Comparing the stories of Noah in the Bible and the Qur'an, one comes across these statements:
After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died. Genesis 9:28-29
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:
"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. That is also the way many Qur'an translators understand this verse:
And WE, certainly, sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years, short of fifty years. Then the deluge overtook them, while they were wrongdoers. Sher Ali
We sent Noah to his people and he lived with them for nine hundred and fifty years, then the flood engulfed them for their injustice. Muhammad Sarwar
We sent Noah to his people, and he stayed with them one thousand years, less fifty. Subsequently, they incurred the flood because of their transgressions. Rashad Khalifa
We sent Noah to his people and he lived among them a thousand years less fifty. Then because of their wrongdoings the flood overtook them. Malik
And We had sent Noah to his people, so he stayed with them one thousand years less fifty calendar years. Then the flood took them while they were wicked. Free Minds
Indeed, We sent Noah to his nation, and he lived amongst them for a thousand years, less fifty (but they belied him), then the Flood seized them while they were harmdoers. Qaribullah
And, indeed, [in times long past] We sent forth Noah unto his people, and he dwelt among them a thousand years bar fifty; and then the floods overwhelmed them while they were still lost in evildoing: Muhammad Asad
Interestingly, this error of the Qur'an correlates with the observation that the Qur'an has nothing to say about Noah after the Flood. The quranic account basically ends with Allah's command to leave the Ark. The events in Genesis 9, particularly the covenant God made with Noah and mankind, do not occur in the Qur'an. As far as the Qur'an is concerned, the story of Noah ends with the Flood, apart from the remark (made in several places) that he had offspring.
Actually, taking a second look at the formulation of S. 29:14, one could even get the impression that that the 950 years do not refer to Noah's age at the time of the Flood, but to the length of the period in which he was sent to his people in order to warn them of the impending judgment, i.e. to the time span of being called by God to be a warner and the Flood.
Thus, we have the following "quranic timeline":
? years ? 950 Years ? years ? B -------------------- C -------------------------------------- F ---------------- D
Explanation: B = birth, C = call to prophethood, F = Flood, and D = death.
Be that as it may, one thing is clear: Muhammad mistakenly assigned the full life span of Noah to only part of his life.
Contradictions in the Qur'an
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