seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 23:23. We sent Noah to his people. He said, “O my people, worship God, you have no deity other than Him. Will you not take heed?”
24. But the notables of his people, who disbelieved, said, “This is nothing but a human like you, who wants to gain superiority over you. Had God willed, He would have sent down angels. We never heard of this from our forefathers of old.
25. He is nothing but a man possessed. Just ignore him for a while.”
26. He said, “My Lord, help me, for they have rejected me.”
27. So We inspired him: “Build the Ark under Our observation and by Our inspiration. And when Our decree comes to pass, and the oven boils over, load into it two pairs of every kind, together with your family, except those of them against whom the word has already been pronounced. And do not speak to me concerning those who did wrong; for they are to be drowned.”
28. Then, when you and those with you are settled in the Ark, say, “Praise be to God, who has saved us from the wrongdoing people.”
29. And say, “My Lord, land me with a blessed landing, as you are the best of transporters.”
30. Surely in that are signs. We are always testing.
31. Then, after them, We established another generation.
32. And We sent among them a messenger from themselves: “Serve God. You have no god other than Him. Will you not be cautious?”
There is no commentary this morning for the verses posted. Well, there is comment on verse 27.... but it only referred back to chapter 11[Hud], verses 40-42. So that's the commentary I'm going to use here.... it fits so well.
Får al-tann∂r is translated by Sale as meaning the oven poured forth water, by Palmer the oven boiled, and by Rodwell the earth’s surface boiled up, all three at the same time adding a note that the word tann∂r also signifies a reservoir (Palmer), or a reservoir of water (Rodwell), or a place whence waters spring forth or where they are collected (Sale). But it is, I think, more a misconception of the word fåra which has led to the error, than that of the word tann∂r. Fåra means it (the water) boiled, or it (the fire) raged, but neither of these significances is applicable here, as the oven could not boil, nor could it rage, because tann∂r does not mean fire. But it has also another significance. LL Says: “Fåra, said of water, signifies also it welled or came forth from the earth or ground (Mgh); it appeared, spouting forth from the spring or source (T)”. Hence also fawwårah signifies a spring or source of water. And tann∂r, according to the same authority, means the highest part of the earth or ground (T); any place from which water pours forth, a place where the water of a valley collects (Q). Now these two significances of the two words fåra and tann∂r so suit each other, and each so suits the context, that they would appeal even to a man of ordinary intelligence. We know, from v. 43, where Noah’s son is made to say: “I will betake myself for refuge to a mountain,” that there must have been a valley.
Each of a pair is called in Arabic a zauj, and hence the dual form zaujain means only a pair, and accordingly by two zaujain are meant one male and one female of each pair. By all things are apparently meant all things needed by Noah, and not all things existing in the world, which was too extensive for Noah to travel over.
It should be borne in mind that the Qur’ån does not give any countenance to the story that the deluge covered the whole surface of the earth. On the other hand, it repeatedly speaks of Noah as having been sent to his people, i.e. to a single tribe, and according to the Divine law the punishment must have overtaken his people, who not only rejected the truth, but also sought to destroy Noah and his followers. The mention of the water flowing from the valley also shows that it was only a tract of land that was deluged, and not the entire earth. The taking in of a pair of all things does not mean that Noah had travelled over the whole earth and taken a pair of every living animal wherever it could be found: in that case he would have spent perhaps a thousand years in collecting pairs of all living creatures on earth, and then without success. The order is clearly to take in pairs of all those things that he considered necessary for himself and those who were with him in the ark. The Bible narrative, which makes God “bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven” (Gen. 6:17), and then makes Noah collect and lodge in an ark a pair of each of the thousands of animals and birds, cannot be accepted.
Once again... a difference in the Old Testament and the Quran. I can see why "take 2 of every animal on earth" would seem a bit far fetched..... thus the pictures of all the animals lined up two by two on a trek to the boat Noah built to God's specifications. I always figured the only way God was going to save the other species and wash the world of all that rejection.... would be to make a miracle.
Animals work on instinct. God knows the future. God led the animals to the boat by instinct... Godly instinct. That's how I was taught. Noah didn't have to tour the world... this was not Noah's chore... this was God's chore. He only had Noah build the boat because if a boat started to come together on its own, those stupid humans of Noah's day would have worshipped the boat as god. Besides... back in the 650's AD.... people thought the world was flat. They didn't know about kangaroos or the duck billed platypus.
The part that gets me... is noted in verse 23.... the people expected God to do His own boat building. The people expected God to send angels to do everything. They were not buying Noah's story. If God showed up with His angels and started constructing something....those ignorant humans would have declared war on God! Right?
OK... now on to the part about Noah's son.... his own son didn't believe that Noah was of sound mind and body. After all he was building a boat in the middle of a desert where there was no ocean to float the boat. His own son said.... "I'll go to the mountain dad.... it's high ground.... it's safer than any boat you can build".... which leads me to the state of mind of Noah's three sons.
If you do a google search "did Noah have a forth son".... it talks about a fourth son named Yam. The Bible says three sons got off the boat.... Shem, Ham, and Japheth. I find it interesting that Ham was cursed and Yam doesn't exist.... but the stories do match somewhat. Yam must have gone up into the mountains instead of trusting what his dad, Noah, was saying about God. Yam must have figured he was smarter than a man who would build a boat in the desert and watch for the water to float it.... right?
Three sons got off the boat. If Yam existed and God wanted Yam on the boat.... Yam would have been on the boat.
Ham and Yam.... the two odd characters of the Noah story.
Ham and Yam....
