Question
Asalaamualaykum
Is there any mention in the Quran or Hadith as to how many animals Nabi Nuh(AS) had on the ark? As it would have been inconceivable to have had all the animal species on earth?
Answer
There is no exact number to be ascertained. Moreover, how many there were has no relevance to spiritual guidance and that could be the reason the Qur’an has not mentioned any particular number. Nonetheless, there is a misunderstanding that all the species of the earth were gathered on Prophet Noah’s (pbuh) ark. Our understanding of the verses of the Qur’an on this topic is that the flood was regional and that the animals were the ones that could be herded and relative to that time and place.
I hope this helps.
God knows best.