Did Prophet Noah's Ark contain all the 
animals?

[Hassan Ilyas] We have usually seen that
in some Ayats of Quran-e-Majeed

on which people raise
intellectual doubts

so among them this one
is a very prominent Ayat

that in Syedna Nuh's (AS) ark

a pair of every creature was kept

People ask that how was the ship so large

that it had room for all the creatures

and then the details of that incident

What is the issue here?

What does Quran-e-Majeed say?

and if there is anything that seems
against our experience,

then how will be the interpretation made?

[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] This is actually

a result of unfamiliarity with
the style of language.

Not only in Arabic language but
in our own language as well.

As we say that 'everything'

it always occurs in relation to
one's situation and occasion

If I am changing my house

and I have given you the
responsibility to look after it

so if I come out and say

"Why sir, you have taken out everything?"

so here by everything do I intend
to mean everything in the world?

that is, the occasion on
which it is being said

so the region where he was

the animals that were required
for their daily needs

a great flood was coming

and it is obvious that

when the flood water reached
the mountain tops

so this means that

if we look in the context of the
circumstances of that period

that is, no planes would come flying in

helicopters won't come flying in

How far it could have spread?

Hence, there was apprehension about 
how would they restart their lives later

that is, everything would be destroyed

therefore, it was said that the animals 
that are required for daily needs

they should be kept

because during those times one
would rely on these very things

if the the land has become arid

if any crop needs to be sown 
or tree has to be planted

in any case, Allah ta'la will provide 
the resources to do so

but animals as well were 
necessities for human life

so it is being said about those animals

it does not at all relate to this notion

that the animals from the entire
world should be gathered

and then after that

such a huge ark then can only be
modeled after the entire landmass