In my previous blog, I wrote about the explanation of Verse 5 of Surah Az-Zumar which mentions how day changes to night and how night changes to day. The only 2 ways for this to be possible is that the Earth rotate around its axis which I wrote about in my previous blog and the second possibility is that the Earth is spherical. In this blog, I will discuss about the spherical shape of the Earth.
Translation of Verse 30 of Surah al-Naziat
He made the earth egg-shaped.
Explanation:
This verse of the Quran mentions that the Earth is shaped like an egg. Some people say that the Earth is round but in reality, it is not completely round. It is flat at the poles and bulging from the equator. If you compare the image of the Earth which we got from the pictures taken from the satellites with an egg. You will get to know that the shapes of the Earth and an egg are in quite resemblance to one another.
All this is described in the Quran 1400 years ago which is clear proof that the Quran is the word of Allah. It has been sent to the Prophet Muhammad SAW for our guidance on our right path. While the Quran does have many scientific facts but this doesn't make the Quran a book of Science but it is the book of guidance so that we can succeed in this life and the life hereafter. These scientific facts are mentioned in the Quran only so that the People can ponder upon the greatness of Allah Almighty.
One thing to keep in mind is that there can be various others explanations of this verse and only Allah Almighty knows what is the correct explanation.
Views of Muslim Scholars
These facts which the Quran described 1400 years ago were proved scientifically a few centuries ago. Although the concept of round earth was common among Greek Astronomers like Aristotle and many other Greek scientists there was still debate among the scholars for the accuracy of this claim. In the medieval Muslim era as well this concept of the Earth being spherical was common knowledge due to this and many other verses of the Quran. Muslim scholars such as Ibn-al-Hazm and Fakharuddin Razi proved scientifically that the Earth is spherical.
Al-Biruni was the first scientist to measure the radius of the earth which differed by only 16.8km from the current value of 6356.7km. All Muslim scientists believed not only in the accuracy of the Quran but also in their own Mathematics. Theologians like Ibn-Tayimiah also agreed with Ibn-Hazm and many other Muslim scientists of that time. Imam Ghazali, a 14th-century Muslim philosopher went as far as to say that those who deny the fact of a spherical earth is mocking Islam. Even the first 3 centuries of Muslims which were the best people in understanding Islam according to a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad SAW “The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.” [Bukhari 6065] They also believed the earth as spherical. Muslim geographer Ibn Khordadbeh (died 912 A.D), also argued about the spherical shape of the Earth in his Book of Roads and Kingdoms which mentions various import trade routes of that era. Ibn Abbas who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and probably among the companions with the most knowledge also believed the Earth to be spherical in shape. The map given below by the 12th-century Muslim Geographer Muhammad al Idris also depicts the Earth as spherical.
The idea of the spherical earth was proposed in the West by scientists like Galileo and Copperenicus but they were met with severe criticism and opposition from the Church. Unlike, in the Muslim world where both the Theologians and Scientists agreed upon the spherical shape of the Earth.
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