WikiIslam:Sandbox
|
Quran's describes mountains as 'pegs' that have been 'cast down' into the Earth's surface in order to 'stabilize' it.
In recent times, many Islam apologists have argued that this conception is both scientifically sound and and instance of miraculous scientific foreknowledge on the part of the Quran which, they argue, could not have arrived at the conception it holds without divine insight. Individuals key to the popularization of this idea include the apologists like Zakir Naik, Professor Zaghloul Raghib El Naggar (a geologist specializing in biostratification), and the Saudi-financed surgeon Dr. Maurice Bucaille.
While critics claim that:
- It was an old concept that mountains are pegs who stabilise the earth. This concept was based upon the apparent shape of the mountain.
- The writer of Qur'an only restated this old concept in Quran, thus it could be in no way a miracle of Qur'an.
- And the writer of Qur'an made other scientific mistakes while describing the creation of mountains in Qur'an and Hadith.
Qur'anic verses for mountains being pegs and stabilising the earth
Also see verses 15:19 and 16:15.
The idea of Mountains being Pegs had already existed before Muhammad
Mountains appear to be pegs upon huge huge earth. Therefore, this idea of mountains being pegs even existed among the Arabs before Muhammad. For example, Ka’ab was one of the ancestor of Muhammad. This Ka’ab also declared mountains to be pegs long before Muhammad.
فأما كعب بن لؤي، فكان أعظم ولد أبيه قدرا، وأعظمهم شرفا، وكان أول من سمي يوم الجمعة بالجمعة، وكانت العرب تسميه عروبة، فجمعهم فيه، وكان يخطب عليهم، فيقول: اسمعوا، وتعلموا، وافهموا، واعلموا أن الليل ساج، والنهار ضاح، والأرض مهاد، والسماء عماد، والجبال أوتاد، والنجوم أعلام،
Ka'ab Bin Lowy was a man of great honour among his ancestors and progeny. He was the first person who gave the name of Friday to the day of Friday. Arabs used to call him 'Aroba. He gathered them and advised them to hear, learn and understand, and to know that night is deserted and silent, while day is full of sunlight, and earth is a cradle while sky is a support, and mountains are pegs, and stars are signs, ...
The writer of Qur'an only restated this old concept in Quran, thus it could be in no way a miracle of Qur'an.
Two scientific mistakes in Quran regarding the creation of mountains
Critics point out that writer of Quran made two scientific mistakes regarding the creation of mountains.
First Mistake: Allah claim that it put mountains "from above" on the earth.
وجعل فيها رواسي من فوقها
(Quran 41:10) And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface. (Sahih International)
(Quran 41:10) And He placed in it stabilisers (i.e. mountains) from above. (Mohsin Khan)
The Arabic words "من فوقها" mean "from above".
Mountains are usually formed through the movement and collision of lithospheric (tectonic) plates. The Quran, by contrast, states that the mountains on Earth's surface were put upon it from above by Allah, which is a scientific mistake.
Second Mistake: Allah had already made the mountains on the day of Sunday at time of the creation of the earth and the skies
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger took hold of my hands and said:
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created the clay on Saturday and He created the mountains on Sunday and He created the trees on Monday and He created the things entailing labour on Tuesday and created light on Wednesday and lie caused the animals to spread on Thursday and created Adam (peace be upon him) after 'Asr on Friday;the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday, i. e. between afternoon and night.
Critics point out that according to the modern science[1][2]:
- Mountains were not created on Sunday at the time of creation of the earth and the heavens.
- But earth initially consisted of gases only. It took billions of years to come into solid form. And even after earth came into solid state, still it took billions of years more in the formation of mountains.
- And older mountains disappear with time, and new mountains start forming.
- There existed no Mount Everest 250 million years ago. Today it is the highest mountain. It will keep on gaining even more height, but then a time will come, when it will disappear completely.
Not only Hadith, but Quran itself claims that Allah had already created the mountains during the creation of the earth and heavens.
(Quran 41:9-11) Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." (Translation: Sahih International)