The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Nūḥ and his nation will come ˹on Judgement Day˺ and Allah will ask, 'Did you convey ˹the Message˺?' He will reply, 'Yes, indeed O my Lord!' Then Allah will ask his nation, 'Did Nuḥ convey ˹the Message˺ to you?' They will reply, 'No, no prophet came to us.' Then Allah will ask Nūḥ, 'Who will stand a witness for you?' He will reply, 'Muhammad and his followers.' So, we will stand as witnesses for him." That is the Statement of Allah: "Thus we have made you a wasaṭ nation that you might be witnesses over mankind... (Baqarah 2:143)" and wasaṭ means justice.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَجِيءُ نُوحٌ وَأُمَّتُهُ فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَلْ بَلَّغْتَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: نَعَمْ أَىْ رَبِّ۔ فَيَقُولُ لأُمَّتِهِ: هَلْ بَلَّغَكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: لاَ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ۔ فَيَقُولُ لِنُوحٍ: مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ وَأُمَّتُهُ۔ فَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَّغَ۔» وَهْوَ قَوْلُهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ {وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ} وَالْوَسَطُ الْعَدْلُ۔»  

There were ten qarn (generations) between Nūḥ and Ādam. They were all upon the True Shariʿah then they differed ˹thereafter.˺ Then Allah sent Prophets to give glad tidings and warnings. ˹Ibn ʿAbbās˺ said: this is how it is in the recitation of ʿAbdullāh ˹b. Masʿūd˺: "The people were all one ummah (nation) and they then differed..."  

«كَانَ بَيْنَ نُوحٍ وَآدَمَ عَشَرَةُ قُرُونٍ كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِنَ الْحَقِّ فَاخْتَلَفُوا فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ» قَالَ وَكَذَلِكَ فِي قِرَاءَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ «كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا»