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