Al-Zawjayn
Definition
Al-zawjayn — a pair of each — refers to the divine command to Nuh to load onto the ark a male and female of every living species before the flood. Ibn Kathir notes that this instruction demonstrates the scope of Allah's mercy: the destruction was intended for the disbelieving human civilization, not for the animals and other creatures that had no capacity for moral choice. By preserving a pair of each species, Allah ensured that the natural world would survive and regenerate after the flood, demonstrating that divine judgment against human corruption does not abandon the rest of creation to destruction. The preservation of the pairs is one of the most ecologically significant moments in scriptural history.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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