Age of Nuh

Salaam Alaykum!

And certainly We sent Nuh to his people, so he remained among them a thousand years save fifty years. And the deluge overtook them, while they were unjust. 29:14

In the light of modern science, how could this verse indicate that Nuh AS lived 950 years? The longest-living terrestrial animals are tortoises, and some can live well past one hundred years. I don't believe animals less than ten thousand years ago had much of a different lifespan. If there was a difference, it would probably have to be shorter because animals are protected by us today.

I believe that science does not contradict the Quran and vice versa, but this verse is pretty glaring to me. I have thought about this, and I can't find anything that has came up with the same resolution that I have. That is - the verse does not indicate how old he lived but how long his message remained with his people. It makes sense to me because Ibrahim AS became a prophet about a thousand or so years after Nuh was born, so there is a long enough gap for a need of another prophet.

Some may say that "And the deluge overtook them, while they were unjust." indicates that the flood had to have occurred when he was 950 years old, but "so he remained among them a thousand years save fifty years" is probably an afterthought and does not relate to the flood.

I am interested in hearing everyone's thoughts.

Would you mind referencing the hadiths that say that? I don't believe there are any. Are there other passages in the Quran that say how old a prophet is? Actually, we are living longer and are much taller than ever before, I do not doubt the Quran, but I do doubt some people's interpretation of it.

islamispeace wrote: Regarding the age of prophet Nuh (peace be upon him), if Allah willed to make him live to 950 years, then certainly He could do that.� It might be difficult to comprehend, but Allah's power is infinite and we cannot fathom what He can do.

I understand that, but why would Allah do that? It makes more sense to me that the verse indicates the longevity of his message rather than his age. Ibrahim AS came later and the gap between the two is the length of time Nuh's AS message lasted. If we are to agree that the prophet's ages agree with the Bible, then would we also agree to why humans live to be no older than 120 years? In Genesis 6:3, God limits human's life to 120 years because man is wicked.

I have no idea how that would work out on earth. Sixty cubits equals to about 90 feet. It could be metaphorical such as a stature equals a person's piety or it could mean that it was only in heaven where Adam was that tall. I believe it is the latter because in that paragraph, he is speaking to a group of angels.