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Did Prophet Noah's Ark contain all the
animals?
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[Hassan Ilyas] We have usually seen that
in some Ayats of Quran-e-Majeed
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on which people raise
intellectual doubts
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so among them this one
is a very prominent Ayat
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that in Syedna Nuh's (AS) ark
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a pair of every creature was kept
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People ask that how was the ship so large
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that it had room for all the creatures
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and then the details of that incident
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What is the issue here?
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What does Quran-e-Majeed say?
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and if there is anything that seems
against our experience,
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then how will be the interpretation made?
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[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] This is actually
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a result of unfamiliarity with
the style of language.
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Not only in Arabic language but
in our own language as well.
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As we say that 'everything'
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it always occurs in relation to
one's situation and occasion
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If I am changing my house
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and I have given you the
responsibility to look after it
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so if I come out and say
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"Why sir, you have taken out everything?"
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so here by everything do I intend
to mean everything in the world?
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that is, the occasion on
which it is being said
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so the region where he was
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the animals that were required
for their daily needs
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a great flood was coming
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and it is obvious that
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when the flood water reached
the mountain tops
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so this means that
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if we look in the context of the
circumstances of that period
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that is, no planes would come flying in
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helicopters won't come flying in
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How far it could have spread?
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Hence, there was apprehension about
how would they restart their lives later
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that is, everything would be destroyed
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therefore, it was said that the animals
that are required for daily needs
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they should be kept
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because during those times one
would rely on these very things
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if the the land has become arid
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if any crop needs to be sown
or tree has to be planted
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in any case, Allah ta'la will provide
the resources to do so
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but animals as well were
necessities for human life
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so it is being said about those animals
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it does not at all relate to this notion
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that the animals from the entire
world should be gathered
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and then after that
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such a huge ark then can only be
modeled after the entire landmass