#Does_Quran_Says_Earth_is_Flat?? The Quran says that Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet. This gives an indication that the earth is flat. Does this not contradict established modern science? 1. Earth made as a carpet The question refers to a verse from the Qur’an inSurah Nuh: And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out). The Holy Quran, Chapter 71, Verse19 But the sentence in the above verse is not complete. It continues in the next verse, explaining the previous verse. It says: That ye may go about therein, in spacious roads. TheHoly Quran, Chapter 71, Verse 20 A similar message is repeated in Surah TaHa: He Who has made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels).... The Holy Quran, Chapter 20, Verse 53 The surface of the earth i.e. earth’s crust is less than 30 miles in thickness and is very thin as compared to the radius of the earth which is about 3750 miles. The deeper layers of the earth are very hot, fluid and hostile to any form of life.The earth’s crust is a solidified shell on which we can live. The Quran rightly refers to it like a carpet spread out, so that we can travel along its roads and paths. 2. Carpet can also be spread on other than an absolute flat surface Not a single verse of the Quran says that the earth is flat. The Quran only compares the earth’s crust with a carpet. Some people seem to think that carpet can only be put on an absolute flat surface. It is possible to spread a carpet on a large sphere such as the earth. It can easily be demonstrated by taking a huge model of the earth’s globe covering it with a carpet. Carpet is generally put on a surface, which is not very comfortable to walk on. The Quran describes the earth crust as a carpet, without which human beings would not be able to survive because of the hot, fluid and hostile environment beneath it. The Quran is thus not only logical, it is mentioning a scientific fact that was discovered by geologists centuries later. 3. Earth has been spread out Similarly, the Quran says in several verses that the earth has been spread out. And We have spread out the (spacious) earth: how excellently We do spread out! The Holy Quran, Chapter 51, Verse 48 Similarly the Quran also mentions in several other verses that the earth is an expanse: Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse. And the mountains as pegs? The Holy Quran,Chapter 78, Verse 6-7 None of these verses of the Quran contain even the slightest implication that the earth is flat. It only indicates that the earth is spacious and thereason for this spaciousness of the earth is mentioned. The Quran says: O My servants who believe! truly. spacious is My Earth: therefore serve ye Me –(And Me alone)!The Holy Quran, Chapter 29, Verse 56 Therefore none can give the excuse, that he could not do good and was forced to do evil because of the surroundings and circumstances. 4. Earth is geospherical in shape The Quran mentions the actual shape of the earth in the following verse: And we have made the earth egg shaped. The Holy Quran, Chapter 79, Verse 30 The dahu in the Arabic Language means to extend and even out. It is said: daha the thing;yadhu dahwan. These terms can mean he either evened out and extended it or he threw it and rolled it. It is also said: the rain daha the stones from the face of the earth, which means it rolled it and washed it away. It is also said: The horse passed by yadhu dahwan, which means he is beating his foot on the ground and yadhu its sand. Also, the ostrichs madhi means its laying of its eggs, and adhiha is the nest where its chicks are born. So as we clearly see, all of the above Arabic words that are derived from daha mean: 1- To extend. 2- To roll. 3- To even out. 4- Causing to become egg-shaped or creating, making or producing eggs (see the ostrichs madhi example above). The meanings all derive from the root word in arabic, there is nothing wrong with applying all the meanings especially amazing in this situation seeing as they are all true. Arabic is a rich language and words usually have more then one meaning The Arabic word dahaha in Noble Verse 79:30 above did have multiple meanings and uses. One of them was when one refers to an ostrich egg.Another was when referring to making something extended, spread out, stretched and/or expanded. This is an example of how Allah Almighty uses scientific notions in the Noble Quran when He talked about how He created certain things. He gave words that had multiple meanings and interpretations to them to make the Noble Quran truly be for all times and all places, and show it has deeper meanings. The meanings unravel more and more as scientific discoveries increase The shape of the earth being similar to an oblate spheroid [ Also according to Wikipedia: The Earths shape is very close to an oblate spheroid—a rounded shape with a bulge around the equator—although the precise shape (the geoid)varies from this by up to 100 metres (327 ft). Eggs can be described as prolate spheroids,ovate spehroids or oblate spheroids. The fact is the word used in the Quran has particular root link to an ostrich egg We are specifically observing an Ostrich egg which does resemble an Oblate Spheroid and NOT Prolate Spheroid. More over technical labeling is irrelevant since these are invented modern names that we ascribe to the earth. How would it make sense for God to describe the earth as an Oblate spheroid 1400 years ago? Even if God were to describe the Earth as simply round it would be incorrect. Describing the Earth as resembling an ostrich egg is very significant and precise as it was not only unique at the time but is still accurate and visually relevantThus its not just a case of bad translation, thewords in arabic have multiple meanings and all cant be used at once however deeper analysis do show that all the meanings are accurate. This however is not likely to convince the non muslim who most probably thinks the muslims are stretching it abit and using words they want to use, which is their choice and is fair enough. But to say the verses are irrelevant is incorrect, they certainly have some merit Thus the allegation is untrue, the Quran and modern established science are in perfect harmony.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 03:59:14 +0000
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