s ear, it might influence them. So, if the Holy Quran was false, why then did they fear hearing it?

Not only did they put their fingers in their ears, although this could have blocked their hearings of Noah’s calling; but also, they:

(… وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ… ) (…covered themselves with their garments…): Not only they did not to listen to him (PBUH), rather they did not want to see him. They insisted on rejection of the call of the Prophet Noah (PBUH), as stated:

(  وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا… ) (…persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance): The Prophet Noah (PBUH) used to come at night to their idols, shouting at the top of his voice, saying: ‘Say: Ther is no God but Allah and I am Noah His Messenger’ so that their idols were inverted, then they would beat him fiercely and step on his belly until the blood came out of his nose and ears. Hence, they insisted on their disbelief despite all the efforts of the Prophet Noah to make them believe. Accordingly, they deserved the punishment from Allah (swt) because they denied, were obstinate and took pride in their sins. By such pride they wanted to escape from the commitment to the Guidance brought forth by the Prophet Noah (PBUH). The Arabic word which indicates (were arrogant) indicates that this arrogance was shallow, it would quickly vanish and go away at early confrontation. They were not just proud but they were excessively arrogant. Therefore, they deserved a punishment which is not inflicted on anyone before them or after them; that is the flood. Allah (swt) responded to Noah’s invocation to wipe them all. The Prophet Noah (PBUH) only invited them to worship Allah (swt), so that He would forgive them.