Earth being 'Spread out' mentioned in the Quran

     In this blog, I have written about Earth being 'Spread out' mentioned in the Quran.

Translation of Verse 19 of Surah Nuh

And Allah has made the earth(land) for you as a carpet (spread out).

Explanation:

                     In the verse 19 of Surah Nuh Allah says that the earth or land is spread out or it is like a carpet. Many people cite this verse when they argue that the Quran says that the Earth is flat. In this verse, it does not say that the Earth is flat but it says that it is spread out which is true. If you go on top of a high-rise building you will observe that the landscape around you is levelled like a carpet or spread out. 

The reason Allah has made the land spread out is so that we can walk on it and perform several other tasks like growing crops, building out houses etc. Flatness and being spread out have 2 different meanings. This was also the view of a very renowned 14th century scholar Ibn Kathir.

Translation of Verse 44 of Surah An-Nur

"Allah alternates the day and night. Surely in this is a lesson for people of insight."

Explanation:

                      I wrote about the shape of the earth mentioned in the Quran in my previous blog. If you want to read it then click on this link Shape of the Earth mentioned in the Quran. In the previous verse I said that the land on which we live has been spread so that we can perform our daily life activities. In the verse 44 of Surah An-nur Allah says that he alternates the day and night. This could only be possible if the Earth is spherical. In the verse which I explained in my blog Description of the Rotation of the Earth and the mention of the Orbit of the Moon and Sun in the Quran it is written that "he wraps(folds) the day around night and night around day." The word وَيُكَوِّرُ 'Wayukawir' used in verse 5 of Surah Az-Zumr means to wrap or fold around as if you fold or wrap a turban around your head. This is what we observe after sunset the night wraps around the day and the same occurs early in the morning before sunset. At the end of verse 44 of Surah An-Nur, it is written that it is a lesson for people of insight like Physicists, Astronomers and other scientists. The lesson is to ponder upon the wisdom and greatness of Allah who mentioned these scientific facts with such great precision 1400 years ago when the technology at that time was not sufficient to research these facts. These verses and many other verses are clear prooves that the Quran is the word of Allah. Although it contains many scientific facts with great accuracy but the Quran is not a book of science it is the book of guidance. These scientific facts are mentioned only so that we can ponder upon the greatness of Allah Almighty.

    One thing to keep in mind is that there can be various others explanations of these verses and only Allah Almighty knows what is the correct explanation. 

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Shape of the Earth mentioned in the Quran

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Mention of Multiple Universes in the Quran

Shape of the Earth mentioned in the Quran

      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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Description of the Rotation of the Earth and the mention of the Orbit of the Moon and Sun in the Quran.

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Earth being 'Spread out' mentioned in the Quran