A contradiction regarding Noah?
Sami Zaatari
The owner of answering-Islam Jochen Katz has come out with what he thinks to be a contradiction in the Quran:
He writes:
Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years, all but fifty; so the Flood seized them, while they were evildoers. S. 29:14 Arberry
Obviously, Muhammad had heard of Noah's age of 950 years, but he either did not correctly understand it or his memory failed him when he included this information in the Qur'an. He apparently thought that it was Noah's age at the time of the flood.
Sura 29:14 has a clear sequential structure:
- We sent Noah to his people
- he tarried among them a thousand years, less fifty
- the Flood seized them, while they were evildoers
"Among them" in the second part of the verse refers back to "his people" in the first part. Noah can no longer remain with them after they are destroyed in the Flood, thus the 950 years has to refer to the time before the Flood.
RESPONSE
I have one question to Katz, and the answer will answer the supposed contradiction. My question is as follows:
Did all of Noah's people die from the Flood?
In fact I have a second question to Mr. Katz which will also answer his contradiction
Does the Quran say that all of Noah's people died except him?
Let us now proceed to answer both of these questions, which will answer the supposed contradiction, showing there is no contradiction at all.
As to the first question, did all of Noah's people die? The answer is NO, only the evil doers among them were killed off by the flood. Even the Bible testifies to this fact:
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. 6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood (Genesis 7:1-7)
So even the Bible shows that not all of Noah's people were killed, his family were saved, which included non biological relatives such as his son's wives.
The Quranic passage that Katz quotes says nothing about God killing of all Noah's people, rather it makes a very specific claim:
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YUSUFALI: We (once) sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty: but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin. (zalimuna)
The Quran makes it clear the flood affected the zalimuna amongst his people, meaning the evil doers. Hence the Quran makes a very specific claim as to who were killed.
Now to the second question (even though we partially already answered it), did the Quran say that all of Noah's people were killed? The answer is no, in fact let us quote the verse in context, verse 14 followed by 15:
We (once) sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty: but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin. But We saved him and the companions of the Ark, and We made the (Ark) a Sign for all peoples! (Surah 29:14-15)
The Quran makes it very clear that not all of his people were killed, rather God saved Noah AND the companions of the Ark which included his family.
Hence the Quran never says that all of Noah's people were killed, neither does the Bible. Hence this shows there is no contradiction, and this answers Katz' claim when he says:
Noah can no longer remain with them after they are destroyed in the Flood
This would be true if ALL of Noah's people were killed, yet the Quran says no such thing, it says some of his people were saved, and so does the Bible. Hence he could still be with his people even after the flood since as I repeat again, not all of them are killed.
Here is another Quranic passage that shows that not all of Noah's people were killed:
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YUSUFALI: But they rejected him, and We delivered him, and those with him, in the Ark: but We overwhelmed in the flood those who rejected Our signs. They were indeed a blind people!
Notice how the Quran says that not all of his people were killed, but rather others went into the ark with Noah. Also notice how the Quran makes it specifically clear as to who were killed, and those were the evil ones who rejected the truth of God.
And also again:
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YUSUFALI: They rejected Him, but We delivered him, and those with him, in the Ark, and We made them inherit (the earth), while We overwhelmed in the flood those who rejected Our Signs. Then see what was the end of those who were warned (but heeded not)!
And finally here is the Quranic passage that puts this argument to bed:
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YUSUFALI: At length, behold! there came Our command, and the fountains of the earth gushed forth! We said: "Embark therein, of each kind two, male and female, and your family - except those against whom the word has already gone forth,- and the Believers." but only a few believed with him.
Notice the Quran says that Noah's family was saved with the exception of some family members who remained disbelievers such as one of his sons. On top of saying that Noah's family were saved, it also says that some of the believers were saved as well, this isn't referring to family, but rather other members of the community who became believers in Noah's message.
Hence the Quran makes it 100% clear that not all of Noah's people were killed, rather a few of them, both his family and the believers were saved. Hence even after the flood Noah was still with his people, as his family, and the believers are of his people, the same nation, and the same area. They didn't come from Mars.
So to answer Katz' claim for the second time:
Noah can no longer remain with them after they are destroyed in the Flood
Your statement Mr. Katz is incorrect as the Quran never says that all of his people were killed, and your claim stems from an incorrect analysis of the Quranic story concerning Noah and his people. The reason why Noah could remain with his people after the flood is because not all of them were killed, and we have shown this from the Quran. Had the Quran said that all of his people were killed, then your claim could stand, but the Quran says no such thing, but the complete opposite, hence if you are honest you will admit you have been completely wrong and have been completely refuted.
And Allah Knows Best! And peace be upon the prophet Noah!