There has been some misunderstanding regarding the true intent of this verse. The confusion is simply the result of a lack of knowledge about the historical facts presented in the Quran.

It is commonly believed that the flood of Noah^as occurred after he had lived for 950 years. However, this does not align with historical facts and also contradicts the history of the prophets as presented in the Holy Quran. It is absolutely wrong to interpret the Quran in a way that goes against its clear and decisive (Muhkamat) verses.

The statement, “then the deluge overtook them, while they were wrongdoers”, does not necessarily mean that the flood occurred after a period of 950 years. On the contrary, the period of the flood is linked to the state of wrongdoing, implying that the deluge overtook the people in such a state that they were wrongdoers. They were wrongdoers from the start, and on account of their wrongdoing, it was destined that they would face punishment. Thus, this transpired during the life of Prophet Noah^as, in front of his eyes.

Regarding the age of Noah^as, it is a common misconception that the 950 years mentioned in the Quran, and likewise in the Bible, represents his biological age. But in truth, the period actually refers to the span of the dispensation of Prophet Naoh^as and not his physical age.

The fact is, many statements in the Bible, which were intended as metaphorical, were taken literally by its followers, which led to a corrupted understanding of history. It is worth noting that while the Bible mentions exceptionally long lifespans for many Prophets, the Holy Quran does not specify the age of any prophet beyond a normal human lifespan, except for Noah^as. And while the Quran employs the same metaphoric usage regarding Noah’s age, it also provides numerous specific details that leave no room for confusion and resolve the issue completely.

An important allusion in this respect is found in the Quranic statement regarding Prophet Abraham^as, “and verily, of his party was Abraham”,^[1] meaning that Abraham^as was a follower of Noah^as. Likewise, elsewhere, the Quran also speaks of Scriptures that were given to Abraham^as.^[2] This clearly proves that, initially, Abraham^as followed the law of Noah^as, and when he reached a certain age, he was granted his own law.

When we take all these facts into account and reflect upon the timeline provided in the Bible, the whole issue becomes clear.

It is categorically proven from the Bible that Abraham^as was born when Noah^as had reached an age of around 890 years. That is, their periods overlapped for around 60 years. However, we find no mention of any correspondence in the Quran that occurred between the two, despite the fact that Abraham^as was a follower of Noah^as. This proves that Noah^as was not physically alive during the time of Abraham^as, but that Abraham^as was simply a follower of the law (shariah) of Noah^as.

Otherwise, if the deluge is understood to have occurred after 950 years, that would imply that Abraham^as was also perished in the flood. Conversely, it would also mean that, following the deluge, the children of Noah^as, who were saved from the punishment, continued in wrongdoing—since it is established that the descendants of Noah^as had completely reverted to idolatry and wrongdoing by the time of Abraham^as.

This clearly proves that Prophet Noah^as had passed away long before. Over time, his progeny—wherever they spread—gradually went astray and became immersed in idolatry and wrongdoing, to such an extent that during the time of Abraham^as, everyone except him had abandoned the law of Noah^as.

A parallel to this can be found in the life of the Holy Prophet^sa. When people turned away from the true teachings of Abraham^as and became idolaters, it was Prophet Muhammad^sa who upheld the Abrahamic law. Likewise, as Tawhid (Oneness of God) was later re-established through the Holy Prophet^sa, during the time of Abraham^as, Tawhid was re-established through the new law granted to him.

This is the true understanding of the verse. The age signifies the spiritual age of Noah^as, or in other words, the period of his law. It is in the same respect that we consider the Holy Prophet^sa as a Living Prophet, whose period is destined to continue till the end of time. It is thus clear that Abraham^as was born in the law of Noah^as, remained a follower of it, until Allah granted him his own law, marking the conclusion of the period of Noah^as.